Catcher in the Rye [Conclusion]
frame narrative [literary element]
a story in which one or more other stories are embedded
Mr. Antolini [character]
He is Holden's former English teacher. Thoughtful and caring, he may be one of the actual "catchers" in the story.
Carl Luce [character]
He is a student advisor at Elkton Hills who presented himself to the younger students as sexually experienced.
James Castle [character/symbol]
He is the Elkton Hills student who, bullied by Phil Stabile, jumps from the dorm window and dies, traumatizing Holden. Holden perhaps views his suicide as the only option for someone authentic in a world of phonies.
Holden Caulfield [character]
He is the novel's first-person narrator, a teen who must navigate, with little guidance, the transition from childhood to young adulthood
Where was J.D. Salinger born and raised?
He was born and raised in Manhattan?
What are some basic facts about J.D. Salinger's family of origin?
His father, who was of Lithuanian Jewish descent, was a kosher cheese salesman. His mother was German-Irish.
In The Catcher in the Rye, Chapter 1, Holden refuses to discuss his childhood. Although in Chapter 26 he reveals some details, he keeps his childhood fairly hidden. Why might this be?
Holden considers childhood a time of special innocence that must be defended. His own childhood, which now exists only in memory, is no exception. By revealing only a few details, he keeps readers and himself from examining it, since close examination would likely undermine his idyllic recreation of it. When Holden does speak of his childhood in Chapter 26, it's easy to see cracks in the perfect memories. Holden's insistence on holding back details about his childhood may also reflect his desire to control and shape his life as he grows into adulthood.
In Chapter 22 of The Catcher in the Rye, why does Holden object to becoming a lawyer like his father? What do his objections suggest about his developing identity?
Holden continues to think of himself as a heroic figure, a protector and defender of the innocent. He can admire lawyers who save the lives of innocent people, but the lawyers he knows make money, have drinks, and polish their image. In other words, they're phony. And if he were a lawyer and did save innocent lives, he'd never know whether he did so for selfless motivations or to receive praise and admiration. So many of Holden's attitudes are self-centered, but he seems to have a genuine desire to serve others, not merely to serve himself.
In The Catcher in the Rye, what does Holden's wildly exaggerated numbers about people and events suggest about his thought processes?
Holden exaggerates numbers, as a few examples show: Stradlater pins Holden down for "around ten hours." Holden sees "millions of people standing in line" for the movies. Holden could look at the museum exhibits "a hundred thousand times." Holden's exaggerations may reflect his creative nature and the enjoyment he gets from reading and telling stories; he never identifies them as "phony." They may, on the other hand, reflect a tendency to skew the facts so that they favor his interpretation, in which case his exaggerations may hinder his developing understanding of the adult world and his place in it.
In Chapter 25 of The Catcher in the Rye, Holden says that someone sneaked into the school to write obscene graffiti. Why must Holden cling to this unlikely story?
Holden has constructed an ideal of childhood that protects him from some of the pain he feels over Allie. Sexual innocence and purity are central to his ideal, so to acknowledge that a student at Phoebe's school wrote the graffiti would collapse this protection. Holden objects to the graffiti's presence so strongly that his fantasy turns violently bloody; he imagines that he would smash the writer's head against the stairs. His desire to shield Phoebe adds to his frantic, grieving, but admittedly unrealistic response to the words.
Review Holden's summary of the movie plot in The Catcher in the Rye, Chapter 18. What objections does he raise? What does his detailed knowledge of the plot suggest?
Holden objects to the plot's contrived nature and the threat to the lovers, which is class-based, but then objects equally to the way the threat is resolved. At its core the movie is about the very things Holden is struggling with: identity and finding a place in the world.This may be why, despite claiming to want to puke and despite his irritation with the sobbing woman nearby, Holden stays to see how the movie will end. The plot might contain a hint about how he can find out who he is and what his place in the world is.
In Chapter 14 of The Catcher in the Rye, doubts keep Holden from praying. To whom does he speak instead? What does this choice suggest about when Holden feels safe?
Holden speaks to Allie. He recalls a time in Maine when he and a friend chose not to take Allie with them to the lake because he was too young. Holden tells Allie to get his bike and join them, rectifying after Allie's death a wrong for which he can't forgive himself. This suggests that Holden, when distressed or sad, returns in memory to a time and place he felt safe. Of course it was not; no place is. Readers begin to grasp what a chasm Allie's death has opened in Holden's mind.
In Chapter 4 of The Catcher in the Rye, what do Holden's behaviors as Stradlater prepares for his date suggest about the pair's roles in their relationship?
Holden's behaviors in this chapter place him firmly in the subservient role in his relationship with Stradlater. Holden performs an odd little tap-dance for Stradlater. Holden seems to crave Stradlater's approval, and he gets it. Stradlater presses Holden to write his English composition for him. Stradlater ignores most of what Holden says about Jane and listens just for details that might give him an advantage with Jane. It's not surprising that Stradlater dominates his roommate. Stradlater is two years older than Holden and far more experienced, sexually and academically. What is surprising, perhaps, is the extent to which Holden kowtows to Stradlater, whose faults he knows well.
Allie's baseball mitt [symbol]
Holden's fear of change and his desire to protect children stem partly from the love he feels for his younger siblings, and their love protects him in turn. Allie's glove, covered in poetry written in green ink, acts as a talisman for Holden. He lovingly describes the glove and his brother in the composition he writes, and he is enraged when Stradlater so casually dismisses what is, to Holden, nearly a sacred object. The glove also represents the importance of language to Holden. Stories and poems help him make sense of the confusing things that happen to him, which is perhaps why he speaks to Allie, the young poetry lover, when he is in emotional distress.
In Chapter 1 of The Catcher in the Rye, what does Holden's withholding some personal information suggest about how he perceives his role in his own story?
Holden's refusal to provide the usual details about his birth, family, and childhood suggests how he perceives his role in his own story. First, it suggests that he wants to control the information readers have about him. Second, it tells readers that he does not see himself as a hero. Charles Dickens's character David Copperfield starts his story saying that he doesn't yet know whether he will be the hero of his story; Holden starts his story by implying that he is not the hero. Also, he seems to fear his parents' response to his own forthrightness.
symbol [literary element]
something that comes to represent an abstract idea, quality, or instance aside from its literal meaning or function
Trace Holden's comments about movies, plays, and actors through The Catcher in the Rye. Why do these art forms strike him as "phony"?
