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Catcher in the Rye

Introduction

Catcher in the Rye has become almost everyone’s all time favorite novel of adolescent angst and anguish. His battle against phonies and adulthood frames almost every image of modern youth. Everyone wants to be known as Holden

Table of ContentsThis unit will cover the following sections

Topic See Page

A&P B-2

Thought Questions B-3

Stream of Consciousness B-

Catcher 1-26 B-

Catcher 26-46 B-

Catcher 46-76 B-

Catcher 76-104 B-

Catcher 104-122 B-

Catcher 122-144 B-

Other Works

There are a million books you could read that tie into this work. Ordinary People, Bright Lights, Big City, and The Autobiography of Adrian Mole are a few.

A&P

Read me This story is a strange and funky one. Although it was written in the late fifties, it is a story that really doesn’t seem to have an age.

QuestionsAnswer the following questions fully.

1. Is the narrator going to college? What does his immediate future have in it?

2. Stokesie is very similar to the narrator, except that he is older. How is Stokesie chained to his job?

3. When Queenie comes in, what attracts him to her?

How does the rest of the store react to her?

4. Why does the manager harass them? (It’s not just that they broke the rules)

5. Why does the narrator quit?

Continued on next page

A&P, Continued

6. When he steps outside, he doesn’t see Queenie or her friends. Instead, what woman does he see?

Why is that important?

7. At the end of the story, he learns “how hard the world was

going to be for him hereafter.”

What does this quote mean?

How is his life going to be hard?

What else has he lost besides a job?

WritingHow have you been in a situation similar to the narrator?

How are you different from him?

Thought Questions

Introduction

Catcher has a strange and peculiar mindset. You need to catch that wave.

QuestionsAnswer the following questions with an example from your own life.

1. How do you define the word hypocrite?

How do you feel about them?

2. Do you think becoming 21 will be a good thing or a bad thing for you?

How about graduating high school?

3. If you had the choice, would you want to be 8 years old again?

4. What do you want to be doing when you are 35? (Be realistic)

Stream of Consciousness

Definition Stream of Consciousness is a style of writing, where the narrator seems to be putting down his thoughts, unedited, as quickly as they come into his head. It is a pure first person.

ExampleThe following example is written in stream of consciousness.

And the band started playing one of those really slow songs, like "Stairway to Heaven" or "Freebird" that probably have really great lyrics or something but the song itself just is awful-just awful. Then this real phony guy, with the hair all slicked back on the top of his head stood up with the Sax and did a solo. I almost died. I mean, almost completely died right there. It had to be the cheesiest solo I had ever heard. I mean he was swaying back and forth and he closed his eyes like he was really getting into it and all, but it was the fakest thing you ever heard. It was like something out of a bad Howard Johnson's. I swear, he must record Muzak for a living or drive a forklift or something.

Old Jean was getting into it, though. She was humming along and swaying to the song and practically just swaying her own dance out there. I mean I'm a pretty good dancer but I hate slow songs. There's nothing you can do except just sit there and hold her and move her around and wait for the song to end. I would have rather just sat down and ordered another drink and waited for something else but not old Jean. She wanted to dance everything. Up real close to, so I could smell her breath. She didn't smell bad or anything. Don't get me wrong, she just didn't smell quite right. I mean girls should smell a certain way-like baby powder, new clothes and perfume. Something that was girlish, y'know. Jean, I swear,

smelled like a fruit salad or Old Spice. I hate Old Spice. I mean I like Jean fine, y'know. She's great, but I just couldn't smell her.

Christ, I must be nuts. All of a sudden I start to imagine myself as the old sailor in the Old Spice commercial. Right out there on the dance floor. I start to think about coming home from the sea and bringing in the duffel and that song. It must have been the goddammed saxophone because that goddam song is running through my head "Dum dum de dum dum, dum di de dum dum da di dum dum" I see myself coming home to this really cute girl and wearing a sailor suit or something. I'm crazy. I mean, I'm really nuts sometimes.


Stream of Consciousness, Continued

QuestionsAnswer the following questions fully.

1. Does it seem as if the thoughts are just thrown onto the paper as they occur?

What words make you think so?

2. Why doesn't he like the sax player?

3. Does he like Jean? How do you know?

4. Is he crazy? Explain.

Writing Write a brief story about walking from English to math class in Stream of Consciousness. Try to make sure that you include everything that the character is thinking.

Catcher in the Rye: 1-26

Introduction

We are introduced to Holden Caulfield, Pencey School and all the phonies that go there.

