The Catcher in the Rye

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1 The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger Copyright Notice 2010 enotes.com Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this work covered by the copyright hereon may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, Web distribution or information storage retrieval systems without the written permission of the publisher. All or part of the content in these enotes comes from MAXnotes for The Catcher in the Rye, and is copyrighted by Research and Education Association (REA). No part of this content may be reproduced in any form without the permission of REA ; 2002 by Gale Cengage. Gale is a division of Cengage Learning. Gale and Gale Cengage are trademarks used herein under license. For complete copyright information on these enotes please visit: enotes: Table of Contents 1. The Catcher in the Rye: Introduction 2. The Catcher in the Rye: Overview 3. The Catcher in the Rye: J. D. Salinger Biography 4. The Catcher in the Rye: Summary 5. The Catcher in the Rye: Summary and Analysis Chapter 1 Summary and Analysis Chapter 2 Summary and Analysis Chapter 3 Summary and Analysis Chapter 4 Summary and Analysis Chapter 5 Summary and Analysis Chapter 6 Summary and Analysis Chapter 7 Summary and Analysis Chapter 8 Summary and Analysis Chapter 9 Summary and Analysis Chapter 10 Summary and Analysis Chapter 11 Summary and Analysis Chapter 12 Summary and Analysis Chapter 13 Summary and Analysis Chapter 14 Summary and Analysis Chapter 15 Summary and Analysis Chapter 16 Summary and Analysis Chapter 17 Summary and Analysis Chapter 18 Summary and Analysis The Catcher in the Rye 1

2 Chapter 19 Summary and Analysis Chapter 20 Summary and Analysis Chapter 21 Summary and Analysis Chapter 22 Summary and Analysis Chapter 23 Summary and Analysis Chapter 24 Summary and Analysis Chapter 25 and 26 Summary and Analysis 6. The Catcher in the Rye: Quizzes Chapter 1 Questions and Answers Chapter 2 Questions and Answers Chapter 3 Questions and Answers Chapter 4 Questions and Answers Chapter 5 Questions and Answers Chapter 6 Questions and Answers Chapter 7 Questions and Answers Chapter 8 Questions and Answers Chapter 9 Questions and Answers Chapter 10 Questions and Answers Chapter 11 Questions and Answers Chapter 12 Questions and Answers Chapter 13 Questions and Answers Chapter 14 Questions and Answers Chapter 15 Questions and Answers Chapter 16 Questions and Answers Chapter 17 Questions and Answers Chapter 18 Questions and Answers Chapter 19 Questions and Answers Chapter 20 Questions and Answers Chapter 21 Questions and Answers Chapter 22 Questions and Answers Chapter 23 Questions and Answers Chapter 24 Questions and Answers Chapter 25 and 26 Questions and Answers 7. The Catcher in the Rye: Essential Passages Essential Passages by Character: Holden Caulfield Essential Passages by Theme: Phoniness 8. The Catcher in the Rye: Characters 9. The Catcher in the Rye: Themes 10. The Catcher in the Rye: Style 11. The Catcher in the Rye: Historical Context 12. The Catcher in the Rye: Critical Overview 13. The Catcher in the Rye: Character Analysis 14. The Catcher in the Rye: Essays and Criticism The Literary Significance of The Catcher in the Rye To Tell You the Truth... The Saint as a Young Man: A Reappraisal of The Catcher in the Rye 15. The Catcher in the Rye: Suggested Essay Topics 16. The Catcher in the Rye: Sample Essay Outlines 17. The Catcher in the Rye: Compare and Contrast 18. The Catcher in the Rye: Topics for Further Study 19. The Catcher in the Rye: What Do I Read Next? enotes: Table of Contents 2

3 20. The Catcher in the Rye: Bibliography and Further Reading The Catcher in the Rye: Introduction Although The Catcher in the Rye caused considerable controversy when it was first published in 1951, the book the account of three disoriented days in the life of a troubled sixteen-year-old boy was an instant hit. Within two weeks after its release, it was listed number one on The New York Times best-seller list, and it stayed there for thirty weeks. It remained immensely popular for many years, especially among teenagers and young adults, largely because of its fresh, brash style and anti-establishment attitudes typical attributes of many people emerging from the physical and psychological turmoil of adolescence. It also was the bane of many parents, who objected to the main character's obscene language, erratic behavior, and antisocial attitudes. Responding to the irate protests, numerous school and public libraries and bookstores removed the book from their shelves. Holden simply was not a good role model for the youth of the 1950s, in the view of many conservative adults. Said J.D. Salinger himself, in a rare published comment, "I'm aware that many of my friends will be saddened and shocked, or shock-saddened, over some of the chapters in The Catcher in the Rye. Some of my best friends are children. In fact, all my best friends are children. It's almost unbearable for me to realize that my book will be kept on a shelf out of their reach." The clamor over the book undoubtedly contributed to its popularity among the young: It became the forbidden fruit in the garden of literature. For some reason perhaps because of the swirling controversies over his written works Salinger retreated from the New York literary scene in the 1960s to a bucolic New Hampshire community called Cornish, where he has lived a very private life and avidly avoided the press. Despite the fact that he has granted few interviews, there is a substantial body of critical and biographical works about Salinger and his all-too-brief list of literary creations. The Catcher in the Rye: Overview Background The period following World War II was a time of hope, change, and puzzlement. Today s youth have come to know this period through television sitcoms (Happy Days and Ozzie and Harriet), movies (Rebel Without a Cause), and early rock n roll music, which is still heard on oldies radio stations. Needless to say, these provide a simplistic picture of this complex period ( ). In reality, an estimated 50 million persons had died during the six years of World War II. They died on the battlefield, of starvation, and as a result of genocide. The United States buried its dead along with the rest of the world, but the country emerged from the war intact, even flourishing, from an economic point of view. The war industries continued into the postwar years, causing the economy to expand. It was a time of prosperity, unlike any in history. Whereas the various New Deal programs of the Roosevelt administration had failed to lift the country out of the Depression, the war had energized the national will, sharply expanding employment, productivity, and capital investment. After the war, automobiles and major appliances were suddenly available. Indeed, everybody needed them because, during the war, raw materials had been used for the war effort rather than for luxuries like washing machines and refrigerators. Interstate highways and intercontinental airliners made travel easier, cheaper, and, thus, more available to the middle class. Mass-produced tract houses brought home ownership within the reach of the majority of workers. Jobs were plentiful. The American Dream was within the grasp of everyone. But this is only part of the story. In 1950, America was at war again. This time it was the Korean War. It was also the beginning of the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. Each side competed with The Catcher in the Rye: Introduction 3

4 the other in building the biggest and most destructive war machine. Senator Joseph McCarthy heightened the fear of a Communist takeover of this country by recklessly accusing people in government and in the entertainment industry of being Communist subversives. Paradoxically, and of equal importance to the American people, was the competition in space exploration which began with the Soviet launching of Sputnik. Sputnik was the name for three satellites launched by the Soviet Union in October and November 1957 and in May Their purpose was to investigate whether living organisms could survive space conditions. Sputnik came as a tremendous shock to the United States, where technology was viewed as an American exclusive. Suddenly, Russia the backward, unsophisticated competitor had outdistanced the West. Reactions in the United States, in some cases, bordered on hysteria. Although the United States launched a satellite, Explorer I, in January 1958, it was too late. America was now number two in the space race. But who was to blame? The schools become the scapegoat. In order to close the alleged gap between the Soviet and American educational systems, federal dollars were pumped into the schools to improve science and mathematics education. Education became a national priority, not only to win the Cold War, but to reestablish the United States as Number one. Most veterans of World War II and Korea were eager to put the war behind them and get on with their lives. Men and women who had never considered the possibility of higher education before the wars were now enrolling in college because of the GI Bill. Other veterans had skills learned in the military which easily transferred to the manufacturing and business world. African-American veterans came home from World War II to find people of color still walking the streets of America with their heads down and riding at the back of the bus. They asked themselves, Did we risk our lives so that we could come home to be the porters and janitors of the richest country in the world? Clearly their answer was no. It was not long before Rosa Parks in Montgomery, Alabama, refused to go to the back of the bus (1955), and the civil rights movement was born. Many veterans from the Second World War and Korea would never recover from the physical and mental wounds received in military action. Veterans, as well as others who had experienced the horrors of war, were thinking anew about the meaning of life. Some saw no meaning at all. In the mid-fifties, a counter-culture emerged, called the Beat Generation (beatniks). Many of the beatniks fought in the Korean War, were disillusioned with the American Dream, and rejected the materialism of the conventional consumer society. The Beat Generation of writers, among them Allen Ginsberg Jack Kerouac Gregory Corso, and Lawrence Ferlinghetti, created a literature around an unconventional lifestyle of Zen Buddhism drugs, jazz, and a heightened respect for the individual over the masses. They felt that the American way of life was too corrupt to be saved. Salinger, too, was grappling with life s contradictions, perhaps, because of his own war experiences. In his stories, he lamented the emptiness of contemporary culture. He struggled with the conflict between spiritual values and the materialism and selfishness of the times. He mourned the loss of childhood innocence as each person matures and makes compromises with the sinful world. He wrestled with the fact that it is difficult to be in the world without being soiled by the world. Finding genuine love in a society of imperfect men and women is not easy. Salinger was able to articulate the ambiguities in life with which every man and woman must come to terms. Although Americans were buying automobiles and saving for a house in the suburbs, they worried about the Cold War due to the hostile relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union. But they were also concerned about the meaning of life, the individual s place in society, and which values mattered, especially with the threat of nuclear destruction hanging overhead. Salinger wrote about every person s need for meaning and authenticity. This is the reason that The Catcher in the Rye became a best seller. The Catcher in the Rye: Overview 4

5 List of Characters Holden Caulfield the protagonist and narrator of the story. D. B. Holden s brother. Selma Thurmer the headmaster s daughter. Mr. Spencer Holden s history teacher at Pencey Prep. Robert Tichener one of the boys with whom Holden tossed the football this time in around October. Paul Campbell one of the boys with whom Holden tossed the football this time in around October. Mr. Zambesi the biology teacher at Pencey Prep. Mrs. Spencer the wife of Mr. Spencer. Mr. Haas the headmaster at Elkton Hills School. Dr. Thurmer the headmaster at Pencey Prep. Robert Ackley the boy who lives in the room next to Holden. Herb Gale Ackley s roommate. Edgar Marsalla the student who created a disturbance during a talk by Mr. Ossenburger. Mr. Ossenburger an alumnus and benefactor of Pencey Prep, after whom the dormitory wing, in which Holden lives, was named. Ward Stradlater Holden s roommate at Pencey Prep. Howie Coyle a student and basketball player at Pencey Prep. Hartzell Holden and Stradlater s English teacher at Pencey Prep. Fitzgerald a former girlfriend of Stradlater. Phyllis Smith the girl who was supposed to be Stradlater s date; instead Jane Gallagher is his date. Bud Thaw Jane Gallagher is Bud Thaw s girlfriend s roommate. Jane Gallagher a former girlfriend of Holden s who goes on a date with Stradlater. Mal Brossard a student at Pencey with whom Holden went to Agerstown. Allie Holden s younger brother who died of leukemia. Ed Banky the basketball coach at Pencey, owned the car which Stradlater borrowed for his date with Jane Gallagher. The Catcher in the Rye: Overview 5

6 Mrs. Schmidt the janitor s wife at Pencey Prep. Ely Ackley s roommate. Frederick Woodruff a student who lives in the dorm, to whom Holden sells his typewriter. Mrs. Morrow mother of Ernest Morrow, a classmate; the lady whom Holden met on the train. Ernest Morrow a classmate of Holden s, son of the lady whom he met on the train. Rudolf Schmidt the name of the janitor at Holden s dorm and the alias Holden used with Mrs. Morrow on the train. Harry Fencer president of Holden s class at Pencey Prep. Phoebe Holden s ten-year-old sister. Sally Hayes a girlfriend with whom Holden went to the play on Sunday afternoon. Mrs. Hayes Sally s mother. Carl Luce a student at Columbia, and Holden s student advisor at Whooton School; they met for drinks at the Wicker Bar. Faith Cavendish a former stripper who would not meet Holden for a drink. Eddie (Edmund) Birdsell a student at Princeton who gave Faith Cavendish s name and telephone number to Holden. Anne Louise Sherman a girl whom Holden once dated. Bernice one of the three girls whom Holden met in the nightclub; the blonde, the good dancer. Marty one of the girls whom Holden met in the Lavender Room; the poor dancer. Laverne one of the girls whom Holden met in the Lavender Room. Mrs. Caulfield Holden s mother. Mrs. Cudahy Jane Gallagher s mother. Mr. Cudahy Jane Gallagher s step-father. Horwitz the cabdriver who takes Holden to Ernie s and who is unable to tell Holden where the ducks from Central Park go in the winter. Ernie the owner of a nightclub in Greenwich Village and the featured pianist there. Lillian Simmons a former girlfriend of D. B. s, whom Holden meets in Ernie s. Raymond Goldfarb a boy with whom Holden got drunk on scotch in the chapel at the Whooton School. The Catcher in the Rye: Overview 6

7 Maurice the elevator operator who procured the prostitute for Holden. Sunny the prostitute procured by Maurice. Bobby Fallon a neighbor and friend of Holden s in Maine several years ago. Arthur Childs a student at the Whooton School with whom Holden discusses religious issues. The Nuns nuns whom Holden meets in Grand Central Station. Dick Slagle a roommate of Holden s at Elkton Hills School. Louis Shaney Catholic boy whom Holden met at Whooton School. Miss Aigletinger a former teacher of Holden s who frequently took her class to the Museum of Natural History. Gertrude Levine Holden s partner when the class went to the Museum of Natural History. Harris Macklin a roommate of Holden s for a couple of months at Elkton Hills School. George something an acquaintance of Sally Hayes whom she saw at the play. Al Pike Jane Gallagher s date at a Fourth of July dance. Bob Robinson a friend of Holden s, who had an inferiority complex. James Castle the boy who committed suicide at Elkton Hills School. Mr. Antolini Holden s former English teacher at Elkton Hills. Richard Kinsella a classmate of Holden s who digressed a great deal in oral expression class when giving speeches. Mr. Vinson the teacher of oral expression at Pencey Prep. Summary of the Novel The story covers a three-day period in the life of Holden Caulfield. He has been notified that he has just flunked out of prep school, and he begins his journey home, where he must face his parents. He is also considering whether he should simply go out west and start a new life, rather than go home at all. Before he leaves Pencey, Ackley, the boy who lives in the next room, comes over to visit. Ackley has several personal habits which make him unappealing, but Holden tolerates him. Stradlater, Holden s roommate, then comes in to freshen up for a date. Although Stradlater is handsome and has the veneer of sincerity, Holden thinks he is a phony. That evening, in New York City, Holden joins three female tourists in a nightclub and gets stuck with the check. Back at his hotel, he accepts an offer from the elevator operator for some female companionship. When the girl arrives, he is depressed by the hollowness of an encounter with a prostitute and tells her that he is not in the mood for sex. The next day, Sunday, Holden meets two nuns at breakfast. He enjoys their conversation and insists on giving them a contribution. That afternoon, he takes his old girlfriend, Sally, to see a play. Still ambivalent about The Catcher in the Rye: Overview 7

8 going home, Holden tries to talk Sally into running away with him. When he insults her, she asks him to leave. Later, he goes home and sneaks into the house to see his sister, Phoebe, before he runs away. After they talk, he decides to spend the night at the home of his former English teacher, Mr. Antolini. Holden suspects that his former teacher is a pervert when he is awakened by Mr. Antolini petting him on the head. Holden makes up a flimsy excuse about getting his bags from the train station and bolts from the apartment. Holden continues to be obsessed by his plan to go out west. On Monday morning, he writes Phoebe a note at her school asking her to meet him near the Metropolitan Museum. Phoebe meets him with suitcase in hand. She has decided to run away with him, but he tells her that he is not going away after all. They visit the zoo, and then Phoebe wants to ride the carousel in the park. Before she gets on, he confirms to her that he really is going home. While standing in a soaking rain, watching Phoebe ride the carousel, he feels so happy that he is on the verge of tears. The novel is divided into three sections, with the first chapter as an introduction and the last chapter as an epilogue. The first part includes Chapters Two through Seven, covering the period at Pencey Prep. Chapters Eight through Twenty make up the second part, which recounts Holden s wandering about New York, and ends with his decision to go home. Chapters Twenty-one through Twenty-five describe his time with Phoebe. Holden is the narrator of the story which is told as a flashback. Estimated Reading Time The average reader should be able to read the book in four to six hours. The colloquial and engaging style of Holden s narration makes for a quick read. The reading could be broken down into two or three two-hour sittings, though many readers are able, if they have the time, to read the book in one long sitting. The Catcher in the Rye: J. D. Salinger Biography Although the known facts of his life are sparse and undramatic, J. D. Salinger s influence on American youth since the 1950s has been profound. More than 40 years after the publication of The Catcher in the Rye, students are still sharing it with each other. This is remarkable, considering that there is scant mention of Salinger in current high school anthologies of American literature. Young people find that he speaks to them with genuine understanding, as they grapple with the contradictions and mixed messages in society today. Moreover, his insights into the human condition, as experienced by adolescents, are just as valid for adults as they, too, cope with life in all of its complexities and compromises. Robert Coles, the prominent Harvard psychiatrist and literary essayist, describes Salinger as an original and gifted writer, a marvelous entertainer, a man free of the slogans and clichés the rest of us fall prey to. The Catcher in the Rye: J. D. Salinger Biography 8

9 J.D. Salinger J. D. (Jerome David) Salinger was born in New York City in 1919 to a Jewish father and a Scotch-Irish mother. There were two children: an older sister and himself. He was asked to leave several preparatory schools because of poor grades before finally graduating from Valley Forge Military Academy in Although he did not complete a degree, he attended several colleges. These included Columbia University, where he enrolled in a writing course taught by Whit Burnett, a well-respected teacher of young writers. Salinger was first published in Story (1940), a highly regarded periodical established by Whit Burnett. In time, his short stories were published in Collier s, The Saturday Evening Post, Esquire, and finally, The New Yorker, the magazine for which he wrote almost exclusively after Salinger was drafted into the military in 1942 and was transferred to the Counter-Intelligence Corps in The following year he trained in England, joined the American Army s Fourth Division, and landed at Utah Beach on D-Day. He then served in five European campaigns as Security Agent for the Twelfth Infantry Regiment. Upon discharge from the army, Salinger returned to live with his parents in New York City. There followed a series of short stories until the publication of The Catcher in the Rye in The book was an instant best seller. His picture appeared on the cover of Time magazine, and he became a hero of college students across the country. But Salinger did not find fame agreeable. With the success of The Catcher in the Rye, he moved out of New York City to Tarrytown, New York, then to Westport, Connecticut, and finally, in 1953, to Cornish, New Hampshire. From this point on, he avoided the public eye whenever possible. The Catcher in the Rye: J. D. Salinger Biography 9

10 Notwithstanding his reclusiveness, he met British-born Clair Douglas, who became his wife in There were two children during this marriage, a girl and a boy. The marriage ended in divorce in Salinger s output, following the success of The Catcher in the Rye, has been modest. There have been no additional novels published, only short stories. After Nine Stories (1953), his next book, Franny and Zooey, did not come out until This work consists of two lengthy short stories which are related and interdependent, concerning a crisis in the life of the youngest member of the fictional Glass family, Franny. In 1963, Salinger published another Glass family story sequence, Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction. Both stories center on the life and tragic death of Seymour Glass, as narrated by his brother Buddy Glass, who is frequently identified as Salinger s alter-ego. Careful readers of Salinger s work will notice the influence of his interest in Zen Buddhism and Eastern religious literature in general. More and more, he came to view life as a religious quest for meaning. He felt that logic and intellectual discussion cannot lead to truth. Truth, according to Salinger, can be found only in the daily experience of life itself. The influence of Zen Buddhism and Eastern religions is particularly evident in his works after While Salinger s fictional characters have been tirelessly analyzed and discussed, the author himself has continued to remain a mystery. Since the publication of The Catcher in the Rye, he has avoided contact with the public, aggressively blocking attempts by those wishing to pry into his personal life. In 1987 he even went to court to prevent the publication of an unauthorized biography by Ian Hamilton. In his suit, he argued copyright infringement by Hamilton for quoting from Salinger s private letters. In 1988, however, a revised version of the work was published, entitled In Search of J. D. Salinger. As a result of his passion for privacy, Salinger has steadfastly refused to reveal details about his personal life. Many critics feel, however, that, in his fiction, he draws heavily on his own experiences, thus revealing more about himself than he may intend. While Salinger s writing is more substantial than the casual reader may observe, his appeal to both young people and adults remains strong. It is these characteristics substance and popularity which suggest that Salinger, indeed, may be an enduring figure in American literature. The Catcher in the Rye: Summary Part I Holden Flunks out of Pencey Prep School The Catcher in the Rye tells the story of Holden Caulfield, a teenage slacker who has perfected the art of underachievement. The novel begins with Holden flunking out of school for the fourth time. During the last days before his expulsion, he searches for an appropriate way to conclude his school experience, but he ends up getting so annoyed with his school and schoolmates that he leaves in the middle of the night on the next train home to New York City. Arriving home a few days earlier than his parents expect him, he hangs out in the city to delay the inevitable confrontation with his parents When his money runs out, he considers hitchhiking out west, but he ultimately returns home, mainly to be with his younger sister Phoebe. The first few chapters describe Holden's last days at Pencey Prep School in Agerstown, Pennsylvania. Advertisements portray Pencey as an elite school that grooms boys into sophisticated men, but Holden sees it as a nightmare of adolescence run amok. Fed up with everything about Pencey, Holden skips the football game against Pencey's rival to say good-bye to his history teacher, Mr. Spencer. He vaguely hopes that Spencer might give him some comfort and useful advice, but Spencer is a sick old man who simply lectures him with a thousand platitudes about not applying himself. Like Spencer, the other teachers and The Catcher in the Rye: Summary 10

11 administrators rarely spend any time mentoring boys because they are too busy spouting off platitudes or kissing up to the wealthy parents visiting the school. Moreover, Pencey's students do not fit the prep school ideal any more than its teachers do. Holden's classmate Robert Ackley, for example, is the quintessential adolescent nerd. His acne and unbrushed teeth make him physically repulsive, while his annoying social habits such as barging into the room uninvited, asking annoying questions, and refusing to leave when asked make him a general nuisance. Other students, like Holden's roommate Ward Stradlater, initially appear sophisticated, but even they are really phonies. Stradlater seems good-looking, but he is secretly a slob who never cleans his rusty old razor. He also appears to be a successful student, but he is really an ungrateful egotist who gets other people to do his assignments. Nevertheless, Holden still feels a certain affection even for these annoying phonies. He is annoyed by Ackley but still invites him to the movies, and he sees through Stradlater's phoniness but also notices his occasional generosity. The tension between Holden and his classmates eventually climaxes in a fight between Holden and Stradlater. Stradlater annoys Holden by asking him to write his English paper, so he can go on a date with Jane Gallagher, an old friend of Holden's. Stradlater really angers Holden, however, when he returns from the date and begins insinuating that he did all kinds of stuff with Jane in the back seat of a car. Fed up with Stradlater's phony nice-guy image, Holden picks a fight. Stradlater easily defeats the weaker Holden and gives him a bloody nose. After the fight, Holden retreats into Ackley's room to forget about Stradlater, but Ackley only makes Holden more lonely. Then Holden goes into the hall to escape Ackley, but the hall is just as lonely. Surrounded by Pencey's all-pervasive loneliness, Holden decides to return home immediately instead of waiting for school to finish. He quickly packs and heads for the train station late at night, but before departing he vents his frustration with his schoolmates one last time. Yelling loud enough to wake everyone, he screams his final farewell to his moronic classmates. Part II Holden's Adventures in New York City The middle section of the novel describes Holden's adventures in New York City. As soon as he arrives in New York, he looks for something to do, since it is too late to call his friends. He calls Faith Cavendish, a stripper recommended by a friend, but she does not want to meet a stranger so late. After a failed attempt to get a date with some girls in the hotel bar, he takes a cab to another bar in Greenwich Village. When he returns to his hotel, a pimp named Maurice sets him up with a prostitute named Sunny, but Holden is too nervous to do anything with her. The next day Holden asks his old girlfriend, Sally Hayes, to a show. While waiting to meet her, he has breakfast with two nuns and buys a blues record for his sister. When he finally meets Sally, they go to a concert and go skating, but they eventually get into a fight and split up. After their fight, Holden meets an old classmate, Carl Luce, at the Wicker Bar, where they have a brief discussion until Holden gets drunk and starts asking inappropriately personal questions. After Carl leaves, the still-drunk Holden calls up Sally and makes a fool of himself. The Catcher in the Rye: Summary 11

12 Men at the Swing Rendezvous club in Greenwich Village, Part III Holden Returns Home The last section of the novel describes Holden's return home. At first, Holden only wants to briefly say good-bye to his sister, Phoebe, so he sneaks into his house late at night in hopes of avoiding his parents. He successfully sneaks into the room where his sister sleeps, aided by the lucky coincidence that his parents are not home. At first, Phoebe is delighted to see Holden, but she gets upset when she realizes that he has flunked out again. She asks him why he flunked out, and he blames it on his terrible school. After listening to Holden's excuses, Phoebe criticizes him for being too pessimistic. Holden tries to deny this by explaining how he likes lots of things, but he can only think of a few: his dead brother Allie, a kid named James Castle who died at one of his schools, and Phoebe. In the end, Phoebe forces Holden to admit that he is a rather pessimistic failure. In the passage that gives the book its title, Holden explains that he cannot imagine himself fitting into any of the roles that society expects him to perform, like growing up to be a lawyer or scientist. Instead, he can only imagine being a catcher in the rye who stands at the edge of a large rye field watching over and protecting little kids from danger. "You know that song, 'If a body catch a body comin' through the rye'? I'd like " "It's 'If a body meet a body coming through the rye!'" old Phoebe said. "It's a poem. By Robert Burns." "I know it's a poem by Robert Burns." She was right, though. It is "If a body meet a body coming through the rye." I didn't know it then, though. "I thought it was 'If a body catch a body.'" I said. "Anyway, I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody's around nobody big, I mean except me. And I'm standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff I mean if they're running and they don't look where they're going. I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That's all I'd do all day. I'd be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it's crazy, but that's the only thing I'd really like to be. I know it's crazy." In this passage, Salinger brilliantly blends the two sides of Holden's character. On the one hand, Holden admits that he is a failure: he is incapable of even imagining himself functioning in the adult world. On the other hand, however, Holden is not only a failure: he is also a deeply sensitive and compassionate person, The Catcher in the Rye: Summary 12

