Catcher in the Rye Study Guide - 10 Honors English WIP
1. What literary term could be applied to the nearly two-page diatribe about gloves and galoshes that begins this chapter? The end of it contradicts which previous declaration Holden made?
Digression--this event is the exact opposite of Holden's statement of his pacifism
1. Although Holden seems well read, he continually leaves schools. Why?
He does not do well because he does not make an attempt to "play the game" that Dr. Thurmer and Mr. Spencer speak of. Holden has no interest in any subject other than English.
4. Holden's thought of suicide is now highly exaggerated. What is it?
He envisions sitting atop an atomic bomb.
3. Why, given his personality, might Holden be so upset with the idea of people going to the movies or the theater?
He sees going to the movies and sitting in the darkened theater as an isolating act that separates people. Additionally, movies are "phony" in nature.
1. In addition to providing a comic interlude, what seems to be the point of the scene with the cab driver, Horwitz?
Horwitz is a foil to Holden. His matter-of-fact approach to life contrasts Holden's sensitive intellectualizing/overanalyzing of everything.
6. In what way is Holden's red cap a symbol of his alienation?
In Chapter 5, Holden puts the cap on when he writes the composition. As in other incidents, putting on the cap seems to set him apart. In this respect, it emphasizes his alienation. He says it is his "people shooting" hat. The red color may also subconsciously remind him of Allies red hair.
4. What is it about the museum of Natural History that Holden likes so much?
Museums contain exhibits that never change with time. This relates to the innocence that he longs to cling to, and his unwillingness to accept changes in life.
2. Does his fantasizing about a bullet wound seem out of character for Holden?
No. Holden is young and has somewhat of a romantic imagination-driven personality. Though, he then reverts to a confused teenage boy, ready to commit suicide if only the "rubbernecks" would not see him "all gory".
1. Who is Harris Macklin?
One of Holden's former roommates
1. In the confrontation with Maurice and Sunny, why do you suppose Holden still refuses to give up the extra money?
Opinion-based
5. Find an example on page 4 of the narrator making a statement that is obviously false, which he expects the reader to believe. What do these repeated false statements tell you about Holden?
Possible responses may vary.
3. Explain the phrase, "Boy, was she lousy with rocks.
Since this comment directly follows Mrs. Morrow removing her gloves, it must mean that her fingers had many expensive rings in them.
3. What is it that Holden does not like about the Pencey Prep advertisement and about the headmaster, Thurmer?
The ad is false; there are not any horses "anywhere near" the school, nor does it mold anyone. He calls Thurmer a "phony snob".
2. Why might the song the boy is singing be significant?
The title of the book comes from the story the boy sings; therefore, it has significance in Holden's mind. The young boy mixes up the word "meet" for "catch", making the title derived from these confused lyrics.
5. What does the following quotation reveal about the two brothers?
"I'll tell you what kind of red hair he had. I started playing golf when I was only ten years old. I remember once, the summer I was around twelve, teeing off and all, and having a hunch that if I turned around all of a sudden, I'd see Allie. So I did, and sure enough, he was sitting on his bike outside the fence-there was this fence that went all around the course-and he was sitting there, about a hundred and fifty yards behind me, watching me tee off. That's the kind of red hair he had." (43-44) The quote says nothing revealing about Allie except that he had red hair. It does, however, reemphasize Holden's inability to deal with his younger brother's death and his own feelings about it. This inability is depicted again when Holden breaks the garage windows.
3. What kind of person is Ackley, and how does Holden feel about him?
Ackley is a slob. His personality, which is negative, bothers Holden. Ackley is, as a result, outcasted, however, Holden feels some sympathy for his many faults and flaws.
3. In regard to sex, Holden concludes that he feels sorry for girls. What observation does he make about this?
When a girl gets passionate, she begins to lose her brains. Apparently, he thinks that boys do not.
2. Choose two sentences that identify the tone of the first paragraph.
Answers may vary, but students should note the long, rambling sentences, slang expressions, and free association suggests that the story will have a casual, irreverent tone. The stream-of-consciousness narration and interior monologue present a contrast to a more objective, expository tone.