QuestionsAnswer the following questions fully. Use another sheet of

paper.

1. What happened to Holden last Christmas?

Where is he right now?

2. Describe Holden's academic history

Why is he so bad at school?

3. What is Holden's good memory of Pencey?

What happened with the fencing foils?

What is the difference between these two events?

Which event had Holden being a part of a group?

4. Why did Holden like Selma Thurmer?

What does he dislike about most of the people at Pency?

What would he think about many of the summer people?

5. What about Holden bothers Spencer so much?

What does Holden think of while Spencer is talking?

Why does Spencer depress Holden?


Catcher, Continued

7. Who said "I'm quite illiterate, but I read a lot."?

Does Holden have a good view of himself?

8. Describe Ackley.

What disgusting things does he do?

Why does Ackley cling to Holden?

Do you know other people who cling? Why do they do that?

9. Who was the character madly in love with himself?

Why might Holden be sensitive to this?

10. Does Holden think Ackley is mature?

Why might it be important that Ackley tells Holden to grow up?

11. Describe Holden's hat.

Why would anyone want to wear a hat like that?

12. What would he like to do to the authors he likes?

Why might this be a dumb thing for J.D. Salinger to put in a book?

Writing Which does Holden like better: being in crowds or being by himself? Explain.


Introduction

An old friend drops in on the Pencey campus and Holden starts to spin in trouble.

QuestionsRead the pages 26-46 and answer the following questions. Use another sheet of paper.

1. What is written on Allie's mitt?

What sort of kid was Allie?

Since Holden held onto the mitt and is writing about it, what does that say about Holden?

Is it unbelievable that Holden could have written on the glove himself?

2. What does Holden do when Stradlater is shaving?

Psychologically, why do you suppose wears funny hats, tap dances, plays with the water and does all that weird stuff?

Can you trust Holden as a narrator

3. What was Holden's connection to Jane?

When did he know her?

What does he want Stradlater to ask her?

Why won't Holden go down and talk to her?

What bothered him about Stradlater going out with Jane?


Catcher, Continued


Catcher, Continued

Why doesn't he wash his face?

WritingWhy doesn’t Holden go down and talk to Jane?

Is Stradlater the jerk or is Holden?

Catcher Close Read: Page 26

Introduction

One of the best things about this novel is that the closer you look at it, the more interesting things you see.

QuestionsRead the following section and answer these questions.

1. What was Holden's nervous habit? How are the opening sentences nervous?

2. What does he say about Stradlater? Is he complimenting or not? What is he doing?

3. How does the hunting hat in conflict with the tone he has

with Stradlater?

4. When did Holden decide to do what Stradlater asked? Why does he do it?

5. How does Coil relate to the essay?

6. Why does he tap dance? How is that different from Stradlater's whistling?

7. Why does he get Stradlater in a half nelson? How are his actions changing

8. When he mentions Jane, how do you know Holden is excited? (Besides that he tells you).


Introduction

Holden gets fed up with Pency and the phonies and lights out for the territories.


1. Who does Holden wake up?

Why does he go and wake up Ackley?

How come he wants to play Canasta and not talk about what a jerk his roommate is?

2. What is his plan when he leaves Pencey?

Why does he leave?

Is it a good idea for him to leave Pencey?

3. Who does he meet on the train?

What lies does he tell her?

Why does he lie to her?

What does he want from her?

How old is he trying to appear?

4. What does he ask the driver about?

How does the driver respond?

Does this excite him or bum him out?

Where has this question appeared before


Catcher, Continued

5. What does Holden see out the window of his hotel room?

Why doesn't he shut the window?

Is Holden a prude?

What is the conflict in him?

6. Who is Faith Cavendish?

How do you suppose she earns money?

Why does Holden think of her almost at the same time he thinks of Jane?

What conflict does this show in Holden?

7. Who's the only dumb one in the family?

Do you believe him?

What does that say about Holden's self-esteem?

What does he like about Phoebe?

8. What does he order from the waiter?

Why do you suppose he doesn't order a beer?

Why does he think the other two (from Seattle) are laughing at him?

What would be so funny?

Why does he want to dance with them anyway?

What very odd thing does he do on the dance floor?


Catcher, Continued

9. What name does he tell them?

What does that name suggest?

Why does Holden call these girls morons?

Is Holden a snob?

Reading into this, what really is depressing him?

Writing Suppose you were to talk to one of those secretaries as they were leaving the Lavender Room. What would they say about Holden? What would they say about your evening?

