Catcher in The Rye by J.D. Salinger

1. Catcher in The Ryeby J.D. Salinger

2. Catcher in the Rye Intro • Salinger was born in 1919 and was wealthy. • Many events from his life are in the novel. • Novel is set in the end of 40’s and beginning of 50’s.

3. Catcher in the Rye Intro • Over the years, the book has been banned in schools. • The protagonist, Holden Caulfield, grows up in an America of contrasts. War was over, but country was changing and troubled.

4. Catcher in the Rye Intro • Holden goes to a private boys’ school and is financially well to do. • The novel tells the story of an individual’s alienation in a heartless world. • Holden stands for young people everywhere struggling with the pressure to grow up and live according to the rules.

5. Catcher in the Rye DO NOW • How would you characterize Holden after reading Chapter 1? Use text support for your response to show why you characterized Holden as you did.

6. Catcher in the RyeDo Now • Everyday while we are reading Catcher, you will complete a reader response journal entry for the previous day’s reading. • You need one entry per chapter. • You can put more than one entry on each page. • If your passage is long, write the beginning of it and then…and write the end of it.

7. Catcher in the RyeLit analysis 1-4 • 1. He is the protagonist and narrator of the story. • 2. Holden is somewhere in California. • 3. He failed 4 out of 5 classes. • 4. His parents are rich. He has been to different schools. His parents are absent most of the time. His brother DB is a writer in Hollywood.

8. Catcher in the RyeLit analysis 1-4 • 5. Spencer read the whole essay that Holden wrote to him. • 6. He is Holden’s next door neighbor who is annoying. No one likes him. • 7. Holden’s roommate who is a jock. He has an athletic build and always has dates.

9. Catcher in the RyeLit analysis 1-4 • 8. She is Holden’s neighbor from two years ago. He used to play checkers with her. • 9. Holden is nervous, shy, and talks about going down, but never does.

10. Catcher in the RyeChapters 5-9 • 1. His dead brother Allie’s baseball glove, which had poems written all over it. • 2. He thought Stradlater was ungrateful because he said he wanted it about a room or more typical topic. • 3. Holden would not stop interrogating Stradlater and accusing him of acting inappropriately with Jane.

11. Catcher in the Rye Chapters 5-9 • 4. First he stopped by Ackley’s room but left to go to a hotel in NY to give his parents time to receive his dismissal letter. • 5. Holden met the mother of one of his classmates, Ernie. • 6. Holden didn’t like Ernie but since his mother seemed nice, he wanted her to feel proud of her son so he said what she wanted to hear.

12. Catcher in the RyeLit Analysis 10-13 • 1. She is Holden’s little sister. He likes her a lot, and they communicate well. • 2. Young women from Seattle on vacation in NY. He met them and danced with them in the Lavender Room. • 3. They are friends who play checkers, go to movies, and talk. There is no romantic involvement.

13. Catcher in the RyeLit Analysis 10-13 • 4. He saw a girl, Lillian, who his brother used to date and told a lie that he had to leave and meet someone. • 5. He doesn’t like to fight or be confrontational. He calls himself a coward, but then corrects it and says he is humane to fight or hurt someone. • 6. He asked for a prostitute, and then changed his mind when she showed up.

14. Catcher in the Rye Lit Analysis 14-17 • 1. Maurice tried to get an extra 5.00, so Holden called him a moron. • 2. He didn’t want a bunch of “stupid rubbernecks” looking at him all gory. • 3. Holden called for her to go on a theater date. She is good looking, but a pain. • 4. He didn’t want to see Maurice again, so he went to Grand Central Station and checked his bags into a locker. • 5. He met two nuns. • 6. They talked about donations and Romeo and Juliet.

15. Catcher in the RyeLit analysis 14-17 • 7. Little Shirley Beans was the song and he thought Phoebe would like it. • 8. He heard a kid singing the lyrics, “If a body catch a body coming through the rye.” • 9. He thought they were the biggest phonies of all time. • 10. Everything stayed exactly the same and it always stayed right where it was.

16. Catcher in the Rye Lit analysis 14-17 11. He thought he was a snobby phony and resented his butting in on his date. 12. He started out saying “I love you and will you marry me,” and ended the date by hating her.

17. Catcher in the Rye Lit analysis 18-21 1. He thought it was phony and stupid, but so stupid he couldn’t take his eyes off it. 2. He was desperate for company and knew Carl was intellectual and could perhaps help him.

18. Catcher in the Rye Lit analysis 18-21 • 3. They discussed Luce’s romantic life and Holden’s lack of romance. They also discussed therapy. • 4. He wants to see Phoebe. • 5. Phoebe was glad to see him. • 6. Phoebe said, “Daddy’ll kill you.”

19. Catcher in the Rye Lit analysis 22-26 • 1. He said it was the worst school he ever went to because of all the phonies and mean guys. • 2. James was a guy at Elkton Hills who wouldn’t take back something he said. The other guys beat him up so badly that James jumped out the window and died. • 3. Holden needs a place to stay the night.

20. Catcher in the Rye Lit analysis 22-26 • 4. Holden woke up and Mr. Antolini had his hand on Holden’s head, and it made Holden uncomfortable. • 5. He said Holden should pick a career and a school and apply himself. • 6. She packed her bags to go away with Holden.

21. Catcher in the Rye Lit analysis 22-26 • 7. Holden told her she couldn’t go, which made her angry. Holden changed his mind and told Phoebe he wasn’t going, and let her skip the rest of the school day. • 8. He was enjoying watching Phoebe ride the carousel, and he was crying. (he has had a complete breakdown)

22. Catcher in the Rye Lit analysis 22-26 • 9. Holden says he pictures little kids running in a field of rye. He stands on the edge of a cliff to stop the kids from falling off. They don’t look where they’re going, so he comes out to catch them all day long.

23. Catcher in the Rye end of novel questions • 1. Because Holden is the narrator, all of the action in the novel is filtered through his perception of it. It’s not relayed to us objectively but through his opinion. • 2. The conflicts are Holden vs.society, Holden vs. himself, Holden vs. classmates at Pencey, Holden vs. teachers, vs. parents. We don’t know if Holden resolved them because he sounded like he wasn’t sure if anything had changed.

24. Catcher in the Rye end of novel questions • 3. Holden says everyone bothers him because they’re phonies. He is also sad that his brother passed away. He has no connections to anyone. • 4. The unmade phone calls represent everything that Holden wants to do but can’t. • 5. Holden wants to “catch” children before they get to the “cliff” or any dangerous, corrupt situations. He wants to protect their innocence of childhood.

25. Catcher in the Rye end of novel questions • 6. The characters represent stereotypes of typical teenagers: Stradlater is a jock; Jane is the girl that the guy can’t get; Ackley is the awkward teenager; Spencer is the annoying teacher who embarrasses students. • 7. Holden is sad and depressed because of Allie’s death. He also exaggerates all injuries and sicknesses.

26. Catcher in the Rye end of novel questions • 8. The broken record was for Phoebe who Holden wants to keep young. When it breaks it symbolizes the idea that he can’t keep her young and protect her from everything. The ducks leaving in winter symbolize that change is normal and a part of everything. Grand Central station represents the idea that everyone is constantly changing and moving. The hunting hat represents his isolation and avoidance of everyone.

27. Catcher in the Rye end of novel questions • 9. Most students do not sympathize with Holden. They think he is whining and don’t feel sorry for him. Some feel sorry for him because he’s going through a lot with no one to turn to. • 10. He is normal going through the stress and tensions of an abnormal world. His reactions are different from the others at Pencey, but not necessarily abnormal.