1. Symbolism in The Catcher in the Rye
Allie’s Baseball Mitt
Symbolism in The Catcher in the Rye

2. Explanation of Symbol
Allie’s baseball mitt is symbolic of his intelligence and inventiveness. He turns the glove into something more than simply athletic equipment by writing poetry on the glove in green ink. Green typically symbolizes hope in literature, and Allie gave Holden hope as he was innocent, friendly and intelligent. After Allie’s death, Holden smashes all of the windows in the garage out of sadness and anger.

3. Quote from Chapter 5
“The thing that was descriptive about it, though, was that he had poems written all over the fingers and the pocket and everywhere. In green ink. He wrote them on it so that he’d have something to read when he was in the field and nobody was up at bat (38).

4. Works Cited
Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown, Print.