2. Why does Holden think that Mr. Ossenburger is a phony?
Because Ossenburger talks about Jesus in a manner that seems insincere, Holden believes Ossenburger to be a phony.
2. What question does Holden ask the cab driver? Why?
Where the ducks go in the winter; does a cab come get them. What happens to the fish?
3. What does the blonde's language reveal, and how does she behave on the dance floor?
On the dance floor, the woman is looking all over the place; obviously, she has little interest in Holden or the dance. Her diction and comments typecast her in Holden's mind as one with limited education and intelligence. However, it is more likely that Holden is making a hasty judgement with few facts to base his conclusions on.
1. Do the characters Mr. Spencer, Ackley, and Stradlater strike you as believable people? Do Holden's observations of them seem accurate or inaccurate? What method does Salinger use for Holden's description of people?
Opinion-based, but the descriptions of these characters seem realistic. Holden's observations about their personal habits and personality traits seem correct, and the actions he reports are not unbelievable. They do, however, seem a bit opinionated. Salinger gives small details about these characters, but these small details add to the realistic portrayal of the characters. Salinger utilizes synecdoche, where the part of a character represents the whole "self" of a character.
3. On page 146 Holden says: "I'm in lousy shape." In doing so he finally admits that he is the one with the problem, not society. Why is Sally Hayes the wrong person to be telling this to?
Sally is a representation of the phoniness that Holden despises. She is not able to see Holden's problems and issues.
1. How does Holden feel about his sister Phoebe?
She appears to be the one person he is able to relate to in a comfortable way and without reservations. Holden has great affection towards his sister and for his deceased brother, perhaps because they are younger. Holden views Phoebe and Allie with an almost parental affection.
1. Little children loom large in Holden's life, especially in this chapter. Who is Little Shirley Bean? Why does the sight of the six-year- old boy with his parents raise Holden's spirit?
Shirley Bean is the name of a girl on a record who will not wander outside of her house because she lost her two front teeth. In the young boy, and with children in general, Holden sees an innocence, unaltered by a harsh reality, that he no longer has himself.
2. Why is Holden so angry with Stradlater?
Stradlater has taken Jane Gallagher out, and Holden suspects that Stradlater might have made sexual advances toward Jane. Because he thinks of Jane as a sweet, innocent friend, he cannot stand the thought of her and Stradlater being together sexually. In addition, Stradlater does not even know Jane's name; he calls her "Jean."
2. Holden is sometimes accused of being too critical of people. Can you point to times when he is positive?
Stradlater is "pretty handsome". Frequently, Holden mixes the positive with the negative in a way that the positive gets overlooked. For example, Holden criticizes Ackley because Ackley does not give Howie Coyle credit where credit is due. Holden's criticism of the Headmaster at Elkton Hills may be viewed in the same manner.
1. Who is the narrator in this story, at what point in time is he telling the story, and where is he when he is telling the story?
A young man, Holden Caulfield, is the narrator. He is retelling some events about what happened to him last Christmas. He is in some "crummy place" for a rest; he claims that he has gotten run down (physically, maybe emotionally) and is now in a hospital or a TB sanitarium.
4. Why does Ackley hate Stradlater? How does Holden feel about Stradlater?
Ackley "hated everybody's guts, damn near." Stradlater is everything Ackley is not (rich, outgoing, generous), so Ackley says he is conceited. Holden defends Stradlater, saying that he is not a bad guy when a person gets to know him. Though Holden views Stradlater as having a phony friendliness, Holden tends to see this phoniness in nearly everyone.
4. Why is Holden unwilling to have sex with the prostitute?
As he tries to talk to her, his sadness and depression mount. Ironically, the contemplated sexual act is intensifying his alienation. If they had talked or had related as human beings, he might have gone through with it. But, the impersonality of the situation further saddens him. He also uses irrational excuses to cover the fear of the idea of losing his virginity.
5. Since he can easily afford it, why does Holden object to paying the prostitute another $5?
Because he feels that he is being taken advantage of, the additional charge bothers him.