13 albeit in an unorthodox way. In particular, he understands and cares about people who are outcasts or powerless. Phoebe seems to understand and accept this unorthodox sensitivity because she eventually reconciles herself to him, and they celebrate their reconciliation by dancing until their parents return and Holden has to sneak back out of the house. After sneaking out of the house, Holden spends the night with his favorite teacher, Mr. Antolini, but he leaves early in the morning when he wakes up to find Mr. Antolini stroking his hair. Confused by such unusual behavior, Holden spends the morning wandering the streets until he eventually decides to hitchhike out west. He leaves a note at Phoebe's school telling her to meet him at the museum so they can say good-bye, but Phoebe shows up carrying her own belongings in a suitcase because she wants to go with Holden. At this point, Holden realizes how important they are to each other, and he finally decides to return home and face his parents. The novel never actually describes what happens next, but it suggests that Holden faces the dreadful confrontation with his parents and then later experiences some sort of nervous breakdown. The novel concludes with Holden looking back at all the people he has described and fondly remembering how he likes them despite their annoying and phony qualities. The Catcher in the Rye: Summary and Analysis Chapter 1 Summary and Analysis New Characters Holden Caulfield: the narrator of the story D.B.: Holden s brother Selma Thurmer: the headmaster s daughter Mr. Spencer: Holden s history teacher at Pencey Prep Robert Tichener: a student at Pencey Prep Paul Campbell: a student at Pencey Prep Mr. Zambesi: the biology teacher at Pencey Prep Mrs. Spencer: the wife of Mr. Spencer, the history teacher Summary Holden, the narrator, is telling the story from a place in California, near Hollywood. Because he is run down physically, and is probably mentally exhausted as well, it appears that he is in a sanitarium to recover and regain his strength. His expulsion from prep school has pushed him over the edge. He was failing four subjects and clearly not applying himself. The story begins on Saturday afternoon. He is reflecting on getting ready to leave Pencey Prep. He contrasts the reality of life at Pencey with the advertisements he has seen: a picture of boys playing polo with the caption of the school s mission statement: to mold boys into splendid, clear-thinking young men. In truth, he says, there is no more molding here than at any other school, and, furthermore, he says, he has never seen a horse near the place. The Catcher in the Rye: Summary and Analysis 13

14 About three o clock in the afternoon on Saturday, Holden is watching the football game from up on a hill. It happens that he, as manager of the fencing team, left the foils and other equipment on the subway that morning, and the team was unable to play. He fears that he will be ignored or reviled if he gets close to the other students. Holden is concerned because he does not feel much about leaving, neither sadness nor elation. He is trying to feel something. It s only as he thinks about tossing football with a couple of guys one evening that he begins to feel a kind of vague regret or sadness about leaving. He observes that few girls go to the games, but is reminded of the fact that Selma Thurmer, the headmaster s daughter, frequently attends. He likes her because she does not pretend that her father is any more than he really is, which, in Holden s opinion, is a phony slob. The other reason that he is watching the game from afar is that he is on his way to say good-bye to Mr. Spencer, his history teacher. Mr. Spencer had sent him a note that he wanted to see Holden, since he knew that Holden was not coming back to Pencey. He was stopping by the house because Mr. Spencer was sick with the grippe. Mrs. Spencer cordially greets him at the door and invites him in to visit with Mr. Spencer. Discussion and Analysis Holden has a sharp eye for identifying the lack of authenticity in others. The headmaster is a phony slob. The advertisement for Pencey Prep is a lie. His brother D.B. has sold out to Hollywood for money. In the first chapter, Holden would have the reader believe that only Selma and himself are clearly not phony. Is Holden s eye sharp enough to see himself accurately? One is reminded of the famous line from Hamlet, The lady doth protest too much, me thinks. Salinger s use of dialect is often compared to Mark Twain s use of dialect in his novels. It is a difficult medium to use, but when it is done well, it is quite effective. The colloquial style and the unnecessary use of vulgarities present a colorful, vivid picture of a teenager who is trying to appear cool and grown up, but who has some problems. In the first chapter, Holden speaks about feelings or the lack of them. He does not feel anything about leaving Pencey, and this disturbs him. He tries to conjure up some kind of feeling any kind will do. Without feeling, one walks through life without living it. Knowing and feeling cannot be separated; they are one. Holden says that you do not know you are doing something unless you feel it. He finally gets a pleasant feeling about Pencey when he remembers tossing a football one evening with a couple of nice guys. Holden finds his good-bye in this association with fellow students. He reaches out to people in an attempt to blot out his loneliness. This reaching out to others in an attempt to connect becomes a recurring theme in this book. Chapter 2 Summary and Analysis New Characters Mr. Haas: the headmaster at Elkton Hills School Dr. Thurmer: the headmaster at Pencey Prep Summary Holden is led into the bedroom by Mrs. Spencer, where Mr. Spencer is sitting in a chair, still not fully recovered from the grippe. Holden liked Mr. Spencer as much, if not more than he liked any adult, and was disappointed to find that he was to be lectured. The tone of the lecture was condescending and included reading aloud from Holden s failing examination paper. Holden was humiliated and disappointed that Mr. Chapter 1 Summary and Analysis 14

15 Spencer would do this. The lecture was laced with the clichés adults reserve for children when they are scolding them, e.g., how do you feel about flunking out of school? Aren t you concerned about your future? You ll care about your future when it is too late. Holden made an excuse to leave and left rather abruptly. He concludes that Mr. Spencer cares about him, even though it is expressed in an awkward manner. Discussion and Analysis Holden s anecdote about the Navajo blanket suggests that he likes Mr. Spencer about as well as he likes any adult. He was attracted by the humanness of Mr. Spencer s taking delight in a simple thing like an Indian blanket. Despite the fact that Mr. Spencer was old, he still had some appreciation for the little joys in life. Holden, thus, came to visit Mr. Spencer out of affection and respect, as well as duty. Coming in with these positive feelings, Holden is disappointed to find that he is in for a lecture. Holden is subjected to the typical reaction when an adult does not approve of the behavior of a young person. Spencer s lecture includes the usual, tired clichés: do you blame me for failing you? What would you have done in my place? Why did you do it (flunk out of two previous schools)? Aren t you concerned about your future? You ll care when it s too late. I d like to put some sense into your head. Worst of all, Mr. Spencer humiliates Holden by reading aloud from his examination paper. Holden s initial reaction is outrage, bordering on hate. Yet, despite Spencer s cruel behavior, Holden, in the end, tries to be understanding. He feels that, in his own way, Spencer really cares about him. Holden acknowledges this, in his own way, by sort of put[ting] my hand on his shoulder.... Then we shook hands. And all that crap. It made me feel sad as hell, though. When Mr. Thurmer meets with Holden to discuss the expulsion, he explains that life is a game which should be played according to the rules. Holden cynically agrees, but only if on the winning team. Up to this point, he does not feel like much of a winner. He has been kicked out of three schools now. The fencing team is angry with him. He has no close friends. Most of the people mentioned up to this point, Holden considers phonies. Thus, life, viewed as a game, does not hold much interest or meaning for him. Moreover, he suspects that there may be more to life than just living it according to other people s rules. During the discussion with Spencer of whether Holden s parents know of his expulsion, Holden reflects on his inner conflicts between feeling young and old at the same time: sometimes he feels and acts like an adult; at other times, he feels and acts like a child. Although he is only 17, he is over six feet tall and has some gray hair. But he says, And yet I still act sometimes like I was only about twelve. Every adolescent knows, and most adults can vividly remember, these turbulent and confusing emotions pulling in opposite directions. Holden s style of narration is very interesting in this chapter we hear him say one thing to Mr. Spencer, and then follow it up with a scathing sarcastic comment to the opposite effect, directed at the reader. On the one hand, we have the feeling that we are his confidant that we are getting his real attitude toward the scene in these sarcastic comments, as if we are laughing with him. At the same time, however, for all he has to say about phonies, this might seem to be a phony kind of behavior. Salinger s genius is in using dialect and images which bring to life the characters and the life situations as seen through the eyes of a teenager. Holden s dialect is that of the teenager of the late forties and early fifties. The images are colorful, sensory-laden, and common to the lives of everyone. Consider, for example, the smell of Vicks Nose Drops in a sick room, the ratty, old bathrobe, the bumpy chest and white legs of an old man. Salinger creates a picture that the reader instinctively knows is right. Chapter 2 Summary and Analysis 15

16 Chapter 3 Summary and Analysis New Characters Robert Ackley: the boy who lives in the room next to Holden Herb Gale: Ackley s roommate Edgar Marsalla: the student who created a disturbance during a talk by Mr. Ossenburger Mr. Ossenburger: alumnus and benefactor of Pencey Prep, after whom the dormitory wing, in which Holden lives, was named Ward Stradlater: Holden s roommate at Pencey Prep Summary Holden returns to his room in the Ossenburger Memorial Wing of the dormitory. Ossenburger, an undertaker, is an alumnus and benefactor of Pencey Prep. Mr. Ossenburger spoke to the student body earlier in the year about the role Jesus played in his life. Holden was contemptuous toward Ossenburger because he viewed him as a man who used religion to make more money. When he arrives at his room, Holden decides to read a book, which leads him to a discussion of his favorite authors. Shortly after he began to read, Ackley, a student in the room next door, comes over to visit. Ackley is an unpleasant fellow whose behavior Holden finds annoying. A while later, Stradlater, Holden s roommate, enters the room. Ackley leaves because he does not like Stradlater, whom he thinks is conceited. Stradlater begins changing clothes and preparing for a date with a girl who is waiting for him in the Annex. Discussion and Analysis There are several critical references to phony people and phoniness itself by Holden in the first two chapters. Recall that he refers to the headmaster, Mr. Thurmer, as a phony, and he mentions that he was surrounded by phonies at Elkton Hills. In addition, he makes reference to the advertisement in magazines for Pencey Prep which does not accurately portray the school. Thus, it comes as a surprise to the reader to hear him say that he is the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life. He says, in effect, that if someone asks him a question, he is as likely as not to tell a lie. What is the difference between being phony and telling a lie? A phony is presenting oneself as someone he is not; this is very puzzling, indeed. Holden appears to be as phony as the people he rails against. What comes to mind is the Freudian defense mechanism, projection, whereby one projects onto another the traits or shortcomings he sees in himself. Is it possible that Holden accepts in himself the faults which he vehemently denounces in others? As Holden goes about exercising his self-appointed role of unmasking phoniness, he focuses on Ossenburger, the counterfeit religious philanthropist. Ossenburger proclaims to all that he is a religious man. He thinks of himself as a buddy to the Almighty. He falls to his knees often in prayer. But he calls on God only when he needs help no shyness in him about approaching the throne of God. He uses the Divinity as a lucky charm, the way a child uses a rabbit s foot for good luck. Ossenburger calls on God only when he wants more of life s material goods. His religion is a burlesque of the Gospel, nothing more than a veiled version of selfishness. I can just see the big phony bastard shifting into first gear and asking Jesus to send him a few more stiffs. Thus, Holden s contempt for Mr. Ossenburger. Holden flunks out of three schools, refers to himself as illiterate in this chapter, and calls himself a moron when talking to Mr. Spencer in Chapter Two. Yet he seems to boast that he enjoys reading serious literature, Chapter 3 Summary and Analysis 16

17 e.g., Out of Africa, Return of the Native, Of Human Bondage. He claims to have left Elkton Hills because he was surrounded by phonies. Does he really believe this notion? He has been in three schools, has almost no friends, yet wants to have his favorite authors as terrific friends whom he could call on the telephone whenever [he] felt like it. His relationships in fantasy are more real than his relationships in reality. Knowing himself and how he really feels about things is not exactly a strong suit for Holden. Is it possible that Holden does not yet recognize that being authentic is just as difficult for himself as it is for everyone else? Chapter 4 Summary and Analysis New Characters Howie Coyle: a student and basketball player at Pencey Prep Jane Gallagher: an old friend of Holden s who goes on a date with Stradlater Summary Holden engages in conversation with Stradlater while he prepares for his date. Holden makes a point of describing Stradlater as a person who is excessively concerned about his personal appearance, but, in reality, is a secret slob. While he is shaving, Stradlater asks Holden to do him a favor: to write a composition for him. He cautions Holden not to make it too good, for fear that the teacher will discover that Stradlater really did not write it. Further discussion reveals that Stadlater s date is an old friend of Holden s. Holden, very animated, begins telling him all about her: that she is a dancer, likes to play checkers, and had a rough childhood. Stradlater, however, is not interested because he sees Jane as a mere sexual commodity, just another conquest. It suddenly occurs to Holden that Jane is not safe around Stradlater. After Stradlater leaves, Ackley returns to Holden s room. Holden is glad to see him because his presence distracts him from worrying about Jane s well-being. Discussion and Analysis Holden s feelings toward Ackley are characterized by both strong dislike, on the one hand, and a willingness to tolerate him, on the other. Ackley s physical blemishes and personality flaws are clearly visible for all to see his pimply face, his disgusting personal habits, his unlimited selfishness. But Holden tolerates Ackley because his company, unpleasant as it is, is better than being alone. On the surface, Ackley and Stradlater are direct opposites. Ackley is unpleasant to look at and be around; Stradlater is good looking and can be very charming. But the truth is: they are very much alike. Ackley s flaws are manifest. His personal habits and hygiene are repulsive. He savors gossip and enjoys running down students whom he does not like, which is just about everyone. Stradlater s faults are hidden behind a facade of good looks and a smooth tongue. He is indifferent to other people. For example, Stradlater compliments Holden on his new hat, but only because he hopes that flattery will persuade Holden to ghost-write a composition for him. His behavior is transparent to Holden. As Stradlater prepares to go on a date with an old friend of Holden s, Jane Gallagher, Holden goes to great lengths to tell him all about her. But Stradlater is not interested in background information on Jane not interested until Holden mentions Jane s stepfather running around the house naked in front of her. Finally, Holden asks Stradlater that he not tell Jane that he had flunked out of Pencey Prep. But he knows there is no danger of this because what happens to Holden is not important enough for Stradlater to even remember. Ackley, Stradlater, and Holden all have difficulties developing and sustaining interpersonal relationships. The truth is that all three have much in common. Ackley can barely get outside of himself. Stradlater only pretends to show interest in others. Holden is hypercritical of almost everyone and seems to have no close friends at all. Chapter 4 Summary and Analysis 17

18 Each is simply a variation on the theme of human selfishness. What makes Holden different is that he still seems to care about some people. After the lecture and embarrassment of having his examination paper read aloud, Holden touches Spencer on the shoulder and expresses sadness at having to leave. In the case of Jane, he sees a friend in danger from a smooth predator. He worries about Jane and what might happen to her at the hands of Stradlater. Chapter 5 Summary and Analysis New Characters Mal Brossard: a friend of Holden s who is on the wrestling team and with whom Holden goes into Agerstown Allie: Holden s younger brother who died of leukemia Summary After the Saturday night steak dinner at Pencey, Holden makes plans to go to the movies with Mal Brossard and asks Ackley to join them. It happens that both Mal and Ackley have seen the movie, so they have hamburgers, play the pinball machine, and return to the dorm by 8:45 p.m. Brossard goes to look for a bridge game and Ackley comes into Holden s room and discusses his sexual exploits, which Holden has heard before. Finally, Holden asks him to leave and begins writing the composition for Stradlater. Rather than writing a description of a room or a house, Holden writes a description of his younger brother Allie s baseball glove. Allie died of leukemia in 1946 when the family was in Maine. Allie has written poetry all over the glove so he has something to read when he gets bored in the outfield. Holden was very fond of his brother and discusses his reaction to Allie s death. As he finishes the essay, Holden can hear Ackley snoring and comments that one has to feel sorry for Ackley when one considers all the problems he has. Discussion and Analysis Holden finds himself unable to resist pointing out phoniness wherever he sees it. Of course, he is always looking for it outside of himself. He opens the chapter by observing how Pencey Prep serves steak on Saturday nights as a way of suggesting that high quality characterizes all aspects of the school. He has a tendency to attribute a less than noble motive for an action wherever possible. For example, he did it with Pencey s magazine advertisement, and he did it when he described Ossenburger. Less than noble motives drive everyone except himself he thinks. In Chapter Two, during his visit with Spencer, Holden says, People always think something s all true. In Chapter Five, Holden betrays the fact that he is not one of these people. He has many inconsistencies and clearly does not see life only in blacks and whites. For example, movies have been a target for him since the second page of the novel when he criticized his brother, D.B., for writing movie scripts. Yet there have been several allusions to movies, e.g., the tap dancing scene, which suggests that he has been to many movies, and the fact that he is intending to go to a movie that evening. Also, after being so critical of Ackley s annoying behaviors in Chapter Four, he invites him to go to the movies with him because Ackley never did anything on Saturday night.... In Chapter One, Holden has difficulty coming up with memories of Pencey Prep. He was concerned that he had no feelings about the place as he was leaving. Yet in this chapter he refers to Mal Brossard as a friend and talks about the enjoyable snowball fight in the beautiful snow after dinner. Almost in spite of himself, Holden seems to have some pleasant memories of Pencey Prep. What do all these inconsistencies mean? Does Holden not understand himself at all? Or, is he just like the rest of us, in that we see the world differently, depending on whether we are looking at the cloud or the silver Chapter 5 Summary and Analysis 18

19 lining, whether the glass is half-full or half-empty. Is this being phony or simply being human? Allie is only the second person introduced so far about whom Holden expresses unmitigated affection. The other person is Jane Gallagher. There is some evidence beginning to build which suggests that Holden likes only those with whom he does not have to interact or engage in relationship. He has no real contact with Allie because he is dead. Allie is a memory. Holden kept Jane Gallagher from being real by refusing to go to the Annex and talk to her. She too is only a memory. Chapter 6 Summary and Analysis New Characters Ed Banky: the basketball coach at Pencey; owned the car which Stradlater borrowed for his date with Jane Gallagher Mrs. Schmidt: the janitor s wife Summary Holden has been worried all evening that Stradlater would take advantage of Jane while on their date. By the time Stradlater returns, Holden is furious with him. Holden is made even angrier when Stradlater does not like the essay which Holden had written for him. Holden immediately tears it up and throws it away. Holden, not very discreetly, tries to find out what happened on the date. When Stradlater sarcastically indicates that what transpired is privileged information, Holden hits Stradlater, and a fight ensues. Holden, his face bloody and clearly defeated, admits that he really is not much of a fighter. The chapter ends with Holden going over to see Ackley. Discussion and Analysis Holden is consumed with worry over Jane Gallagher. He expresses contempt for Stradlater and the way that he treats women. Holden feels very protective of her, almost chivalrous. What is implied, however, is that Jane Gallagher is unable to take care of herself not a politically correct idea in our age of gender equality. This gallant attitude toward women is more characteristic of the fifties than of our own day. The Women s Liberation movement was begun symbolically with the publication of Betty Freidan s book, The Feminine Mystique. But this was not written until It is curious that Holden characterizes Stradlater as a person who tried to keep all the rules. In a sense, Stradlater is attempting to maintain this pretense of being upright and honorable: to appear to do the right thing is as good as doing the right thing. Or, as is often said today: perception is reality. Thus, he did not keep the rules from principle, but only for the sake of appearances. He had no compunction about borrowing Ed Banky s car for the date even though it was forbidden by school rules. He had no scruples about asking Holden to write a composition for him. His only concern was that it not be too good, so he would not get caught. In the fight between Holden and Stradlater, Stradlater s only concern is that Holden stop questioning him about the date. It is as if Holden can think ill of Stradlater, but he should not express those thoughts aloud. It offends the notion of a good appearance when Holden expresses what Stradlater is really like inside. Stradlater does not want to look at himself as he really is. Stradlater does not defend himself against the accusations. He simply does not want to hear these truths expressed. Moreover, Holden calls him a moron because morons will not discuss problems intelligently. They pretend that problems do not exist. One wonders whether Holden is a closet moron because he would not discuss his faults intelligently with Spencer. He made up excuses as to why he was kicked out of previous schools and would not explain why he was failing Chapter 6 Summary and Analysis 19

20 at Pencey Prep. Holden has gone to great lengths to explain Ackley s shortcomings and offensive behaviors. Yet, he goes directly to Ackley s room after the fight. He even mentions how the room stinks because of Ackley s disagreeable personal habits, but it is clear that he has come to Ackley for comfort. Chapter 7 Summary and Analysis New Characters Ely: Ackley s roommate Frederick Woodruff: a student, who lives in the dorm, to whom Holden sells his typewriter Summary After the fight with Stradlater, Holden goes to Ackley s room looking for comfort, but finds none. Ackley s only concern is to learn the reasons for the fight. When Holden asks to sleep in Ely s bed, Ackley is unwilling to give permission because Ely might come back that evening. The truth is that Ely goes home every weekend and will not return until Sunday evening. Holden leaves Ackley s room and decides on the spur of the moment to leave Pencey Prep immediately, rather than wait until Wednesday. He does not want to get home before his parents receive the letter of expulsion from the headmaster because his mother will be very upset. As he packs, he feels sad at the thought of leaving Pencey Prep. On his way out of the dorm, he pauses at the end of the corridor and was sort of crying. But then he yelled at the top of [his] goddam voice, Sleep tight, ya morons! in a feeble attempt to hide the sadness which he feels. Discussion and Analysis Paradoxically, once again, Holden seeks out Ackley, the so-called friend of whom he is most critical, the person who gets on his nerves most of all. He has been vicious in describing Ackley s repulsive personal habits and selfish ways, yet when he needs comfort from someone, when he is hurting both physically and emotionally, he is drawn to Ackley. Why does he do this? He surely knows that Ackley is the least empathetic person he knows. Is he setting himself up for disappointment by expecting Ackley to be something he cannot be? Salinger may be taking a second swipe at organized religion in this passage. In an earlier chapter, Ossenburger was portrayed as a devout Christian who, in the end, seemed to use religion to get ahead. Here we have Ackley, unwilling to listen to Holden because he needs to get his sleep so he can go to Mass early the next morning. Moreover, with the question about joining a monastery, Ackley is angered when he thinks Holden is being critical of his religion. Yet his religious fervor does not translate into action. Ackley reminds one of the priest and Levite in the Good Samaritan Parable in the Gospel of Luke. The priest and Levite were religious, indeed, but make no effort to help a brother in need. In the name of religion, Ackley cannot stay awake to listen to a friend who is hurting. Stradlater is equally unconcerned about Holden s welfare. There is blood all over Holden s face, but when Stradlater returns to the room, he makes no effort to check on Holden s condition. But this is very much in character for Stradlater. In Chapter Six, Holden is critical of the athletes using Ed Banky s car even though it is against the rules. Yet, it is clear in this chapter that Holden was in Banky s car when he double-dated with Stradlater on a previous occasion. Is this another example of the phoniness Holden sees in everyone except himself? Chapter 7 Summary and Analysis 20

21 Earlier, Holden expressed concern about not feeling anything about leaving Pencey Prep. Then in Chapter Five he refers to some pleasant memories (snowball fight in the beautiful snow after dinner, and a mention of Mal Brossard as his friend). Now he is feeling unmitigated sadness. He feels hurt and abandoned by his two friends. He feels guilty about hurting his mother. He feels all alone as he walks out of the dorm, and then almost falls down the steps because someone has thoughtlessly littered the stairwell with peanut shells. Chapter 8 Summary and Analysis New Characters Mrs. Morrow: mother of Ernest Morrow, a classmate; the lady whom Holden met on the train Ernest Morrow: a classmate of Holden s, son of the lady whom he met on the train Rudolf Schmidt: the name of the janitor at Holden s dorm and the alias Holden used with Mrs. Morrow on the train Harry Fencer: the president of Holden s class at Pencey Prep Summary When Holden boards a train for New York, he meets the mother of one of his classmates at Pencey Prep, Mrs. Morrow. Because he finds Mrs. Morrow an attractive person, Holden makes up a story about her son, Ernest. Even though Ernest is not very likable, he tells her that Ernest is popular, but shy. In fact, he says, Ernest could have been president of the class, except that he would not allow his classmates to nominate him, out of shyness and modesty. By the time Holden finishes his story, Mrs. Morrow is extremely proud of her son. When Mrs. Morrow asks Holden if he is going home early because someone in his family is sick, he says that he is going home because he needs an operation. She is so sympathetic that Holden begins to feel guilty for the lies he has told. Discussion and Analysis Once again, Holden, who is so quick to point out the phoniness in others, can, with equal speed, make up his own phony story. Authenticity is required of everyone except Holden. How is it that he can be so unforgiving when dealing with the perceived phoniness of others, yet so easily present himself as someone other than he really is? Given the chance to share himself with another person, a person whom he really likes (Mrs. Morrow), he decides to create a self to share. He does not have the courage to tell her who he really is. He uses a phony name. He does not have the courage to say that he was asked to leave Pencey because of his attitude toward formal education. In a word, he lacks the courage of his convictions. Holden struggles with authenticity and often does not measure up much like the rest of us. Holden s lies also take away from his credibility as a narrator. When we hear Holden lying for mere fun, we begin to wonder how much of what he is telling us is true. We might develop a skeptical attitude toward some aspects of the story since we now know that he can exaggerate and even invent elaborate stories off the top of his head. Holden s description to the reader of Ernest is characteristically negative. But when Mrs. Morrow asks him about her son, he does not simply say something polite and nice. He creates a whole new persona for Ernest, a persona which fits what his mother would like him to be. She is, of course, very flattered. Holden tries to impress Mrs. Morrow with his maturity, albeit awkwardly, in his effort to reach out and make contact with another human being. Chapter 8 Summary and Analysis 21

22 Chapter 9 Summary and Analysis New Characters Phoebe: Holden s younger sister Sally Hayes: a close friend of Holden s Mrs. Hayes: Sally s mother Carl Luce: an acquaintance of Holden s from the Whooton School Faith Cavendish: a former stripper, who would not meet Holden for a drink Eddie (Edmund) Birdsell: a student at Princeton who gave Faith Cavendish s name and telephone number to Holden Anne Louise Sherman: a girl whom Holden once dated Summary When the train arrives at Penn Station, Holden goes into a phone booth and considers calling his brother, his sister, Jane Gallagher s mother, Sally Hayes, and Carl Luce. In the end, he decides to call no one. He then takes a cab to the Edmont Hotel a budget hotel. His room is modest at best, and he can see from his room what is going on in rooms on the other side of the hotel. He describes what he sees as perversions. He is reminded of Stradlater, and how much he would have enjoyed the views from his window. In fact, Holden feels that Stradlater would have fit right in. Holden finally calls Faith Cavendish and asks her to join him for a cocktail. She is offended that a stranger would call her in the middle of the night. After they talk about their mutual friend, she begins to mellow and offers to meet him the following day. Holden, however, says he is too busy and later regrets this decision. Discussion and Analysis This is the second time that Holden refers to the ducks in Central Park. The first time (Chapter Two) was during his discussion with Mr. Spencer about Holden s academic failure. Holden wonders what will become of the ducks. When the pond freezes, the ducks lose the place where they belong and the security of their home. Who will feed them? How will they survive? He appears to identify with the ducks. His feeling of alienation is illustrated in his reluctance to call family and friends. On two occasions, he has been unwilling to reach out to Jane Gallagher, using the excuse that he is not in the mood. Although this is not an adequate explanation, it does reveal the depth of his loneliness and depression. He chooses to contact a stranger rather than reach out to someone close to him. The spiritual and emotional nourishment that comes from family and friends is missing from his life. Who will feed Holden? Will he survive spiritually? But why does he feel depressed and alienated? Consider for a moment his attitude toward almost everyone. Nobody meets his standards. Every person he looks at appears soiled, tainted, or odd, just like the people he sees from his hotel window. Biblical authors called it original sin. Holden will not accept that all human beings are tainted. Relationships, then, are possible only with flawed human beings. He says, referring to the people in the hotel, I was probably the only normal bastard in the whole place.... What Holden does not realize is that he too is tainted, flawed, imperfect. Yet Holden still expresses genuine empathy and caring for some people. Consider his description of the bellman. He expresses compassion for the man who, in his old age, must earn a living by carrying bags for others and then stand there and wait for a tip. Consider further his attitude toward women. In contrast to a Chapter 9 Summary and Analysis 22

