In The Catcher in the Rye, what does Allie's baseball mitt symbolize?

's younger brotheris a
special figure in this novel. Holden has two experiences with death in the book, the most
important one being the death of Allie. 

When Allie dies, Holden becomes
distraut and depressed and we might argue, given evidence from the text, that Holden still has
not recovered from the loss of his revered and beloved brother. 

Allie was
not just Holden's brother. Allie was the exemplar of certain qualities that Holden cherishes and
esteems. Allie's baseball mitt relates directly to these qualities. 

Like the
oldest brother in the family, Allie is interested in writing and literature. He covers his
baseball mitt in poetry so that he has something to keep him entertained in the
outfield. 

Allie's love of poetry is evidence of his integrity, which, for
Holden, is an attribute of Allie's ability to believe that there is beauty in the
world. 

This is an aspect of innocence. It is innocence that Holden admires
most in the world and he finds it only in Allie and his sister, . These are the two figures that
support Holden, in different ways, as he goes through the breakdown depicted in the
novel. 

Phoebe is the only human being with whom Holden
can communicate except for the memory of Allie, for whom he continually grieves.

The baseball mitt, then, serves to connect Holden to Allie,
symbolize the qualities of Allie's goodness (his belief in beauty), and acts generally as a
symbol for Allie himself.