2. What literary term describes Holden's explanation of meeting Jane, the scene on her porch, and the movie incident?
Flashback
2. What bothers him about the movie he sees at Radio City?
He describes the movie as "putrid". He observes that the plot is predictable yet improbable, and that the movie would be enough to make someone vomit. Ironically, though, he is able to recount the entire plot, indicating that he paid attention to the movie in its entirety.
2. Although Holden does not like Lillian Simmons and thinks she is another phony, why does he feel sorry for her?
He feels sorry for her because he thinks that probably no one likes her, not even her date. Feeling sorry for people because of their looks or personality seems to be a habit with Holden.
2. Holden's anxieties start to build at the time he begins talking about school, which he says he hates. What else does Holden claim to hate in this chapter? How is he expressing himself to Sally?
He hates New York and all of its materialism and "phonies". He envisions running off to a more simplistic life, abandoning the artificiality behind. Holden's speech is out-of-control in both content and delivery. His topics jump from one to the other, and he has trouble with controlling the volume of his voice.
Despite his dislike for Ackley's behavior, how does Holden demonstrate sympathy for him in this chapter?
He invites him to go to town with Mal and himself; at the end of the chapter he says that with all his physical problems, "you had to feel a little sorry for the crazy sonuvabitch."
2. Holden stops in to say goodbye to old Spencer; and as he sits there, he gets more and more upset. Why?
He is a sensitive person who does not want to hurt Mr. Spencer's feelings, but Mr. Spencer seems completely insensitive to Holden's feelings. Spencer's habits, his bed, and his attitude all contribute to Holden's unease. Spencer chooses to revisit the test that Holden failed, despite Holden's wishes not to.
2. At the end of this chapter, why is Caulfield on the verge of crying? Why does he decide to go home?
He is sad, lonesome, and unhappy. Once again, he is being kicked out of a school, and this will be a disappointment to his parents. More than that, though, he feels alone, without anyone he can relate to in any meaningful fashion.
1. Why does Holden feel "rotten" and "lonesome" in this chapter?
He is still thinking about Stradlater's advances on Jane. Holden, who is alienated from almost everyone, must have strong feelings of protection for Jane. Holden reflects that Stradlater has had sexual intercourse "with girls all the time" and hates him for that experience, but it may be Holden's sublimated envy that he is still a virgin.
4. In the second full paragraph on page 4, why is Holden hanging around the cannon, freezing? What does this say about his personality?
He is trying to work up some feeling about leaving Pencey, feelings are important to him. Apparently, leaving is something that he has to work on at this instance, unlike in previous times.
1. Point out the discrepancy between Holden's comments about movies with Sunny and Sally.
He rebukes Sunny, who, he thinks, would stay in the movies all day,yet he asks Sally to go to a matinee.
2. Why does he give her a false name?
He says it saves a lot of explaining, but he apparently feels more comfortable in anonymity than he does in being Holden Caulfield.
2. Holden is confused and has many ambivalent feelings about sex, but in what respect is the point of view he operates from a moral and ethical one?
He tries to refrain from using or viewing girls as sexual objects, and he doesn't take advantage of a relationship even though he is sometimes not sure that the girl may not secretly wish he would.
1. Why does Holden tell lies to Mrs. Morrow about her son?
He wants to make her feel good about her son; once he starts, he cannot stop.
3. Find two examples of Holden repeating himself excessively. What might this repetition contribute to the book?
Holden repeatedly says that he was excited, "I really was," twice and repeats three times that he really "oughta go down" and see Jane Gallagher. This conversational tone, trying to capture the true patterns of speech, makes the story seem more real. This technique adds to the life-like attributes of conversation.
3. Although Holden likes Ernie's piano playing, what is it that Holden dislikes about Ernie?
Holden views Ernie as a "snob" who will not talk to anyone unless he is a "big shot"
1. What is re-emphasized about Holden's personality on the first page of this chapter?
Holden wants to call someone on the phone, thinks of five people (D.B., Phoebe, Jane's mother, Sally Hayes, and Carl Luce), and rejects each one. This scene is again quite indicative of Caulfield's separation from others and his inability to establish meaningful contact with anyone. The fact that it takes him twenty minutes in the phone booth, however, points to his lack of direction.
