As defined in the American Heritage Dictionary, symbolism is defined as the practice of representing things by means of symbols or of assigning significant symbolic meanings to objects. The book “The Catcher in the Rye” by JD Salinger is the only novel he wrote. The novel The Catcher in the Rye is about a boy named Holden Caulfield who is trying to find himself and what he is supposed to do with his life. During his journey, he is kicked out of many schools, interacts with unusual characters, and participates in many unusual events. Throughout the novel, he will be told that he needs some kind of help and in the end, he too will realize it. Why is Holden's red hunting hat important because his hat is red like the hair of the Allies, he seeks the truth and he wears it as a catcher. First, Holden's red hunting hat is important because he wants to be the "catcher of the rye." ". Additionally, Holden's red hunting hat demonstrates symbolism as his hat represents the fact that he wants to "save children from losing their innocence" by catching them like a catcher would. “And I’m standing on the edge of a crazy cliff.” What I have to do is catch everyone if they start going over the cliff. I mean, if they're running and don't watch where they're going, I have to come out from somewhere and catch up with them. That's all I would do all day. I’ll just be the catcher of the rye and everything” (173 Salinger). Also, Holden tries to stop kids from making the same mistakes he would by catching them before they move on to adulthood, he doesn't want them to grow up making the same mistakes he made . Holden soon realizes that he cannot stop all the children from becoming adults, as it is not in his power to help them, as it is a decision they must make. Second, Holden's red hunting hat has another meaning, namely that it is the same color as the Allies' hair color. This demonstrates symbolism because he really didn't have a closer relationship with Allie. He feels bad for wasting them the few times he wanted to spend time with him. Additionally, Allie's red hair and Holden's red hat remind Holden of his brother and what he meant to him..