Rebellion is the strongest idea expressed in The Catcher in the Rye, although author J.D. Salinger explores multiple social themes throughout the work. As a young man who is left with an important decision to make after failing his prep school classes, Holden is saddled with the pressures of other people's expectations. He must choose between returning home and facing his parents after his failure or setting out on his own.
Throughout The Catcher in the Rye, it clear Holden can either take the path of least resistance by returning home or choose to rebel against the expectations of his parents and society. Without fully knowing his own mind, he asks Sally, a girl he dated previously, to run away with him. This arc in the story demonstrates Holden's rebellion is contingent upon having another person to join him, validating his choices as a result.
The idea of rebellion is also expressed through Holden's misanthropy and his excessive use of foul language. Holden is also seen abandoning his family's 1950s values by hiring a prostitute at a hotel, but he ultimately decides not to go through with the encounter. Holden himself acknowledges his rebellion likely stems from the fact that he feels society has already rejected him as a misfit.
It has been suggested that Holden's hunting hat is a physical symbol of his rebellion. While he otherwise dresses appropriately for a young man in his era, Holden is consistently seen wearing a hunting hat that is notably out of place. By wearing the hat, Holden is rebelling against society's expectations in a significant way, even if he meets them in most others.
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