Catcher in the Rye

According to Mr. Antolini, what does education and scholarship do to enhance the worldly contributions of brilliant and creative men? Why would Mr. Antolini explain this to Holden?(hint: see chapter 24)

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Explain the following statement of Holden's: "I told her I loved her and all. It was a lie, of course, but the thing is, I meant it when I said it" (Chap.17, p. 125). What does this have to do with Holden labeling himself a madman? In what ways might this and other contradictions reveal his instability? Be specific.

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Given Holden's exceptional writing ability, why do you suppose he did not dash off a simple descriptive composition for Stradlater rather than going to the trouble of writing an essay about his brother's baseball glove? What does this reveal about Holden's character? Be specific.

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In chapter 25, Holden grows increasingly paranoid. How do we know this? Provide examples.

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Jane Gallagher

A girl with whom Holden spent a lot of time one summer, when their families stayed in neighboring summer houses in Maine. Jane never actually appears in The Catcher in the Rye, but she is extremely important to Holden, because she is one of the few girls whom he both respects and finds attractive.

Carl Luce

A student at Columbia who was Holden's student advisor at the Whooton School. Luce is three years older than Holden and has a great deal of sexual experience. At Whooton, he was a source of knowledge about sex for the younger boys, and Holden tries to get him to talk about sex at their meeting.

Sally Hayes

A very attractive girl whom Holden has known and dated for a long time. Though Sally is well read, Holden claims that she is "stupid," although it is difficult to tell whether this judgment is based in reality or merely in Holden's ambivalence about being sexually attracted to her. She is certainly more conventional than Holden in her tastes and manners.

Why does Holden not give his real name when talking with Mrs. Morrow? Explain.

Even though Holden say she hates the movies, he likes to act like he is in them. He thinks it is fun to over exaggerate.

Discuss why you think Holden changes his mind about going into the museum.

He LIKES to go to the museum because nothing ever changes

Why do you think Holden enjoys talking to the nuns? What does this reveal about his beliefs and/or character? Be specific.

He likes them because they are not phony because they do everything for others and do not show off about it. It shows that he really does believe in god he just says he doesn't. any times throughout the book he mentions God

Describe Holden's attitude toward women. How does he feel about Jane Gallagher? Does this differ from how he feels about other women? Consider Sunny, Sally, Mrs. Antolini, etc. Provide examples.

Holden actually likes Jane, yet he thinks most other women are phony or fake. He sometimes says she loves them but doesn't know why.

Explain Dr. Thurmer's concept of life as a "game." Do you agree with it? Why? Why not? What does Holden have to say about it? (hint: see chapter 2 when Holden talks to Mr. Spencer)

Holden does not agree, he just thinks that you would "win" if you have money. I don't agree, I think that the prize is being happy with your life and living it to the fullest.

How does Holden feel about associating with people who are not as wealthy as he is? Recall his reference to suitcases in chapter 15.

Holden doesn't exactly like people that are poor. When he talks about the suitcases he says it bothers him how the other man cannot even afford nice luggage. It makes him mad when his poorer roommate tries to take credit for having the nicer luggage.

The Nuns

Holden meets them at the train station and he insists on giving them $10 and he likes them because they aren't phonies

Mr. Antolini

Holden's former English teacher at the Elkton Hills School. Mr. Antolini now teaches at New York University. He is young, clever, sympathetic, and likable, and Holden respects him. Holden sometimes finds him a bit too clever, but he looks to him for guidance. Like many characters in the novel, he drinks heavily.

Mr. Spencer

Holden's history teacher at Pencey Prep, who unsuccessfully tries to shake Holden out of his academic apathy.

Ackley

Holden's next-door neighbor in his dorm at Pencey Prep. Ackley is a pimply, insecure boy with terrible dental hygiene. He often barges into Holden's room and acts completely oblivious to Holden's hints that he should leave. Holden believes that Ackley makes up elaborate lies about his sexual experience.

D.B.

Holden's older brother. D. B. wrote a volume of short stories that Holden admires very much, but Holden feels that D. B. prostitutes his talents by writing for Hollywood movies.

Stradlater

Holden's roommate at Pencey Prep. Stradlater is handsome, self-satisfied, and popular, but Holden calls him a "secret slob," because he appears well groomed, but his toiletries, such as his razor, are disgustingly unclean. Stradlater is sexually active and quite experienced for a prep school student, which is why Holden also calls him a "sexy bastard."

Allie Caulfield

Holden's younger brother. Allie dies of leukemia three years before the start of the novel. Allie was a brilliant, friendly, red-headed boy—according to Holden, he was the smartest of the Caulfields. Holden is tormented by Allie's death and carries around a baseball glove on which Allie used to write poems in green ink.

Holden describes the Wicker Bar as sophisticated, but he is critical of the people who patronize it. Discuss why you think Holden chose the Wicker Bar as a place to meet Carl Luce.

I think he chose to meet Carl Luce there because Carl is very sophisticated and maybe he wanted to impress Carl

In your judgment, how does Holden really feel about leaving Pencey Prep? Explain.

