The Catcher in the Rye: Allie Caulfield

Allie Caulfield was Holden’s little brother who tragically died of leukemia three years before the start of the novel. I wish he were in the story because he sounds like possibly the most interesting person in the story. According to Holden’s descriptions, Allie was extremely bright and intelligent, very friendly, redheaded, and as cute as can be. I know that loved him dearly because at point he mentions the day of Allie’s death. He casually talks about how he went straight into the garage and started punching through the walls and windows and yelling at the top of his lungs in despair of Allie’s death. This was of course the saddest part of the novel for me. I can just see how upset Holden must have been at that moment. Now, Holden carries around Allie’s old baseball glove in which Allie wrote poems all over in green ink. I have to believe that Allie was not a good baseball player, but that is not the point. Whenever Holden talks about the glove, he always accentuates the fact that the ink is green. I do not know the meaning of this for sure, but I could make an educated guess. I know that green is the prominent color of the Muslim faith because it symbolizes peace. I can assume that Salinger made this connection because Allie seemed like a very peaceful child in nature. However, that is just how I interpret that aspect of the story. It is Holden’s only memory of Allie, and I think that it is his most prized possession. Throughout the entire novel, Holden speaks dearly of Allie. It seems like Allie haunts his mind at some points, but I am not exactly sure why. Maybe it is because Holden feels like he could have done something about his death. Even though it is obvious that he could not have done anything to prevent Allie’s death, Holden is just that kind of person.