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=__THE RED HUNTING HAT__ = = = Discussion Questions: =// 1. How does the symbol/motif come up in the novel, and how does it impact what is going on? What happens immediately preceding or immediately following a mention or discussion of this idea or thing? //*The symbol of the "red hunting hat" comes up in the very beginning of the book. Holden talks about buying the hat in the city, while he was going to a fencing tournament. When Holden talks about the red hunting hat, he describes it as outlandish, which suits him. The hat symbolizes Holden's individuality and it gives the reader a sense of what the character is like (especially when Holden says how he got the hat). After the symbol of the red hunting hat is introduced, Holden has a conversation with a character named Ackley. Mid-way through the conversation, Holden pulls the hat over his eyes, and then takes it off (because Ackley commented on the hat). // 2. // // What is the mood when this idea or thing is brought up? Would you associate this with times when Holden is content? frightened? frantic? confused? Is this mood consistent with every incidence of this motif? //  = =** *The hat shows who Holden really is on the inside. he feels like he's different. when he wears the hat most of the time there are not people around or around people he doesn't know. the mood varies when he wears the hat. when we first encounter the hat he wears in his dorm room with out any people around so no one see. the only person who really see who holden is is phoebe. he wears the hat around her and doen't have any concerns. //3. Is Holden alone when this motif/symbol occurs? If not, with whom is he interacting? How would you characterize that interaction? Does this motif occur both when he is alone and when he is with other people? Is there a connection to be made?// **= *Yes and no. Holden seems to wear the hat mostly when he is not around people. But when Holden did wear the hat in the book, he was walking in the street (because it was cold) and when he's talking to sister Phoebe. The interaction Holden makes is with his sister, because she won't judge Holden and she has the gift of innocence. Phoebe is someone Holden can really talk to. Holden wears the red hunting hat when he's around Phoebe and when he's by himself. A connection can be made, because Phoebe has bright red hair like the hunting hat. Plus, Holden can express his individuality when he's by himself and when he's with Phoebe.

// 4. //// What does this motif/symbol tell you about Holden, in a “big picture” way - Does this suggest anything about his personality? His weaknesses or strengths? His sense of himself? *In the "big picture" it says who Holden is. the hat in ways helps him find who he is. holden raley shows who he really is. he wears the hat when people are not around him. he only shows himself around Phoebe. When Ackley nostices the hat ands says it looks werid Holden takes the hat off and doesn't show ACkely who he really is. 5. Tie it all together: Did any pattern emerge? Pick out other words or ideas used in conjunction with this motif. Look back on your investigation and come up with a single sentence that sums up what you’ve discovered. //