I think he doesn't hate it as much as he says, he just is annoyed by the people there. Yet after going away he realizes he misses some of the people.

Compare or contrast Holden's dialect (the way he speaks) with the dialect of teenagers today. Provide examples. Old fashioned sayings, more proper English than now.

I think that Holden doesn't speak anything like people did back in the old days. He swears a lot which makes me think he is more like the teens of our generation.

Why do you think Stradlater feels compelled to follow the rules? How does Holden differ? Provide examples. (hint: see chapter 6)

I think that Stradlater feels that he wants to follow the rules as best as he can. For example, when Holden writes his composition for him, Stradlater freaks out because he feels that Holden didn't follow directions as he was supposed to.

Why do you suppose that Holden prefers to meet with Sally Hayes rather than Jane Gallagher?

I think that he prefers to meet with Sally over Jane because...

James Castle

Not a phony, commited suicide

Phoebe Caulfield

Phoebe is Holden's ten-year-old sister, whom he loves dearly. Although she is six years younger than Holden, she listens to what he says and understands him more than most other people do. Phoebe is intelligent, neat, and a wonderful dancer, and her childish innocence is one of Holden's only consistent sources of happiness throughout the novel. At times, she exhibits great maturity and even chastises Holden for his immaturity. Like Mr. Antolini, Phoebe seems to recognize that Holden is his own worst enemy.

Explain Holden's obsession with phoniness. Who is phony? Why? Provide a specific example and explain.

Sally, wants to go ice skating just so she can wear the short skirt and show off. Doesn't really care about ice skating or spending time with Holden, she just wants to look nice for him. Holden thinks almost all adults are phony (people that are prejudiced, hypocritical, or insincere, not real) FAKE

Discuss Holden's conflicting teenage emotions of sometimes feeling like a child and sometimes feeling like an adult. When might teenagers want to be treated as adults? When might they want to be treated as children? Provide examples.

Teens might want to be adults when having freedom to go out and make their own decisions (wanting to have a car/ no rules) . They might want to be kids when they are in conflict sor trouble and want help (making hard decisions) (having too many responsibilities)

What do you think is the significance of Holden's desire to be the catcher in the rye? Explain.

The catcher in the rye would save children from falling of a cliff in the rye while playing. He wants to be able to save all children from becoming adults. (Falling into adulthood) He thinks that is where everyone is phony and fake.

Why does Holden want to know where the ducks go in the winter? Explain.

The ducks are definitely symbolic of him having to deal with harsh situations and complications in his environment. His questioning where they go is symbolic of his own search for a safe haven in a nasty world.

Maurice

The elevator operator at the Edmont Hotel, who procures a prostitute for Holden.

Sunny

The prostitute whom Holden hires through Maurice. She is one of a number of women in the book with whom Holden clumsily attempts to connect.

Holden Caulfield

The protagonist and narrator of the novel, Holden is a sixteen-year-old junior who has just been expelled for academic failure from a school called Pencey Prep. Although he is intelligent and sensitive, Holden narrates in a cynical and jaded voice. He finds the hypocrisy and ugliness of the world around him almost unbearable, and through his cynicism he tries to protect himself from the pain and disappointment of the adult world. However, the criticisms that Holden aims at people around him are also aimed at himself. He is uncomfortable with his own weaknesses, and at times displays as much phoniness, meanness, and superficiality as anyone else in the book. As the novel opens, Holden stands poised on the cliff separating childhood from adulthood. His inability to successfully negotiate the chasm leaves him on the verge of emotional collapse.

References are made to the red hunting hat throughout the book. Comment on its symbolism.

The red hunting hat is one of the most recognizable symbols from twentieth-century American literature. It is inseparable from our image of Holden, with good reason: it is a symbol of his uniqueness and individuality. The hat is outlandish, and it shows that Holden desires to be different from everyone around him. At the same time, he is very self-conscious about the hat—he always mentions when he is wearing it, and he often doesn't wear it if he is going to be around people he knows. The presence of the hat, therefore, mirrors the central conflict in the book: Holden's need for isolation versus his need for companionship. It is worth noting that the hat's color, red, is the same as that of Allie's and Phoebe's hair. Perhaps Holden associates it with the innocence and purity he believes these characters represent and wears it as a way to connect to them. He never explicitly comments on the hat's significance other than to mention its unusual appearance.

Antihero

a protagonist who is lacking in heroic qualities. The modern antihero is often generalized as an "angry young man"

Empathy

being able to understand and identify with another

Cynicism

believing that people are motivated by selfishnes

Alienation

feeling excluded (as if you don't belong)

Hero

the principal character. A hero is typically endowed with great strength or ability, could be resourceful and skillful etc. A hero is a man/woman at action rather than thought, and lives by a personal code of honor

Ideal

the standard of perfection

Stream of consciousness

the total flow of a character's thoughts

Conformity

to go along with the prevailing standards of a group in order to fit in

Unreliable Narrator

you cannot really rely on them to tell the complete truth. They will only tell you what they want you to believe