I’ve read it, perhaps 5 times now and have never realised/noticed this little detail.
At the very start of the book, Holden is on his way to Old Spencer to say “good-by” and is freezing his butt off.
When he later returns to his dorm he puts on the hunting cap and describes how he likes to wear it ‘this way and that’.
My question is, why did he not wear it when he was out in the cold? He bought it that morning in New York and hadn’t returned to his dorm yet that day before going to Old Spencer (I believe?) and so he could have put it on when he was freezing.
Do you believe this to be a mistake or an intended detail to explain something deeper?
by ClydeinLimbo
2 Comments
It’s a mistake.
A real big plot hole. You should let JD Salinger’s IP team know I think they will appreciate it and patch it in the next release.
I always took it as the fact that he uses the hat as like a comfort, safety thing. The hat is used more of a psychological comfort (when he’s alone or isolated) than a physical one (when he’s cold). We know he isn’t always logical because he’s emotionally lost. I think it’s just meant to show us about his character.