I have read “The Catcher in the Rye” at least 25 times, yet I have never been able to conjure up a representation of the hat that Holden buys in NYC, the morning he leaves all of the fencing equipment on the train. “It was this red hunting hat, with one of those very, very long peaks.” What the hell is he talking about? I just can’t picture it, especially when he “swung the old peak way around to the back-” Can you explain it to me? Provide a link to a picture? Thanks!
Caulfield, dammit!
This was the hat I always thought it was.
http://www.millerhats.com/productimages/1015.jpg
I want that hat. Does it have the long (enough) brim?
My first ETA:
The website it’s offered on:
http://www.millerhats.com/hunting_catalog/hunting3.html
I don’t have JD Salinger’s phone number handy, but when I think of red hunting hat, that’s the deal.
You don’t need his phone number. Find his email address, then email him that picture and ask if that’s what Holden was weaing.
Righto, I am reminded of characterization and symbolism. The Red Hunting Cap was symbolic.
Wish they had google and cut & paste for Regents exams:
Holden’s red hunting hat: Holden buys a red hunting hat in New York for a dollar after he loses Pencey’s fencing equipment. The hat has a very long peak, and Holden wears it backwards, with the peak aiming behind him. He puts this hat on when he’s under a lot of stress and ends up giving it to his sister Phoebe near the end of the story.
But what does it mean? Hazle didn’t ask. And JD isn’t telling.
Holden wears the cap backwards - like a catcher does!
It should not be a hunters cap, or a tennis (or golf - both look dorkish) cap, therefore. Yogi Berra was the best man to ever wear a catchers cap. And of course, always backwards.
“with one of those very, very long peaks” Still not getting it. The pictures that were reference…I’ve seen those hats before. Is the peak, then, the same as a bill? Read the description again, then look at those pictures. What’s the peak? There’s nothing on those hats that is longer than anything else on any other hat.
And how does one go about getting Salinger’s e-mail address anyway or were you just messing with me.
At this point, I really don’t care about the symbolism. I just want to know what the hat looks like. I guess no one really knows.
The peak is the bill, yes. Maybe the bill wasn’t particularly long in the picture of the cap give above, but picture that with a bill that is much longer than that of a standard baseball cap. That’s JD meant, I think.
They were just messing with you.
While we’re on the topic, I wanted to add that only recently did I notice you, Hazle, and I thought that your name is the coolest ever. I’ve read The Catcher in the Rye like 100 times, and my AIM user name is a variation of “Jim Steele;” yours is much, much cooler, though.
It’s really nice when people notice your name and all. I mean when people notice your name and all. I like to horse around quite a bit. Innarested?