23 character such as Stradlater, Holden feels that lovemaking should be done only with those whom one cares about. This is in sharp contrast to the Playboy philosophy which was beginning to emerge in the fifties, where it was implied that women are for the amusement of men. Sex does not require commitment. While Holden does have a sense of seriousness about sex, he claims it is something I don t understand too hot... I keep making up these sex rules for myself, and then break them right away. While he understands the importance of setting certain principles for himself, he admits that he is not always able to live up to them. Chapter 10 Summary and Analysis New Characters Bernice: one of the girls whom Holden met in the Lavender Room; blonde and a good dancer Marty: one of the girls whom Holden met in the Lavender Room; a poor dancer Laverne: one of the girls whom Holden met in the Lavender Room Summary Holden spends a considerable amount of time talking to the reader about Phoebe, but dismisses the idea of calling her on the telephone. Instead, he goes downstairs to the Lavender Room, a lounge in the hotel. He is seated next to a table of three girls from Seattle, who are visiting New York City. He dances with them and tries to strike up a conversation, but they show little interest in him. They are interested only in spotting celebrities in the night club. Finally they decide to go to bed because they are going to the first show at Radio City Music Hall the next day. Holden is left to pay the bill. Discussion and Analysis Holden contrasts his ten-year-old sister Phoebe s depth, maturity, and intelligence with the shallowness of three ordinary girls from Seattle. Phoebe sounds like a candidate for sainthood, as did Allie, when Holden described him in an earlier chapter. The innocence of children has a strong attraction for Holden. The adult world is still repulsive to him, counterfeit, and full of pretense. The band was putrid, there were whory-looking blondes and pimply-looking guys. Most of the people in the lounge were old, show-offy-looking guys with their dates. Holden is critical of the girls for being superficial constantly on the lookout for celebrities and attending an early daytime show at Radio City Music Hall, which he regards as touristic. Yet he is trying to impress them, much as he tried to impress Mrs. Morrow on the train. On one level, he is critical of the people in the hotel and lounge, yet, on another, he is indistinguishable from them. Holden is conventional while he casts stones at conventionality. He is smoking cigarettes, trying to order alcoholic beverages, and trying to appear cool, sophisticated, and worldly. But Holden is deeply disturbed as he finds himself simultaneously seduced and repulsed by the hollow values of the adult world. Chapter 11 Summary and Analysis New Characters Mrs. Caulfield: Holden s mother Mrs. Cudahy: Jane s mother Mr. Cudahy: Jane s stepfather Summary Having paid the check, Holden leaves the Lavender Room and begins thinking about Jane Gallagher. He sits down in a chair in the lobby of the hotel and gets upset again, thinking about what might have happened Chapter 10 Summary and Analysis 23

24 between Jane Gallagher and Stradlater. He is relatively certain that nothing happened, but he still gets disturbed when he thinks about it. He begins to reminisce about how he met Jane. They were neighbors at their summer homes in Maine the summer before last. He spent a good deal of time with Jane that summer, playing tennis and golf. Although their relationship was not especially romantic, it was intimate. Although they shared much, Jane did not share with him the nature of her conflict with her mother s husband, which was obviously very upsetting to her. After this digression about Jane Gallagher, Holden decides to go to Ernie s, a nightclub in Greenwich Village. Discussion and Analysis Holden and Jane Gallagher each seem to have had an unhappy childhood. In Maine, they were comfortable with each other, and enjoyed playing golf, tennis, and other games together. Holden said they shared much; he even showed her Allie s baseball mitt. But there were limits. For example, Jane did not share with him the problem with her step-father and Holden, in his present moment of crisis, did not reach out to her when she was right on campus that very evening. Although Jane seems to be Holden s best friend, he does not want her to know that he was kicked out of Pencey Prep. It is difficult to understand how in this mood of attempting to fend off loneliness, he reaches out to Ackley, the taxi driver, the girls in the lounge, but not to Jane. Perhaps Holden is not all that dissatisfied with the phoniness that accompanies superficial relationships. He refuses to engage in the one relationship where he could find authenticity and comfort and, instead, pursues relationships that are guaranteed to be empty and phony at best. Chapter 12 Summary and Analysis New Characters Horwitz: the cabdriver who takes Holden to Ernie s Ernie: the owner of nightclub in Greenwich Village and featured piano player there Lillian Simmons: a former girlfriend of D.B. s, whom Holden meets in Ernie s Summary Holden takes a cab to Ernie s, a night club in Greenwich Village. The cab driver, Horwitz, is impatient with Holden, and always sounds angry when he is talking. Holden asks him where the ducks go in the winter. Horwitz answers in an irascible manner that he does not know, but then begins talking about the fish in the lake. Although Holden is upset by his touchy manner, and decides that it is no pleasure discussing anything with him, he invites Horwitz to join him for a drink. Horwitz declines, and Holden enters Ernie s. Holden is irritated by Ernie because he thinks Ernie is a snob. He is irritated by the crowd which fawns over Ernie. He objects to the conversations which he overhears at two tables next to him. Lillian Simmons, a friend of his brother, D.B., says hello to him. He objects to her and her date. Depressed and lonely, he leaves Ernie s. Discussion and Analysis Robert Burns has a line in his poem, To a Louse, Oh wad some power the giftie gie us/ To see oursels as others see us! This should be Holden s motto. Consider this. He is appalled by the behavior of the Joe Yale-looking guy at the next table in Ernie s. The guy is talking to his date about the suicide attempt of a fellow student and, at the same time, groping her under the table. Yet in the previous chapter, Holden is guilty of the very same crudeness in his reaction to Jane Gallagher. Jane begins to cry when they are playing checkers. Holden tries to comfort her by sitting next to her and putting his arm around her. But he doesn t stop there. He begins kissing her her eyes, her nose, her forehead, her eyebrows, her ears, her whole face. Is he confusing lust with sympathy? Surely, he knows better than this. Is the Joe Yale-looking guy s behavior Chapter 11 Summary and Analysis 24

25 really any worse than Holden s? The litany of references to loneliness and depression continues in this chapter. He refers to the loneliness of the streets. He seeks companionship from the cab driver, first by initiating conversation, and then asking that he join him for a drink. Even people applauding for Ernie depresses Holden because they applaud whether he plays well or poorly. He sees loneliness everywhere. Yet, when Holden is invited to sit with D.B. s former girlfriend and her date, Holden, very much in character, can only interpret this as a phony invitation. Right after Holden pays the cab fare, Horwitz gives him a little scolding. He reminds Holden that Mother Nature takes care of the fish, and chides him for not recognizing this. The reader cannot help wondering whether this is a parable for Holden, namely, that he should trust in Divine Providence (Mother Nature). If he did, perhaps, he would not be worried about the ducks (himself). Chapter 13 Summary and Analysis New Characters Raymond Goldfarb: the boy with whom Holden got drunk on scotch in the chapel at the Wooton School Maurice: the elevator operator who procured the prostitute for Holden Sunny: the prostitute procured by Maurice Summary Holden walks back to the hotel from Ernie s. On the way, he fantasizes about the student at Pencey Prep who stole his gloves. Holden admits that he would not have the courage to confront the thief without appearing weak. His lack of courage depresses him, and he decides to stop in a bar for a drink. For some unknown reason, he changes his mind and goes straight back to the hotel. The elevator operator at the hotel asks Holden if he would like some female companionship. Too embarrassed to decline but also because he was feeling so depressed, he says yes. When the girl comes to his room, he first asks her to stay and just talk with him, but then begs off with the excuse that he has just had surgery and is still recuperating. The girl demands more money from Holden than was agreed upon with the elevator operator. But Holden refuses to pay it. She leaves in a snit. Discussion and Analysis The theme of this chapter is Holden s inability to act on his beliefs. He bemoans the fact that he would not be able to confront the person who stole his gloves and tell him exactly how he feels. His lack of inner strength prevents him from being able to speak his mind. He gets into a long, boring analysis of how yellow he is, precisely how lacking in fortitude he really is. His behavior at the hotel illustrates this character flaw. When Maurice, the elevator operator, offers him a girl for the evening, he does not have the courage to say no, despite his explanation earlier that sex should be in the context of a relationship. He says he is still a virgin, but his long justification for this betrays his embarrassment. When Sunny, bored by all the talk, decides to get down to business, he makes up a story about why he is unable to have intercourse. The truth is that he does not want to. The one time he takes a stand is in his refusal to give Sunny the extra five dollars she requests for her services. Holden, like so many people, finds himself taking a stand on the insignificant, but not speaking up for the values he claims to espouse. As one might expect, Holden becomes even more depressed. The interest that Holden shows Sunny at first reveals much about how lonely he is at this point. Even though he finds her pretty spooky, he does not dismiss her as phony, like he does everyone else. We might think, then, that when he asks her to stay and talk, this is not just a cop-out, but that he is pretty seriously depressed and seems to desire some companionship. Chapter 12 Summary and Analysis 25

26 Chapter 14 Summary and Analysis New Characters Bobby Fallon: a neighbor and friend of Holden in Maine several years ago Arthur Childs: a student at the Whooton School with whom Holden discusses religious issues Summary After Sunny leaves his room, Holden feels miserable and depressed. He begins reminiscing about Allie. When he finishes the story, he goes to bed. Holden feels like praying, but does not. He says that he cannot always pray when he feels like it. Instead, he reflects on discussions he has had with Arthur Childs about Jesus and the disciples. He again tries to pray but is obsessed by thoughts of Sunny calling him a crumb-bum. Suddenly there is a knock at the door. When he opens the door, he sees Sunny and Maurice, who have come to collect the additional five dollars. Maurice and Holden argue. Sunny takes the money from Holden s wallet and is ready to leave the room. Maurice continues to argue with Holden and punches him in the stomach on the way out. Holden, with the wind knocked out of him, fantasizes that he has been shot by Maurice. The fantasy ends like a movie, with Holden shooting his attacker and his girlfriend, Jane Gallagher, bandaging his wounds. The chapter concludes with Holden entertaining the notion of suicide. But it is clear that he is not serious. Discussion and Analysis Holden says that when he is depressed, he thinks about Allie, and talks to him. Mostly he talks about the guilt he feels for not allowing Allie to go with him and a friend on their bikes to Lake Sedebego. In his conversation with Allie, Holden wants to lessen his guilt by changing the past. He keeps telling Allie to go home and get his bicycle and come along. But, of course, it is too late. Although it is often foolish to read too much autobiography in a writer s work, Holden sounds like Salinger himself in that he says his parents belong to two different religions and the children are atheists. It does not appear that Holden is really an atheist any more than Salinger is. Rather he simply has difficulty identifying with an institutional church which requires adherence to a body of formal beliefs. His beliefs in the boundless love of God are clear. He believes in mercy and forgiveness more than justice and retribution. He thinks that Judas is in heaven, in contrast to the belief of most Christians. Holden also feels great empathy for Jesus because his friends were not any better than Holden s. The disciples were no more faithful to Jesus than Ackley or Stradlater were to Holden. Holden has difficulty accepting the fact that Jesus might have chosen flawed human beings for disciples. After all, Holden will have only perfect people as friends. Since children are perfect (uncorrupted by the world), Holden s only friends are children (Allie and Phoebe). It could be argued that one cannot understand Holden without some knowledge of the Bible. Holden s reference to the lunatic in the tombs is a good example. The story is in Chapter Five of Mark s Gospel. The man, possessed by demons and living in the tombs, is described by Mark as having an unclean spirit. Jesus often breathed on the person out of whom he was driving an evil spirit. He gave them a clean spirit. Holden makes many references to his breath and his shortness of breath, e.g., when Maurice punches him in the stomach. He is concerned about his breath being bad and makes references to others bad breath. He himself feels that his breath is bad because of cigarettes and alcohol (symbols of corruption). Like the lunatic, Holden is mad and possessed by his own demons. He makes frequent use of the word madman. It is on his mind constantly. He is mad because he is alone and possessed by the demons of alienation, death, meaninglessness, guilt, and despair. He inflicts pain on himself, like the lunatic, by putting himself in situations which are guaranteed to cause pain. His uncontrolled speech gets him hurt by both Stradlater and Maurice. He tries to make contact with people who disappoint him, e.g., Ackley, Stradlater, Faith Cavendish. Finally, he talks of Chapter 14 Summary and Analysis 26

27 suicide as a way of casting out these unclean spirits. Some would say that this entire book is about Holden s efforts to cast out his own demons before they destroy him. Chapter 15 Summary and Analysis New Characters The Nuns: two nuns whom Holden meets in Grand Central Station Dick Slagle: Holden s roommate at Elkton Hills School Louis Shaney: a Catholic boy at Whooton School whom Holden met in the infirmary Summary Holden awakens at about 10:00 a.m. on Sunday. He considers having breakfast sent up to his room, but he is afraid that Maurice may be the one to bring it. Instead, he thinks about calling Jane Gallagher, decides against it, and then calls Sally Hayes. He arranges to meet Sally for an afternoon show. Concerned about his luggage, he decides to rent a locker at Grand Central Station. Once there, he has breakfast at the counter in the restaurant. While he is eating, two nuns come along and sit down next to him. Holden engages them in conversation. Both are teachers, one of English and one of history and American government. They discuss literature and all seem to enjoy the discussion. Holden, however, is a little uneasy because he thinks the nuns may try to find out whether he is Catholic. As the nuns leave, Holden is greatly embarrassed because he accidentally blows cigarette smoke in their faces. Once they are gone, he regrets not giving them more money. Discussion and Analysis Holden continues his self-imposed alienation in this chapter. He thinks about calling Jane Gallagher and dismisses the idea. Of course, he is still not in the mood. If anybody can make Holden feel better it is Jane. Instead, he calls Sally, sets up a date with her, and then notes that he finds her annoying. While having breakfast, he initiates a conversation with two nuns. At least on the subconscious level, he knows that he cannot have any kind of a long-lasting relationship with Sally or the nuns. He works hard at initiating temporary relationships. If he feels lonely, it is his own doing. It is clear by now that he reaches out only to people who cannot or will not help him. The nuns are in the world but not of the world. Thus, Holden is attracted to them. They are like Phoebe and Jane, innocent and untarnished by the world. They need to be looked after so he gives them a donation. They are so much not of the world that he is even embarrassed talking to them about Romeo and Juliet, since there is sex in the play. Holden is absolutely mortified when he accidentally blows smoke in the faces of the nuns. This is sacrilegious because his breath tainted by smoke is symbolic of his unclean spirit. Their spirits are clean and pure, and he defiles them. How appropriate that Holden should go to Grand Central Station. It attracted him like a magnet. It symbolizes all that is impermanent in life. Grand Central Station is not a place you stay in but a place you pass through. All relationships there are, by nature, superficial and temporary. Despite what Holden says to the contrary, Holden seeks out the temporary. Metaphorically, Grand Central Station is the perfect place for him. Finally, Holden regrets not giving the nuns more money. But then his life has been a series of regrets. Chapter 15 Summary and Analysis 27

28 Chapter 16 Summary and Analysis New Characters Miss Aigletinger: a former teacher of Holden s who frequently took her class to the Museum of Naural History Gertrude Levine: Holden s partner when the class went to the Museum of Natural History Summary When Holden finishes breakfast, he goes for a long walk. He thinks about the nuns collecting money for the poor. It makes him sad that the nuns never go anywhere nice for lunch. He walks toward Broadway, looking for a record store where he can buy Little Shirley Beans, a hard-to-find recording he wants to give to Phoebe. He notices a poor family, on their way home from church, and is intrigued by the six-year-old boy, who is singing, If a body catch a body coming through the rye. The song lifts Holden s spirits. He observes many people on their way to the movies and is puzzled by the popularity of movies. The first music store he comes upon has Little Shirley Beans. He is delighted with his purchase and eager to give his gift to Phoebe. Holden goes into a drugstore and calls Jane Gallagher. But when her mother answers, he hangs up. He is still not in the mood. After looking in the theater section of the newspaper, he decides to buy two tickets for I Know My Love. Holden says that this will impress Sally, the queen of the phonies. In order to kill time, Holden takes a cab to the park and watches the children play. He has a short conversation with a girl around Phoebe s age, whose mention of the museum where Holden used to go reminds him of his own youth. As he walks through the park to the Museum of Natural History, he happily remembers his frequent visits to the museum with his class. What he especially liked was that nothing ever changed in the museum. Everything always remains the same. The only thing that ever changes is you. He fully intends to go into the museum, but when he gets there, he finds it impossible to go in. Discussion and Analysis As Holden observes the poor family on his walk, his attention is drawn to a little boy singing a song ( If a body catch a body coming through the rye ). Holden s interest in this is almost a celebration of the innocence of childhood. The boy is the quintessence of childhood innocence. He walks in the street, but close to the curb. He sings a song oblivious to his parents and everything around him, including the traffic. The mention of this song is a hint of what is to come in the explanation of the title of the book. Holden cannot seem to mask his disbelief, even irritation, at seeing so many people going to the movies on a Sunday afternoon. No doubt he objects to the artificiality of movies, i.e., they are a poor imitation of life itself another variation of phoniness. Nevertheless, he himself is going to a play in the afternoon, which he says is only slightly more respectable than movies. He says that actors try to be real, but actually end up just sounding the way actors sound and not like real people. As he observes the children at play in Central Park, Holden seems to have forgotten that he is depressed. He genuinely enjoys watching the children and remembers the good times of his own childhood. He remembers with pleasure the Museum of Natural History because nothing changes inside. Year after year, the displays remain the same. The only changes that occur take place within the people looking at the displays. He fully intends to go inside the museum, but when he gets there, he suddenly finds himself unable to do so. It is as if his own childhood is drawing to a close, and there is a foreshadowing of adulthood, wherein changes are not only inevitable, but manageable. Holden s enthusiasm for buying Phoebe a gift is a rare positive moment for him, matched only perhaps, by his unsolicited donation of ten dollars to the two nuns earlier. Even though he is running out of cash, he pays five dollars for the record. The gift is purely a sign of affection for his sister. For once, there is no hint of Chapter 16 Summary and Analysis 28

29 cynicism. After making this great find, he can hardly wait to give it to her. This is Holden at his best. Chapter 17 Summary and Analysis New Characters Harris Macklin: a roommate of Holden s for a couple of months at Elkton Hills School George something: an acquaintance of Sally Hayes whom she saw at the play Summary Holden sits in the lobby at the Biltmore Hotel and does some girl-watching while he waits for Sally Hayes to arrive. He muses about what will become of these girls. On the one hand, he considers that many will marry boring guys who are not intelligent. Then he remembers an old roommate of his, Harris Macklin, who was intelligent and boring too. Holden concludes that it may not be so bad if the girls marry boring guys, just so long as they are nice. Finally, he sees Sally coming up the steps. They greet each other and immediately take a cab to the theater. Naturally, Holden does not like the play. He dislikes the small-talk which he overhears during the intermissions. He especially was exasperated with the conversation between Sally and her friend, George. After the show, Sally suggests that they go ice skating at Radio City. Holden says that they are the worst skaters on the ice. He suggests that they stop skating and have a drink inside. Once they sit down, Holden quickly maneuvers the conversation to what he wants to talk about: that he is bored, depressed, and wants to move to Vermont and settle down with Sally. The absence of practical considerations from his plan frightens Sally. Holden says that he does not want to enter the rat race after college. Sally argues that he consider the practicality of his plan. Finally, Holden loses his temper and insults her. Sally is deeeply offended, and angered, and will accept no apology. Then Holden laughs at her. At this point, Sally insists that he leave. He does. Discussion and Analysis In this chapter, Holden s story is beginning to heighten in intensity. Holden has never been a typical teenager, but now he is sounding desperate in his confusion. He regrets having made the date with Sally Hayes. Yet as soon as he sees her in the hotel, he thinks that he loves her and wants to marry her. He then admits that he does not even like her very much. When they are in the cab on the way to the play, Holden begins kissing Sally, but she is reluctant to respond. According to Holden, however, he is so seductive she cannot control herself. So much for Holden s speech about the necessity of having a relationship with a girl before he makes out with her. When they take a break from skating, he pours out to her the depression he feels about the meaninglessness of his life. His impulsive solution is that they run off together to Massachusetts and Vermont. Sally is the first person with whom he has shared these personal thoughts, yet he knows that she is incapable of understanding what he is talking about. Finding no empathy, he becomes angry and insults her. Holden really is beginning to sound like a madman. It is as if he is a prisoner of the emotion of the moment. He uses the madman excuse more than ever for explaining why he is not acting on what he believes and saying what he means. Is this a classic pattern of self-destruction, or is he feeling internal pressure to come to terms with the passage to adulthood? Chapter 18 Summary and Analysis New Characters Al Pike: Jane Gallagher s date at a Fourth of July dance Bob Robinson: a friend of Holden s who had an inferiority complex Chapter 17 Summary and Analysis 29

30 Summary Holden leaves the skating rink and goes to a drugstore to get something to eat. He considers calling Jane Gallagher to ask her to go dancing. Thinking of Jane reminds him of a story about Jane and her date, Al Pike, at a Fourth of July dance. Not surprisingly, Holden was critical of Al in front of Jane, labeling him as a show-off. Jane excused Al s behavior by saying he was not a show-off, but had an inferiority complex. In an effort to explain to the reader the difference between someone with an inferiority complex and a show-off, Holden describes his friend Bob Robinson. He really did have an inferiority complex since he felt inferior because his parents were uneducated and not wealthy. Holden calls Jane but there is no answer. He then calls Carl Luce, a fellow whom Holden remembers (but, of course, does not like) from Whooton, who is now attending Columbia University. They agree to meet at 10:00 p.m. at the Wicker Bar for drinks. In order to pass the time until then, Holden goes to Radio City to see a movie. He is critical of the Christmas show as well as the movie. The Christmas show is a gaudy pseudo-religious spectacle. The movie is about an Englishman, who was wounded in the war and loses his memory. But in the end he regains his memory, gets the girl, and they all live happily ever after. After the movie, Holden begins walking to the Wicker Bar. On the way, he thinks about war and his brother D.B. s experiences in the army. Holden concludes that he is opposed to war, but not necessarily from principle. He is opposed to war because, as a soldier, he would have to associate with undesirables, like Ackley, Stradlater, and Maurice. Discussion and Analysis While most people would be quite upset by the quarrel he had with Sally, it does not seem to bother Holden. He does not even mention her in this chapter. Holden feels no remorse for hurting her. Yet he is critical of the insensitivity of the woman sitting next to him in the theater. Although she cries throughout the movie, she will not inconvenience herself to take her child to the restroom. Even though he does not reach her, Holden is at least trying to call Jane Gallagher. Up to this point, he has not been in the mood. But she is still out of reach. Thinking of Jane reminds him of a story about a boyfriend of hers, and he remarks that if a girl likes a guy, she will overlook all his faults. If she does not like him, she will see no good in him. What he fails to recognize is that most people do this, not just girls. By calling Carl Luce, Holden once again calls someone who really cannot help him. He does not like Carl and never did. Carl s presence brings out the worst in Holden. But Holden prefers the company of someone he does not like to being alone. Holden is not meeting Carl Luce until later that evening, so he takes in the stage show and movie at Radio City. Curiously enough, he laughed at the girls from Seattle for going to Radio City. Of course, Holden sees the stage show as gaudy, showy, and cheap. His description of the movie sounds like a Harlequin Romance on-screen. He told us earlier why he does not like movies and actors. One cannot help asking, what else does he expect? When he begins talking about war, Holden sets up the expectation that he will take the moral high ground and oppose war of any kind. But his only concern is that if he were in the army, he would have to associate with the likes of Ackley and Stradlater. Selfish preferences seem to hold the highest place in his value system. Chapter 19 Summary and Analysis Summary Holden arrives at the Wicker Bar before Luce. While he is waiting, he describes the Wicker Bar as a Chapter 18 Summary and Analysis 30

31 sophisticated place which is frequented by phonies and homosexuals. Holden regards the bartender as a snob. Luce finally arrives and makes it clear that he cannot stay for very long. The conversation goes from bad to worse. Holden is able to irritate Luce with every statement he makes and every question he asks. Although Holden recognizes that many of his questions are too personal, he continues asking them and justifies his behavior to himself by arguing that Luce, as student advisor, used to ask questions that were too personal. Finally, Luce repeats the advice which he gave Holden the last time they were together: that Holden should consult a psychoanalyst. They continue to trade insults (Holden s are oblique; Luce s are direct). As Luce leaves, Holden, desperately lonely, practically begs him to stay and have another drink with him. Luce, however, declines because he is already late for a date. Discussion and Analysis Although Holden can hardly wait to tell us how pseudo-sophisticated the Wicker Bar is, he includes the fact that he himself used to go there frequently. Needless to say, this contradictory behavior is in character for Holden. For example, he dislikes movies and plays, but goes to them frequently. He finds Ernie s night club in the Village disgusting, but he goes there. Now the Wicker Bar is not up to his standards, yet he chooses it as a place to meet Luce. Is Holden doing all the right things, e.g., ordering scotch, smoking cigarettes, going to night clubs, so that he can appear to be sophisticated and mature? Yet there is another part of him that knows these are empty values. How many young people are beguiled by the glamour of sophisticated behaviors as they make their way on the path to adulthood? How many adults are still beguiled by it? Earlier in the book when Holden fought with Stradlater, he said that he was not too tough and had been in only about two fights in his life. While that may be true, he uses words instead of punches and seeks out verbal fights. In the argument with Stradlater, Holden was hit physically because he continued to attack Stradlater verbally. Holden was punched by Maurice only because he kept insulting him. Now with Luce, Holden manages to alienate and offend him with every word that comes out of his mouth. Rather than striking Holden as did Stradlater and Maurice, Luce silences Holden by simply leaving. Holden s behavior is clearly self-destructive because, although he desperately wants companionship, his insufferable behavior prevents it. One wonders whether Luce would have stayed longer if Holden s behavior had been more civil. Chapter 20 Summary and Analysis Summary Luce escapes from the irascible Holden. Holden remains at the bar, watches the entertainment, and gets drunk. Because he is drunk and under age, he is careful not to draw attention to himself. He once again begins to fantasize about having a bullet in his stomach. Holden decides to call Jane Gallagher and leaves the bar. But as one might expect, he changes his mind because he is not in the mood. Instead, he calls Sally Hayes and tells her that he will come to her house on Christmas Eve and help decorate the tree. Afterwards, though, he regrets having made the call. In an effort to become sober, he goes into a restroom and dunks his head in a sink of cold water. Still feeling depressed and lonely, he goes to the checkroom and gets his coat and the record he purchased for Phoebe. Holden walks to Central Park to see what has happened to the ducks. As he arrives at the park, he drops Phoebe s record and it breaks on the ground. Clearly upset, he picks up the pieces of the record, puts them in his pocket, and walks into the park. He finds the lagoon, but there are no ducks. As Holden sits shivering on a bench, he worries that he will come down with pneumonia and die. This leads him to thinking about his funeral and that of his brother, Allie. Holden feels sorry for his mother and father, particularly his mother since she is still grieving for Allie. The whole notion of being buried with dead people and visitors coming to the cemetery is troubling to him. Holden becomes obsessed thinking about how devastated Phoebe would be if he died. The thought of her grieving drives him to go see her at once, in effect, to finally go home. Chapter 19 Summary and Analysis 31

