Monday, May 12, 2014

Catcher in the Rye: Tracing the Motif


Tracing a Motif:
The Red Hunting Hat

Page 45
Context: After the fight with Stradlater over Jane, Holden finds his hat, which is under the bed and puts it on for comfort. He turns the hat around the way he likes it – with the peak towards the back.
Notes:  Holden takes a look at himself in the mirror and sees his face covered in gore (blood) which he thinks makes him look tough.  But he puts the hat on because he has just had a violent confrontation with his roommate and has no one to turn to. The hat, somehow, comforts him and gives him the feeling of having an identify, perhaps that of a tough guy.

Page 61
Context: After Holden leaves Pencey for New York, he climbs into a cab and puts his red hunting cap on.
Notes: Although he has flunked out of Pencey, he has voluntarily and illegally left school early, without permission.  He doesn’t want to go home yet to face the family so he decides to check into a hotel. He is probably feeling homeless and insecure.

The Ducks (page 13; page 60; pages 81 – 83)
Morons (page 44 – 45, page 52, page 69, page 79)

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