3. What does Holden's week-long involvement with Boy Scouts indicate?
Holden's short stint with the Boy Scouts underscores his alienation and his resentment and struggle to belong to a social group.
1. Holden can't stand the thought of Jane being sexually involved with Stradlater because he sees her as pure and innocent. In what way is her innocence—her shy, naive manner of living—emphasized in this chapter?
Jane's innocence is best represented by the checkers that he has mentioned so many times. She appears to be bright but shy and reserved, who has a secret pain that is both revealed and concealed when she drops a single tear on the checkerboard. This incident intensifies the warm, protective feelings Holden has for Jane because he tries to comfort her with kisses.
3. How does Holden's reason for leaving Elkton Hills' school further show that he is a sensitive person?
The headmaster at Elkton Hills School paid attention only to the attractive or fashionable parents and ignored those who he deemed inferior. This phony snobbishness really angers Holden. Holden claims that was the only reason he actually left the school.
1. How is it possible that despite Holden's statement in the first line of chapter 3, "I'm the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life," the reader believes nearly everything he says?
The statement is intended to refer to Holden's obvious lie to Spencer about the gym; however, because Holden is confessional in his depiction of himself and his shortcomings, the reader believes that the incidents in this book are presented truthfully.
2. What conclusion does Holden arrive at about suitcases, wealth, and relationships? Does his conclusion about Dick Slagle ceasing to be his roommate seem accurate?
These suitcases represent wealth and status; these things can come between people who might be able to significantly relate to each other. His conclusion about Dick Slagle ceasing to be his roommate is most likely another convenient excuse for his own inability to deal with another human being on close terms.
1. What is ironic about the statement "I'm a pacifist, if you want to know the truth"?
This comment comes immediately after Holden "tried to sock him [Stradlater], with all my might, right smack in the toothbrush, so it would split his ******* throat open." The pacifism Holden claims to have is directly contradicted by his actions.
3. Talking about Catholics, Holden says, "It's just like those suitcases I was telling you about, in a way." (Pg. 126) In what way are Catholics like suitcases?
While Holden can recognize that people tend to like others who are similar to themselves, he regrets that it gets in the way of meaningful conversation and human relationships.
3. What dryly humorous observation does Holden make about the naval officer? What literary term is used?
"He was one of those guys that think they're being a pansy if they don't break around forty of your fingers when they shake hands with you." The term used is hyperbole.
4. Find a sentence on page 90 that is a good example of Holden's general confusion about himself, other people, and life.
"I don't exactly know what I mean by that, but I mean it."
2. We learn of Holden's younger brother's death almost as an aside. How do we know the death was difficult for him, although he now talks about it in a casual way? What is unusual about the way Allie's death is first alluded to?
He punches the windows out of the garage, and even has some damage to his fist afterwards. He almost punched out the windows on the family car, too.
4. What indications are there that Holden might have idealized the memory of his dead brother?
He remembers Allie as being terribly intelligent, a great student, the nicest person in the family, and never getting mad at anyone. In short, he seems to remember none of the bad things and probably exaggerates the good points.
1. What new observation does Holden make about girls?
Holden believes that girls have skewed perceptions of guys based on their attraction to them. If a girl is interested in a rude man, she will defend him by saying he just has an "inferiority complex." Alternatively, if a girl is not interested in a guy, even if he is nice, she will view him as "conceited."
4. At the end of this chapter, he says, "I swear to God I'm a madman." Is he using this as an expression, or does he believe himself to be emotionally troubled?
Holden frequently refers to himself as a "madman". Though, this term may be an exaggerated label for the true issues that he has, such as his alienation, isolation, depression, and confusion. Holden also describes himself as a "madman" when he is showing passion, such as when he is apologizing to Sally.
2. Why does Holden think the girls in the bar are "morons"?
Holden has pegged them as being shallow, and his attempted conversation on the dance floor with the blonde demonstrates that she is not too much of a thinker.