32 Discussion and Analysis The tension and anxiety within Holden are building to a climax in this chapter. He reacts negatively to absolutely everyone and every situation. Valencia does not sing well. The headwaiter probably will not deliver his message (people never give your message to anybody). He calls Sally, then regrets having called her. Holden looks at himself and sees a wounded man (the bullet in his gut). He is not proud of the course his life has taken up to this point. It is as if life is draining out of him. He remarks that he has no place to go and does not know where he will sleep. Holden sees his lot as identical to the ducks he cannot find, and who are also homeless. The broken record symbolizes an end to this period in his life. His youth, his past, is irrevocably gone. But the thought of changing his life is terrifying. Change reminds him of Allie s death; it reminds him of his own death. He sees death as the quintessential change. The critical moment has arrived. From the beginning, Holden has avoided going home. He now makes the decision. He decides to go home because he wants to see Phoebe in case he dies. But seeing Phoebe is just a subterfuge, a means to the end, i.e., going home is a dramatic realization that he must confront his past as well as his future. Going home is about accepting himself, including his strengths as well as his limitations and mistakes. Going home is about facing reality. Chapter 21 Summary and Analysis Summary Holden enters the family apartment, unrecognized, because there is a substitute elevator boy, whom he deceives. He sneaks into the apartment and finds Phoebe, not in her own room, but asleep in D.B. s room. Holden says he feels good being home. He wakes up Phoebe, and both are obviously happy to see each other. Phoebe immediately asks him if he received her letter, in which she invited him to attend her play. He assures her that he is, indeed, coming to her play. They talk about where their parents have gone for the evening, the movie Phoebe saw that afternoon, the broken record, whether D.B. is coming home for Christmas, and that she had hurt her arm. But when Phoebe gets Holden to admit that he has been kicked out of school again, she explodes with anger and rejects him. Completely exasperated, she puts her head under a pillow and refuses to talk to him. Discussion and Analysis Phoebe clearly brings out the best in Holden. He says that he actually feels good for a change. He is glad to be home and is resigned to the fact that if his parents find him, he will just have to accept it. In fact, it almost appears that he wants to be caught, given the fact that he is smoking and willing to take a chance on waking up his mother who is a light sleeper. Before Holden wakes Phoebe, he goes about the room looking at her clothes and things with affection and pride. As he reflects on these accouterments of childhood, he seems to be preparing himself for the ordeal of putting his youth behind him, and foreshadowing the quasi-religious calling he sees for himself in the next chapter. Chapter 22 Summary and Analysis New Character James Castle: the boy who committed suicide at Elkton Hills School Summary After leaving Phoebe to get cigarettes in the living room, Holden returns to the bedroom. Phoebe s response to Holden s expulsion is Daddy ll kill you. Holden says that his dad will either send him to a military school, or that nothing will happen because Holden will be on a ranch in Colorado. Phoebe continues to press Holden as to why he was expelled. He resents the questioning and says that he is tired of everyone asking him that question. Holden, however, does tell Phoebe how bad it was at Pencey. He mentions all the phonies and Chapter 20 Summary and Analysis 32

33 mean guys there. Holden sums up his feelings when he exclaims, I can t explain. I just didn t like anything that was happening at Pencey. I can t explain. Equally exasperated, Phoebe sternly says to Holden that he does not like anything. Phoebe challenges him to name one thing that he likes a lot. The challenge takes him by surprise, and the only things that come to mind are the nuns he met in the restaurant and James Castle, a boy at Elkton Hills who committed suicide. Finally, he responds that he likes Allie and likes being with Phoebe. Phoebe asks Holden to think of what he would like to be. She suggests that he might become a scientist or a lawyer. But he rejects them both. Holden then announces to Phoebe that he would like to be the catcher in the rye, the protector, who watches over the children, and keeps them from falling off a cliff at the edge of a field of rye. Discussion and Analysis Phoebe speaks for all of us when she confronts Holden with, You don t like anything that s happening. Holden finds fault with everyone and everything to the exasperation of Phoebe and the reader. She finally says what most readers probably have been wanting to say to him throughout the book. Holden is caught off guard by her directness and is clearly embarrassed as he tries to respond. His first thought is of the nuns and James Castle. He is greatly impressed by the nuns altruism and dedication. He is equally moved by the convictions, however misplaced, of James Castle. It is fascinating that Holden has such admiration for the nuns altruism, considering that up to this point he has demonstrated very little of it himself. He also admires James Castle for taking a stand for what he believes (warped though it is). Although Holden talks a good game about his convictions, the only times he stood up for anything was when he insisted on calling Stradlater a moron (and got beat up) and when he vociferously objected to the five dollar surcharge exacted by Maurice (when Holden got beat up again). One cannot help observing that the things Holden is willing to stand up for are almost as trivial as what James Castle died for. The altruism of the nuns leads Holden to the concept of altruism in general. Holden wonders how one can be sure that his/her motives are pure: Am I doing good because I care about the welfare of others, or am I doing good for praise and recogniton? Because he cannot be sure of his motivation, Holden has an excuse to do nothing. The notion of the catcher in the rye is noble, but what does Holden mean? How will he translate this into real life? Holden gives flesh and blood to the cliche: talk is cheap. Chapter 23 Summary and Analysis New Character Mr. Antolini: Holden s former English teacher at Elkton Hills Summary It is after 1:00 a.m. when Holden calls Mr. Antolini, who graciously invites him to come over to his apartment right away. Holden returns to the bedroom and dances with Phoebe to four songs on the radio. After they finish, Phoebe hears the front door open. Their parents have returned. Holden quickly hides in the closet. Mrs. Caulfield comes into the bedroom and announces that she saw the light on. Phoebe says that she had trouble sleeping. Her mother then mentions that she smells cigarette smoke. Phoebe covers for Holden by saying that she just took one puff. When her mother leaves the room, Holden comes out of the closet and prepares to leave for Mr. Antolini s. Holden is almost out of money and asks to borrow some money from Phoebe. She gives him all the money that she had saved to buy Christmas presents. This boundless generosity causes Holden to cry, and Phoebe comforts him by putting her arm around him. Holden gives her his hunting hat and leaves the apartment. Chapter 22 Summary and Analysis 33

34 Discussion and Analysis In this last section of the book (Chapters 21 26), Phoebe becomes the catalyst for Holden s metamorphosis. Phoebe is a child, overflowing with love for Holden, and untouched by the corrupting influences of the world. Her boundless love allows her to tell him the truth about himself, namely that he is profoundly negative and rejects almost everyone, including himself. When their mother asks about the smell of smoke in her bedroom, Phoebe covers for Holden, and says that she lit the cigarette. When Holden needs money, she gives him all that she has. Holden is genuinely touched by Phoebe, and he cries. This is not the first time that Holden has cried, but it is different this time. These are not tears of anger as before. But he is weeping over himself and his destiny. What has become of him? What is he doing to his life? Where will he end up? Phoebe is there to comfort him, to let him know that he is worthwhile, valuable, and deeply loved. And she does it so simply. She puts her arm around his shoulder and they draw close together. Phoebe, child that she is, then offers him the comfort that children want when they are upset: have someone sleep with them and not have to face the night alone. This simple love is a rare phenomenon in the world which Holden is about to enter. He and the reader savor the moment with this remarkable loving child. Chapter 24 Summary and Analysis New Characters Richard Kinsella: a classmate of Holden s who digressed a great deal in Oral Expression class when giving speeches Mr. Vinson: teacher of Oral Expression at Pencey Prep Summary Holden takes a cab to Mr. Antolini s apartment. It was clear to Holden that Mr. Antolini had been drinking quite a lot that evening, since he and his wife had had a party that evening. Mr. Antolini questioned Holden about his difficulties at Pencey and more specifically how Holden did in his English class. This led to a discussion of Richard Kinsella, a student at Pencey, who was in the same Oral Expression class as Holden. Holden was particularly annoyed with Mr. Vinson, the teacher of the class, because of the way he would interrupt Richard while giving a speech. Although Richard tended to stray from the main topic of his speech, Holden felt that it was rude of Mr. Vinson to be so critical of his digressions. Mr. Antolini tried to defend Mr. Vinson s behavior, but Holden was not interested. Mr. Antolini then lectures Holden on the merits of a good academic education. Holden is visibly tired, and Mr. Antolini realizes that it is time for Holden to go to sleep. They prepare a bed on the couch for Holden, and he quickly falls asleep. Suddenly, Holden is awakened by Mr. Antolini s hand on his head. Holden is frightened by this apparent display of affection and jumps to his feet. As he hurriedly dresses, he makes up an excuse that he has to go to the train station to get his luggage. Mr. Antolini pleads for Holden to go back to bed. Holden, shaken by Mr. Antolini s behavior, leaves the apartment. Discussion and Analysis Antolini is advising Holden not to waste his time or sacrifice his life to some foolish cause. Mr. Antolini recommends rather that he live humbly and simply, according to his beliefs. Antolini says that some men, like Holden, are looking for something that is missing from their lives and should keep looking until they find it. Good advice, indeed, but before you can give yourself to a cause you must believe in something. Some men live humbly for a cause. Some men die nobly for a cause. Some men regrettably just live. But what is it that Holden is willing to die for? What are his beliefs? Mr. Antolini then tells Holden that he sees him dying nobly for some highly unworthy cause. The reader knows that this is not only possible but likely because Holden has no belief system. Chapter 23 Summary and Analysis 34

35 Holden is confused and shocked by Mr. Antolini s gesture while he is sleeping. He immediately jumps to the conclusion that Mr. Antolini is making a sexual advance. This is especially disturbing to Holden because Mr. Antolini has been a hero to him. He is also upset because this is not the first time that homosexual advances have been made on him. Perhaps this is true, but one cannot help wondering whether Holden has misinterpreted other attempts by males to get close to him. Holden, still confused and shocked, reflects on this scene in the next chapter. Chapter 25 and 26 Summary and Analysis Summary Holden takes the subway to Grand Central Station and sleeps there on a bench until 9:00 a.m. He begins to have second thoughts about whether Mr. Antolini is a homosexual. To distract himself from these thoughts, Holden reads some magazine articles about hormones and cancer. In no time at all, Holden begins wondering whether he has hormone problems and whether he has cancer. He leaves Grand Central Station and looks for a place to have breakfast. He finds a place, but has only coffee because he is still too upset about Mr. Antolini to eat. Holden decides again that he will go out west. He leaves a note for Phoebe at her school, instructing her to meet him at the museum during her lunch period so he can say good-bye to her. While waiting for Phoebe, Holden meets two young boys, who ask him where the mummy exhibit is. Holden takes them into the tomb, but they get scared and leave him alone. Leaving the tombs, Holden gets sick with diarrhea, then passes out. When he comes to, he reports that he no longer feels dizzy, as he had all morning. At the appointed time, Phoebe meets him with suitcase in hand because she wants to go with him. Holden gets angry and makes her cry. He then tells her that he has decided to go home, not out west. They both walk to the zoo, but on opposite sides of the street because Phoebe is pouting. After they look at the sea lions and the bears, they leave the zoo and walk over to the carousel. Phoebe stops pouting and begins talking to Holden. He suggests that she ride the carousel. Before she rides the carousel for the second time, she places the red hunting hat on his head. It begins to rain. Holden is overcome with joy as he sits there in the rain, watching Phoebe ride the carousel. In the final chapter we find Holden in the psychiatric hospital from which he has told the story. The logical question is what comes next? But Holden says that is a stupid question because you do not know what you are going to do until you do it. It is not clear what time of the year it is or for how long he has been in the hospital. It appears that he went into the hospital some time after Christmas, and he is still there well before the beginning of the fall school term. Holden confesses that he still does not understand all that has happened to him. The most he can say is that he misses some of the characters in the story, even ones that he said he did not like. Discussion and Analysis Human maturity usually is understood to mean reason predominating over emotion, i.e., judgments made on the basis of convictions, with a blend of cognition and feeling. Reactive, impulsive decision making, coupled with an inability to see the relationship between short-term and long-term decisions, is characteristic of Holden. For example, Holden impulsively loses his temper with Phoebe and quickly regrets it. After being so sure that Mr. Antolini is a homosexual preying upon him, he begins to wonder whether he has interpreted the situation accurately. But, in both cases, the damage is already done. Secondly, he flunks out of school as a result of a series of failed quizzes, tests, and examinations. He seems to be a prisoner of circumstances and emotions. In contrast to chance and reactive impulsivity as motivational forces in Holden s life, some readers feel that going home has been the goal of this book from the beginning. Going home seems to symbolize rebirth, getting his life in order, maturity. It has been a circuitous route, but the decision was made in Chapter One. Chapter 24 Summary and Analysis 35

36 Much critical attention has been focused on the significance of Holden s hunting hat. The symbolism is effective because, in over 40 years of critical studies of this book, the red hat has been given countless meanings. Some feel that because Holden is conventional in most ways, including his dress, the hat then becomes a statement of rebelliousness. Some writers have seen symbolism in whether he wears the hat forward or backwards. Wearing it backwards, some writers suggest that Holden identifies with a baseball catcher, and on another level, with the catcher in the rye (the protector of children). Wearing it backwards can also suggest that Holden, caught between adulthood and childhood, wants to regress to childhood where there is goodness and innocence. Wearing it forward, he is now moving into adulthood and giving up on being the catcher. The hat comes up so often that some feel it must mean something. Finally, there is a group of critics, usually with a more cynical bent, who feel that sometimes hats and cigars are not Freudian symbols, but stand for nothing more than hats and cigars. Chapter 26 functions as an epilogue to the book. It is outside the story. Epilogues usually help explain what went before, but Salinger leaves this analysis to the reader. Whether Holden ended up as a Wall Street attorney, working at his father s firm, or is, in fact, still frequenting Central Park, cursing the absurdities of life, nobody knows. Maybe Salinger knows, but he has said nothing in over 40 years. The Catcher in the Rye: Quizzes Chapter 1 Questions and Answers Study Questions 1. Who is Holden Caulfield? 2. Who is D.B., and why is Holden somewhat contemptuous of him? 3. What is the reality of Pencey Prep in contrast to the advertisements, as seen by Holden? 4. Why does Holden watch the game from the hill? 5. Who is Selma Thurmer, and why did Holden like her? 6. Who is Mr. Spencer, and why was Holden going to visit him? 7. Why was Holden trying to feel some kind of good-bye? 8. What does Holden think about the other students who attend Pencey? 9. How popular was the sport of polo at Pencey Prep? 10. Does Holden blame others for his flunking out of school? Answers 1. Holden Caulfield is the narrator of the story. He has just been asked to leave Pencey Prep for failing four subjects. He is telling the story from California, where he is recuperating from being run-down. 2. D.B. is Holden s older brother, who is a writer. Holden thinks he has prostituted himself because he is in Hollywood writing scripts for movies rather than writing short stories. Chapter 25 and 26 Summary and Analysis 36

37 3. Holden feels that Pencey has high academic standards, but he is skeptical about its claim to mold boys into splendid, clear-thinking young men. He thinks that those boys who were splendid and clear thinkers were probably such before they enrolled. 4. He was reluctant to go down to the stands because he feared he would be ignored by the other students, due to his having left the fencing equipment on the subway train the day before. He was the team manager and, because of his error, the team was unable to compete. 5. Selma is the daughter of the headmaster. Although she is not very attractive, Holden likes her because she is not a phony. 6. Mr. Spencer is Holden s history teacher. He had invited Holden to visit him because he knew that Holden was not returning to school after Christmas. 7. Holden is concerned because he did not feel happy or sad about leaving Pencey. He wants to feel something because he says you do not know you are doing something until you feel it. 8. He says that Pencey is full of crooks. The more expensive the school is, the more crooks it has. Yet he did mention that Tichener and Campbell were nice guys. 9. Holden implies that polo was only in the minds of the school publicists. He himself had never seen a horse near the place. 10. Holden readily admits that he did not apply himself, although he had been warned frequently that he was in danger of failing. Chapter 2 Questions and Answers Study Questions 1. What had Mr. Spencer bought and shown the boys when they were visiting him one Sunday? 2. What advice did Dr. Thurmer give to Holden? 3. Did Holden agree with Dr. Thurmer s description of life as a game? Explain your answer. 4. Was Pencey Prep really the fourth school from which Holden was asked to leave? Explain your answer. 5. What did Holden think about Mr. Spencer s description of his parents as grand people? 6. Why did Holden write Mr. Spencer a note at the end of his examination paper? 7. What was Holden thinking about while he said the following: I told him I was a real moron, and all that stuff. I told him how I would ve done exactly the same thing if I d been in his place, and how most people didn t appreciate how tough it is being a teacher. 8. Why did Holden leave Elkton Hills School? 9. What excuse did Holden give Mr. Spencer for having to end the visit? 10. Holden told Mr. Spencer not to worry about him. What reason did he give for not worrying? Chapter 1 Questions and Answers 37

38 Answers 1. Mr. Spencer had bought a Navajo blanket from an Indian in Yellowstone Park. 2. Dr. Thurmer said that life was a game and should be played according to the rules. 3. Holden felt that life was a game only if you were on the team with all the hot-shots. But if you were on the other side, i.e., with no hot-shots, then it was not a game. 4. Holden said it was about the fourth school, but the names of only two other schools are mentioned in the novel: Whooton School and Elkton Hills School. 5. Holden disliked the use of the word grand. He said that use of it was phony. 6. Holden wrote the note so that Mr. Spencer would not feel badly about flunking him. 7. Holden was thinking about the ducks in Central Park, i.e., where they went when the lagoon froze over. 8. Holden left Elkton Hills School primarily because he was surrounded by phonies. 9. Holden said that he had to go to the gym to pick up equipment in order to take it home with him. 10. Holden said that he was just going through a phase and that everyone goes through phases. Chapter 3 Questions and Answers Study Questions 1. Who is Ossenburger? 2. What was the substance of Ossenburger s speech? 3. Who are Holden s favorite authors? 4. How does Holden determine whether a book is outstanding? 5. What does Ackley usually do when he comes to visit Holden? 6. What is it about Ackley that Holden finds annoying? 7. Give an example of something which Ackley considered very funny. 8. Why does Ackley not like Stradlater? 9. What does Holden say in defense of Stradlater? 10. What did Stradlater want to borrow from Holden? Answers 1. Ossenburger is the wealthy undertaker for whom a dormitory wing at Pencey Prep was named. Chapter 2 Questions and Answers 38

39 2. Ossenburger said that when he was in trouble he prayed to God. In addition Jesus should be thought of as one s buddy. 3. Holden s favorite authors are his brother, D.B., and Ring Lardner. 4. A book is outstanding if, when you are finished reading it, you wish that the author was a good friend, and you could call him on the telephone whenever you felt like it. 5. He usually walks around the room and picks up Holden s personal things from his desk and chiffonier. What is equally irritating to Holden is that he always puts things back in the wrong places, seemingly on purpose. 6. Holden is annoyed by Ackley s poor personal hygiene, his lack of respect for the privacy of others, and his overall thoughtlessness. 7. Ackley thought it was funny when the tennis racket hit Holden on the head. 8. Ackley thinks that Stradlater is conceited and has a superior attitude. 9. Holden says that Stradlater is generous in sharing his clothing. 10. Stradlater wanted to borrow Holden s hound s-tooth jacket. Chapter 4 Questions and Answers Study Questions 1. According to Holden, Ackley and Stradlater are both slobs. In what way are they different as slobs? 2. What favor does Stradlater ask of Holden? 3. According to Stradlater, what constitutes a good composition? 4. According to Ackley, what was it about Howie Coyle which made him a good basketball player? 5. What does Holden have to say about Stradlater s sense of humor? 6. What was unique about the way in which Jane Gallagher played checkers? 7. What does Holden say about Jane Gallagher s home life that piqued Stradlater s curiosity? 8. How does Holden know that Stradlater would not tell Jane Gallagher that he had been kicked out of Pencey Prep? 9. When Stradlater asks Holden to write the composition for him, what does he say regarding the level of quality he wants? 10. Why is Holden glad to see Ackley return to his room? Answers 1. Both are slobs, but Stradlater is a secret slob, who looks good on the outside. Chapter 3 Questions and Answers 39

40 2. Stradlater asks that Holden write a composition for him. 3. A good composition, according to Stradlater, is one which has all the punctuation in the right places. 4. Ackley felt that being a good basketball player was simply a question of having a perfect build for basketball. 5. Holden says that Stradlater does not have too bad a sense of humor because he laughed at Holden s tap dancing. 6. When Jane Gallagher played checkers, she never moved any of her kings. She kept them all in the back row. 7. Holden says that Jane s stepfather used to run around the house naked in front of her. 8. Stradlater does not care enough about Holden s predicament to even bother to mention it to Jane Gallagher. 9. Stradlater tells Holden not to work too hard on the composition or make it too good. It is necessary only that it be very descriptive. 10. Holden is glad to see Ackley because his presence distracts Holden from worrying about Jane Gallagher. Chapter 5 Questions and Answers Study Questions 1. In Holden s opinion why does Pencey Prep serve steak on Saturday night? 2. What is Ackley s characteristic response whenever he is asked to go somewhere with the other boys? 3. Why do Holden, Brossard, and Ackley not go to the movies after all? 4. Why does Holden not like to sit next to Brossard and Ackley at the movies? 5. What card game does Brossard enjoy most of all? 6. What does Holden write about for Stradlater s composition? 7. Why did Allie have writing on his baseball mitt? 8. How did Allie die? 9. How did Holden react to Allie s death? 10. Does Holden express dislike or sympathy for Ackley at the end of this chapter? Answers 1. Holden thinks that steak is served on Saturday so that when parents who visit on Sunday ask what was served last night, the boys would answer, Steak. Chapter 4 Questions and Answers 40

41 2. Ackley s usual response is never to answer right away. Then he asks who else is going. 3. They do not go to the movie because Brossard and Ackley had already seen the movie that was playing. 4. Brossard and Ackley laugh excessively while watching a movie. 5. Brossard enjoys playing bridge. 6. Holden writes about his brother Allie s baseball mitt. 7. Allie had poems written on the mitt so that he would have something to read when he was in the field, and nobody was up at bat. 8. Allie died of leukemia on July 18, Holden slept in the garage the night Allie died and broke all the windows in the garage with his fist. 10. Holden catalogs all of Ackley s physical problems and concludes that one had to feel sorry for him. Chapter 6 Questions and Answers Study Questions 1. Why is Holden so interested in what happened on Stradlater s date? 2. Why does Stradlater not like the composition which Holden wrote for him? 3. Why does Holden smoke in bed? 4. Where did Stradlater go on his date with Jane Gallagher? 5. How would you describe Holden s attitude toward athletes? 6. Why does Holden punch Stradlater? 7. According to Holden, how can you identify a moron? 8. Why is Stradlater nervous after hitting Holden? 9. What does Holden do before looking in the mirror? 10. What is Holden s reaction to all the blood? Answers 1. Holden is concerned that Stradlater may take advantage of Jane Gallagher. 2. Stradlater s understanding is that the essay should be a description of a room or a house. Holden wrote a description of his brother s baseball glove. 3. Holden smokes in bed because it irritates Stradlater. Chapter 5 Questions and Answers 41

42 4. Stradlater says that he spent the evening in the car with Jane. 5. Holden sees athletes as a clique which is dispensed from following the rules. 6. Holden punches Stradlater because he assumes that Stradlater had seduced Jane on their date. 7. Holden says that a moron can be recognized in that he never wants to discuss anything intelligently. 8. Stradlater fears that he may have seriously injured Holden. 9. Holden first puts on his hunting cap. 10. Holden says that he is partly scared and partly fascinated by the blood. Also, he feels that it makes him look tough. Chapter 7 Questions and Answers Study Questions 1. Why does Ackley not want to play canasta? 2. Why does Holden become angry with Ackley? 3. When Ackley insists on hearing the reasons for the fight, how does Holden answer him? 4. What does Holden think about as he lies in Ely s bed? 5. What is it about Stradlater that makes him so dangerous on a date? 6. What makes Holden so lonely that he wakes up Ackley? 7. What is it that really upsets Ackley? 8. What does Holden decide when he leaves Ackley s room? 9. Why does packing his ice skates make Holden sad? 10. How does Holden feel as he is about to leave Pencey Prep? Answers 1. Ackley says that it is late, and he has to get up early to go to Mass. 2. Holden is angry because Ackley is interested only in the reasons for the fight rather than providing comfort for Holden. 3. Holden says that the fight was over Stradlater s saying that Ackley had a lousy personality. Sadly, Ackley believes him, but then Holden tells him that he was kidding. 4. Holden does not think about his own pain and humiliation. Rather, he thinks about Jane and whether she was able to resist the allures of Stradlater. Chapter 6 Questions and Answers 42

43 5. Holden says that Stradlater has a sincere voice coupled with a handsome body, which make him irresistible to girls. 6. Holden is lonely because Stradlater returns to the room without showing any interest in Holden s well-being. 7. Holden asks Ackley about joining a monastery. Ackley interprets this as making fun of his religion. 8. Holden decides to leave Pencey Prep right away instead of waiting until Wednesday. 9. Holden reflects that his mother bought him this thoughtful gift, and he is disappointing her again by being expelled. He adds that almost every time someone gives him a present, it ends up making him sad. 10. Holden feels sad, but covers up his feelings by shouting, Sleep tight, ya morons! Chapter 8 Questions and Answers Study Quesstions 1. Why does Holden walk to the train station? 2. What does Holden say when asked whether he likes Pencey Prep? 3. Why is Mrs. Morrow concerned about Ernest? 4. Because Holden likes Mrs. Morrow, what does he tell her about Ernest? 5. According to Holden, why was Ernest Morrow not elected president of the class? 6. What does Mrs. Morrow suspect is the reason for Holden s going home late on a Saturday night? 7. What is Holden s explanation for going home on Saturday? 8. Why does Mrs. Morrow keep calling Holden by the name Rudolf? 9. Where does Mrs. Morrow invite Holden to visit Ernest in the summer? 10. What excuse does Holden give to Mrs. Morrow for not being able to visit Ernest in the summer? Answers 1. Holden walks to the train station because it is too late to call a cab. 2. Holden tells Mrs. Morrow that it is as good as most schools, and that some of the faculty are pretty conscientious. 3. Mrs. Morrow feels that Ernest is too sensitive and serious, and, thus, not a terribly good mixer. 4. Holden tells Mrs. Morrow that Ernest is shy, modest, and one of the most popular boys at Pencey Prep. 5. Holden said that Ernest was not elected president because he would not allow his classmates to nominate him. Chapter 7 Questions and Answers 43

44 6. Mrs. Morrow suspects that someone in Holden s family may be sick. 7. Holden says that he needs an operation because he has a small brain tumor. 8. Holden told Mrs. Morrow that his name was Rudolf Schmidt. 9. Mrs. Morrow invites Holden to visit Ernest at Gloucester, Massachusetts during the summer. 10. Holden tells her that he will be going to South America with his grandmother in the summer. Chapter 9 Questions and Answers Study Questions 1. What does Holden do when he reaches Penn Station? 2. What does Holden discuss with the cab driver on the way to the Edmont Hotel? 3. What is Holden s opinion of the Edmont Hotel? 4. How does Holden describe the bellman at the Edmont Hotel? 5. How does Holden feel about necking with girls whom he does not really care about? 6. What type of rules does Holden have difficulty observing? 7. What excuse has Holden planned to use in order to get through to Jane Gallagher on the telephone after-hours? 8. Why does Holden not call Jane Gallagher? 9. From whom did Holden get Faith Cavendish s name? 10. How does Holden feel after Faith Cavendish refuses to meet him for a cocktail? Answers 1. Holden goes to a phone booth and considers calling D.B., Phoebe, Jane Gallagher s mother, Sally Hayes, and Carl Luce. He comes up with reasons for not calling any of them. In the end, he calls no one. 2. Holden asks the cab driver whether he knows what happens to the ducks in the Central Park lagoon when the pond freezes over. 3. Holden thinks the Edmont Hotel is lousy with perverts. He thinks Stradlater would have fit right in. 4. Holden says the bellman looks to be about 65. He is even more depressing than the room having to carry people s suitcases and wait around for a tip. 5. Holden feels that he should not neck or have sex with a girl unless he really cares about her. He, however, does admit to having trouble living up to his principles. Chapter 8 Questions and Answers 44

