Looking for a symbol in The Catcher in the Rye.I have to do a summer assignment, and I need just a few more details on a symbol. I have most of the...

The carousel would probably be the best, as suggested by
the answer above. The ducks would be among the worst because they would be hardest to
construe as symbols--and besides that, they are never seen. The red hunting hat is a
made-to-order symbol because Salinger obviously intended it to be a symbol. A symbol of
what? It symbolizes that Holden is still a kid. It also symbolizes that he is "hunting"
for something. What is he hunting for in Manhattan? When he gives the hat to his little
sister, it is as if he is giving up his childhood and becoming an adult. A parallel
example (sometimes seen in movies) is when a young girl gives away her favorite doll or
stuffed animal. Holden couldn't be carrying anything around with him that would
symbolize immaturity, so a hat was an excellent and plausible
symbol.

Holden's fantasy about being a catcher in the rye
is also a symbol, but it comes up only briefly towards the end of the book when he is
talking to his little sister. And it is not really a tangible thing, like the carousel
or the deerstalker hat.