In Chapter 1 Holden criticizes his brother for writing movies and hates to see people going to movies and plays. Luce reinforces the phoniness of actors by telling the boys at school that many married actors are "flits." In either case Holden can't attend to the story because he must scrutinize every word and gesture for phoniness. It's possible that Holden's objections are a screen for other issues. Movies present intimidating adult issues. Actors play roles that Holden may have to take on for real someday. Movies bring up questions of identity and love, subjects that make Holden anxious. Perhaps Holden finds movies too real for his comfort.
disappearing [motif]
In both Chapter 1 and Chapter 25, Holden worries that he will disappear. On the second occasion, he calls out to Allie to help him. (Yes, he talks to himself in public like a crazy person.) He sees that his authentic self will not be able to exist in the world of adults, who are phony and corrupt and careless. Who he is will have to disappear.
Holden's conversation with Luce in The Catcher in the Rye, Chapter 19, fails, yet one idea resonates deeply with Holden. What is that idea? What does it reveal about Holden?
Luce talks, reluctantly, about Eastern philosophy and its approach to sexuality. Luce won't discuss the matter, but Holden's outburst articulates the book's thematic disconnect between the models of sexual relations that he has gathered from culture and the relationship he really wants. The physical is an aspect of that relationship, but so is the deep spiritual connection between people. Through his minimal forays into sexuality, he has caught a glimpse of sex as an expression of spiritual intimacy with Jane, and he catches another glimpse in the conversation with Luce.
In Chapter 24 of The Catcher in the Rye, what specifics does Mr. Antolini include that may persuade Holden to continue with his education?
Mr. Antolini describes creative people as deeply interested in human experience, observant, and concerned, as Holden is. He says that these people are willing to follow their ideas "through to the end" and record their thoughts to share them, which is in a sense what Holden does in his long monologue. But most importantly, Mr. Antolini says that these people also tend to be more humble because of their education, not less. They are less phony, he implies, because they keep learning. These traits may well persuade Holden to reconsider the idea that school can be meaningful.
Consider Holden's behavior toward Sally during the cab ride to the theater in The Catcher in the Rye,Chapter 17. In what way is this behavior hypocritical?
Not only does Holden use "phony" language during this scene, but he forces his physical affection on Sally against her wishes, as Stradlater did with Jane. Perhaps the difference is that Sally has dressed attractively for the date and that he considers her a "phony," while he suspects Stradlater was attacking an innocent Jane. However Holden might attempt to justify his behavior, it places him in the category with the young men he ranted about only moments earlier.
In Chapter 3 of The Catcher in the Rye, how do interactions between Holden and Ackley develop readers' understanding of Holden as a character?
One characterization tool that authors use is to place characters together and let their interactions reveal traits and details. Readers learn the following: Holden is observant and able to guess at motivations. Ackley's handling Stradlater's things and putting them back not quite right tips Holden off to Ackley's jealous dislike of Stradlater. Holden, while he may be sarcastic, also has compassion. Holden is a peacemaker. He tries to persuade Ackley that Stradlater isn't so bad. Holden enjoys stirring the pot—that is, he likes to mess with people sometimes. He calls Ackley "Ackley kid" just to aggravate him.
Jane Gallagher [character]
She is Holden's former neighbor. She is currently going on a date with Stradlater. Holden cherishes memories of time they spent together one summer. He respects her because her behavior strikes him as genuine.
Holden observes couples at Ernie's in Chapter 12 of The Catcher in the Rye. What models do they present him for male-female relationships, and how does he react to them?
The adults at Ernie's strike Holden as "phony," though his reactions to and comments about them also reveal his own biases and immaturity. He watches a young man recite a football game to a girl and sees that the girl is bored, but she listens. Holden also watches a slightly drunk couple. What the man says and what he does seem incongruous to Holden.The other couple Holden observes is Lillian and Commander Blop. They seem nearly disconnected. In each case the couple Holden observes enjoy no intimacy of interests. Holden finds these models of adult relationships dissatisfying.
the pain of self-examination [theme]
The novel concerns itself with the ways in which people cope and fail to cope with the pain of self-examination. Over time, Holden has developed a series of behaviors to help him avoid dealing with the reality of his life and his traumatic past. Look for the patterns in Holden's conduct for clues to what is below the surface. Also, look for moments when a little glimpse of his inner turmoil bubbles up to the surface.
Compare the "cabin" fantasy Holden offers Sally in The Catcher in the Rye, Chapter 17, to his "monastery" suggestion in Chapter 7. In both cases, what is Holden really seeking?
These fantasies are similar in that both take Holden far from the crowded city. But the cabin fantasy is more realistic than the monastery fantasy because it involves components of the usual adult world, while excluding the social settings that irritate and perplex Holden but delight Sally. What he is really seeking is the protection of isolation. Away from all or most people, he would be free of the burdensome need of parsing every word and action for phoniness. His existence would be more like that of the simple, innocent child Allie represents to him.
mental health [theme]
Ultimately, the novel centers around Holden's mental health. Though he never outright says it, Holden is telling us the story of his nervous breakdown, which he is writing about from a "rest home." Look for all the references to windows throughout the whole novel. What might this motif suggest? Consider all the things that Holden leaves out—what he hints at but can't talk about.
When did J.D. Salinger live?
1919 - 2010 CE
What is the premise of Catcher in the Rye?
A few days before the holiday break, Holden Caulfield, a sixteen-year-old junior, has been expelled from Pencey Prep, a fancy private boarding school in Pennsylvania, due to his poor grades. He decides to leave school early and have an adventure on his own in Manhattan before going home to face his parents on the Upper East Side and break the news.
What breakthrough realization does Holden have at the end of Chapter 25 of The Catcher in the Rye? How does it affect his decision about going out West?
As Holden watches the kids trying to reach the gold ring, he comments that "you have to let them do it, and not say anything." They may fall, but he should not try to stop them. They choose to take the risk. His explanation suggests that there can't really be a catcher in the rye who keeps the children safe in the field. Childhood has risks. Holden's change of mind about the cabin out West seems to arise from this realization. He has to step off the cliff, let go of his idealized childhood, and face his future.
What are some basic facts about J.D. Salinger's education?