45 6. Holden makes up these sex rules for himself. He says that he then breaks them right away. Sex is something, he says, he just does not understand. 7. Holden is going to say that he is Jane s uncle and that her aunt has just been killed in a car accident. 8. Holden does not call Jane Gallagher because he says he is not in the mood (an excuse he has used before). 9. Holden obtained Faith s name and telephone number from Eddie Birdsell, a student at Princeton, whom Holden met at a party. 10. Holden regrets that he did not make a date to see Faith the next day. Chapter 10 Questions and Answers Study Questions 1. Why does Holden decide not to call Phoebe? 2. How does Holden feel about Phoebe? 3. How much does Holden think it will cost him to get a prime table in the Lavender Room? 4. How does Holden know that the three girls at the next table are not from New York City? 5. How do the girls react when Holden asks them whether anyone wants to dance? 6. What does Bernice say that betrays how shallow she is? 7. Does Bernice enjoy dancing with Holden? 8. How does Holden overstep the bounds of propriety with Bernice? 9. Do the girls invite Holden to sit down at their table? 10. How does Holden describe the experience of dancing with Marty? Answers 1. Holden is concerned that one of his parents will answer the telephone. Moreover, even if he hangs up, he thinks that his mother will know it is he because she is psychic. 2. Holden is very fond of Phoebe. He says that she is pretty and smart. In a discussion, she understands exactly what you are talking about. She can distinguish a good movie from a bad one. She, however, is sometimes too affectionate and very emotional. 3. Holden thinks a dollar tip to the headwaiter will get him a good table. 4. Holden notices that their hats are not the kind commonly worn in New York City. 5. They giggle. Chapter 9 Questions and Answers 45

46 6. Holden is appalled by the fact that Bernice thinks seeing Peter Lorre in person the night before is significant. 7. No. She does not listen to Holden, and continues to look around, hoping to see a celebrity. 8. Holden kisses Bernice on the head, then uses profanity. 9. No. He sits down with them uninvited. 10. Holden says that dancing with Marty is like dragging the Statue of Liberty around the floor. Chapter 11 Questions and Answers Study Questions 1. Does Holden think that Stradlater seduced Jane Gallagher? 2. What sports does Jane Gallagher enjoy playing? 3. How did Jane Gallagher and Holden get to be friends? 4. What kind of books did Jane Gallagher like to read? 5. Is Jane Gallagher pretty? 6. What was it that made Jane Gallagher cry when she and Holden were playing checkers? 7. How important was necking in Holden s relationship with Jane Gallagher? 8. How does Holden know about Ernie s in Greenwich Village? 9. Who is Ernie? 10. What does Holden find especially irritating about Ernie? Answers 1. No, he does not. But Holden says that it drives him crazy just thinking about it. 2. Jane Gallagher enjoys playing golf and tennis. 3. Jane Gallagher was a neighbor of Holden s at their summer houses in Maine. They met at the swimming pool at the club after an incident regarding her dog relieving itself on the Caulfield lawn. 4. Holden says that Jane reads very good books, including much poetry. 5. Holden s mother does not think Jane is pretty. But Holden says that he just liked the way she looked, that s all. 6. It had to do with her mother s husband. But Holden says that he never did find out what was the matter. 7. It was not important at all. Actually, they preferred to hold hands. Chapter 10 Questions and Answers 46

47 8. Ernie s is a night club in Greenwich Village which his brother, D.B., used to frequent. 9. Ernie is a fat, black man who plays the piano in the club. 10. Holden says that Ernie is a snob. He will talk to you only if you are a big shot or a celebrity. Chapter 12 Questions and Answers Study Questions 1. What is the main theme of the first paragraph? 2. How does Holden describe Horwitz s personality? 3. What does Holden discuss with Horwitz? 4. How does Holden characterize the patrons at Ernie s? 5. What is it that Holden objects to about the crowd at Ernie s? 6. Why does Holden feel sorry for Ernie? 7. Describe the conversations going on at tables next to Holden. 8. Who is Lillian Simmons? 9. From Lillian Simmons point of view, what is most impressive about D.B.? 10. How does Holden feel about such social amenities as saying to someone, Glad to have met you? Answers 1. The main theme of the first paragraph is loneliness. He mentions it twice as well as the ducks, symbols of loneliness and alienation. 2. Holden describes Horwitz as impatient and the type of man who always sounds angry about something when he speaks. 3. Holden discusses with Horwitz what happens to the ducks and fish in the Central Park lagoon in the winter. 4. Holden says that most of the patrons are college and prep school students who are jerks. 5. Holden objects to the fact that the crowd applauds Ernie whether he plays well or poorly. 6. Holden feels sorry for Ernie because Ernie may not know anymore whether he is playing well or poorly, since people applaud regardless of how he plays the piano. 7. At one table a guy was reviewing every play of a football game for his girlfriend. At another table a guy was discussing an attempted suicide at school while giving his girlfriend a feel under the table. 8. Lillian Simmons is a girl whom Holden s brother, D.B., used to date. Chapter 11 Questions and Answers 47

48 9. Lillian Simmons is most impressed by the fact that D.B. is a writer in Hollywood. 10. Holden dislikes using those expressions when he does not mean them. But he believes that If you want to stay alive, you have to say that stuff.... Chapter 13 Questions and Answers Study Questions 1. Why does Holden walk back to the hotel rather than take a cab? 2. What does Holden think about as he walks back to the hotel? 3. What kind of a drinker does Holden think he is? 4. How does Holden feel when he arrives back at the hotel? 5. What excuse does Holden give for agreeing to meet with the prostitute? 6. What does Holden think about a girl s ability to control herself in the heat of passion? 7. Does Holden look forward to meeting with the prostitute? 8. How does Holden feel when the prostitute takes off her dress? 9. When does Holden begin to feel sorry for Sunny? 10. What excuse does Holden give Sunny for not wanting to have sex with her? Answers 1. Holden says that, sometimes, you get tired of riding in taxi cabs in the same way you get tired of riding in elevators. Suddenly, one has to walk, no matter how far or how high up. 2. Holden thinks about his stolen gloves and how he would not have the courage to confront the thief and hit him if provoked. He sees himself as cowardly. 3. Holden thinks he has the capacity to drink a great deal of alcohol without appearing to be drunk. 4. Although Holden is not sleepy, he is depressed. He says that he almost wishes he were dead. 5. Holden says that he was so depressed he did not even think. 6. Holden thinks that a girl cannot stop herself when she is in the heat of passion. So when a girl says to stop, he stops. 7. He vacillates between looking forward to meeting her and being nervous about the encounter. 8. Holden says that he feels more depressed than sexy. 9. Holden begins to feel sorry for Sunny when he hangs up her dress. He feels sad when he thinks of her buying the dress and the store employees not knowing that she is a prostitute. Chapter 12 Questions and Answers 48

49 10. Holden tells her that he has just had surgery and has not sufficiently recuperated. Chapter 14 Questions and Answers Study Questions 1. After Sunny leaves Holden s room, whom does he begin talking to? 2. What is it that Holden finds disturbing about Jesus disciples? 3. How does Holden s belief about Judas differ from that of his friend Arthur Childs? 4. How does Holden say that Jesus chose his disciples? 5. How does Holden know who is knocking on his door even before opening it? 6. Why do Maurice and Sunny return to Holden s room? 7. What is it about ministers that Holden does not like? 8. How does Maurice respond when Holden says that he is going to scream his head off if Maurice roughs him up? 9. What religion are the children in Holden s family? 10. What excuse does Holden give for not committing suicide by jumping out the window? Answers 1. Holden begins talking to his dead brother, Allie. 2. Holden is disturbed that, although Jesus disciples were all right after He died, they kept letting Him down while He was alive. 3. Holden believes that Jesus did not send Judas to Hell for betraying Him and committing suicide. Arthur Childs believes that Judas was sent to Hell. 4. Holden says that Jesus chose his disciples at random. 5. Holden says he knows who is knocking at the door because he is psychic. 6. Maurice and Sunny came to collect an additional five dollars for Sunny s services. 7. Holden does not like their phony Holy Joe voices. 8. Maurice implies that he will notify Holden s parents that he has been with a prostitute. 9. The children in Holden s family are all atheists. 10. Holden says that he does not want a bunch of stupid rubbernecks looking at me when I was all gory. Chapter 13 Questions and Answers 49

50 Chapter 15 Questions and Answers Study Questions 1. When Holden awakens on Sunday morning, he thinks about the time of his last meal. When was that? 2. Whom does Holden think about calling when he awakens? 3. Where is Sally supposed to meet Holden? 4. Why does Holden not want to tell his mother that he was expelled again? 5. Why did Dick Slagle take Holden s suitcases out from under the bed and put them out where they could be seen? 6. What was Dick Slagle s favorite word? 7. Why did Holden miss Dick Slagle after they were given different roommates? 8. What subjects do the two nuns teach? 9. What does Holden find annoying about Catholics? 10. Holden says that he did something stupid and embarrassing when the two nuns got up to leave. What was it? Answers 1. Holden s last meal was the two hamburgers he had with Brossard and Ackley, the night before. 2. Holden thinks about calling Jane Gallagher, but decides against it because he is not in the mood. 3. Sally is supposed to meet Holden under the clock at the Biltmore Hotel. 4. Holden does not want to tell his mother about the expulsion because her health has not been good since Allie died. Holden says that she is very nervous. 5. Dick Slagle wanted people to think that Holden s expensive luggage was his own. 6. Dick Slagle s favorite word was bourgeois. 7. Holden missed Dick Slagle because he had a good sense of humor and they sometimes had much fun together. 8. One teaches English and the other teaches history and American government. 9. Holden says that Catholics are always trying to find out whether you are Catholic or not. 10. Holden is embarrassed by the fact that he accidentally blew cigarette smoke in their faces. Chapter 15 Questions and Answers 50

51 Chapter 16 Questions and Answers Study Questions 1. What makes Holden sad when he thinks about the nuns? 2. How did the little boy walking with his family lift Holden s spirits? 3. What kind of shows does Sally Hayes like to see? 4. Although Holden is getting low on cash, he takes a cab to the park instead of the subway. Why? 5. What is it about Phoebe s liking to skate near the bandstand that Holden thinks is funny? 6. Why is the young girl in the park having trouble tightening her skate? 7. How does Holden feel while he thinks about Miss Aigletinger taking his class to the museum? 8. What is it about Gertrude Levine, his partner at the museum, that Holden remembers? 9. According to Holden, what is the best thing about the museum? 10. Is Holden looking forward to his date with Sally? Answers 1. What makes Holden sad is that the nuns never get to go anywhere swanky for lunch. 2. The boy was singing, If a body catch a body coming through the rye. 3. Sally likes shows which are sophisticated and dry. 4. Holden wants to get off Broadway as fast as he can. 5. The bandstand is the same place where Holden liked to skate when he was a child. 6. The little girl does not have any gloves on and her hands are red and cold. 7. These pleasant memories make Holden feel very good. 8. Gertrude always wanted to hold Holden s hand, but her hand was always sweaty. 9. Everything always stays the same; nothing changes. 10. No, he seems to regret having made the date. Chapter 17 Questions and Answers Study Questions 1. Why is Holden depressed when he is sitting in the lobby of the Biltmore? 2. Name two outstanding characteristics of Harris Macklin. Chapter 16 Questions and Answers 51

52 3. What is the best thing Holden can say about bores? 4. After Sally tells Holden that she loves him, how does she want to change him? 5. Holden says that the Lunts do not act like people or actors. What does he say they act like? 6. Why does Sally not talk much during the intermission? 7. What article of clothing does Holden associate with Ivy League types? 8. Why does Holden think that Sally really wants to go skating? 9. How do Holden and Sally s skating ability compare with the others who are on the ice? 10. Does Sally like school? Answers 1. Holden says it is depressing when he keeps wondering about what will become of all the girls when they finish school. 2. He was very intelligent and was a good whistler. 3. They do not hurt anyone most of them. In addition, they might have a special talent like being able to whistle well. 4. Sally wants Holden to let his hair grow. 5. Holden says that the Lunts act like they know they are -celebrities, i.e., they are too good as actors. 6. Sally does not talk much, according to Holden, because she is busy looking around and being charming. 7. Holden associates checkered vests with Ivy League types. 8. Holden thinks that Sally wants to go skating so she can wear one of those little skating skirts. 9. Holden says that Sally and he are the worst skaters on the ice. 10. Sally says that school is a terrific bore. Chapter 18 Questions and Answers Study Questions 1. After Holden leaves the skating rink, where does he go? 2. In Holden s opinion, how do girls defend a boy they like if someone criticizes him by calling him mean or conceited? 3. Why did Bob Robinson have an inferiority complex? 4. Why does Holden go to Radio City after he leaves the drugstore? Chapter 17 Questions and Answers 52

53 5. According to Holden, what is there about the show at Radio City that Jesus would really like? 6. In the movie, what happens to Alec that causes him to regain his memory? 7. Why is Holden so critical of the lady who sits next to him in the movie? 8. What kind of job did D.B. have when he was overseas in the army? 9. In Holden s opinion, what was inconsistent about D.B. s liking the novel A Farewell to Arms? 10. Why is Holden happy that the atomic bomb has been invented? Answers 1. Holden goes to the drugstore to get something to eat. 2. The girls say he has an inferiority complex. 3. Bob had an inferiority complex because his parents were uneducated and not wealthy. 4. Holden goes to Radio City to pass the time until he meets Carl Luce at ten o clock that evening. 5. Holden says that Jesus would really like the guy in the orchestra who plays the kettle drums. 6. Alec gets hit in the head with a cricket ball. 7. Holden is critical of his seatmate because she cries throughout the movie as if she were kindhearted, but refuses to take her child to the restroom during the movie. 8. D.B. was the driver for a general. 9. Holden did not understand how D.B. could hate war and like the novel A Farewell to Arms. 10. Holden says if there is another war he would sit on top the bomb rather than go into the army. Chapter 19 Questions and Answers Study Questions 1. Describe the entertainment at the Wicker Bar. 2. What types of people frequent the Wicker Bar? 3. Why does Holden not like the bartender at the Wicker Bar? 4. What was the relationship between Luce and Holden when they were at Whooton together? 5. What word does Luce use frequently? 6. How old is Luce s current girl friend? 7. Give one reason why Luce prefers Eastern philosophy to Western philosophy. Chapter 18 Questions and Answers 53

54 8. What is one of the annoying things about Luce, according to Holden? 9. What advice did Luce give to Holden? 10. What is the one positive thing Holden says about Luce at the end of the chapter? Answers 1. Entertainment is provided by two French girls, Tina and Janine. Tina plays the piano and Janine sings. 2. According to Holden, the Wicker Bar is frequented by phonies and homosexuals. 3. Holden does not like the bartender because he considers him a snob. Holden says the bartender will hardly talk to you -unless you are a big shot or a celebrity. 4. Luce was Holden s student advisor. 5. Holden says that Luce used to say certainly very often. 6. Luce is not certain, but he estimates that she is in her late thirties. 7. According to Luce, Eastern philosophies regard sex as both a physical and a spiritual experience. 8. Holden says that at Whooton, Luce would make you describe the most personal things that happened to you. But if you asked him personal questions, he became angry. 9. Luce advised Holden that he should consult a psychoanalyst. 10. Holden says that Luce has a good vocabulary; he had the largest of any boy at Whooton. Chapter 20 Questions and Answers Study Questions 1. After Valencia sings, what does Holden ask the headwaiter to do? 2. When Holden leaves the Wicker Bar, why is he holding his stomach? 3. After Holden talks to Sally Hayes on the telephone, how does he picture her at home that evening? 4. While in the restroom, what advice does Holden give the piano player at the Wicker Bar? 5. What excuse does the lady in the hat-check room give Holden for not going on a date with him? 6. Because it is dark and spooky, what does Holden say he would do if he happened to see someone in Central Park? 7. What does Holden say he wants done with his body when he dies? 8. Why was Holden not able to attend his brother, Allie s, funeral? 9. While at the lagoon in Central Park, Holden counts his money. What does he do with the coins? Chapter 19 Questions and Answers 54

55 10. What is it that Holden worries about after he decides to go home and see Phoebe? Answers 1. Holden asks the headwaiter to ask Valencia to join him for a drink. 2. Holden is holding his stomach because he is fantasizing that he is bleeding from a gunshot wound. 3. Holden pictures Sally at home with her date from Andover and the Lunts, all having tea, and having a sophisticated and phony conversation. 4. Holden advises the piano player that he needs a manager. 5. The lady in the hat-check room tells Holden that she is old enough to be his mother. 6. Holden says he probably would jump about a mile. 7. Holden says that he wants to be dumped in the river anything rather than being buried in a cemetery. 8. Holden did not attend his brother s funeral because he was in the hospital as a result of injuries sustained when he learned of his brother s death. 9. Holden skips the quarters and the nickel across the pond. 10. Holden is concerned that he will waken his parents and they will catch him sneaking into the house. Chapter 21 Questions and Answers Study Questions 1. When Holden gets on the elevator, whom does he tell the operator he is going to visit? 2. Holden is very skillful at opening the door quietly. What profession does he say he should have gone into? 3. When Holden enters the family apartment, how does he know for sure that he is in the right apartment? 4. How does Holden describe his mother s hearing ability? 5. Why does Phoebe not like her own room? 6. During the first few moments that he is in Phoebe s room, Holden says something he has not said for many chapters. What is it? 7. Holden s mother has outstanding tastes in what area? 8. What kind of reading does Holden find very interesting? 9. How did Phoebe hurt her arm? 10. What does Holden say that he may do now that he has been expelled from school? Chapter 20 Questions and Answers 55

56 Answers 1. Holden tells the elevator operator that he is going to visit the Dickstein Family. 2. Holden is so skillful at opening the door quietly, he says that he should have been a crook. 3. Holden knows that he is in the right apartment because their apartment has a distinctive smell. 4. Holden says that his mother can hear like a bloodhound (sic!). 5. Phoebe does not like her own room because it is too small. 6. Holden says the he feels swell for a change. He just feels good. 7. Holden s mother has outstanding taste in buying clothes. 8. Holden enjoys reading a child s school notebook. 9. Phoebe hurt her arm when Curtis Weintraub, a classmate, pushed her down the stairs in the park. 10. Holden says that he may get a job on a ranch in Colorado. Chapter 22 Questions and Answers Study Questions 1. To what does Holden compare Phoebe s behavior when she finds out that he was expelled from Pencey? 2. Where does Holden say that his father will send him when he learns that Holden has been expelled? 3. Even though Holden likes Mr. Spencer, why does he consider him a phony? 4. What was the Pencey alumnus looking for when he came to Holden and Stradlater s dorm? 5. When Holden thinks about the nuns, what does he picture them doing? 6. Why did James Castle commit suicide? 7. What was the topic of the only conversation that Holden remembers having with James Castle? 8. What habit of Holden s does Phoebe wants him to change? 9. What bothers Holden about becoming a lawyer? 10. Who is the author of if a body meet a body coming through the rye? Answers 1. Holden compares Phoebe s behavior to that of the fencing team at Pencey who ostracized him after he left the foils on the subway. 2. Holden says that his father will send him to a military school. Chapter 21 Questions and Answers 56

57 3. Holden considers Mr. Spencer a phony because of his obsequious behavior while Mr. Thurber was observing him teach. 4. The man was looking for his initials that he had carved into the bathroom door when he was a student. 5. Holden pictures the nuns holding their straw baskets, collecting money for the poor. 6. James Castle committed suicide rather than take back what he said about another student. 7. The only conversation Holden remembers having with James Castle was when James asked to borrow Holden s turtleneck sweater. 8. Phoebe wants Holden to stop swearing. 9. Holden says that he would not know if, as a lawyer, he really wanted to help people or just receive the recognition for helping people. 10. The author is Robert Burns. Chapter 23 Questions and Answers Study Questions 1. How does Mr. Antolini respond to Holden s telephone call? 2. Who taught Phoebe to dance? 3. How does Holden feel after he dances with Phoebe? 4. What behavior of Charlene, the maid, does Phoebe object to? 5. Where does Phoebe say her prayers before she goes to bed that evening? 6. Why does Holden say that he has to leave the house? 7. Why does Phoebe not want Holden to go away? 8. Where does Holden plan to stay until Wednesday? 9. How does Phoebe try to comfort Holden when he is crying? 10. What does Holden do with the hunting hat? Answers 1. Mr. Antolini responds very graciously, considering that the telephone call is made after 1:00 a.m. Mr. Antolini says that Holden is welcome to come over to his apartment immediately. 2. Holden taught Phoebe how to dance. But he says that she learned it mostly by herself, since you can t teach someone how to really dance. Chapter 22 Questions and Answers 57

58 3. Holden says that he is out of breath because he has been smoking so much. He comments that Phoebe is not out of breath at all. 4. Phoebe says that Charlene breathes all over the food and everything. 5. Phoebe says her prayers in the bathroom that evening. 6. Holden has to leave in order to get his luggage from the train station. 7. Among other reasons, she fears that he will not see her in her play. 8. Holden plans to stay with Mr. Antolini until Wednesday. 9. Phoebe puts her arm around him and then says, in a typically innocent childlike manner, that he can sleep with her if he wants to. 10. Holden gives it to Phoebe as he leaves to visit Mr. Antolini. Chapter 24 Questions and Answers Study Questions 1. How did Mr. Antolini feel about D.B. going to Hollywood? 2. Why does Mrs. Antolini not want Holden to look at her when she enters the room with the coffee and cake? 3. What criteria does Holden say one must meet in order to get a good grade in Oral Expression? 4. Why does Holden like Richard Kinsella s speeches better than anyone else s? 5. Holden admits that there were times when he hated both Stradlater and Ackley. What else does Holden say about them? 6. What is the sense of the quote from Wilhelm Stekel which Mr. Antolini writes down for Holden? 7. What does Mr. Antolini say that Holden will do once he decides what to do with his life? 8. What does Mr. Antolini say that a good academic education will do for Holden? 9. What excuse does Holden give Mr. Antolini for having to go to the train station to get his money? 10. While awaiting the elevator, what does Holden say to Mr. Antolini? Answers 1. Mr. Antolini was opposed to D.B. going to Hollywood. He said that anyone who could write as well as D.B. should not go to Hollywood. 2. Mrs. Antolini does not want Holden to look at her because her hair is in curlers and she had removed her makeup. 3. Holden says that to get a good grade in Oral Expression, one must stick to the topic all of the time. Chapter 23 Questions and Answers 58

59 4. Holden finds Richard s speeches exciting because he digresses from his topic and speaks about more interesting subjects. 5. Holden says that, if he did not see them for a period of time, he actually missed both Stradlater and Ackley. 6. The sense of the quote is that the foolish man wants to die for a cause, while the wise man is willing to live for it. 7. Mr. Antolini says that Holden will begin to apply himself in school once he decides what to do with his life. 8. Mr. Antolini says that a good academic education will enable him to express himself more clearly, have a passion for following his thoughts through to the end, and possess more humility than the uneducated man. 9. Holden says that he needs to go to the train station to get his money because it belongs to his mother. 10. Holden tells Mr. Antolini that he is going to read some good books. Chapter 25 and 26 Questions and Answers Study Questions 1. Where does Holden spend the rest of the night after he leaves Mr. Antolini s apartment? 2. What does Holden worry about as he tries to stop thinking about the scene with Mr. Antolini? 3. Whom does Holden think about calling before he meets Phoebe? 4. What rule would Holden require all visitors at his cabin to observe? 5. How does Holden recognize Phoebe from a distance at the museum? 6. Why does Phoebe have a suitcase with her? 7. What does Phoebe say to Holden that he says sounds worse than swearing? 8. How does Holden feel as he stands in the rain watching Phoebe ride the carousel? 9. From what location is Holden telling this story? 10. What is Holden sorry about? Answers 1. Holden spends the rest of the night sleeping on a bench in Grand Central Station. 2. Holden begins reading magazine articles about hormones and cancer. He soon begins to worry about his hormones and whether he has cancer. 3. Holden thinks about calling Jane Gallagher, but decides against it because, once again, he is not in the mood. 4. Holden would forbid visitors to do anything phony while they are with him at his cabin. Chapter 24 Questions and Answers 59

60 5. Holden recognizes Phoebe because she is wearing his red hunting hat. 6. Phoebe has a suitcase with her because she wants to go out west with Holden. 7. Phoebe tells him to shut up. This sounds worse than swearing to Holden. 8. Holden says that he feels so happy that he is almost crying. 9. Holden is telling this story from a psychiatric hospital in California. 10. Holden says that he is sorry he told so many people this story. The Catcher in the Rye: Essential Passages Essential Passages by Character: Holden Caulfield Essential Passage 1: Chapter 2...I shook my head. I shake my head quite a lot. Boy! I said. I also say Boy! quite a lot. Partly because I have a lousy vocabulary and partly because I act quite young for my age sometimes. I was sixteen then, and I m seventeen now, and sometimes I act like I m about thirteen. It s really ironical, because I m six foot two and a half and I have gray hair. I really do. The one side of my head the right side is full of millions of gray hairs. I ve had them ever since I was a kid. And yet I still act sometimes like I was only about twelve. Everybody says that, especially my father. It s partly true, too, but it isn t all true. People always think something s all true. I don t give a damn, except that I get bored sometimes when people tell me to act my age. Sometimes I act a lot older than I am I really do but people never notice it. People never notice anything. Summary Holden Caulfield has been expelled from yet another school (his fourth) for failure to earn passing grades in four out of five classes. It is nearing Christmas break, and he will not be returning after the holidays. In preparation for his departure, Holden visits one of his favorite teachers, Mr. Spencer, his history teacher (one of the classes he failed). Mr. Spencer is old and is currently recovering from the grippe (the flu). Instead of a pleasant good-bye, Holden finds himself the recipient of the standard lecture from an adult to a teenage slacker. Holden is disappointed. Mr. Spencer questions him on the status of the news of his expulsion being delivered to his parents and their reaction to it. Holden knows that his parents will be irate when the letter from the headmaster arrives, so he has not yet told them about it. He does not want to explore this topic further with Mr. Spencer, someone whom he had once admired but has now found out to be a typically irritating adult. Essential Passage 2: Chapter 22 Old Phoebe said something then, but I couldn t hear her. She had the side of her mouth right smack on the pillow, and I couldn t hear her. What? I said. Take your mouth away. I can t hear you with your mouth that way. You don t like anything that s happening. Chapter 25 and 26 Questions and Answers 60

61 It made me even more depressed when she said that. Yes I do. Yes I do. Sure I do. Don t say that. Why the hell do you say that?" Because you don t. You don t like any schools. You don t like a million things. You don t. I do! That s where you re wrong that s exactly where you re wrong! Why the hell do you have to say that? I said. Boy, was she depressing me. Because you don t, she said. Name one thing. One thing? One thing I like? I said. Okay. The trouble was, I couldn t concentrate too hot. Sometimes it s hard to concentrate. Summary After almost twenty-four hours of life on his own in New York City, Holden decides to sneak back home for the sole purpose of seeing his little sister, Phoebe. She is overjoyed to find him sitting on her bed, but her feelings change when she learns that her brother has been kicked out of another school. Her disappointment in him turns to anger, and she refuses to speak to him. Holden, who adores his little sister, is seriously bothered by her rejection and tries to speak to her. He tells her how horrible he found Pencey Prep, and the meanness of the teachers and his fellow students. But he is unsuccessful at eliciting any kind of sympathy from Phoebe. She buries her face in her pillow and accurately points out that Holden does not like anything. Holden is shocked at her insight and denies it, though he can think of little to substantiate his denial. Depressed to begin with at the meaningless and emptiness of his life, he sinks further into depression at his sisters rejection. Essential Passage 3: Chapter 22 Daddy s going to kill you. He s going to kill you, she said. I wasn t listening, though, I was thinking about something else something crazy. You know what I d like to be? I said. You know what I d like to be? I mean if I had my goddam choice? What? Stop swearing. You know that song If a body catch a body comin through the rye? I d like It s If a body meet a body coming through the rye! old Phoebe said. It s a poem. By Robert Burns. I know it s a poem by Robert Burns. She was right, though. It is If a body meet a body coming through the rye. I didn t know it then, though. I thought it was If a body catch a body, I said. Anyway, I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody s around nobody big, I mean except me. And I m standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff I mean if Essential Passages by Character: Holden Caulfield 61

