Which object serves as a tangible symbol of Allie's brilliance and Holden's unresolved grief?

• A. Holden's red hunting hat
• B. Allie's baseball glove
• C. The ducks in Central Park
• D. The phonies' fountain pen

Answer: (B)

Objects in Holden’s world carry memory, and Allie’s baseball glove does this work most clearly. Allie was bright and thoughtful, and the glove bears his poems written in green ink, turning a simple item into a record of his creative mind. Holden clings to the glove as a physical link to Allie, using it to feel the brother’s warmth and intelligence long after Allie’s death, which keeps his grief unresolved. The other items symbolize different things—Holden’s hat speaks to his need for protection and individuality, the ducks touch on his anxiety about change—so they don’t carry Allie’s brilliance or Holden’s grief in the same personal way.