As a boy, Salinger attended a few different schools—public schools in Manhattan, private schools in the city, and a military school in Pennsylvania. He also bounced around to a few different colleges including NYU, Ursinus, and Columbia.
What fear does Holden reveal as he waits for Carl Luce in The Catcher in the Rye, Chapter 19? Thinking back to earlier chapters, what events hint at this fear?
At the Wicker Bar, Holden watches "flits," or gay men, and thinks about the sex talks that Luce gave younger students. Luce revealed that tough-guy Hollywood actors who played manly roles and were married were in fact gay, which was shocking enough, but Luce also frightened Holden by claiming that a boy who "had the traits" might one day wake up gay. Holden's sexual longings are still vague. He doesn't know yet how to sort out these thoughts and responses, so the presence of the gay men scares him, and he approaches the conversation with Luce to get more information.
What is Catcher in the Rye's genre?
Bildungsroman (a coming-of-age novel).
What are some basic facts about J.D. Salinger's personal life?
After the overwhelming success of Catcher in the Rye, Salinger became a recluse—living in a secluded home in New Hampshire. He published a few more works of some note, but for the most part, purposefully disappeared. He married three times and had two children. He became a practitioner of a few different Eastern religions. He was notoriously protective of his privacy and the integrity of his work. He sued Random House to prevent the publication of a biography. And he refused to allow for adaptations of his work into film. He died of natural causes in 2010. Upon his death a number of his new, unpublished works were found and will be published in the near future.
In Chapter 9 of The Catcher in the Rye, what are Holden's encounters and interactions when he visits the seedy section of the city around the Edmont Hotel?
Because Holden is a teenager playing at adult behavior rather than a teenager engaging with adults as himself, the encounters are unsuccessful and unsatisfactory. He keeps offering conversation ideas despite the cab driver's hostile responses. Holden next interacts with the bellboy, whose age, physical condition, and job depress Holden. Holden then watches adults in other rooms engaging in sexual play that he can't fathom but can't look away from. Holden also attempts to call a woman who might be willing to have sex. But the woman quickly makes excuses for why she can't meet him.
In The Catcher in the Rye, how does Holden use his red hat to connect with Phoebe?
From the moment Holden buys his red hunting hat, he likes it. The hat goes on when Holden's feeling good about himself; it comes off when people may be eyeing it, and him, critically. When Holden cries before leaving Phoebe, he gives her the hat as a token of himself. After he agrees to go home with her, Phoebe kisses him and puts it on his head, where it partially protects him from the sudden downpour as he watches Phoebe on the carousel. Again, it functions as a symbol of his own best self, because the protection it offers is less from the rain and more from his own self-destructive tendencies. The hat also symbolizes Holden's emerging adult identity, so fragile that he must sometimes hide it, except from Phoebe, who loves him and sees that, as he puts it earlier, it looks good on him.
Mr. Spencer [character]
He is Holden's history teacher at Pencey. He tries to encourage Holden to do better in school but succeeds only in irritating Holden.
D.B. Caulfield [character]
He is Holden's older brother, a successful writer of screenplays who lives in Hollywood.
Ward Stradlater [character]
He is Holden's roommate at Pencey. He is a popular senior. Even Holden likes him, despite his self-centered treatment of others.
Robert Ackley [character]
He is Holden's suitemate at Pencey. He is an irritating, badly groomed senior who has few friends.
Allie Caufield [character]
He is Holden's younger brother who died of leukemia at age 11.
What are Holden's motivations and goals in Chapter 8 of The Catcher in the Rye when he converses with Mrs. Morrow on the train?
Holden adopts the persona of "Rudolf Schmidt" (the name of his dorm's janitor) with Mrs. Morrow. As readers already know, he enjoys making up stories on the fly. But his motivations go beyond keeping from getting caught leaving school early. Holden is trying out an adult sexual behavior in a safe environment. He flirts by flattering Mrs. Morrow in praising her son, whom he despises. He lights her cigarette and invites her for drinks. Mrs. Morrow asserts the appropriate relationship between them by inviting him to visit her son, not her, over the summer.
In Chapter 23 of The Catcher in the Rye, how do Holden and Phoebe demonstrate their affection?
Holden and Phoebe dance, and he praises the progress she's made. Then he indulges Phoebe's belief that she can will herself to feel feverish by yanking his hand away from her forehead. After their mother goes to bed, Holden sobs as he parts from Phoebe, so much that he thought he would choke and that he frightened her. Finally, he leaves her his red hunting hat, which has become associated with his emerging adult identity, to comfort her. The hat is a surrogate for his presence. To accept it, Phoebe has to let Holden leave.
In Chapter 6 of The Catcher in the Rye, Holden can't explain what happened after Stradlater's date. When else can't he explain something? What do the events have in common?
Holden apologizes that he was so worried that he can't explain what happened to cause the fight with Stradlater; in fact, he can't even remember what happened. In the previous chapter, he says that he was hardly aware of breaking the garage windows with his fist. In both events Holden has a sense that someone innocent and pure is being harmed and that he can't help or protect them. In both events Holden's reaction is violent and ends in his being bloodied and injured. His reaction to these events is so painful to Holden that afterward he can't remember his reactions clearly.
In The Catcher in the Rye, Chapter 22, Holden tells Phoebe that he wants to be "the catcher in the rye." What does he mean, and why does she object?
Holden bases this job on his misunderstanding of Robert Burns's poem "Comin' Thro' the Rye" and imagines a field of rye, bounded by a cliff and full of happily playing children. No other older people are there, and he must watch for and catch each child who strays near the cliff. That is, he wishes he could protect the innocent, happy childhood years. If Phoebe disapproved of Holden's motivation, she would say so, but all she says is, "Daddy's going to kill you," suggesting that she knows that Holden's plan isn't realistic. Childhood is not a closed, protected time. It is vulnerable to pain, disappointment, and death, just as any age is. Phoebe is wiser than Holden in her understanding of this fact.
mummies [symbol & motif]
Holden claims he doesn't know much about Egyptians in the failing essay he writes for Mr. Spencer's class, but he knows enough to enthusiastically explain the process of mummification to two younger boys: "It's very interesting. They wrapped their faces up in these cloths that were treated with some secret chemical. That way they could be buried in their tombs for thousands of years and their faces wouldn't rot or anything. Nobody knows how to do it except the Egyptians. Even modern science" (25.34). Notice that Holden doesn't talk about how they pulled out the organs, or stuck hooks up their noses, or wrapped up their legs or arms; it's all about the faces, and how the faces wouldn't rot. To us, it sounds like Holden is a little worried about his own face rotting—metaphorically speaking. He's afraid of disappearing, of not being noticed: of being just another "faceless" corporate employee, or of being buried and ignored underground like his little brother. But nobody knows how to do that, except the Egyptians.