62 they re running and they don t look where they re going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That s all I d do all day. I d just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it s crazy, but that s the only thing I d really like to be. I know it s crazy. Summary Holden, having sneaked into his home during the night, is speaking to his little sister, Phoebe, of the implications of his expulsion from Pencey Prep. Phoebe is furious with him and his seemingly antagonistic lone quest against the world. She is worried not only about what their parents will think but also about Holden s lack of purpose. She asks him point blank what his goal in life is, having accused him of not liking anything. Holden investigates several possible courses in his life and rejects them all. Earlier, he had overheard a child singing the song, Comin Through the Rye, though he was a bit confused as to the correct lyrics. However, Holden picks up on the phrase, If a body catch a body comin through the rye. From this he develops a mental picture of himself saving children, who are playing in a field of rye, from inadvertently running over the edge of a cliff. He thus tells Phoebe, despite his misunderstanding of the song lyrics, that this is the only job in which he can imagine himself finding happiness. Analysis of Essential Passages Holden Caulfield is the classic example of a disaffected youth. He rebels against rules and authority, more in a passive manner than an active. He sees hypocrites and phonies everywhere he looks, and he is actively looking for them at all times. Holden describes himself physically as tall, with a smattering of gray hair on one side of his head. He states that he frequently is told to quit acting like a child, which he admits that he sometimes does. However, he also insists that there are times when he acts old for his age, but no one notices this maturity. It is only the immaturity that attracts attention and condemnation. Holden s physical appearance thus belies his youth, making it symbolic of his alienation from those around him. He does not fit in with his age group, finding them hopelessly immature. He does not wish to be a part of the adult world, finding in them the heights of phoniness. He tries to act older than his sixteen years, especially in smoking, drinking, and garnering the attentions of women, yet he always comes off looking like a teenager trying to act older and failing miserably. It is this lack of belonging that has him increasingly depressed, to the point that it is assumed that he either had a nervous breakdown or tried to commit suicide. He finds himself in a psychiatric hospital after his adventures on his own. Holden s misanthropic views extend to aspects of his own life, as his ten-year-old sister Phoebe so accurately points out. On principle, it seems, Holden does not like anything. His default position is to despise everything he does, everyone he meets, every place he goes. When Phoebe confronts him, daring him to come up with something he actually likes, he has difficulty expressing it. However, throughout the course of the novel, there are many things that Holden evidently enjoys. He recounts pleasant memories of throwing the football out in the snow with a couple of fellow students. He appreciates the beauty of the snowfall. He has his favorite teachers. He loves literature. He loves his sister Phoebe and his deceased little brother Allie. Yet consciously acknowledging to someone else things that he does indeed like seems a matter of weakness. He achieves strength only by knocking down everyone and everything. Despite his tough exterior, Holden consistently shows a caring heart. He asks Ackley, an annoying fellow student, to join him and another friend at the movies simply because he knows Ackley has no friends. He regrets hasty judgments he has made, specifically in believing that his favorite teacher, Mr. Antolini, was making homosexual advances to him, when in actuality Antolini was probably just expressing affection for a soul that was hurting. When Phoebe tries to pin him down in naming his goals in life, he creates an entirely unrealistic job of keeping playing children from falling over the edge of a cliff. Essential Passages by Character: Holden Caulfield 62

63 The children that Holden envisions saving are symbolic of his desire to protect the innocence of childhood. Before he has learned to recognize the phoniness in the adult world that he is rapidly approaching, before the tragedy of the death of his little brother, before his own grief over Allie s death, Holden wishes a return to the innocent times of youth. His vision is not to save actual children, but to save that carefree and pure belief in the goodness of life. Essential Passages by Theme: Phoniness Essential Passage 1: Chapter 13...If you want to know the truth, I m a virgin. I really am. I ve had quite a few opportunities to lose my virginity and all, but I ve never got around to it yet. Something always happens. For instance, if you re at a girl s house, her parents always come home at the wrong time or you re afraid they will. Or if you re in the back seat of somebody s car, there s always somebody s date in the front seat some girl, I mean that always wants to know what s going on all over the whole goddam car. I mean some girl in front keeps turning around to see what the hell s going on. Anyway, something always happens. I came quite close to doing it a couple of times, though. One time in particular, I remember. Something went wrong, though I don t even remember what any more. The thing is, most of the time when you re coming pretty close to doing it with a girl a girl that isn t a prostitute or anything, I mean she keeps telling you to stop. The trouble with me is, I stop. Most guys don t. I can t help it. You never know whether they really want you to stop, or whether they re just scared as hell, or whether they re just telling you to stop so that if you do go through with it, the blame ll be on you, not them. Anyway, I keep stopping. The trouble is, I get to feeling sorry for them. I mean most girls are so dumb and all. After you neck them for a while, you can really watch them losing their brains. You take a girl when she really gets passionate, she just hasn t any brains. I don t know. They tell me to stop, so I stop. I always wish I hadn t, after I take them home, but I keep doing it anyway. Summary Instead of going home, Holden decides to spend the night in a cheap hotel. On the way up to his room, the elevator operator offers to acquire for him the services of a prostitute. He agrees, and prepares for her arrival. He confesses to the reader that he is a virgin. He makes several excuses for this personal deficiency, claiming that there is always a flaw in the circumstances in which an opportunity arose. In a moment of revelation, Holden states that he always stops his advances if the girls asks him to. Unlike the other boys he knows, who always brag about how much they have done it, Holden cannot bring himself to question the girl s words enough to push past them in order to actually make love. Holden is honest and genuine with the reader, yet once again he complains about the phoniness of others, in this case the girls who tell him to stop. He is not sure that they genuinely want him to stop or are in fact setting him up to take the blame should something happen. Although he often wishes that he could ignore their pleas for him to stop, Holden shows himself to be willing to take their requests at face value, rather than assume that their cries are phony. Essential Passage 2: Chapter 15 While I was eating my eggs, these two nuns with suitcases and all I guessed they were moving to another convent or something and were waiting for a train came in and sat down next to me at the counter. They didn t seem to know what the hell to do with their suitcases, so I gave them a hand. They were these very inexpensive-looking suitcases the ones that aren t genuine leather or anything. It isn t important, I know, but I hate it when somebody has cheap suitcases. It sounds terrible to say it, but I can even get to hate somebody, just Essential Passages by Theme: Phoniness 63

64 looking at them, if they have cheap suitcases with them... Summary Holden has left the hotel after the encounter with Maurice the elevator boy and Sunny the prostitute and gone to Grand Central Station as a place to hang out. He goes into a sandwich bar for some breakfast. While he is there, two nuns come in to eat as well. He notices their cheap suitcases and comments on them. He admits to a strong snobbishness when it comes to people s luggage. He demands genuine leather suitcases of others, at the risk of suffering rejection by him. He then tells a story of one of his roommates, Dick Slagle, at a former school, Elkton Hills, who had cheap suitcases. Slagle put Holden s suitcases on the exposed luggage rack and his own luggage he hid under his bed, hoping that people would think that Holden s leather bags were his. Yet Slagle also poked fun at Holden s luggage, calling it bourgeois. It was for this reason that both Holden and Slagle eventually requested a change in roommates. Essential Passage 3: Chapter 17 You ought to go to a boys school sometime. Try it sometime, I said. It s full of phonies, and all you do is study so that you can learn enough to be smart enough to be able to buy a goddam Cadillac some day, and you have to keep making believe you give a damn if the football team loses, and all you do is talk about girls and liquor and sex all day, and everybody sticks together in these dirty little goddam cliques. The guys that are on the basketball team stick together, the Catholics stick together, the goddam intellectuals stick together, the guys that play bridge stick together. Even the guys that belong to the goddam Book-of-the-Month stick together... Summary Holden meets Sally Hayes, an old girlfriend, to go to a play. After the performance (which Holden says he hated), Sally says that she wants to go ice skating. Despite the fact that both of them are less than adequate as skaters, Sally enjoys herself until her ankles hurt. The two then go to a bar attached to the skating rink. Holden becomes increasingly depressed and asks Sally if she ever gets fed up with everything. He then goes on a tirade in which Sally begs him to stop screaming and Holden claims he is not. Holden centers on his favorite topic: phoniness. He deplores the car as a symbol of manhood and the lengths that men go to keep them in tip-top condition. Holden then holds up boys schools as the pinnacle of phoniness. He points out the phoniness of the cliques, of people who join only with those who are similar to themselves. Sally protests that schools are more than that, but Holden insists that this is all he gets out of them. Analysis of Essential Passages The identification and condemnation of phoniness is Holden Caulfield s reason for living, judging from the amount of time he discusses it. His journey through life, and specifically to New York, can be described as a quest to label the phonies of the world. He does not claim to search for the genuine with which to replace the phoniness. His focus on the negative leads him into ever darker moods, until he sees everyone around him (though never himself) as phonies. Holden considers boys schools to be temples to this phoniness. To him, the sole purpose of a private school education is to train boys in methods of phoniness, to acquire the symbols that hide the genuine in their lives. A school is a place for the phonies to congregate and feed off of each other s phoniness, and thus with each generation more and more phoniness is created. It is for this reason that Holden expresses his contempt for the adults in his life. To be an adult, according to Holden, is to be a master of phoniness. He despises his classmates who are fast approaching adulthood and the less-than-genuine world. It is only the children in his life that he holds up as models of goodness. For Holden, a child is someone who must be protected from the phoniness acquired in growing up. He states that he wants to protect childhood by becoming, in his words, a catcher in the rye. Essential Passages by Theme: Phoniness 64

65 However, even as Holden condemns the phoniness of others, he is not above being phony himself. Symbolic of his phoniness is his snobbery concerning luggage. He unabashedly states that luggage is a symbol of one s worth as a human being. He seems oblivious to the shallowness of such a blanket statement. In many ways throughout the novel, Holden reveals such phoniness, which is why his endeavoring to escape school will prove fruitless: he does not realize that the phoniness he is trying to escape from is embedded in his own life. Yet in a way, Holden s phoniness can stray into a devaluation of himself as a genuine, compassionate human being. His respect for others, especially girls, is revealed unintentionally in his explanation of his virginity. He cannot bring himself to portray himself in the macho role, overcoming girls objections and forcing himself on them. He subconsciously rejects this most negative of the male stereotype of the time and is willing to be a gentleman in this matter, despite the opinions of others. The paradox of Holden s crusade against phoniness has no resolution, nor is he seriously interested that it should have one. He will identify phoniness, but not endeavor in any serious manner to correct anyone. Nor will he identify the phoniness in himself as identical to that of others. This concentration on others, rather than on his own need for self-improvement, leads him to self-negation. The implication that Holden has had a nervous breakdown indicates that he has not been able to accept the world as it is and rise above it, nor has he been able to move past the insincerity in his own personality. His proclamation that everything is phony has helped him not to change the reality of his world, but instead to create an unrealistic world that is cast in a most negative light. The Catcher in the Rye: Characters Robert Ackley Holden's unpleasant dormmate, whose personal habits are dirty and whose room stinks. Holden suspects that Ackley does not brush his teeth and describes them as mossy. Cursed with acne, Ackley constantly picks at the sores. Ackley dislikes Stadlater, calling him a "son of a bitch." Holden finds Ackley disgusting but appears to feel sorry for him at the same time. Mr. Antolini Holden's former English teacher, Mr. Antolini, "the best teacher I ever had," invited Holden to come right over, even though Holden probably woke him and his wife up in the middle of the night. Mr. Antolini asked why Holden was no longer at Pencey, warned him about heading for a fall, and wrote down a quote on paper for him: "The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one." Later that night, after falling asleep on the couch, Holden wakes up to find Mr. Antolini patting his head in the dark. Holden leaps up, convinced Mr. Antolini is a pervert, and rushes out of the apartment. Later Holden is unsure whether his reaction was mistaken. Allie Caulfield Allie Caulfield is Holden's younger brother. While he has died of leukemia, he is very much alive throughout the book. Holden refers to him as still living and even talks to him. Bright and charming, Allie is/was Holden's best friend other than Phoebe. D. B. Caulfield D.B. Caulfield is Holden's and Phoebe's older brother. He is a successful and financially secure screenwriter in Hollywood. But Holden feels that D.B. has prostituted his art for money and should instead be writing serious works. While D.B. shows great solicitude for Holden, the relationship between the brothers is distant. Holden Caulfield Holden Caulfield is a deeply troubled sixteen-year-old boy who is totally alienated from his environment and The Catcher in the Rye: Characters 65

66 from society as a whole. He looks on people and events with a distaste bordering on disgust. The reader can view him either as an adolescent struggling with the angst of growing up (the Peter Pan syndrome) or as a rebel against what he perceives as hypocrisy (phoniness) in the world of adults (i.e., society). The novel is the recollection of three depressing days in Holden's life when his accumulated anger and frustration converge to create a life crisis. The events of this long weekend eventually propel him to a hospital where he is treated for both physical and mental disorders. Since the book is written in the first person, we see all people and events through Holden's eyes. He tells his story from the vantage point of the 17-year-old Caulfield, who is still in a California hospital at the outset of the book. He begins with a statement of anger that includes the reader in its sarcasm: "If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth.... I'm not going to tell you my whole goddam autobiography or anything. I'll just tell you about this madman stuff that happened to me around last Christmas just before I got pretty run-down and had to come out here and take it easy. Where I want to start telling about is the day I left Pencey Prep." Holden has once again flunked out of prep school, where he failed every subject but English. On this day, he says goodbye to his history teacher, Mr. Spencer, who is home with the grippe. He views the sick man with both sympathy and disgust and escapes hastily after the teacher begins to lecture him about flunking out of three prep schools. The novel continues with equally flawed encounters with two fellow students, Bob Ackley and his playboy roommate, Ward Stradlater. Holden decides to leave Pencey that very night. He packs his belongings, heads to the railroad station and grabs a train to New York City. There he embarks on a harrowing weekend staying at hotels, frequenting bars, and trying desperately to communicate with everyone he meets the mother of a classmate (to whom he lies about his identity), hangers-out in bars, taxi drivers, a prostitute and her pimp, and two nuns in a restaurant. His two most memorable encounters are with his old friend, the pseudo-sophisticated Sally Hayes, and a former schoolmate, Carl Luce. Both take place on Sunday. Late Sunday night thoroughly chilled from sitting in Central Park and having used up most of his money and everyone else's patience Holden sneaks into his family's apartment. He wakes up his engaging ten-year-old sister, Phoebe. Phoebe is the only human being with whom Holden can communicate except for the memory of Allie, for whom he continually grieves. Phoebe represents the innocence and honesty of childhood, which is all Holden truly respects a viewpoint shared in part by Salinger himself. (In contrast, Holden sees his older brother, D. B., as a "prostitute" because he has sold out his art, becoming a Hollywood scriptwriter instead of what Holden views as a serious writer.) Phoebe is direct and blunt. When she learns that Holden has been expelled from yet another private school, her instant comment is, "Daddy'll kill you." And of course that's what Holden has been running away from all weekend confronting his parents about his expulsion. Later, Phoebe tells him: "You don't like anything that's happening.... You don't like any schools. You don't like a million things. You don't." Holden is stunned and defensive. When he tries to think of something he likes, he finally comes down to nothing but Allie and Phoebe. He tells Phoebe that he's going to hitchhike to Colorado and start a new life there. The Catcher in the Rye: Characters 66

67 Still avoiding his parents, he arranges to spend the rest of Sunday night with a former favorite English teacher, Mr. Antolini, and his somewhat frowsy wife. During the night, he awakes to find Antolini stroking his hair. He immediately panics, deciding that Antolini is just another pervert in a world full of twisted people, and flees the Antolini apartment. On Monday, he goes to Phoebe's school to leave a message for her to meet him at the Museum of Natural History. He wants to say goodbye. When Phoebe shows up, she is dragging a huge suitcase along the sidewalk. She intends to go with him. This is not in his plan at all. Instead, he takes her to the Central Park Zoo. While watching her ride on the merry-go-round, he worries that she'll fall off while trying to catch the gold ring. "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," muses Caulfield. This, in a way, is the end of a dream he has told Phoebe: "I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody's around nobody big, I mean except me. And I'm standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff I mean if they're running and they don't look where they're going. I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That's all I'd do all day. I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it's crazy, but that's the only thing I'd really like to be. I know it's crazy." Is this a turning point in Holden's withdrawal from the world a point at which he know he has to accept the inevitable realities of life and people? Or will he continue to run away toward his dream of saving the world? We leave Holden where we found him or he found us in the California hospital. When he is well, his brother D. B. will drive him back East, where he will attend yet another school. Holden Caulfield is both tragic and funny, innocent and obscene, loving and cruel, clear-sighted yet viewing the world from a warped perspective, an expert in identifying phonies and the greatest phony himself. Of course, how you see Holden depends upon your own point of view. For many young readers of the book, especially in the 1950s and '60s, Holden still represented the true reality the innocent abroad in a corrupt world. For older readers, he represents the angst of adolescence in its nightmarish extreme. For the ultraconservative, he still remains a threat to the status quo. Phoebe Caulfield Phoebe Caulfield, Holden Caulfield's pretty, redheaded ten-year-old sister, is straightforward and independent. She says exactly what she means. She does not share Holden's disenchanted view of the world. Quite the opposite, she scolds Holden for not liking anything at all. This hurts him very much because Phoebe is his favorite person the only one with whom he can truly communicate. Phoebe is bright, well-organized, and creative. She keeps all her school work neatly in notebooks, each labeled with a different subject. She also loves to write books about a fictional girl detective named Hazle [sic] Weatherfield, but according to Holden, she never finishes them. Holden delights in taking her to the zoo and the movies and other places, as did their dead brother, Allie. Her directness and honesty are both refreshing and amusing. Faith Cavendish Faith Cavendish is the first person Holden calls when he gets to New York City. He met her previously at a party, where she was the date of a Princeton student. A burlesque stripper, she is supposed to be an "easy" conquest. She turns down Holden's invitation to get together and wishes him a nice weekend in New York. Jane Gallagher While she does not appear in the book, Jane Gallagher is very much present. Holden has a crush on this The Catcher in the Rye: Characters 67

68 attractive and interesting young woman, who dances well and plays golf abominably. He resents the fact that his roommate, Stadlater, takes her out on a date and suspects that Stadlater, who likes to brag about his alleged sexual conquests, has forced her to have sex with him. When he first arrives in New York, Holden wants to call her up, but he never actually does so. Sally Hayes Sally Hayes is Holden's very attractive ex-girlfriend. He considers her stupid, possibly because she has an affected, pseudo-sophisticated manner. But he makes a date with her anyway. They go ice skating in Rockefeller Center, then go to a bar. Holden asks her to go away with him to Massachusetts or Vermont. She refuses, pointing out that they are much too young to set up housekeeping together and that college and Holden's career come first. Holden doesn't want to hear about a traditional career. He becomes angry and tells Sally she's a "royal pain in the ass." She "hit the ceiling" and left. Later, drunk, he calls her late at night to tell her that, yes, he will come to help trim her family's Christmas tree. Horwitz Horwitz is the second taxi driver Holden encounters in New York City. Holden tries to strike up a conversation with him about where the ducks in Central Park go when the water in the lake freezes over. But Horwitz obviously considers Holden somewhat of a loony and is abrupt with him. Carl Luce Carl Luce, Holden's former schoolmate, ostensibly his Student Adviser, was about three years older and "one of these very intellectual guys he had the highest I.Q. of any boy at Whooton." Holden called him, hoping to have dinner and "a slightly intellectual conversation," but Luce could only meet him for a drink at the Wicker Bar at ten that evening. He arrived saying he could only stay a few minutes, ordered a martini, kept trying to get Holden to lower his voice and change the subject. Before leaving, he suggested that Holden call his father, a psychoanalyst, for an appointment. Mrs. Morrow Mrs. Morrow is the mother of Holden's classmate, Ernest. Holden runs into her on the train to New York. They have a superficial conversation in which Mrs. Morrow is very friendly. So is Holden but he lies about his identity because he doesn't want Mrs. Morrow to know he has been kicked out of school. Piano Player in the Wicker Bar Holden encounters the Wicker Bar's "flitty" piano player in the men's room. He asks him to find out whether the waiter delivered his message to the singer, Valencia, whom Holden wanted to invite to his table. The piano man, seeing how drunk Holden is, tells him to go home. Lillian Simmons Lillian Simmons is D. B.'s ex-girlfriend. Holden's main observation about her: "She has big knockers." Holden encounters her in Ernie's, a Greenwich Village hangout, where she introduces Holden to her companion, Navy Commander "Blop." Mr. Spencer Mr. Spencer is Holden Caulfield's history teacher at Pencey. Before leaving on Saturday of his long weekend, Holden goes to Spencer's house to say goodbye. Spencer, ill with the grippe, is wearing pajamas and a bathrobe. Holden finds old men dressed this way to be pathetic, with their pale, skinny legs sticking out under The Catcher in the Rye: Characters 68

69 their bathrobes and their pajama tops askew, revealing their pale, wispy chests. Spencer obviously likes Caulfield, but he cannot resist giving him a lecture on his poor performance in history. Holden listens, agrees, and leaves as soon as he can. Ward Stradlater Ward Stradlater is Holden's obnoxious roommate at Pencey Prep. A playboy, he asks Holden to write an essay on a room or a house for him while he goes out on a date with Jane Gallagher, the girl Holden really cares about. A resentful Holden writes an essay about his brother Allie's baseball glove, on which Allie scribbled Emily Dickinson poems. A secret slob (he shaves with a dirty, rusty razor), Stradlater makes a good appearance. Smooth and slick, he likes to boast about his alleged sexual prowess. When he returns from his date, he is irate because Holden has written an essay about a baseball glove instead of a house. Holden tears it up, has an argument with Stradlater, and ends up in a fistfight with him. Sunny Sunny is the prostitute Holden requests. When she comes to his room in the Edmont Hotel, she discovers that Holden just wants someone to talk with. She leaves in disgust. Later, she returns with her pimp, Maurice, the hotel's elevator operator. They demand another five dollars for her time. Holden protests, and after she takes the money from his wallet. Three girls from Seattle After checking in and calling Faith Cavendish, Holden goes to the bar of the Edmont Hotel "a goddam hotel" that was "full of perverts and morons," comments Holden. In the bar, he strikes up a conversation with three thirty-ish girls from Seattle who are spending their vacation touring New York City. He dances with them all, one by one, but the whole experience fizzles and he leaves the bar, calls a cab, and goes to Ernie's, a night club in Greenwich Village. Two Nuns Two nuns with whom Holden strikes up a conversation in a restaurant. They are both school teachers, and Holden charms them with his expressions of enthusiasm about English literature. Since they have a wicker collection basket with them, Holden gives them $10 as a contribution to their charity. The Catcher in the Rye: Themes Hatred of Phonies "Phonies" is arguably the word most often associated with J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye. Sixteen-year-old Holden Caulfield has a thirst for authentic experience, and the fake behavior and attitudes he finds among other people sicken him. The first time the term occurs is when Holden describes the headmaster of Pencey Prep as a "phony slob." He rejects the school's high-faluting statements about how it molds "splendid, clear-thinking young men" as mere advertising propaganda. Since school is supposed to be Holden's primary social sphere, this shows how much he is at odds with his peers. When he travels into New York, he fares no better. He is put off by the fatuous celebrity-hunting of the girls from Seattle with whom he dances, and positively repulsed when he meets his brother's old girlfriend, Lillian Simmons, who spouts phony platitudes. When Holden goes out with Sally Hayes, her phony-sounding conversation with an Ivy League acquaintance irks him and contributes to the disastrous ending of the date. These are just some of the more glaring examples. In the repressed post-world War II American society, Holden's hatred of phonies and unwillingness to tolerate them sets him apart. The reader senses that this tendency may either lead Salinger's protagonist to greatness or destroy the young man. The Catcher in the Rye: Themes 69

70 Suspicion Toward Authority Figures Holden's speech and general deportment show that his suspicion toward authority figures is not just rooted in crude adolescent rebelliousness. He is sophisticated enough to detect the ring of untruth and will not just accept statements on faith. For instance, he recalls his disdainful reaction to a religious speech given to the school by a wealthy undertaker named Ossenburger. Instead of feeling reverent, Holden felt like laughing when the man talked about praying to Jesus while driving his car, as if there was a connection between spirituality and riches. As well, when his teacher, Mr. Spencer, lectures him about bearing down in his studies and being concerned about his future, Holden recognizes the old man's good intentions but does not simply acquiesce, because he knows the two of them are "too much on opposite sides of the pole." Perhaps the best validation of Holden's suspicion toward authority figures comes toward the end of the novel when he stays over with his former English teacher. Mr. Antolini gives Holden articulate, intelligent advice about getting his life back on track. But then, the entire effect is undercut when Holden wakes that night to the creepy sensation of Mr. Antolini stroking his hair. The message is clear: don't trust people simply because they occupy respected positions. Disregard for Conventional Social Roles John Wayne isn't mentioned in The Catcher in the Rye, but it's a good bet that the movie star would represent aspects of American manhood that Holden despises: the square-jawed, ruggedly handsome macho warrior. Holden shows contempt for his school's football players: "You were supposed to commit suicide or something if old Pencey didn't win." He also dislikes the good-looking Ward Stradlater, who is his roommate. Stradlater affects a bluff, hearty manner and casually flaunts his seductions of various girls. He has no intellectual inclinations (as reflected in the way he asks Holden to write an essay for him), preferring topics like sex and cars. Holden, who reads authors like Isak Dinesen and Thomas Hardy is thus portrayed as an outsider in contrast to this specimen of normal red-blooded youth. Holden speaks explicitly about his dislike of cliques toward the end of his date with Sally Hayes. He sees no use in dividing the world up into Catholics, intellectuals, basketball players, and so on. He cannot truly belong to any of these circles, because he finds the roles too constricting. And he is equally nauseated by the idea of becoming a Manhattan office worker as an adult, acting out the pantomime of social respectability. Holden wants to find a way to retain his own identity. Romanticizing Nature and Longing for Innocence Confronted with either obnoxious schoolmates or the bustling pace of New York, Holden finds his nerves fraying. He often turns to a romantic image of nature to find solace. For example, when he arrives in the city, he asks the cab driver if he knows where the ducks in Central Park go when the lagoon freezes over. It is something Holden has been wondering about ever since his preparations to leave Pencey. The driver's curt reply is a reminder that not everyone shares Holden's values. When Holden checks into a hotel, he is surrounded by prostitutes, perverts and heavy drinkers, all of which contrast with the serenity of the park. Later, Holden returns to the subject of the ducks with another cab driver. It seems that if he could get an answer to this question, his mind would be at ease, knowing the ducks are safe. It is a childish desire, in a way, but it also offers an important insight into Holden's psyche. Holden also conjures up an image of nature and innocence intertwined when he makes a spur-of-the-moment proposal to run away with Sally Hayes. He talks about living in "cabin camps" and later getting a house near a brook, somewhere in rural Massachusetts or Vermont, away from the corruption of the city. Sally's dismissal of the notion reinforces his outsider status again. It is not surprising that Holden's epiphany of happiness at the end of the novel occurs in Central Park. Watching his sister Phoebe riding a carousel, he states: "I was damn near bawling, I felt so damn happy, if you want to know the truth." Holden is always trying to get to the truth, even if it is sometimes elusive, so this is The Catcher in the Rye: Themes 70

