Catcher in the Rye Questions Chapters 1-6 (Mr. Kovac)
Who is Ackley? Describe him.
Ackley and Holden's dorms are connected by a shower. Ackley has horrible grooming habits, such as refusing to brush his teeth and tons of acne. He's the kind of person people don't typically like.
What does Ackley do that annoys Holden?
Ackley does a lot of things. First, he was in the way of Holden's light while he was reading and wasnt sitting down when Holden told him to. Then, since Holden told him to do it, it took Ackley longer which annoyed Holden. Ackley then was ranting about Stradlater and how he hated him. After that, Ackley was cutting his nails over the floor. Holden asked Ackley to cut them over the table several times, and he didn't listen until Holden yelled at him.
Who was Allie and why is his baseball mitt so special to Holden?
Allie was Holden's younger brother. Two years younger, to be percise. He was left-handed as well. Allie's baseball mitt is special to Holden because Allie got luekemia and passed away on July 18 of 1946 while their family was in Maine. Alliei was intelligent, too.
What did Spencer do that particularly annoyed Holden?
He kept saying over and over again that Holden knew absolutely nothing. He also used words that annoyed Holden, such as the words "grand" and "boy." Mr. Spencer also read aloud some of Holden's responses to questions on a given test.
How did Holden let the fencing team down?
He left all of the equipment on the subway while looking for the correct stop to get off at.
Why is Holden so interested in what happened on Stradlater's date?
Holden didn't really want Stradlater to trick or hurt Jane in any way. He wanted to make sure nothing "bad" happened on the date.
What kind of health does Holden appear to be in?
Holden does not appear to be in good health. He appears to have some mental problems and issues.
How would you describe Holden's attitude toward athletes?
Holden doesn't really like atheletes. I believe he feels like they stick together and they kind of think they're better than everyone else.
What does Holden give us as the reason for "leaving" Elkton Hills?
Holden flunked four out of five of his classes, passing English.
Where is Holden as the story begins?
Holden is in a mental asylum telling the story.
What point does Holden try to make about people when he talks about Stradlater and the "commas" and Ackley's description of the basketball player?
Holden is saying that people make excuses for why they are "bad" at things and he hates it.
Why did it make Holden nervous that Stradlater was going out with Jane Gallagher?
Holden knows that Stradlater has some tricks up his sleeve and has some experience with women. Holden wanted to make sure Stradlater didn't hurt or make Jane do anything she didn't want to. This is because Holden sort of grew up with Jane Gallagher.
Why does Holden punch Stradlater?
Holden punches Stradlater because he was a bit mad from what he thought Stradlater did with Jane.
Why does Holden smoke in bed?
Holden smokes in his bed to annoy Stradlater. You weren't allowed to smoke in the dorm, and Stradlater didn't like when you broke the rules.
Why did Holden's parents want to have him psychoanalyzed?
Holden tells us that his parents wanted to have him psychoanalzed because he broke all of the windows with his fist the day Allie died.
According to Holden, how can you identify a moron?
Holden tells us you can identify a moron by calling them a moron. If they hate being called that, they are one.
Why was Holden being kicked out of Pencey Prep?
Holden was getting kicked out of Pencey Prep because he was failing four of his current five classes.
What does Holden mean by "I'm quite illiterate, but I read a lot"? Give examples of what he reads.
I believe Holden means he reads a lot because he can read, but he's illiterate because he doesn't try to do things when he doesn't want to, such as an assignment. He may need to do summer reading, but he won't and he'll read one of his own books. Holden likes to read the types of books that are funny once in a while, his brother's books, and some mystery books.
What does Holden mean when he says that his brother D.B. is in Hollywood "being a prostitute"?
I believe that Holden means that he believes his brother is wasting his good writing abilities on, in Holden's opinion, bad movies and shows. He belives his brother can do better.
Who is Mr. Spencer and why does Holden visit him?
Mr. Spencer is Holden's former history teacher. Holden visits him because Mr. Spencer wrote him a note asking him to say goodbye before he leaves.
Where and what is Pencey Prep?
Pencey Prep is a private school located in Pennsylvania (specifically Agerstown).
Why does Stradlater not like the composition which Holden wrote for him?
Stradlater claims it had to be something about a house or a room. He didn't like that Holden wrote about a baseball glove.
Who is Stradlater? Why does Holden refer to him as a "secret slob"? What does he look like?
Stradlater is Holden's roommate. Holden refers to him as a "secret slob" because his grooming habits are great, but the equipment used to groom himself are not looking good. His razor has a million hairs stuck in it, and it's all rusty. Stradlater is considered "handsome" to Holden. He also has broad shoulders.
Where did Stradlater go on his date with Jane Gallagher?
Stradlater went on a date in his basketball coaches' car with Jane.