childhood vs. adulthood [theme]
Holden considers adults flawed and "phony," but he views young children as pure and innocent. His views reflect an understanding of the world in which children are born innocent and then are gradually corrupted by the world. Holden's view is oversimplified, as events in the novel show. James Castle's suicide shows that violence can be part of children's lives, for example, and Allie's death from leukemia is clear evidence that childhood is not a truly sheltered time. Holden's own memories of childhood—of visiting the museum, for example—seem frozen and fragile, as if he fears to examine them closely and find those years less idyllic than he remembers. Holden's tendency to romanticize childhood clashes with Phoebe's more practical view too. A boy pushed her down the stairs; she and a friend retaliated by ruining his jacket. Little rivalries and deceits are part of Phoebe's world, as is the risk of falling the children take to grab the gold ring on the carousel. Holden's fantasy about the children playing in the rye, as Phoebe points out, is pretty but false. Yet Holden is right to cherish the years of childhood. Children have the time to be curious and to start stories and not finish them, and they can love fiercely, as Phoebe does. Childhood isn't perfect or free from risk; Holden's desire to believe it so likely has to do with the fact that his childhood ended with Allie's death. The crazy events Holden endures challenge him to let go of an immature, shallow understanding of childhood and adulthood. They exist on a continuum, not as a blessed place of play that terminates in a deadly cliff.
Describe the crisis Holden experiences as he walks down Fifth Avenue in Chapter 25 of The Catcher in the Rye. Why does he respond to the experience as he does?
Holden experiences what seems to be a panic attack. He sweats and cannot get his breath. Under the delusion that, as he steps off the curb into the street, he will sink and disappear, Holden begs Allie, his protector in distress, to keep him from falling. In essence he pleads with Allie to be his catcher—appropriately, since Allie's talisman is a catcher's glove. Holden's reaction to this nightmarish experience is to flee everything that has brought him to this state; he takes comfort in his fantasy about living out West as a deaf-mute.
Why is Phoebe worried about Holden in The Catcher in the Rye, Chapter 22—beyond his most recent expulsion, that is? What does her concern suggest about her perceptive mind?
Holden explains his objections to Pencey, but Phoebe grasps that Pencey is not the problem. Holden's current psychological state is. Now Holden feels more depressed because he knows she's right; he can't name anything he likes. Twice he complains that he "couldn't concentrate" on an answer as his mind connects the nuns, a student who killed himself, and Allie. Phoebe is so worried about Holden's happiness that he must convince her that talking with her, which makes him happy, matters and that it's enough for now. She accepts this answer but scolds him for using profanity.
In Chapter 20 of The Catcher in the Rye, Holden sits by the slushy pond and thinks about funerals. What does this section reveal about the sources of Holden's depression?
Holden fantasizes about his own funeral, but readers quickly realize that Holden's thoughts are not about his own funeral but about Allie's funeral, which Holden missed, still hospitalized with his cut-up hand. He hates that people can visit a grave and then go out for dinner, as if the death hasn't changed anything. For Holden, Allie's death changed everything. The absent ducks, the pond that's neither liquid nor ice, all the world in transition around him, and his own internal struggle to mature—these contribute to his depression. But Allie's death from a cancer that reached into the protected zone of childhood is the blow that Holden can't recover from.
How does the fantasy Holden relates in the second paragraph in The Catcher in the Rye, Chapter 20, reflect his reality?
Holden has both a strong need to be seen and known as a young man emerging into adulthood and a strong desire to keep his identity hidden and safe. As he sits at the Wicker Bar, he tries to catch the singer's eye, but she ignores him so he returns to his fantasy. In his fantasy, he hides the wound; in reality, he is depressed by those around him, rejected even by the phony Sally. Yet his one attempt, so far, to reveal something of his pain was met by Sally's rejection and only worsened the wound.
In Chapter 10 of The Catcher in the Rye, how is Holden's treatment of the tourists in the Lavender Room contrary to his own standards of "phoniness"?
Holden has complained about the "phoniness" of the adult world. It's worth noting that he treats Bernice, Marty, and Laverne in "phony" ways. Holden behaves in a sexist way toward the women, insisting on dancing provocatively with Bernice. Holden is clueless that the women don't find him as enticing as he thinks they should. But where Holden really gets into the phony behavior is his assumptions about the women. He comes to nearly despise the women for their behavior in "his" city. However, the tourists play Holden for their purposes, too, sticking him with the check as they leave.
Review Holden's explanation of why he always "stops" with girls in Chapter 13 of The Catcher in the Rye. What does it reveal about how Holden views female sexuality?
Holden summarizes sexual encounters between boys and girls in these steps: They start "necking." The girl says, "Stop." Do they really want him to stop? Are they scared? He doesn't know. He stops, but "most guys" don't. Girls "los[e] their brains" around guys. Later, he's sorry he stopped. Holden says that he pities girls, because when a girl gets "passionate, she just hasn't any brains." This explanation is in keeping with Holden's inability to think of Jane as a maturing woman with sexual desires. It fits in with his sense that girls, like children, must be protected against corruption by the adult world.
phony vs. authenticity [motif]
Holden uses the words phony and phoniness to describe what he perceives as the hypocritical nature of the adult world. His observations are often accurate; adults do engage in behaviors that are less than sincere for benign and selfish reasons. They may behave superficially to save time or face; they may indulge in small talk to smooth over social situations; and they may lie, flatter, or threaten in order to get what they want. Holden observes—and participates in—these behaviors during the novel. He seems to think that only he sees the phoniness for what it is; his willingness to call it out is what sets him apart. And he uses this sense of special knowledge to avoid many adult interactions. Calling Spencer's lecture phony, for example, lets Holden avoid the facts about his disengagement in his classes. Sally's phony flirtation justifies his anger and crude language—she's asked for his candor, in a way. Repeatedly Holden ducks opportunities to connect by classifying the people involved as phony and thus not worth his time when, in fact, he's using the accusation as a shield.
