J.D. Salinger's "Catcher in the Rye"

In the novel Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, the red hunting hat worn by Holden follows a very important theme that is similar to the song I Don’t Know My Name by Grace Vanderwaal. Holden is a unique individual who needs the red hat to maintain his innocence from the world and feel comfortable in who he is. Grace is trying to find who she is by trying to get rid of her innocence and be comfortable in herself and still be unique.

Both of those themes are shown evident throughout both the song and the novel.

Grace doesn’t quite understand herself and how to express herself. Everyone expects her to accept the fact that society has already laid out the way she should live. Like Holden, she will eventually have to meet life and come out of her comfort zone or the protection she has established for herself. Grace states, “I am lost, trying to get found, in an ocean of people.

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” Grace is living in a world with so many people and she is saying how her true identity can get lost in the mix. She is constantly under pressure to be like everyone else and not be herself. She does her own thing to make her feel comfortable in herself and who she is trying to be. Holden does the same thing as Grace, he is not able to be himself or feel comfortable without his hat. Holden's hat shows his individuality and how he is secluded from the world.

He uses the hat to alienate himself to protect his innocence and help him find himself.

Both people in the song and novel, are hiding their true selves. Holden feels most comfortable being him when he puts on his red hunting hat. For Grace, it's when she finally realizes she is unique and she finds solace in herself. Both people conclude they are going to have to face the real world and can’t hide and be protected forever. The author states, “My hunting hat really gave me quite a lot of protection, in a way, but I got soaked anyway' (Salinger, 213). The hat can protect his innocence but it won’t protect his innocence forever. The protection that this hat gives him will not always be there. The conservation he gets will eventually go away and he has to face the real world. Grace at the end of her song says, “Now I know my name... So you say, I'm not trying, But I'm trying, To find my way.” Grace is searching for who she is and gets rid of her innocence by confronting the real world. Holden is always protected by his hat, but he realizes he won’t be forever.