* Holden is afraid to show his true self around people fro fear of being an outcast and that people wont except him as he is.
= __Outline__ =  a. Teenagers face the challenges of social expectance and expressing their own individuality. b. Teens get mixed up in the loop of social acceptance and expressing their own individuality bcause of the desire to fit in. i. many teens are afraid to show there true selves. ii.Teens express their individuality by the way they dress, act; and through music, dance, art, or sports. iii. teens go through a balancing act to fit in and still be their selves. a. teens today are having trouble being their true selves. i. "Where the hellja get that hat?" he said "New York" "How much" "A buck" "you got robbed"............."Up home we wear a hat like that for shooting deer for chrissake" he said "That's a deer shooting hat ."...I took it off and looked at it." (Salinger, 22) b. Holden is afraid to be himself around people and let them in because he is afraid they will leave him. he doesn't let in mr spencer in to help him. i. Just like Allie "I slept in the garage that night he died. and i broke all the god dam windows with my fist just for the hell of it. i even tried to brake the windows on that station wagon we had that summer but my hand was already broken and everything by that time and I couldn't do it. It was a very stupid thing to do, I'll admit, but i hardly didn't know what i was doing. You didn't know Allie." (salinger 39). OFr this holden refuses to let other people in. he feels as if he can't be himself around other people because they will leave him. c.Holden has trouble expressing himself around other people and tries to express himself by offering people to pay for their drinks. i.page 57, 57, 74, 83, 108, chapter 17, 144-149, a. Teens choose to be an individual, because they prefer to be different. i. In the book, Holden buys a outlandish red hunting hat, because it's something people wouldn't usually wear. (Salinger 17) b. In hopes showing their individuality, teens wish to become accepted by their peers. i. Holden shows his individuality by horsing around with other and cracking jokes. Example: Holden had a room mate at Pencey named "Stradlater". Holden was joking around with him, calling Stradlater a moron; Stradlater didn't like that and punched Holden in the face (causing Holden to have a nose bleed (Pg. 22 Passage 1 & Chapter 6) c. Some teens find it necessary to express their individuality, because if they choose to follow the crowd they would have to act a certain way or certain things that they wouldn't normally do, just so that they could be accepted. i. Holden talks about how Pencey is suppose to be a school that molds its students into "clear-thinking young men". However, Holden describes the school made up of wealthy kids who are phonies and thieves. (Chapter 1) a. Holden tries to fit in by buying drinks for people i. 57, 74, 83, 108, chapter 17, 144-149, b. Holden tries not to fallow the crowed by doing bad in school and getting kicked out every school hes been to i. "i forgot to tell you. they kicked me out" (salinger 5) c.holden has trouble fitting in i. Chapter 1 and not being at the football game. a. Teens get mixed up in the loop of social acceptance and expressing their own individuality. i. Teens have trouble expressing themselves for the fear of being un-popular or not socaily excepted. ii. Teens have trouble expressing themselves for the fear of being un-popular or not socaily excepted. iii. Lots of teens have trouble finding the balance between fitting in and being their own person. i
 * I. Introduction**
 * II. Teens have trouble expressing themselves for the fear of being un-popular or not socaily excepted.**
 * III. Teens face the choice between social acceptance, however the some that do choose individuality express it through clothing or art.**
 * IV. Lots of teens have trouble finding the balance between fitting in and being their own person.**
 * V. Conclusion**

= __Rough Draft__ =

Most teenagers face the challenges of social expectance and expressing their own individuality. Teens get mixed up in the loops of social acceptance and expressing their own individuality. Teens want to be accepted, while still expressing their own uniqueness. This is best expressed in the novel __The Catcher In the Rye__ by J.D. Salinger where Holden Crawfield has a struggle to express his own individuality and still trying to fit in amongst his peers. The best way for Holden to express himself is through his hunting hat. He is afraid to wear it around people for the fear that he wont be excepted. Like Holden, many teens express their individuality by the way they dress, act; and through music, dance, art, or sports. They are also afraid to show their true selves. For many teens this is a balancing act; many have trouble evening out being themselves on one side and fitting in on the other. Holden wants to be different, but yet also wants to be socially accepted. He struggles with both throughout the book.

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Many teens today face the struggle of expressing themselves and stilling fitting in with the crowed. Teens today try to be themselves but sometimes they get shot down by the disapproval of other. Like how Ackley say something about the hunting hat Holden bought because he liked it, "Where the hellja get that hat?" he said "New York" "How much" "A buck" "you got robbed"............."Up home we wear a hat like that for shooting deer for chrissake" he said "That's a deer shooting hat ."...I took it off and looked at it." (Salinger, 22). In this quote Holden took off his hunting hat because Ackley thought it was strange. Holden is afraid to be himself around other people besides his younger sister Phoebe. He refuses to let people in for the fear that they will leave him. Kinda like Allie "I slept in the garage that night he died. and i broke all the god dam windows with my fist just for the hell of it. i even tried to brake the windows on that station wagon we had that summer but my hand was already broken and everything by that time and I couldn't do it. It was a very stupid thing to do, I'll admit, but i hardly didn't know what I was doing. You didn't know Allie." (salinger 39). Because Holden doesn’t let people in he can’t be himself around them, this way he doesn’t have the feeling of loss once again. Although he tries to be out going and express himself he is not very good at it. Even though Holden doesn’t particularly like a person he will try to be friends with them, “I stopped having a conversation with him, if he was going to get so touché about it……..i afraid he was going to crack the dam taxi up or something….”would you care to stop off and have a drink somewhere?” (Salinger 82-83) holden in many ways has trouble being who is no matter what people say about him.======