sex [motif]
Holden's conflicting views of sex and his treatment of women leave him feeling alienated and fearful. As with his view of childhood, women require protection and gallantry. They are fragile and at risk among boring, self-centered men, who are always poised to exploit them. By keeping women on a pedestal of modesty and vulnerability, Holden not only can imagine himself as a protector or defender but can also excuse his fearfulness about getting "sexy" around them. This conception of women, however, is in conflict with Holden's reality and the women's reality. Holden is physically attracted to girls; when he sees Sally, he nearly wants to marry her even though he doesn't like her. And he speaks in frustration about not knowing where everything is or how to manipulate a bra. His physical yearnings also fail to take into consideration the idea that women, too, feel desire. In his thinking, they're always asking men to stop. The idea that Jane wanted to get "sexy" with Stradlater is one he can't entertain. Sex is risky, desire fluctuates, and affections shift. Holden, averse to change already, does not quite understand his feelings of sexual desire, at least for now. This is why his misinterpretation of the line from "Comin' Thro' the Rye" is ironic and almost comic. The song toys with the idea of spontaneous, secret sex, yet he takes it as a metaphor for keeping the children safe in the field, away from mature love and desire.
In Holden's description of Allie in Chapter 5 of The Catcher in the Rye, in what ways is and isn't Allie a model of childhood?
Holden's description of Allie captures how an innocent, pure life should look: Allie was "terrifically intelligent." Allie was "the nicest" person in the family. Allie was inventive, figuring out how to keep from being bored at baseball games. Allie seemed to be near when Holden needed him. Allie's short life shatters Holden's vision of childhood because Allie dies. When Holden smashes the garage windows, he is basically unaware of his actions: "I hardly didn't even know I was doing it." Yet the action captures his reaction to the shattering of Holden's idea of childhood as a protected time. He may not grasp this fact yet.
After the movie in The Catcher in the Rye, Chapter 18, Holden thinks about war. What frightens him about the thought of going to war? How realistic are these fears?
Holden's fears about having to serve in the army are self-centered and focused not on his safety but on his discomfort with his peers and the adults he knows. Already he's fled Stradlater, Ackley, and others at Pencey, and he's fled Maurice and the "jerks" in bars. His idea of hell is being forced to interact with such people, not the possibility that he would have to kill or that he might die. He and D.B. disagree about A Farewell to Arms because D.B.'s experiences are realistic, while Holden's experiences are tightly restricted. He imagines war as a sort of long, drawn-out, boring scout campout; he doesn't understand what war really is.
the catcher in the rye [symbol]
Holden's journey toward adulthood causes him to want to protect children. The phrase "catcher in the rye" comes from Holden's misinterpretation of Robert Burns's poem "Comin' Thro' the Rye." In the poem, two people happen to meet in a field of tall rye. The poem asks whether it is okay for this random meeting to result in a sexual encounter and whether anyone else needs know about the encounter. It is ironic, then, given how conflicted about sex Holden is, that he misinterprets the poem as a call to protect children from the loss of innocence and specifically from too-early knowledge about sex. It is why he wishes he could rub out all the obscene graffiti, a task he admits is "hopeless."
alienation [theme]
Holden's loneliness parallels the alienation that many teenagers, and even adults, feel as they search for identity and belonging. The two states bump up against each other: identity is distinctive and requires setting oneself apart from others; belonging requires acknowledging commonalities so that bonds can be formed and maintained. Thus, belonging can threaten identity. Holden's interactions with his peers at Pencey illustrate this tension. Holden identifies himself in opposition to the disgusting and annoying Ackley. He must, because he thinks of himself as "sexy" and smart. But like Ackley, he's also lonely and no good with girls. To shore up his self-image, Holden pushes away the sympathy he feels for Ackley. Stradlater provides a contrasting example. A good-looking, confident senior, Stradlater is almost ready to join the adult world, and Holden admires him and watches him closely. Yet to belong to Stradlater's group is to engage in behaviors Holden rejects in his own self-image. The tension of developing a distinct identity without becoming like the "phonies" means that it is often less painful for Holden to isolate himself from others. This causes him to sabotage interactions with people. Throughout the difficult events he recalls, Holden often says that he wishes he could go home. He can't because he fears disappointing his parents, especially his mother; yet he knows that they are aware of his expulsion. Holden pushes against going home as he tries to make it as an adult in the city. This is part of developing the identity that will sustain him in the coming years. But home is what rescues Holden in his moment of crisis. Allie represents home; he keeps Holden from disappearing into utter alienation. Phoebe represents home, and she convinces him to accept the belonging he needs.
the ducks in the lagoon at Central park [symbol & motif]
Holden's obsession with where the ducks in Central Park go in the winter when their water freezes over is symbolic of his anxiety about impermanence. Some things in the park are permanent features, such as the exhibits in the museum. Others change, however, with the seasons. The pond where the ducks live sustains them in summer but becomes hostile to them in winter, driving them to other habitats in the same way that the passage of time is driving Holden away from the familiar realm of childhood and into adulthood. The ducks migrate to warmer places during winter, flying away from their troubles, much as Holden fantasizes about fleeing to the west, where it's sunny and warm, to start a new life. Throughout the novel, Holden can't stop wondering about what happens to the ducks in the Central Park lagoon when winter arrives and the water freezes over. He asks two different cab drivers about it. For some reasons, the fact that they fly south for the winter eludes him. When he finally walks to the semi-frozen lagoon and sees that the ducks are nowhere to be found, he finds himself thinking about death—his own and Allie's. This multi-faceted symbol suggests that ducks are people, the lagoon is life itself, and winter is death. What happens to people when death comes?Who takes care of the ducks? Who takes care of the dead? He doesn't want to disappear. Holden has experienced a lot of death on a personal level, but he's also standing in for the way post-war America was dealing with the losses of World War II. While others may find hope in religion (like the two nuns, or the Quaker student that he knew at school) or romanticized logic (like the cab driver who insists that, obviously, mother nature would take care of the fish—and the ducks) or even in consumerism and pop culture (like Sally and all the phony kids at his school), it's all just phoniness to Holden. None of it helps him.
Holden opens Chapter 17 of The Catcher in the Rye with a rant about "guys." Describe the kind of adult relationships Holden rejects in this chapter.
