when I first read
about Holden’s red hunting hat, I was intrigued. Above all else I loved just how
quirky the image was of a New York City boy at Pencey Prep Academy wearing a red
flannel hunting hat with ear flaps. But more importantly, I liked how Salinger used
the hat in his fiction.
Holden’s hat gives alters his mood. His demeanor changes once the hat is
placed on his head or taken off. I know from personal experience just how much
putting a simple hat on my head can make me feel better
Clothing,
3
more than anything else – setting, facial features, body types – is what Salinger writes
about. Hats, jackets, t-shirts, pants and dresses, they are all described in detail.
For Salinger, popular fashion, the normal and
acceptable attire of the average American, troubled him in his life and as a result
became a major concern in his literary career
Salinger views
fashion etiquette as obscene.
He hated the idea of forced fashion so much that he decided to make his own style in
his fiction. His disdain for clothing makes his way into many of his works, where the
heroes and heroines are usually dressed in clothing unique to the setting.
In Catcher, Salinger sets Holden Caulfield apart from the rest of the characters
through his red hunting hat. Teddy McArdle is also ostracized in “Teddy,” as he is
hardly dressed appropriately for a cruise line in his white t-shirt and baggy shorts.
Why Salinger does this in “Teddy” and Catcher is expanded upon in the subsequent
chapters.
about Holden’s red hunting hat, I was intrigued. Above all else I loved just how
quirky the image was of a New York City boy at Pencey Prep Academy wearing a red
flannel hunting hat with ear flaps. But more importantly, I liked how Salinger used
the hat in his fiction.
Holden’s hat gives alters his mood. His demeanor changes once the hat is
placed on his head or taken off. I know from personal experience just how much
putting a simple hat on my head can make me feel better
Clothing,
3
more than anything else – setting, facial features, body types – is what Salinger writes
about. Hats, jackets, t-shirts, pants and dresses, they are all described in detail.
For Salinger, popular fashion, the normal and
acceptable attire of the average American, troubled him in his life and as a result
became a major concern in his literary career
Salinger views
fashion etiquette as obscene.
He hated the idea of forced fashion so much that he decided to make his own style in
his fiction. His disdain for clothing makes his way into many of his works, where the
heroes and heroines are usually dressed in clothing unique to the setting.
In Catcher, Salinger sets Holden Caulfield apart from the rest of the characters
through his red hunting hat. Teddy McArdle is also ostracized in “Teddy,” as he is
hardly dressed appropriately for a cruise line in his white t-shirt and baggy shorts.
Why Salinger does this in “Teddy” and Catcher is expanded upon in the subsequent
chapters.