Catcher in the Rye; 76-104

Introduction

Holden’s New York City Odyssey continues, in search of youth, happiness, and ducks


1. What did Jane and Holden do together?

What didn't they do together?

What happened in Jane's past that really makes Holden sympathetic?

Do you suppose more happened to Jane? Explain.

Knowing this, how does Stradlater look now?

2. What does Holden ask the second Cabby?

How does he answer?

What is the most comforting thing he says?

Why does Holden invite this guy in for drinks?

3. Why is Ernie's phony?

Why was he there?

What is Lillian like?

Why is she a phony?

4. How does he get back to his hotel?

Other than what he tells you, why else might he walk back?


Catcher, Continued

5. What does Maurice offer Holden in the elevator?

Why does he take the prostitute?

What line, said by Maurice, "forces" him to do it?

6. According to Holden, what happens when he starts fooling around?

Why does he keep "stopping"?

What does this say about him?

7. What does Holden want to do with the prostitute?

What bums him out about her?

What makes her laugh?

Why won't he pay extra just to get rid of her?

Is this scene similar to the A. Friend scene from the movie?

Explain.

8. Who does Holden imagine he is talking to?

Why does he feel depressed?

Why does he remember this one incident?


Catcher, Continued

9. What does Maurice want?

Why won't Holden give it to him?

Why is Holden so nervous?

Why does Maurice hit him? (think harder)

Is Holden being honest? Is that childlike?

10. What does Holden start pretending happened to him?

Why?

11. What does Holden start thinking about when he is in bed?

Why doesn't he do that?

What hurts him more: the whore or the beating?

Writing Is Holden getting better or worse? Explain.

Catcher Close Read: Page 81

Introduction

One of the best things about this novel is that the closer you look at it, the more interesting things you see.

QuestionsRead the following section and answer these questions.

1. What made it worse? Why is the cab so important to Holden now?

2. Who does he see and pick out on the street. Why would this hurt Holden particularly?

What's awful about a laugh at night? For Holden, why does it hurt?

What does he wish for? Why is that important?

3. Why does he ask about the Ducks? What does that say about Holden's mindset?

4. What does he want to know about the Ducks? What connection do the ducks and Holden have?

5. What does the Cabby do that makes Holden like him?

6. How are the fish different?

7. What will Mother nature do?

8. Why does he offer him a drink?

9. What does he say that should comfort Holden?

10. Why doesn't he offer him a coke instead of a drink?

11. How is he different from the earlier cabby?

12. What's the most important line of dialogue for Holden?

Catcher in the Rye; 104-122

Introduction

After his rude beating, Holden decides he needs to go on a date.


1. Who does he think of calling?

Why would he want to call her?

Why doesn't he?

2. Who does he call instead?

Why does he call her?

What did the two of them use to do?

3. What word does Holden hate?

Why?

What other words does he hate?

What idea unifies all of these words?

4. What's the first thing he notices about the nuns?

Is that a snotty thing to notice?

Is he being a phony?

5. How do the nuns treat Holden?

Why does he like them?

Is there any similarity between the Nuns and Mrs. Morrow? What is it?


Catcher, Continued

What is the difference between the nuns and the parents he knows (Mrs. Hayes, his Mom, etc)

How much money does he give them?

Why is that number odd?

5. Why did it drive him crazy when Mercutio was killed?

How is Mercutio similar to Holden?

6. When Holden walks to Central Park, he sees a little kid, where is the little kid walking?

Where are his parents?

Where does Holden put himself?

Why?

How does the title figure into this?

This is one of the central and most revealing scenes, in the book. What does it show?

9. What record does Holden buy?

What age is that record for?

Who is that record for?

Why does he feel so happy?

10. Who does he want to meet in the park (the Mall, as he calls it)

Who does he talk to?

Why does that pump him up so much


Catcher, Continued

11. What is the "Museum routine" Holden is talking about?

What are some of the things he likes about the Museum?

Why does he like the Eskimos on the Pond?

Complete the quote: "The only thing that would be different would be you. Not that you would be so________________." What does that quote show?

Why does he want to go to the Museum? (REALLY)

12. Before he goes to the Museum, he runs into two kids. How do they treat him?

How does Holden feel now?

Why doesn't he go in?

WritingDescribe the scene where Holden follows the little boy on the curb.

Holden knows three types of people: kids, good adults and bad adults. Describe all three groups and give an example.

How do Holden’s emotions change as he is on his way to the museum.

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