Holden's rant is prompted by the sight of girls waiting for their dates. He wants to save them all from the vision of male adulthood he has created. Guys are: more interested in cars than their wives sore losers very mean not interested in books boring dopey While there surely are examples of such men, Holden's tendency is to generalize. He may be describing his own fears that he will end up trapped in such a marriage rather than his fears for the girls he watches.
Review Holden's comments on being "yellow" in The Catcher in the Rye, Chapter 13, and analyze his fantasy about killing Maurice in Chapter 14 in light of these comments.
Holden's stolen gloves get him thinking about his own courage and cowardice and reveal his lack of self-confidence and ability to assert his needs. He plays out a confrontation in which he loses thoroughly. Holden doesn't like to hit with his fists because that act forces him to look at the person's face. This suggests that, when Holden looks at a person, he no longer wants to harm that person. This he takes to be cowardice, but in fact, it could be his humanity and basic decency. Regardless, Holden's musings on being "yellow" help readers understand how his disgust over the thought of touching Maurice keeps him from striking back, other than in words. His fantasy of shooting Maurice in his big belly is deeply satisfying; the imagined gun and bullets carry out the action that Holden can't bring himself to take.
Holden often makes generalizations using words such as never or always in The Catcher in the Rye.What do they suggest about how he interprets people's motivations?
Holden's tendency to make sweeping statements may indicate a lack of maturity in his thought patterns. Yet the contexts of these statements provide a single example at most (the bus driver makes Holden throw away his snowball although Holden says he won't throw it at anyone) or no evidence (Holden assumes that the headwaiter didn't give his message to the singer, but he may have). Holden suspects that adults' "phoniness" leads them to say one thing but do another; he feels put upon personally when, in all likelihood, the people in question are hardly thinking of him at all.
Describe the restorative effect that simply being home has on Holden in Chapter 21 of The Catcher in the Rye. What does it suggest about his family?
Holden, after fleeing his teachers and peers and failing to connect with an adult or peer in the city, is home, where he knows he is loved as he is. Holden has been avoiding his parents because he knows his expulsion will hurt them. However, he also knows that his family will not reject him and will be glad to have him home over the holidays. No other setting in the novel thus far has allowed him to relax and rest, and no other setting does.
What is the setting of the novel?
It is 1949. The novel begins in Pencey Prep, a private, all-boys boarding school in Pennsylvania. Then, its main character continues on to various locations in Manhattan. The story of the novel is being told to us from a mental hospital in California (in 1950).
In Chapter 23 of The Catcher in the Rye, Holden "almost wished" that his parents had caught him. What does this suggest about his state and his relationship to his parents?
It suggests that Holden, who has worked hard and risked a lot going home before the semester ends, has come to the end of his resources, physically and mentally. Holden may be more vulnerable than ever, readers sense, as he tries to make it until Tuesday before coming home. Yet it also suggests that he knows that he can come home. His father is not going to "kill" him, as Phoebe says. In fact, given the caring exchange between Phoebe and their mother, it's more likely that his parents will see his fragile condition and take care of him.
In Chapter 22 of The Catcher in the Rye, how does the incident with James Castle connect to Holden's desire to be the "catcher in the rye"?
James Castle, a young student, was badly bullied and decided to jump from a window. Castle is on Holden's mind when he tells Phoebe his idea about being the "catcher in the rye." No one was there to "catch" James Castle, and he fell. Holden seems to sense, and Phoebe silently agrees, that people, especially young people, sometimes need to be caught. Someone must be there for them. The idea underpins Holden's desire for connection even in the midst of his loneliness and alienation.
Readers never see or hear Jane in The Catcher in the Rye, yet Holden thinks of her often, as he does in Chapter 11. What does Jane mean to Holden?
Jane is a girl to whom Holden connected during one summer in a genuine way. He recalls how Jane appreciated Allie's glove and that she is something of a damsel in distress that, he thinks, may have to do with her father trying to "get wise" with her but that might have to do, readers deduce, with the pain her father causes her mother. Holden felt at ease and natural with Jane. Jane is frozen in Holden's memory as the sweet young girl with a secret sorrow; he's still trying to protect that girl.
Mr. Antolini explains in The Catcher in the Rye, Chapter 24, that thoughtful people often experience yearnings and despair. How do his comments address boredom, a problem Holden often experiences?
Often in the novel, Holden complains of boredom. Mr. Antolini's comments address Holden's yearning to engage with knowledge directly and reveal them to be important and valuable. He suspects that Holden is a lover of learning and perhaps one day will help others who follow in his path. Mr. Antolini worries that the alternative will be a terrible fall—the very delusion that afflicts Holden when he walks down Fifth Avenue. It is interesting that Chapter 26 ends ambiguously. Holden has clearly remembered Mr. Antolini's words, yet he still refuses to say whether he'll commit to school in the fall.
In Chapter 2 of The Catcher in the Rye, what does Holden's description of Spencer reveal about his own biases and fears?
On the one hand, Holden admires some things about Spencer and thinks Spencer actually cares about him. On the other hand, Holden has thought a lot about what it must be like to be so old and observes that Spencer's age gives him an excuse to lecture and scold and to refer to Holden, gratingly, as "boy." Holden tries to feel respect for "old Spencer" and sympathy for his illness, but the longer he must stay with his teacher, the more disgusted he becomes by the man's aged, ill body and cranky words.
Throughout The Catcher in the Rye, Holden tries on adult roles and identities. What does he learn about himself from this acting out of some adult roles?
Over three days Holden tries out many adult roles, such as ordering drinks and dancing with older women, hiring a prostitute and tangling with her pimp, and guiding kids through the museum and teaching them history. These and other roles help Holden sort through ambivalent feelings about his place in the adult world and his emerging adult identity. He learns firsthand how adults interact and what might threaten him in the adult world. He discovers, too, roles that cause him to feel "phony" and those that appeal to his genuine interests and caring nature.
In Chapter 1 of The Catcher in the Rye, why does Holden object to Pencey Prep's motto?
Pencey Prep's motto reads: "Since 1888 we have been molding boys into splendid, clear-thinking young men." Holden's experience at Pencey has convinced him that this motto is a lie. The students he knows are not "splendid" or "clear-thinking," and the faculty isn't doing "any damn molding." The prestigious school's ads are shams, false representations designed, like the photo of the polo player, to create an attractive image and woo wealthy parents. Readers have to keep in mind that Holden is disgusted with his peers, disengaged from his classes, and worried about his expulsion, so his opinion of Pencey is not unbiased.
