“I was crying and everything, I don't know why, but I guess it was because I felt so damn depressed and lonely” (53), Holden says. As humans, we have difficulty belonging to society. This is the same case for Holden Caulfield, the main character of Catcher in the Rye. The Catcher in the Rye, a novel by JD Salinger, is about Holden, a lost boy who desperately needs help. Throughout the novel, Holden seems to be cut off from the world around him. He continually tries to prove himself belonging to a world from which he is isolating himself. In this novel, Salinger uses symbols such as the red hunting hat, ducks, and Allie's glove to support the theme of belonging and isolation. At the beginning of the novel, Holden tells Mr. Spencer that he feels trapped on the other side of the world. life." This clearly shows how Holden does not feel he belongs in the world he lives in. Holden has his hunting hat as a source of protection. Holden buys a red hunting hat in New York for a dollar. The hat has a very long and Holden wears it backwards with the visor facing behind him. "...I moved the old visor to the back: very banal, I admit, but I liked it that way" (17), Holden explains when he is very stressed.The hunting hat not only symbolizes protection, but also symbolizes Holden's uniqueness and individuality.Holden does not wear the hat because it is fashionable, but just to maintain his individuality and to feel confident. In the taxi Holden put on his hat and said, "I would put on my red hunting hat when I was in the taxi, just for the hell of it, but I took it off before I checked in" (61). illustrates how Holden thinks it is necessary to wear the hat to feel safe. But at the same time, Holde... middle of paper... remains frozen and everyone belongs to society. Therefore, during the winter period, the ducks are as isolated as they once were, but continue to belong together. Holden is isolated from the people around him and is more protected within himself. Holden doesn't know how he'll survive his winter, just like he doesn't know where the ducks will end up during the winter. Throughout the end of the novel, Holden is no longer lost. His younger sister, Phoebe, helps him recover from isolation. The Red Hunt helps Holden isolate himself. Ally's glove helps Holden bring back all the old memories of his younger brother, Allie. Holden compares himself to ducks because he feels like he will isolate himself from society just like ducks do during the winter. Therefore, the ducks, Allie's glove and the red hunting hat relate to the theme of belonging and isolation.