71 an important revelation from him. The park evokes his own fond memories of childhood, before his brother Allie's death, and seeing Phoebe circling around in this natural setting seems to bring him a sense of permanency and wholeness. Even though Holden ends up in a sanitarium, as we are reminded in the brief final chapter, he has a stabilizing force in his life. That can give him hope for the future. Other Themes Alienation and Loneliness: A primary theme that runs through this book is alienation, whether the book is read as the funny/tragic account of a deeply troubled, rebellious, and defensive teenager or as a commentary on a smug and meaningless social milieu. Phoebe sums up Holden's sense of separateness from and anger at other people when she tells him he doesn't like anything. Holden's red hunting cap, which he dons when he is most insecure, is a continuing symbol throughout the book of his feeling that he is different, doesn't fit into his environment, and, what's more, doesn't want to fit in. Failure: A second theme is that of failure. Holden continually sets himself up for failure, then wears it like a badge of courage. Thus he fails in every encounter with other people in the book with the exception of Phoebe. Why would a sixteen-year-old want to fail? Failure serves as a great attention-getting device. And perhaps, more than anything, Holden wants attention from his parents, the absent characters in the book. What Holden really longs for, most likely, is acceptance and love. Guilt and Innocence: Holden is deceitful and manipulative in most of his dealings with others. And he knows this all too well and even boasts of his prowess as a liar. But throughout the book we glimpse another Holden, the one who feels sorry for the people he cons. His basic kindness comes through in glimpses, particularly in the passage where he reveals that the only thing he would like to be is a "catcher in the rye" protecting innocent children from falling into the abyss of adulthood. Anger: Holden is angry at everyone except Allie and Phoebe and perhaps the ducks in the pond in Central Park. Anger, of course, is the flip side of hurt. Holden is wounded by his disappointment in the faults of the world and frustrated because he finally realizes that he can't fix them. His failures may also be a way of acting out his anger at his parents and society at large. Sexuality: Holden struggles with his emerging sexuality. He is unable to relate in any meaningful way to the girls he encounters along the way, writing them off as sex objects. He writes off other males as perverts or morons and views their sexuality with disgust. Confusion about sexual identity is common in adolescents. For Holden, it is terrifying. Courage: Courage is one of the subtle themes running throughout the novel. Holden, in his own twisted way, confronts the demons in his life and, therefore, stands a chance of wrestling them to the floor. The Catcher in the Rye: Style Narrator In essence, we have three narrators of the events that take place in this book. The first is the author J. D. Salinger who was looking back in anger (or in creativity) from his thirty-two-year-old vantage point. The second is the seventeen-year-old Holden, still institutionalized, who tells the story as a recollection. And the third, and most immediate, is the sixteen-year-old Holden who does all the talking. The form of the narration is first person, in which a character uses "I" to relate events from his or her perspective. Stream of Consciousness The technique of the narration is a form known as "stream of consciousness." While the book proceeds in a rough chronological order, the events are related to the reader as Holden thinks of them. Wherever his mind The Catcher in the Rye: Style 71

72 wanders, the reader follows. Notice how his language often appears to be more like that of a ten-year-old than that of a smart sixteen-year-old. This is a continuing demonstration of Holden's unwillingness to grow up and join the hypocritical adult world that he despises. Holden's conversation in the Wicker Bar with Luce demonstrates this reluctance aptly, when Luce expresses annoyance at Holden's immaturity. Setting The settings for The Catcher in the Rye Pencey Prep and New York City were the settings for J. D. Salinger's early life as well, although the novel is not strictly autobiographical. Through his description of Holden's history teacher, Mr. Spencer, and his portrayals of Holden's fellow students, Salinger recreates the stifling atmosphere of a 1940s prep school, where a sense of alienation often resutled from not conforming to narrow social standards. The New York City where Holden spent his nightmare weekend is the same Manhattan where Salinger grew up smaller, a little homier, and a lot less glitzy than the New York City of today. And Holden's home and family are similar to those of Salinger. However, Salinger had only one sibling, a brother. From the taxi ride, to the seedy hotel where Holden stayed, to Rockefeller Center to Central Park, Holden's New York is tangible, real, and plays an active role like any other character in the book. The descriptions of places and events are colorful and immediate. Salinger entices us into Holden's world whole and without resistance. He is a master of vivid story telling. Symbolism The book is rich in symbolism. The author drops hints of the meaning of its title twice before we find out what it is. The first time, Holden hears a little boy in New York sing-songing "If a body meet a body comin' through the rye," an Americanization of Robert Burns's poem and the song it inspired. The second time, Holden is with Phoebe and brings up the topic, referring to the song as "If a body catch a body comin' through the rye." Phoebe corrects him. But Holden's dream of being a catcher in the rye (derived from the second line of the poem) persists. He will save the children from adulthood and disillusionment. Holden's red hat is an abiding symbol throughout the book of his self-conscious isolation from other people. He dons it whenever he is insecure. It almost becomes his alter ego. After he gives it to Phoebe, she gives it back to him. We do not know at the end of the book whether he still needs this equivalent of a security blanket. The Catcher in the Rye: Historical Context Postwar Prosperity The events in The Catcher in the Rye take place in 1946, only a year after the end of World War II. Adults at this time had survived the Great Depression and the multiple horrors of the war. Paradoxically, the war that wounded and killed so many people was the same instrument that launched the nation into an era of seemingly unbounded prosperity. During the postwar years, the gross national product rose to $500 billion, compared with $200 billion in prewar In unprecedented numbers, people bought houses, television sets, second cars, washing machines, and other consumer goods. No wonder the nation wanted to forget the past and to celebrate its new beginnings. The celebration took the form of a new materialism and extreme conservatism. Traditional values were the norm. People did not want to hear from the Holden Caulfields and J. D. Salingers of the era. They were in a state of blissful denial. The Catcher in the Rye: Historical Context 72

73 Lever House on Park Avenue, a typical 1950s office in New York City. Holden has withdrawn from this society enough to see it from a different perspective. He abhors the banality and hypocrisy he sees in the adult world and is therefore reluctant to participate in it, so his behavior, while that of an adolescent trying to affirm his own identity, also symbolizes the perceived shallowness of people and society. Most of the things Holden fears peak in the 1950s, when conservatism, rigid morality, and paranoid self-righteousness held the nation in a tight grip. Small wonder that 1950s parents assailed Salinger's novel when it hit book stores and libraries in It undermined the foundations of their beliefs and threatened to unsettle their placid but pleasant existence, which was sustained by their hatred of an outside enemy communism. Cold War Concern Despite the materialistic prosperity of the 1950s, many people were concerned about what appeared to be a troubling future. The Soviet Union acquired nuclear technology soon after the war, and the successful launch of the first artificial satellite, Sputnik, in 1957 appeared to give the Russians a threatening advantage over the United States. Americans also questioned the success of their educational system, which had failed them in the space race. The fear of nuclear war became so pervasive that students were regularly drilled on how to "duck and cover" in the case of an attack, and many families built bomb shelters in their backyards and stocked them with food and other supplies to survive a possible holocaust. Education In 1950 about ten percent of all children were educated in Catholic schools, which at the time received federal funding. This became a topic for debate as people disputed whether or not private institutions should receive taxpayer money. Public schools that employed Roman Catholic nuns as teachers also became a target of debate, as some states, such as Wisconsin, denied these schools public support. Such actions were supported by the National Education Association, which took a strong antireligious stance. On the other hand, the National Catholic Educational Association argued that Catholic citizens supported public schools, and so it was unfair to deny parochial schools funding when they were meeting the same educational goals. Religion was more prevalent in public schools during the 1950s; religious topics were routinely taught in public schools: students listened to Bible readings (which were required in twelve states and the District of Columbia), and many students were given "released-time" breaks, during which they were allowed to leave school for one hour a week to attend religious classes. Pressure to Conform Social pressures to conform were intense in the 1950s, not only in politics but also within the nation's educational system, which enjoyed multiple infusions of government funds. A college education became the The Catcher in the Rye: Historical Context 73

74 passport to prosperity, especially after the G. I. bill of 1944 helped pay for war veterans' higher education. Corporations grew rapidly to meet the increasing demands of consumers and sopped up the growing number of skilled employees. Dress codes and embedded company cultures muted individualism. Jobs for white males were secure, while women stayed home and raised the many children ushered in by the postwar "Baby Boom." The Growing Generation Gap The "Baby Boom" caused Americans to pay more attention to the younger generation. While Catcher in the Rye was somewhat before its time in this regard, the subject had particular relevance in the years after its publication. Lifestyles began to change dramatically as teenagers began to date and become sexually active at a younger age. Teenagers became more rebellious, a trend that their parents viewed to be strongly influenced by a new, decadent form of music called rock 'n' roll. This new attitude of rebelliousness was typified by Hollywood actors such as James Dean and Marlon Brando, the bohemian lifestyle of the beatniks, and later in the literature of Jack Kerouac and Alan Ginsberg. Juvenile delinquency became an alarming problem and was considered a major social issue. Teens were skipping classes and committing crimes, and parents were alarmed by their children's lack of respect for authority. The Catcher in the Rye: Critical Overview Mixed reviews greeted J. D. Salinger's first novel, The Catcher in the Rye, published on July 16, New York Times critic Nash K. Burger, for example, lauded the book as "an unusually brilliant first novel," and Chicago Tribune reviewer Paul Engle called the novel "engaging and believable." In contrast, T. Morris Longstreth stated in the Christian Science Monitor that "the book was not fit for children to read." Regarding Holden Caulfield, the book's teenage narrator and protagonist, Longstreth wrote- "Fortunately there cannot be many of him yet. But one fears that a book like this given wide circulation may multiply his kind as too easily happens when immorality and perversion are recounted by writers of talent whose work is countenanced in the name of art of good intention." In the novel's defense, critic James Bryan wrote in PMLA: "The richness of spirit in this novel, especially of the vision, the compassion and the humor of the narrator, reveal a psyche far healthier than that of the boy who endured the events of this narrative. Through the telling of his story, Holden has given shape to, and thus achieved control of, his troubled past." It can be argued that The Catcher in the Rye is as much a critique of society as a revelation of the rebellion and angst of a teenage boy. The book takes potshots at a post-world War II society full of self-righteousness and preoccupied by the pursuit of the "American Dream" of everlasting prosperity. Salinger depicts this goal as being empty and meaningless. Commented the great American novelist William Faulkner who praised Salinger's novel, "When Holden attempted to enter the human race, there was no human race there." The reader never finds out how Holden turns out. Will he compromise with the realities of people and society, becoming like the people he despised? Will the banality of everyday events engulf his reluctant coming of age, leaving him a tormented misfit for the rest of his life? Or will he become a superhero, leading others out of the slough of the ordinary and into a more enlightened view of life? The reader will never know unless Salinger writes a sequel. His most recent novel, Hapworth 16, 1924, released in the spring of 1997, is a republication of a long short story that appeared in the New Yorker in the 1960s. The featured character in the new book is Seymour Glass, member of another well-to-do fictional New York family depicted in a number of Salinger short stories. For some readers and critics, however, the endless saga of the eccentric Glass family eventually wore out its welcome. The Catcher in the Rye and Hapworth 16, 1924 are the only two novels Salinger has thus far written. But he did write a wealth of short stories for such magazines as the New Yorker, Saturday Evening Post, and Collier's. The Catcher in the Rye: Critical Overview 74

75 If The Catcher in the Rye were introduced as a new book today, it would certainly not be considered as shocking now as it was in the 1950s. But it would still be viewed as a true and vivid portrait of adolescent angst. It can therefore rightly take its place among the literary classics of the twentieth century. The Catcher in the Rye: Character Analysis Holden Caulfield The first-person narrator of The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield is the sixteen-year-old son of wealthy New York parents. His defining characteristic is his hatred of "phoniness" in every sphere of life. In fact, the prevalence of phonies in academia is one reason why Holden has just flunked out of his third prep school, Pencey, when the novel opens. Despite emerging as a great iconoclastic rebel, Holden also lacks direction, and that is reflected in his three days of wandering around New York. Holden yearns for honesty from other people and finds himself repeatedly disappointed. He has an instinctive dislike of pomposity, power and those with an arrogant sense of entitlement. Those he criticizes include religious hypocrites, athletic heroes, and vacuous women obsessed with celebrities, among others. He has a witty streak and is not above spoofing others. His attitude toward sex is a peculiar blend of teenage lust, ambivalence and conscientiousness. He ends up backing out of potential encounters with two women of so-called loose moral character. Much of what Holden does is an attempt to avoid continuing his academic career. He discusses his dreams of driving away to another state and living a rural life, or alternatively, from a metaphorical point of view, becoming the "catcher in the rye," a figure who saves people from throwing themselves over a cliff. He mourns the death of his younger brother Allie and regrets that his older brother D. B. is "prostituting" his talent as a writer out in Hollywood. Holden's saving grace is his little sister Phoebe, whose clarity and compassion if somewhat idealized give him the strength to carry on. But even her influence is not enough to keep him from ending up in some sort of sanitarium, where he confesses about his experience: "I don't know what I think about it." The book encourages the reader to carry away a little of Holden's questioning attitude toward life. Phoebe Caulfield Phoebe is Holden's ten-year-old sister, and she only appears in person in the final quarter of the book. But it is clear she has a strong influence on her older sibling. Holden admires this "pretty little kid," raving about how smart and talented and neat she is. She is very literate and articulate, and she listens closely when Holden is venting his frustrations about life at school. Distressed upon learning that Holden has been expelled, Phoebe insists on accompanying him when he plans to go away, and she is hard to dissuade. If Holden is to survive and prosper, Phoebe will likely serve as his inspiration. Robert Ackley This disagreeable eighteen-year-old schoolmate of Holden's is a social misfit, noted for his poor personal hygiene habits. Rooming next door, Ackley frequently pops in uninvited because he has nowhere else to go and no one else to see. He gets testy when Holden asks him questions about being a Catholic. His greatest resemblance to Holden is in his status as an outsider. Jane Gallagher Jane is a pretty, sensitive ballet dancer whom Holden met two summers earlier on vacation. The two spent time together, and Holden was particularly taken by the way she liked to keep her kings in the back row without using them when playing checkers. As with Phoebe, he tends to idealize this girl. He is upset when he The Catcher in the Rye: Character Analysis 75

76 suspects Stradlater of taking sexual liberties with her. Throughout the novel, Holden keeps meaning to give her a call but never gets to it. He lingers on his memories of the happiness he felt in her presence and longs for the innocence of those past summers. Ward Stradlater Another Pencey Prep student, Stradlater is a tall, macho, athletic all-american type who represents much of what Holden cannot be and detests. Stradlater is well aware of his good looks, and with his confident manner, he is skilled at seducing women. Holden is jealous when Stradlater announces he has a date with Jane Gallagher. Holden's agreeing to write a descriptive essay for Stradlater seems as much a way to find out what happened on that date as anything else. When Holden's queries about Jane escalate into a fight, Stradlater gives him a bloody nose, symbolizing how conventional modes of behavior typically prevail over the eccentric mode Holden pursues. Sally Hayes This is an old girlfriend of Holden's who is preoccupied with living a "normal life" and upholding conventional standards. Sally's insistence that Holden should come over and decorate the Christmas tree with her represents her social and religious conformity. During their date one afternoon, which includes a trip to the theater and skating, Holden becomes increasingly irritated when she rejects his suggestion to run away, get married and enjoy a rural lifestyle. His calling her a "royal pain in the ass" marks the final breakdown of their companionship. Carl Luce A former classmate of Holden's from the Whooton School, Luce is about three years older, and his apparent intellectual gifts are what prompt Holden to invite him for a drink at the Wicker Bar one night. In their school days, Luce used to preside over sex discussions among the other boys, but now Holden's questions about the older Chinese woman Luce is dating and the dimensions of psychoanalysis only seem to irritate him. Luce flaunts his adult status, bringing out Holden's adolescent aggression. Mr. Spencer This history teacher at Pencey Prep is genuinely concerned about Holden's flunking out of school when they meet at Mr. Spencer's home early in the novel. But there is too much of a generation gap between Holden and Mr. Spencer for him to provide useful assistance. Holden feels resentful when Mr. Spencer reads aloud from a lame response he gave on a recent history exam. And he cannot identify at all with Mr. Spencer's sincere belief that life is "a game one plays according to the rules." Mr. Antolini Mr. Antolini is Holden's former English teacher from one of his previous prep schools, and Holden decides to phone him up toward the end of the novel when he needs to avoid his parents and get out of the house. Mr. Antolini provides Holden with some intelligent counsel about getting his life and academic career back on track (although its effect is diminished because Holden is so tired). But a creepy incident in the night undoes the teacher's moral stature, as Holden wakes up to find Mr. Antolini petting his head. This provides further justification for the sixteen-year-old's mistrust of authority figures. The Catcher in the Rye: Essays and Criticism The Literary Significance of The Catcher in the Rye Even though The Catcher in the Rye is usually considered only a "minor" classic of American fiction, it is a very popular novel that frequently provokes strong reactions both positive and negative from its readers. In fact, The Catcher in the Rye is one of the most widely read and discussed works in the American literary The Catcher in the Rye: Essays and Criticism 76

77 canon. Despite its widespread popularity and significant reputation, however, some critics argue that it is too vulgar, immoral, and immature to be considered serious literature. Moreover, a few teachers and parents have censored the novel because they feel that it will corrupt children who read it. While there are undoubtedly subversive, or corrupt elements in the novel, arguments for censoring it generally misrepresent its more nobler intentions and greatly exaggerate its subversive designs. Putting aside the overinflated claims of the novel's most extreme critics and supporters, the diversity and intensity of readers' reactions to The Catcher in the Rye suggest that the issues it raises are significant ones. Consequently, it seems likely that readers will continue to have heated discussions about this "minor" classic for a long time to come. One of the issues that has been debated ever since the novel's initial publication is whether or not it qualifies as a significant work of literature. Does it offer significant insights into the complexities of human existence and the development of American culture, or does it simply appeal to vulgar adolescent minds with its obscene language, complaining about everything without developing any positive insights of its own? While some of the initial reviews of The Catcher in the Rye were negative, critics later acknowledged it as a significant literary work and demonstrated how the novel's narrative structure, themes, and character development resemble other great works of literature. For example, Arthur Heiserman and James E. Miller's essay, "J. D. Salinger: Some Crazy Cliff," helped establish the literary significance of The Catcher in the Rye by showing how it belonged to the long tradition of epic quest narratives in western literature. Similarly, Charles Kaplan's essay, "Holden and Huck: The Odysseys of Youth," points out similarities between The Catcher in the Rye and Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn. Both novels are about a young man who tells the story of his own personal odyssey using his own comical wisdom and colloquial everyday language. Critic Lilian Furst compares The Catcher in the Rye to Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky's novels in the Canadian Review of Comparative Literature. Helen Weinberg compares it to Franz Kafka's novels in The New Novel in America while John M. Howell in his essay "Salinger in the Waste Land," compares it to T. S. Eliot's poetry. Perhaps the most interesting aspect about The Catcher in the Rye, however, is that it redefines the focus of the literary text. Instead of focusing primarily on plot development like most traditional novels, The Catcher in the Rye focuses more on character development. In fact, most of the plot is mundane and uneventful; it only becomes interesting because Salinger makes the character of Holden and the perspective through which Holden narrates the story interesting. Consequently, when reading The Catcher in the Rye it is important to pay attention to how Salinger represents Holden's character, language, and world view. While some critics simply dismiss Holden's character as purely negative, vulgar, whining, and cynical, a more balanced reading of the novel could indicate that there is something more to Holden than his academic failures and adolescent cynicism: He is perceptive, sensitive, creative, and even intelligent in his own way. There are several ways that critics have attempted to describe Holden's positive characteristics, including rather obvious childlike innocence. This quality is evident in a number of passages, including when Holden expresses his desire to be a catcher in the rye who protects little children from falling over the edge of a cliff, his fight with Stradlater for making sexual advances to Jane Gallagher, his inability to have sex with a prostitute, and his tender dance with his sister. In his essay "The Saint as a Young Man," Jonathan Baumbach, as other critics have, notes that Holden acts like a saint or savior of the innocent. It is this sensitive, innocent, and childlike side of Holden that makes him a complex and endearing character in spite of his vulgarity and immaturity. Another way that critics have tried to show the positive side of Holden is by focusing on his demonstrated ability to use language creatively. After all, the one course that Holden passes is English. Not only does Holden write a good essay for himself but he also writes a good one for his roommate Stradlater. In addition to writing, Holden is a natural actor and storyteller. He is often seen imitating his classmates or mimicking roles from the movies. In fact, A. Robert Lee goes so far as to argue in his essay "Flunking Everything Else Except English Anyway" that Holden continually performs himself by endlessly putting on a new mask and The Literary Significance of The Catcher in the Rye 77

78 new identity for each new situation. In the train scene for example, Holden makes up stories about one of his classmates in order to please his classmate's mother; he not only adopts a new identity for himself, but he also fabricates a whole new fictional history of life at Pencey. Speaking is another area of importance. Even if Holden may not amount to much else, he is always a smooth talker who can keep the reader interested simply by the way in which he creatively tells his story using the vernacular slang that American teenagers used in the early 1950s. While such positive interpretations of Holden correct reductive interpretations that simply dismiss Holden as an immature cynic, Duane Edwards's essay, "Holden Caulfield: Don't Ever Tell Anybody Anything," advances an even more complex interpretation of Holden. Instead of trying either to redeem Holden as a saint or to condemn him as a pessimist, Edwards argues that Holden is an ironic character who critiques his phony culture but ends up participating in the same phony culture that he condemns. His argument becomes even more interesting when readers remember that Holden is the novel's narrator. By making such an unorthodox and unreliable character as Holden the narrator, Salinger subtly suggests that maybe readers cannot completely trust everything Holden tells them about himself and the world in which he lives. Obviously, the perspective of a cynical failure like Holden cannot be trusted completely as an accurate description of the way things really are, but neither can his compassionate wit be dismissed entirely. Consequently, the reader must always read between the lines like a detective looking for hints and clues that might help explain which of Holden's insights are valid and which are as phony as the phoniness he condemns. Moving beyond purely literary interpretations, The Catcher in the Rye can also be interpreted from the perspective of the social sciences. In particular, many critics have advanced psychoanalytic interpretations of the novel because it repeatedly explores questions relating to death, sexuality, and processes of both psychological development and psychological breakdown. In general, these psychoanalytic interpretations usually try to get beneath the surface of Holden's psyche to discover some hidden force that explains why Holden thinks and acts the way that he does. One way to uncover the hidden layers of Holden's mind is to look back on his childhood in order to find some significant or traumatic event that might explain his current state of being. Clearly, one of the most traumatic, formative moments in Holden's childhood was the death of his brother Allie. Throughout the novel, Holden repeatedly thinks about his dead brother. For example, when Holden agrees to write a paper for his roommate Stradlater, he writes about Allie's baseball mitt. Or when Holden starts to have a breakdown while walking around New York City, he pleads in his mind with Allie to protect him. Perhaps as a result of this traumatic childhood experience involving death, Holden seems to be somewhat obsessed with it. For example, when Phoebe asks Holden to name people that he enjoys, the only people other than Phoebe that he can think of are all dead: Allie and James Castle, a boy who died at Holden's school. This obsession with death, therefore, might be one clue that can offer insight into the inner workings of Holden's mind. Another place where one might find clues about Holden's psychological make-up is in his relationships with other people and especially in his sexual or almost sexual relationships with women. Throughout the novel, Holden is continually obsessed with women, but he rarely does anything about it. He likes Jane Gallagher, but they never get beyond holding hands. He even orders a hooker to his hotel room, but he decides that he only wants to talk. Instead of developing sexual or even intimate relationships with women, Holden seems to focus most of his emotional energy on his younger sister, Phoebe. "While some critics have interpreted this as evidence of Holden's repressed incestual desires and psychological immaturity, others have interpreted it as simply an affectionate bond between siblings that demonstrates Holden's innocence. While the novel may not provide any definitive explanation of Holden's sexuality, sexuality is clearly an important and interesting aspect of his character. A final way to interpret The Catcher in the Rye is to read it from a sociological perspective. Instead of simply analyzing Holden's individual psychological make-up, a sociological analysis probes deeper into the social and economic contexts that shape Holden's personality. Carol and Richard Ohmann's essay, "Reviewers, The Literary Significance of The Catcher in the Rye 78

79 Critics, and The Catcher in the Rye," offers an excellent example of such an interpretation. In their Marxist analysis, the Ohmanns argue that critics' narrow focus on moral issues causes them to overlook how these moral issues are related to broader social and economic contexts. By situating the novel in its broader historical context at the beginning of the cold war, the Ohmanns argue that the novel is less about the morality of Holden's internal psychological character than it is about the capitalist economic system that produces Holden's character. As the Ohmanns point out, the people who Holden criticize are virtually all representatives of a corrupt capitalist society. Mr. Haas is the phony headmaster who gets money for the school by kissing up to wealthy parents while ignoring poorer parents; Mr. Ossenburger is the phony funeral parlor owner who makes money off of personal tragedies; and the majority of Holden's classmates are simply the spoiled children of similar bourgeois money-grabbers. As the Ohmanns demonstrate, Holden consistently directs his strongest criticisms against the evils of capitalism: the commercialization of culture, class-based social hierarchies, exploitative sexuality, phony image-minded people, etc. From a socioeconomic perspective, therefore, The Catcher in the Rye portrays the manners and follies of the rising American bourgeois class during the post-world War II era of rapid capitalist expansion, and Holden represents a sensitive social critic who reveals the evils of this phony bourgeois society. Source: Robert Bennett, in an essay for Novels for Students, Gale, Bennett is a doctoral candidate at the University of California Berkeley. To Tell You the Truth... In the work, Holden has analyzed his family as a representative slice of society and has concluded that adult society is phony and corrupt. But can we really trust his observations of his family after he has told us that he lies? Is he not, like the Cretan who declared that all Cretans were liars, a person declaring that all people are phony? If everyone is phony, then he is phony, too! Although Holden has claimed that he is a liar, he does not always realize whether he is lying or telling the truth. The distinctions between truth and falsehood become blurred as he often adds the phrase "to tell you the truth" onto whatever he is saying. But does this catch phrase ensure that his words are any more truthful? This unambiguous rhetorical statement is restated in an even more paradoxical way when Holden tells Sally that he loves her and then comments to the reader, "It was a lie, of course, but the thing is, I meant it when I said it." Again we are forced to read the work, as de Man suggests [in his essay "Semiology and Rhetoric," appearing in Contemporary Literary Criticism, edited by Robert C. Davis, 1986], in "two entirely coherent but entirely incompatible" ways. Is he lying, or does he "mean" it? First we may claim that Holden is telling the truth: he is a liar, people are phony, society is corrupt. Or we may claim that Holden is lying: he is truthful, people are genuine, and society is untainted. There are obvious problems with both sides of this paradox. Can Holden, people, and society be entirely unchanging always lying, always corrupt, always phony? Or are there internal forces within each that cause them to change (un)willingly? Holden would argue that each is unchanging, labeled forever. In fact, this is how he presents his information to us. He may go out with Sally, but he does not harbor any hope that she will cast off her phoniness. He may loan Stradlater his coat, but he still believes Stradlater is a phony. Because we view all of the events in the book through the eyes of one narrator, our observations are necessarily biased. Holden is an unreliable narrator not only because he is a self-proclaimed liar but also because he perceives reality in a simplistic way. In his work S/Z[1974], Roland Barthes outlines two ways of perceiving reality: readerly and writerly. Barthes explains these ideas in terms of reading books. He claims that the only way to read a different story is to reread the same book. By rereading, a person can learn how this book differs from itself rather than how it differs from other books. When a reader rereads a work, he is perceiving writerly. When a reader refuses to reread, Barthes maintains that he is condemned to "read the same story everywhere." Holden refuses to reread as he perceives reality readerly, seeing only the surface differences between people, not the underlying differences within each person. To perceive a person readerly To Tell You the Truth... 79