In Chapter 21 of The Catcher in the Rye, readers finally encounter Phoebe, who, as Holden says, becomes emotional. What do her emotions reveal about who she is?
Phoebe is overjoyed to have Holden back, embracing him and trying to deliver all her news at once. When he explains that he was drunk and broke her record, rather than scolding him, she keeps the shards as if they're treasures, indicating that intent matters more to her than the actual record. Phoebe is also capable of anger. She quickly figures out why Holden is at the apartment, at which point she hits Holden's leg and shuns him, hiding under her pillow. Phoebe is bright and passionate; unlike Holden, she's not afraid to show who she is.
Based on Chapter 24 of The Catcher in the Rye and on Holden's earlier comments, why does Holden trust Mr. Antolini, to whom he turns as a last resort?
Readers have already learned that Mr. Antolini is not much older than D.B., which helps Holden relate to him, and that Mr. Antolini was the teacher who carried James Castle's broken body to the infirmary. Now readers see Mr. Antolini greet Holden warmly; meet his immediate needs for shelter, coffee, and food; and listen to Holden's complaints, apologizing when he interrupts a question about Holden's grades. He, in fact, meets both Holden's immediate physical and mental needs. This is one reason Holden reacts violently when he thinks his trust has been betrayed.
What is colloquialism?
Salinger finds the music in the casual, everyday speech patterns and expressions of teenagers of the time period. However, Holden's use of colloquial language is excessive compared to other characters to show how he uses language as a means to hide. Some of the terms he uses include: • "Old" - term of familiarity or endearment. • "Phony" - superficially acting a certain way only to change what others think of you • "That killed me" - I found that hilarious or astonishing • "Flit" - homosexual • "Crumbum" or "crumby" - inadequate, insufficient, disappointing • "Snowing" - sweet-talking • "I got a bang out of that" - I found it hilarious or exciting • "Shoot the bull" - have a conversation containing false elements • "Give her the time" - sexual intercourse • "Chew the fat" or "chew the rag" - small-talk • "Rubbering" or "rubbernecks" - idle onlooking/onlookers • "The Can" - the bathroom
What are some basic facts about J.D. Salinger's military service?
Salinger was drafted and fought in World War II, where he was a participant in some of the worst of its horrors—including storming the beach at Normandy on D-Day, fighting in the Battle of the Bulge, and liberating a concentration camp only to discover countless piles of corpses. He worked on stories and an early draft of Catcher in the Rye during the war.
Phoebe Caulfield [character]
She is Holden's smart, sensitive younger sister.
Sally Hayes [character]
She is a teenager Holden has dated in the past. Somewhat shallow, she's a typical teen who enjoys movies, plays, and skating.
windows [symbol & motif]
Take a look out of a window. What can you see? What is actually outside the window that you can't see? There is a real difference between the two. When looking out of a window, you are limited by the frame and position of the window. You don't see the whole picture. In the same way, your perception of reality is limited by your position in the world—especially when that position is that of childhood. Throughout the novel, windows are used in a number of ways—primarily to highlight how Holden's mental health is profoundly affected by limitations of his perception.
Explain the Museum of Natural History's importance to Holden in The Catcher in the Rye. What does his decision, as Chapter 16 ends, not to enter the museum suggest?
The Museum of Natural History is a place closely connected to Holden's memories of a simple and innocent childhood. He can recall in great detail school trips to the museum, especially the sameness of the exhibits. Things outside the museum change, but in the museum static exhibits bring troubling life to a stop. Holden realizes that he has had many pleasurable moments with Allie, Phoebe, and D.B. that he would like to preserve forever like the exhibits in the museum. At the same time, he understands that trying to freeze these moments is futile and unrealistic. When he gets to the museum, he changes his mind about going in. It's likely that Holden senses that, if he goes in, some exhibits might have changed. It may be also that Holden himself has changed, so the museum might not have the familiar comforting effect.
Holden's descriptions of New York City in The Catcher in the Rye evoke the adult world he perceives. What settings does he describe? How do they represent that world?
The adult world, as Holden sees it, is filthy and intimidating. He sits in hotel lobbies that smell bad; at Ernie's club, he gets stuck at a "stinking" table. Holden finds himself in crowds that disgust him and induce loneliness. The city also has sanctuaries—the museum, Phoebe's school, and Central Park—but these, too, have corrupt elements. Holden encounters the upsetting graffiti first in the school and then in his beloved museum, and when he visits the park he knows so well by day to find the ducks in the middle of the night, he finds it a different and threatening place. The city as Holden experiences it is disorienting and frightening since it stands in for his journey toward a future he dreads.
In Chapter 7 of The Catcher in the Rye, Holden asks Ackley what is involved in joining a monastery. What does this question suggest about Holden in this context?
The anxiety over Jane's sexual purity and vulnerability overwhelms Holden. To avoid sex and its intimidating consequences, he'd have to withdraw entirely from the world, as monks entering a monastery do. The idea of adult sexuality upsets Holden so profoundly that he fantasizes this escape. Part of his fury at Stradlater is that Stradlater won't tell him what happened (as a gentleman should not), both denying Holden's curiosity about sex and leaving him to imagine the worst. The sexless environment of a monastery provides him with a curious but fitting fantasy.
loss and mortality [theme]
The book explores the struggles of coming to terms with loss and mortality. Holden finds himself traumatized by the loss of Allie with no guidance in navigating through the complexities of the grieving process. Look for all the references to death throughout the book—from casual details to memories to fantasies to his brother, Allie. Consider the significance of the ducks in the Central Park lagoon and what he focuses on when he finally gets to the lagoon.
the carousel [symbol]
The carousel represents life, its cyclical quality, and its opportunities for change and growth. As Phoebe rides around and around on the carousel, the mechanical horses move up and down, just as people have high and low moments in the cycles of their lives. When little Phoebe grabs the gold ring, Holden realizes that children must be allowed to extend themselves and take chances in life or they cannot mature and develop their own individuality. This gold ring symbolizes hope in life and the striving for and attainment of dreams. Watching Phoebe, Holden recognizes the flaw in his dream of being a "catcher in the rye" who holds and protects innocent children from the "phoniness" and dangers of adulthood. Now he realizes that Phoebe's need to "grab for the gold ring" suggests that children must be allowed to mature and take risks in order to grow into adulthood: "The thing with kids is, if they want to grab for the gold ring, you have to let them do it, and not say anything. If they fall off, they fall off, but it's bad if you say anything to them." Grabbing the brass ring involves taking the chance that one may miss; however, one must extend oneself if one is to mature. After Phoebe gets off the carousel, she reaches into Holden's coat pocket and pulls out his red hunting hat and places it on his head. He asks her, "Don't you want it?" but Phoebe replies, "You can wear it a while." Phoebe suggests to her brother that he, too, must maintain and develop his own individuality.
