Rough+Draft+of+Essay

There are certain items unique to certain people. In the book Cather in the Rye, Holden, the main character, has a red hunting hat that is very unique to him. Holden only likes to wear the red hunting hat when he is alone and not around anyone that he knows. The red hunting hat also shows a part of unique individuality in Holden. This is a unique form of individuality because you don't see many people walking around with hunting hats on. Also in the book they didn't mention anybody with a hunting hat besides Holden. He wears the hunting hat is because it reminds him of Alli, when ever he wears the red hunting hat, it makes him feel better; And he wears the hat because his family thinks differently about him with it on. When he is going to leave at the end of the book, he gives this hat to Phoebe.

One example of him wearing the hunting hat, is when he is alone on top of the hill watching the football game. He is on top of the hill because when he went onto the trip with the fencing team, he left the equipment on the subway train. On top of the hill Holden says, "Anyway, it was December and all, and it was cold as a witch's teat, especially on top of that stupid hill"(Salinger 4). After that, he goes up to see someone and he takes the hat off.

Another reason that Holden wears the red hunting hat is that it makes him feel better about himself. Also it helps him thing of things. One thing that it helps him think of is Allie. Allie is his younger brother who had bright red hair and died of leukemia. He was also a very smart kid and Holden was extremely upset and mad when he died that he broke all the windows in the garage. Also when he was writing the composition for Stradlater, Holden said "I put on my old red hunting hat and started writing the composition" (Salinger 37). It means that when he puts the red hunting hat on it makes him concentrate better because he is being himself. Also Holden makes a reference to how the hat can help when it is raining out. On page 213, Holden says "My hunting hat really gave me quite a lot of protection, in a way, but i got soaked anyway."

Since the red hunting hat was very unique, and Phoebe realized that she can always remember Holden by the hat. At the end of the book when Holden is about to leave, he gives this hat to Phoebe. " Then I took my red hunting hat out of my coat pocket and gave it to her, and then I left." (Salinger 180). In this quote it states that he did give the hat to Phoebe. Since Phoebe knows that it is very unique to Holden; she will always remember him by it. Phoebe wanted Holden to keep the hat because she knew that it was very important to him. In the book it says "She reached into my coat pocket and took out my old red hunting hat and put it on my head." (Salinger 212), this shows that she wanted him to keep the hat.

The red hunting hat is a big deal to Holden because it helps him think and remember his brother Allie. He always wheres the hat when he is alone. The hat shows his individuality because when ever he has it on it helps him think of things, like his dead brother Allie. Then he gives it to his sister so she can remember him by when he was going to leave because she knows the hat is a part of Holden. The hat is very important to Holden and it is very unique to him.