1. Holden is a little hard to understand at times. Throughout the book there were moments I found myself internally yelling if he calls someone phony one more time....
Holden just seems to have a hard time with real relationships. Not only in terms of dating but with friendships as well. When Holden would meet a stranger he would be all too eager to interact with them, asking them out for a drink. We see this with the taxi driver, the old woman on the train, or even the nuns. Though when it came to people he actually knew like Jane or his roommates, he always found excuses to avoid them. I honestly think that Holden is confused. He doesn't really seem to know what he wants out of life. When he had the conversation with Phoebe he told her that there were things that he liked and she asked, "Name one thing.", and he couldn't give a solid response. Holden doesn't have a hobby or a real friend, all he has is Phoebe and Allie. If Holden were to be less judgmental maybe he wouldn't be as lonely. Overall Holden seems to feel all the same things that regular teenagers feel, whether that is depression or a feeling of rebellion. The different thing about Holden is his actions. When Holden actually ran away from Pencey for most teenagers that would have just been talk. Holden doesn't seem…show more content… One symbol could be Holden's hunting hat. It was mentioned multiple times throughout the story, and every time it was mentioned Holden made sure to explain how it was turned to the back. I think this is a tribute to his personality. The way the hat is positioned is a little bit different, just like Holden. There really isn't a true definition of normal but if there was Holden wouldn't be it. I also think it is important that the last time we saw the hunting hat was when Holden was with Phoebe and she gave it back to him after it started raining. I think that having the hat in this moment was important. Phoebe was mad at Holden but when it stared to rain she went over to him and put his