Teens express their uniqueness through clothing, art, or sports. In Catcher in the Rye, Holde Caulfield buys a red outlandish hat, that people would not usually wear. The reason why Holden buys it, is because his siblings, Phoebe and Allie, have red hair; and Holden can be himself when he wears it. Teens also prefer to be different. For example, Holden Caulfield expresses his individuality when he jokes around or acts differently then most boys at his school. Holden had a room mate at Pencey named "Stradlater". Holden was joking around with him, calling Stradlater a moron; Stradlater didn't like that and punched Holden in the face (causing Holden to have a nose bleed) "Why should I?" I said-I was pratically yelling. //"That's just the trouble with all you morons. You never want to discuss anything. That's the way you can always tell a moron. They never want to discuss anything intellig-" Then he really let one go at me, and the next thing I knew I was on the goddam floor again.// (Salinger 44) Some teens find it necessary to express their individuality, because if they choose to follow the crowd they would have to act a certain way. Holden talks about how Pencey is suppose to be a school that molds its students into "clear-thinking young men". However, Holden describes how the school is made up of wealthy kids who are phonies and thieves. //"Pencey was full of crooks. Quite a few guys from these very wealthy families, but it was full of crooks anyway. The more expensive a school is, the more crooks it has-I'm not kidding."// (Salinger 1)Holden prefers not to travel done the road the other kids choose. But some teens, like Holden, choose the path less traveled by. So that they are able to express their individuality and uniqueness.

Some teens have trouble balancing being themselves and fitting in with the crowed. Holden tries to balance this struggle by inviting various people to have drinks with him or paying for something for them. when Holden cant find any one to have drinks with he remembers Carl Luce, " i thought i'd give old Carol Luce a buzz....I got him on the phone, he said he couldnt make it to dinner but he'd meet taht he'd meet em fro drinks at 10 o'clock at the Wicker Bar, on 54th." (Salinger, 137). Although when Carl arrives it doesnt go so well, "...for god's sakes. It's none of my dam business what you want to do with your life"......"Your a real friendly bastard" I told him "you know that?"..."I have to tear" he said and stood up. "Nice seeing you" (Salinger, 148). All thoug he tryes to make friends he still goes against the crowed. Holden isn't the sharpest pin in the crowed. Holden does terrible in school, so mush that he gets kicked out of Pency after four months. "I forgot to tell you that. They kicked me out....... What I was really hanging around for, was trying to feel some kind of good-bye. I mean I've left schools and other places where I dint even know i was leaving them. I hate that" (Salinger 4). Holden has so much trouble fitting in but doesn't make the effort to fit in. when the book first open it described Holden on a hill observing a football game from afar. He doesn't make the effort of going down there to hang with his friends and make new one. Holden is unable to make friends unless he is open to making them.

Teens get mixed up in the loops of social acceptance and expressing their own individuality. Teens have trouble expressing themselves for the fear of being un-popular or not socaily excepted. Many teens express their individuality by the way they dress, act; and through music, dance, art, or sports. For many, its a struggle. No one wants to be on the outside looking in, so they join the crowd. Yet, they want to be different, because they are able to show their uniqueness. Throughout Catcher in the Rye, Holden wants to have a connection with people; to be in that loop. However, he also expresses his individuality with his apparel, how he views society, and how he behaves.___Ending Sentence??_______________

Hi there, it's Ms. A. Please be sure to fix your in-text citations (Salinger 6) for example. Please also be sure you are spelling the characters names correctly. The second paragraph just kinda ends here so please be sure to complete all your thoughts thoroughly.