the red hunting hat [symbol & motif]
The hat itself is a decidedly odd choice considering he is not in the woods, tracking down deer. He wears this hat indoors and around the streets of Manhattan. Holden even prefers to wear it backwards—making it even more unusual. Holden's hat choice expresses his identity—his desire to be unconventional in a world where convention is cruel and hurtful. Much like a red hunting hat prevents hunters from being shot by others, Holden sees this hat as his protector, allowing him to hold on to his childhood and his oddball identity rather than surrender to the quickly approaching adulthood of corruption that awaits him. While he loves the hat in private moments, in front of others, he feels fairly self-conscious about it. He either horses around to overcompensate for his shame, or he's too embarrassed to even wear it. This represents the conflict that Holden faces: the need for authenticity vs. the need for acceptance. Why is the hat red? Interestingly, Holden describes both Allie and Pheobe's hair as being red. Perhaps this is a reason why Holden wears the hat. It could be symbolic of Allie and Phoebe's innocence, something Holden is "hunting" for in the phony, corrupt adult world that surrounds him. Another important point: Holden buys the hat in New York after he left all the fencing equipment on the subway. The entire team is furious with him, and he slips off into a store to buy a hat. Imagine the awkwardness of this event. Holden must be feeling particularly vulnerable in that moment, though he would certainly never own it.
Describe the kid Holden hears singing in The Catcher in the Rye, Chapter 16. What does Holden like about the child? How does the kid fit Holden's notion of childhood?
The kid Holden hears singing is imaginative—he walks along, "making out like he was walking a very straight line." He is also independent, walking apart from his parents, and happy, singing for nobody but himself. Finally, he is resolute: he pays no attention to street noises but goes on walking and singing. After Holden's horrid interactions with Maurice and Sunny, Holden can reenter the pleasant world of childhood. The presence of the kid and the thought of how happy the record he has bought will make Phoebe give Holden a few moments of respite from his worries.
The Museum of Natural History [symbol & motif]
The museum's displays are frozen and unchanging and represent the world that Holden wishes he could live in. Change frightens Holden, as it does many people. In the cool, hushed halls of the museum, everything is comfortably still and solid. The stone floors and walls are sturdy and resist change, and the exhibits are all in the same place every time he goes. Flashes of beauty and history are caught mid-moment and fixed in forms Holden has known since he was a young child. However, in the museum, all is old and dead as well. No new developments can happen in that sterile environment, which is both a refuge and a trap for Holden.
What is the novel's point of view?
The novel is told in the subjective first person—in other words, it is narrated by the main character in the novel and what he shares is filtered through his limited understanding of the reality around him but unlimited access to his perception and thought processes. Holden is regarded as a specific type of narrator: an unreliable narrator, a narrator whose credibility has been seriously compromised.
Why do the nuns' suitcases sadden Holden in The Catcher in the Rye, Chapter 15?
The nuns have cheap suitcases, which makes him think of a former roommate who was ashamed of his own suitcases. Holden showed, at that time, mature sensitivity to Dick Slagle's embarrassment, stowing his own good luggage out of sight. Instead, Slagle tried to gain status by showing off Holden's suitcases as his own. The suitcases represent, to Holden, class barriers. Yet Holden's grasp of class barriers is limited, as readers see when he describes his spending habits. Still, he is generous, a trait he has in common with his father, who keeps investing in Broadway flops.
What question do people keep asking Holden in Chapter 26 of The Catcher in the Rye, and why does he think it's a stupid one?
The psychoanalyst working with Holden and others keep asking him whether he'll "apply" himself when he starts school again in the fall. Holden can't and won't try to answer the question because no one can know what they'll do "until you do it." All Holden knows is that he's sorry he talked so much about his experiences. He's still alienated from his future, but he now misses his past in new and specific ways.
Little Shirley Beans [symbol]
When Holden talks about the singer, Estelle Fletcher, he describes her singing it as "very Dixieland and whorehouse [... not] all mushy, [...not] cute as hell," as he thinks a white girl would have done (16.2). Why is Holden into a record that sounds Dixieland and whorish, especially since he's buying it for his little sister and is troubled by the thought of sexuality invading the world of children? This is about avoiding phoniness. The record is obviously intended for children—it features a little kid that's embarrassed about having lost her front teeth. (Also, it's called "Little Shirley Beans," which is sort of a dead giveaway in that it sounds a lot like Shirley Temple. We're not positive Salinger is drawing on those associations here, but it seems likely.) Anyway, Holden figures that most people would cheese up a records for kids, because they think that's what little kids are into. So, what does it mean when Holden drops and breaks this record during his drunken stumbling around New York? Could it—ahem—have anything to do with lost innocence? And what does it mean that Phoebe wants to keep the broken pieces of the record?
What are some basic facts about J.D. Salinger's writing career?
When Salinger returned to America, a number of his stories were published in the New Yorker, the Saturday Evening Post, and Collier's. His first novel, Catcher in the Rye, published in 1951, catapulted Salinger into fame. The book was regarded as revolutionary due to its subject matter, its use of colloquial language, and its commentary of modern life. It was regarded as an immediate classic, garnering a great deal of attention from a new, younger generation of readers—conversely, it received a good deal of outrage for what was considered immoral and perverse content. The novel is simultaneously the most banned and the second most-read book in high schools (second only to Of Mice and Men). To this day, it sells 250,000 copies per year. Salinger has indirectly indicated that the novel is somewhat autobiographical.
unreliable narrator [literary element]
a narrator whose account of events appears to be faulty, misleadingly biased, deluded, or otherwise distorted
motif [literary element]
any action, concept, detail, word(s), image, object, or symbol that occurs repeatedly throughout a work of literature; its purpose is to point to a theme in the work on literature
