In In The Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger suggests that even though individuality is important, extreme devotion to it can lead to self-alienation from others.
The prime example of this is Holden’s Hunting Cap, which also happens to be one of the most important symbols in American Literature. Near the beginning of the book, Holden explains how he got the hunting cap after buying it in New York to cope with the fact that he had lost his team’s fencing equipment. From being tied to this incident, the Hunting Cap became a sort of icon for Holden, separating him from the rest of his peers. Throughout the book, Holden takes note of every time he puts on the hat, often taking it off when he goes out in public, such as on page 70, when he says “All I did was take off my hunting hat and put it in my pocket” (70). When his roommate, Stradlater, makes fun of his hat, Holden defends himself saying “This is a people shooting hat… I shoot people in this hat” (30), but takes off the hat, representing his anxiety with standing in the world.
Because Holden’s hat separates him from his peers both physically and mentally and is driven by his values of individuality, this exemplifies how Holden knowingly alienates himself from others.