80 would be to perceive in terms of overt, easily distinguishable differences. Because Holden avoids investigating deeply, he sees the same story everywhere. Everyone is phony, he insists. But can we honestly believe him? Is he telling the truth? Even so, he is not passing on false or limited information since he has not gone to the trouble to read one story well. To approach accuracy, Holden would have to perceive a person writerly, to judge the fragmentation, the differences within the person, the covert, often contradictory intentions that war within and cause overt actions. We can draw conclusions only from the data which Holden perceives and selects to reveal to us (and he does select carefully as when he refuses to discuss his childhood or his parents); hence, we must be astute readers indeed lest we miss the multidimensionality of the characters that he develops. His readerly perception creates blinkers for the reader. Throughout the novel, Holden tries to lull us into accepting his view of surrounding life as he makes statements that seem to make sense, but which, upon closer inspection, do not bear up to a writerly view. This simplistic mode of perception is revealed particularly through his description of his family. First of all, the Caulfield parents are described in such a way as to cause the blinkered reader to view them uncompromisingly as irresponsible, alienated, skittish parents. For example, the parents are off at work away from their children, who are scattered throughout the country. D. B. in Hollywood, Allie dead, Phoebe at home, and Holden at Pencey Prep. Mr. and Mrs. Caulfield seem to be isolated characters. The reader never meets Mr. Caulfield and only hears Mrs. Caulfield. Holden is hiding in Phoebe's room. Holden will not tell much about his parents beyond his veiled opinion that they both are phony hypocrites. The reader is not even told their first names. From the beginning we are led to believe that they are hypersensitive about Holden's revealing their personal life because they want to protect their created image of conformed perfection. Because Mrs. Caulfield is a nervous woman who has smoked compulsively ever since Allie's death, Holden avoids confrontation about his being kicked out of Pencey Prep. He therefore hides from her as he stays in a hotel or in Mr. Antolini's apartment. Each of these examples appears to show that Mrs. Caulfield does not really communicate with her children. On the other hand, Mr. Caulfield is a lawyer. Holden makes no bones about his opinion of lawyers: they "make a lot of dough and play golf and play bridge and buy cars and drink Martinis and look like a hot-shot" and are phony but can't know it. Holden's warped view of his parents denigrates them without even considering that the Caulfields may be blameless. Can we really trust Holden's view of his parents? Isn't he unethically stacking the deck so that we are prohibited from obtaining an objective view of them? We are given so few facts and scenes to describe them that we have trouble refuting Holden, except that we know he is holding something back from us. No couple could merit such a denunciation from a son. If what he has revealed about the Caulfields is true, carefully selected though the information may be, can we blame them for their anger, hysteria, and desire for privacy? These would be logical reactions if an offspring were so apathetic as to be kicked out of several reputable schools and then became anxious to write a book about his family while recovering from insanity. And what is wrong about working hard to support children, to enable them to have the best education possible? What exactly is phony about being a lawyer? Even though Holden's vagueness works well for him, making his parents appear base, mercenary, isolated, distant, and careless, it denies any redeeming qualities that would upset Holden's persuasive thesis that adult society is corrupt. According to Holden, D. B. represents wholehearted acceptance of society's norms. In Holden's caustic terms, D. B. is a "prostitute" who lives in Hollywood, where he makes buckets of money producing popular movies, such as the Annapolis love story which might prevent him from joining the family at Christmas. D. B. appears to symbolize the successful all-american man since he lives in Hollywood, one of the most prestigious areas of the country, displays a noticeable sign of wealth by owning a Jaguar, and has a "good-looking" albeit affected English girlfriend. However, D. B.'s own name is revealing of both society's worst qualities and his embracing of its values. Like many of the movies that he is writing, D. B.'s name is abbreviated, easy to remember, and void of significant meaning. The very fact that D. B.'s name is compressed into two initials makes one wonder what lies behind them. Just as his name used to mean something, he used to have To Tell You the Truth... 80

81 something to say. But now as D. B. apparently bows to society's pressure and to his desire to pursue the American Dream, he loses the meaning in his life and therefore cannot communicate the message he once had, the message he once published in his short story, "The Secret Goldfish," one of Holden's favorites. After being bombarded with these loaded examples of D. B.'s phoniness, we must ask certain questions to reveal whether Holden is right to condemn his brother. For instance, we should ask why it is wrong to display signs of wealth. Don't the signs reveal a truth about D. B. that he is indeed wealthy? Also, does his meaningless name necessarily mean that he has no message of truth and beauty? D. B. is actually an unselfish, caring brother, as demonstrated by his numerous visits ("practically every week") with a recovering Holden. He does have other commitments, a girlfriend and work, that do keep him from devoting himself wholeheartedly to his immediate family; it is to his credit that he finds as much time as he does to visit his family. However, to prove his thesis, Holden holds fast, emphasizing that because D. B. has rejected an accepted art form and taken up the mass media that a technological society promotes, he has become visibly corrupt. But what is so corrupt about writing movies? Is it the medium that makes the difference? Can paper itself be any more artistic than celluloid? And is Holden really as against movies as he claims to be? If so, why does he volunteer to see so many? By seeing movies, Holden embraces that which he says he rejects. Although he distinguishes between "good" movies and "lousy" movies, he still claims that they are all phony. But what is the difference between a good movie and a good book? Holden does not answer our question. He doesn't follow his proclaimed norms; he is phony. In Holden's readerly view, Allie represents immunity from the dangers of society. Allie is dead, escaped from the clutches of a culture that ultimately requires that children give up their innocence and individuality. Fascinated with Allie's solution to the problem, Holden defies him, preserving him in his memory by carrying Allie's uniquely poem-laden baseball mitt, praying aloud to him, and remembering his good-natured innocence. At the beginning of the novel, Allie is Holden's ally, his closest friend and kin Holden wants to ally himself with Allie, to lie down, subside, become extinct, to simply leave this corrupted Eden. Throughout the novel, Holden contemplates physical death in innumerable scenes, such as when he writes about Egyptian mummies in his history class, when he asks what the ducks do during winter, and when he remembers the suicide of James Castle. However, does he want to unite himself with Allie because Allie truly is perfectly pure, or simply to assuage free-floating feelings of guilt associated with Allie's death? His guilt seems to arise primarily from an incident that occurred when Allie was alive. Holden and a friend decided to have a picnic and shoot their BB guns, and Allie wanted to go with them. However, Holden called him a child and would not let him come along. Now that Allie is dead, whenever Holden gets depressed, he does penance, telling Allie out loud, "Okay. Go home and get your bike and meet me in front of Bobby's house. Hurry up." Holden's recurring feelings of guilt distort his (and our) image of Allie. Did Holden refuse to allow Allie to join him on the expedition because Allie was not perfect? Looking back on the incident, Holden states, "[Allie] didn't get sore about it he never got sore about anything but I keep thinking about it anyway, when I get very depressed." Or was Holden the guilty party by refusing without a good reason to allow Allie to come along? In his guilt, Holden paints Allie larger than life. Phoebus, the name of Apollo, means the genius of poetry. This association is not lost on Phoebe as she writes a synthesized gothic-detective thriller in which her protagonist, Hazle Weatherfield, is an orphan detective who has a father. Holden believes that Phoebe is also an orphan who has parents, but because they are alienated, they do not offer the example, guidance, and support that true parents should. Of course Holden proves this neglect as he chooses to tell us that although Phoebe is to play Benedict Arnold in "A Christmas Pageant for Americans," her father plans to fly to California on that day anyway. Also, her mother, instead of lecturing Phoebe when she admits to smoking, simply closes the subject with the irrelevant question "Do you want another blanket?" Because Phoebe is still young and alive, Holden transfers many of his guilt feelings about Allie to her, causing her to grow, in Holden's perception, more and more innocent and uncorrupted. She To Tell You the Truth... 81

82 trusts Holden wholly as she gives him her Christmas money and packs a suitcase to run away with him. In spite of his guilt over Allie, he commits the same guilt-inducing act with Phoebe as he refuses to allow her to accompany him on the new expedition. As pure as Holden makes Phoebe appear, she has a wisdom that belies her years. She shrewdly sees through Holden's facade of well-being, realizing that he doesn't like anything. When she tests him to prove her theory, he cannot name anything "really" that he likes. She is also a very literate young lady. She is able to identify Holden's song as belonging to Robert Burn's poem and to correct the miswording in it. She perceives reality writerly, as shown when she writes the same story over and over again. When her mother smells smoke and assumes that Phoebe has been smoking cigarettes, Phoebe is too quick she, like Holden, lies about the truth, saying that she only took one puff of the cigarette when it was actually Holden who had been smoking. Again, when Mrs Caulfield complains of a headache, Phoebe promptly supplies the remedy. "Take a few aspirins." Does Phoebe's covert wisdom support Holden's premise that society is corrupt? Does the thesis prove truer than he wants it to be? Holden wants to hold out for children, to proclaim their Edenic innocence. However, his flawed readerly perception blinds him to the writerly truth: not all is as easily categonzable as it appears. Naturally, Holden is the only character shown to be heroically struggling with exactly how to relate to society. He is locked into a self that desires to be genuine but finds no way to return to the pastoral ideal. He believes that he is holed in, trapped by the games of phoniness that society requires its citizens to play. He tries to escape this trap by flunking out of school and by searching for a quiet retreat, only to discover that there is no pure retreat on earth log cabins are distant and lonely, deserted museum rooms are corrupted with permanent obscenities, private hotel rooms lure prostitutes and pimps. Frustrated by the readerly evidence which he has gathered to support his thesis, Holden is himself fragmented and ravaged by the waning forces within him. For instance, within Holden, the desire to reject others conflicts with the desire to be accepted by others; he doesn't want to lend Stradlater his coat, but his overt actions belie this covert, warring want; he despises Ackely, but he invites him to see a movie; he hates movies, believing them to foster phoniness in society, but during the three days of the book he sees or talks about several; he craves truth, but he tells blatant lies. Despite his own inherent writerliness or differences within, Holden still perceives only readerly. He views himself as a liar, but he refuses to acknowledge that this means that he is phony, too. What does this mean for us? What is Salinger trying to prove? Perhaps by making Holden unreliably readerly, he is saying that society is both phony and necessary. Holden's unreliability forces us to question everything about the subject: Holden's view, society's view, our own view as readers. The apparently stable themes are radically unstable; Holden does change, and society can, too, for society is neither entirely phony nor wholly pastoral. Instead, it is both one and the other. It cannot be placed in a fixed category since it is writerly. [Although some critics believe] that there is a coherent, knowable meaning of a work, they refuse to analyze why the meaning varies so radically from one critic to the next. Of course, some of them would rationalize that one critic may not be as intelligent or educated as another. This is possible but does not really answer the fundamental question satisfactorily. Therefore the meaning is ultimately undecidable. Since this is a writerly text, a text that splits down the middle into positive and negative factions, the ultimate meaning of it is undecidable. The reader's expectations of having an orderly, coherent world of meaning are unraveled by the thread that holds the work together. Salinger places his story en abyme, to use [J. Hillis] Miller's term [as quoted from "Stevens' Rock and Criticism as Cure, II," in Georgia Review, 1976], so that it becomes undecidable. Society now appears genuine, now phony, now genuine again, and so on endlessly. There is an endless freeplay of meaning because the book lacks a genuine center the apparent center of the book is actually phony. Therefore, the meaning of The Catcher in the Rye can never be totalized. Source: Susan K. Mitchell, "To Tell You the Truth..." in CLA Journal, Vol. 36, No. 2, December, 1992, pp To Tell You the Truth... 82

83 The Saint as a Young Man: A Reappraisal of The Catcher in the Rye J D Salinger's first and only novel, The Catcher in the Rye (1951), has undergone in recent years a steady if overinsistent devaluation. The more it becomes academically respectable, the more it becomes fair game for those critics who are self-sworn to expose every manifestation of what seems to them a chronic disparity between appearance and reality. It is critical child's play to find fault with Salinger's novel. Anyone can see that the prose is mannered (the pejorative word for stylized); no one actually talks like its first-person hero Holden Caulfield. Moreover, we are told that Holden, as poor little rich boy, is too precocious and specialized an adolescent for his plight to have larger-than-prepschool significance. The novel is sentimental; it loads the deck for Holden and against the adult world; the small but corrupt group that Holden encounters is not representative enough to permit Salinger his inclusive judgments about the species. Holden's relationship to his family is not explored: we meet his sister Phoebe, who is a younger version of himself, but his father never appears, and his mother exists in the novel only as another voice from a dark room. Finally, what is Holden (or Salinger) protesting against but the ineluctability of growing up, of having to assume the prerogatives and responsibilities of manhood? Despite these objections to the novel, Catcher in the Rye will endure both because it has life and because it is a significantly original work, full of insights into at least the particular truth of Holden's existence. Within the limited terms of its vision, Salinger's small book is an extraordinary achievement; it is, if such a distinction is meaningful, an important minor novel. Like all of Salinger's fiction, Catcher in the Rye is not only about innocence, it is actively for innocence as if retaining one's childness were an existential possibility. The metaphor of the title Holden's fantasy-vision of standing in front of a cliff and protecting playing children from falling (Falling) is, despite the impossibility of its realization, the only positive action affirmed in the novel. It is, in Salinger's Manichean universe of child angels and adult "phonies," the only moral alternative otherwise all is corruption. Since it is spiritually as well as physically impossible to prevent the Fall, Salinger's idealistic heroes are doomed either to suicide (Seymour) or insanity (Holden, Sergeant X) or mysticism (Franny), the ways of sainthood, or to moral dissolution (Eloise, D. B., Mr. Antolini), the way of the world. In Salinger's finely honed prose, at once idiomatically real and poetically stylized, we get the terms of Holden's ideal adult occupation: Anyway, I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody's around nobody big, I mean except me. And I'm standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff I mean if they're running and they don't look where they're going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That's all I'd do all day. I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it's crazy, but that's the only thing I'd really like to be. I know it's crazy. Apparently Holden's wish is purely selfless. What he wants, in effect, is to be a saint the protector and savior of innocence. But what he also wants, for he is still one of the running children himself, is that someone prevent his fall. This is his paradox: he must leave innocence to protect innocence. At sixteen, he is ready to shed his innocence and move like Adam into the fallen adult world, but he resists because those no longer innocent seem to him foolish as well as corrupt. In a sense, then, he is looking for an exemplar, a wise-good father whose example will justify his own initiation into manhood. Before Holden can become a catcher in the rye, he must find another catcher in the rye to show him how it is done. Immediately after Holden announces his "crazy" ambition to Phoebe, he calls up one of his former teachers, Mr. Antolini, who is both intelligent and kind a potential catcher in the rye. The Saint as a Young Man: A Reappraisal of The Catcher in the Rye 83

84 He was the one that finally picked up that boy that jumped out of the window I told you about, James Castle. Old Mr. Antolmi felt his pulse and all, and then he took off his coat and put it over James Castle and carried him all the way over to the infirmary. Though Mr. Antolini is sympathetic because "he didn't even give a damn if his coat got all bloody," the incident is symbolic of the teacher's failure as a catcher in the rye. For all his good intentions, he was unable to catch James Castle or prevent his fall; he could only pick him up after he had died. The episode of the suicide is one of the looming shadows darkening Holden's world; Holden seeks out Antolini because he hopes that the gentle teacher the substitute father will "pick him up" before he is irrevocably fallen. Holden's real quest throughout the novel is for a spiritual father (an innocent adult). He calls Antolini after all the other fathers of his world have failed him, including his real father, whose existence in the novel is represented solely by Phoebe's childish reiteration of "Daddy's going to kill you." The fathers in Salinger's child's-eye world do not catch falling boys who have been thrown out of prep school but "kill" them. Antolini represents Holden's last chance to find a catcher-father. But his inability to save Holden has been prophesied in his failure to save James Castle; the episode of Castle's death provides an anticipatory parallel to Antolini's unwitting destruction of Holden. That Antolini's kindness to Holden is motivated in part by a homosexual interest, though it comes as a shock to Holden, does not wholly surprise the reader. Many of the biographical details that Salinger has revealed about him through Holden imply this possibility. For example, that he has an older and unattractive wife whom he makes a great show of kissing in public is highly suggestive; yet the discovery itself Holden wakes to find Antolini sitting beside him and caressing his head has considerable impact. We experience a kind of shock of recognition, the more intense for its having been anticipated. The scene has added power because Antolini is, for the most part, a good man, whose interest in Holden is genuine as well as perverted. His advice to Holden is apparently well-intentioned. Though many of his recommendations are cleverly articulated platitudes, Antolini evinces a prophetic insight when he tells Holden, "I have a feeling that you're riding for some kind of a terrible, terrible fall", one suspects, however, that to some extent he is talking about himself. Ironically, Antolini becomes the agent of his "terrible, terrible fall" by violating Holden's image of him, by becoming a false father. Having lost his respect for Antolini as a man, Holden rejects him as an authority; as far as Holden is concerned, Antolini's example denies the import of his words. His disillusionment with Antolini who had seemed to be the sought-for, wise-good father, comes as the most intense of a long line of disenchantments; it is the final straw that breaks Holden. It is the equivalent of the loss of God. The world, devoid of good fathers (authorities), becomes a soul-destroying chaos in which his survival is possible only through withdrawal into childhood, into fantasy, into psychosis... Obliquely searching for good in the adult world, or at least something to mitigate his despair, Holden is continually confronted with the absence of good. On his arrival m the city, he is disturbed because his cabdriver is corrupt and unsociable and, worst of all, unable to answer Holden's obsessional question: where do the Central Park ducks go when the lake freezes over? What Holden really wants to know is whether there is a benevolent authonty that takes care of ducks. If there is one for ducks, it follows that there may be one for people as well. Holden's quest for a wise and benevolent authority, then, is essentially a search for a God-principle. However, none of the adults in Holden's world has any true answers for him. When he checks into a hotel room, he is depressed by the fact that the bellboy is an old man ("What a gorgeous job for a guy around sixty-five years old") As a sensitized recorder of the moral vibrations of his world, Holden suffers the indignity of the aged bellhop's situation for him, as he had suffered for Spencer's guilt and Ackley's self-loathing. Yet, and this is part of his tragedy, he is an impotent saint, unable either to redeem the fallen or to prevent their fall... After his disillusionment with Antolini, who is the most destructive of Holden's fathers because he is seemingly the most benevolent, Holden suffers an emotional breakdown. His flight from Antolini's house, like his previous flights from school and from the hotel, is an attempt to escape evil. The three are parallel The Saint as a Young Man: A Reappraisal of The Catcher in the Rye 84

85 experiences, except that Holden is less sure of the justness of his third flight and wonders if he has not misjudged his otherwise sympathetic teacher. And the more I thought about it, the more depressed I got. I mean I started thinking maybe I should've gone back to his house. Maybe he was only patting my head just for the hell of it. The more I thought about it, though, the more depressed and screwed up about it I got. The ambivalence of his response racks him. If he has misjudged Antolini, he has wronged not only his teacher, but he has wronged himself as well; he, not Antolini, has been guilty of corruption. Consequently, he suffers both for Antolini and for himself. Holden's guilt-ridden despair manifests itself in nausea and in an intense sense of physical ill-being, as if he carries the whole awful corruption of the city inside him. Walking aimlessly through the Christmas-decorated city, Holden experiences "the terrible, terrible fall" that Antolini had prophesied for him. Every time I came to the end of a block and stepped off the goddam curb, I had this feeling that I'd never get to the other side of the street. I thought I'd go down, down, down, and nobody'd ever see me again. Boy, did it scare me. You can't imagine. I started sweating like a bastard my whole shirt and underwear and everything. Every time I'd get to the end of a block, I'd make believe I was talking to my brother, Allie. I'd say to him, "Allie, don't let me disappear, Allie, don't let me disappear. Allie, don't let me disappear. Please, Allie." And then when I'd reach the other side of the street without disappearing, I'd thank him. Like Franny's prayer to Jesus in one of Salinger's later stories, Holden's prayer to Allie is not so much an act of anguish as an act of love, though it is in part both. Trapped in an interior hell, Holden seeks redemption, not by formal appeal to God or Jesus, who have in the Christmas season been falsified and commercialized, but by praying to his saint-brother who in his goodness had God in him. Like so many heroes of contemporary fiction Morris' Boyd, Ellison's Invisible Man, Malamud's Frank, Salinger's Seymour Holden is an impotent savior. Because he can neither save his evil world nor live in it as it is, he retreats into fantasy into childhood. He decides to become a deaf-mute, to live alone in an isolated cabin, to commit a kind of symbolic suicide. It is an unrealizable fantasy, but a death wish nevertheless. However, Holden's social conscience forces him out of spiritual retirement. When he discovers an obscenity scrawled on one of the walls of Phoebe's school, he rubs it out with his hand to protect the innocence of the children. For the moment he is a successful catcher in the rye. But then he discovers another such notice, "scratched on, with a knife or something," and then another. He realizes that he cannot possibly erase all the scribbled obscenities in the world, that he cannot catch all the children, that evil is ineradicable. This is the final disillusionment. Dizzy with his terrible awareness, Holden insults Phoebe when she insists on running away with him. In his vision of despair, he sees Phoebe's irrevocable doom as well as his own, and for a moment he hates her as he hates himself as he hates the world. Once he has hurt her, however, he realizes the commitment that his love for her imposes on him; if he is to assuage her pain, he must continue to live in the world. When she kisses him as a token of forgiveness and love and, as if in consequence, it begins to rain, Holden, bathed by the rain, is purified in a sense, redeemed. A too literal reading of Holden's divulgence that he is telling the story from some kind of rest home has led to a misinterpretation of the end of the novel. Holden is always less insane than his world. The last scene, in which Holden, suffused with happiness, sits in the rain and watches Phoebe ride on the merry-go-round, is indicative not of his crack-up, as has been assumed, but of his redemption. Whereas all the adults in his world have failed him (and he, a butter-fingered catcher in the rye, has failed them), a ten-year-old girl saves him becomes his catcher. Love is the redemptive grace. Phoebe replaces Jane, the loss of whom had initiated Holden's despair, flight, and quest for experience as salvation. Holden's pure communion with Phoebe may be The Saint as a Young Man: A Reappraisal of The Catcher in the Rye 85

86 construed as a reversion to childlike innocence, but this is the only way to redemption in Salinger's world there is no other good. Innocence is all. Love is innocence. The last scene, with Holden drenched in Scott Fitzgerald's all-absolving rain, seems unashamedly sentimental. Certainly Salinger overstates the spiritually curative powers of children; innocence can be destructive as well as redemptive. Yet Salinger's view of the universe, in which all adults (even the most apparently decent) are corrupt and consequently destructive, is bleak and somewhat terrifying. Since growing up in the real world is tragic, in Salinger's ideal world time must be stopped to prevent the loss of childhood, to salvage the remnants of innocence. At one point in the novel, Holden wishes that life were as changeless and pure as the exhibitions under glass cases in the Museum of Natural History. This explains, in part, Holden's ecstasy in the rain at the close of the novel. In watching Phoebe go round and round on the carrousel, in effect going nowhere, he sees her in the timeless continuum of art on the verge of changing, yet unchanging, forever safe, forever loving, forever innocent. Source: Jonathan Baumbach, "The Saint as a Young Man: A Reappraisal of The Catcher in the Rye," in Modern Language Quarterly, Vol. 25, No. 4, December, 1964, pp The Catcher in the Rye: Suggested Essay Topics Chapter 1 1. Discuss Holden s obsession with phoniness. 2. Discuss Holden s view of the relationship between knowing and feeling. 3. Discuss Salinger s use of dialect. Compare or contrast Holden s dialect with the dialect of teenagers today. Chapter 2 1. Discuss Dr. Thurmer s concept of life as a game. Do you agree with it? Why? Why not? 2. Discuss the relationship between Holden and Mr. Spencer. Is it a personal, caring relationship or simply a professional relationship between teacher and student? 3. Discuss the conflicting teenage emotions of sometimes feeling like a child and sometimes feeling like an adult. Discuss whether teenagers sometimes want to be treated as adults and at other times want to be treated as children. Chapter 3 1. Holden says that a book is good, if, when you are finished, you wish the author were a personal friend of yours so you could call him on the telephone whenever you feel like it. What authors do you wish were your personal friends? What would you like to say to them? 2. Holden describes Ossenburger s religion as bogus. Discuss religious beliefs which you feel that Holden would regard as genuine. Chapter 4 1. According to Stradlater, good writing is simply a question of getting the commas in the right places. What do you think are some characteristics of good writing? The Catcher in the Rye: Suggested Essay Topics 86

87 2. Discuss the extent to which Holden s ability to develop and maintain interpersonal relationships is better than Ackley s and Stradlater s. Chapter 5 1. Describe your understanding of Holden s relationship to Allie and Jane Gallagher. 2. Given Holden s exceptional writing ability, why do you suppose he did not dash off a simple descriptive composition rather than going to the trouble of writing an essay about his brother s baseball glove? Discuss your answer. Chapter 6 1. Why do you think Holden agrees to write a composition for Stradlater? 2. Why do you think Stradlater feels compelled to follow the rules? Chapter 7 1. From Ackley s behavior in this chapter and from the description of Ossenburger in a previous chapter, how would you characterize Salinger s attitude toward organized religion? 2. What is Holden s attitude toward women based on the way he feels about Jane Gallagher? 3. In your judgment, how does Holden really feel about leaving Pencey Prep? Chapter 8 1. Why does Holden not give his real name when talking with Mrs. Morrow? 2. When he is with Mrs. Morrow, why does Holden pretend to be the sophisticated man-about-town? 3. What effect does it have on our reading when Holden tells us he can go on lying for hours if he feels like it? Chapter 9 1. Why do you think Holden is concerned about the welfare of the ducks at Central Park during the winter? 2. Holden uses the excuse of not being in the mood for not calling Jane, just as he did in Chapter Four when he did not go to say hello to her. What do you suppose is the real reason that he does not want to make contact with her? Chapter Why does Holden try to make contact with three obviously unsophisticated girls from out of town? 2. Why does Holden take the liberty of kissing Bernice on the head? Chapter Use your creativity to describe the nature of the conflict between Jane Gallagher and her mother s husband. 2. Describe Holden s relationship with Jane Gallagher. Are they lovers? Just friends? More than just friends? Chapter Discuss Holden s loneliness and depression in terms of how it permeates the entire chapter. The Catcher in the Rye: Suggested Essay Topics 87

88 2. Explain why Holden invites Horwitz for a drink after he observes how difficult it is to discuss anything with him. Chapter Why does Holden spend so much time discussing his cowardliness (the various degrees of being yellow)? 2. Discuss Holden s rationale for never having lost his virginity. Chapter Discuss the significance of the fantasy about being shot which Holden conjures up after he is punched by Maurice. 2. After Holden has been willing to compromise on so many of his principles, why do you think Holden is willing to get beat up over five dollars? Chapter Why do you suppose that Holden prefers to meet Sally Hayes rather than Jane Gallagher? 2. How does Holden feel about associating with people who are not as wealthy as he is? 3. Why do you think Holden enjoys talking to the nuns? Chapter Why does Holden feel less depressed after he hears the child sing, If a body catch a body coming through the rye? 2. Holden says that he does not like any shows very much and that movies are worse. Aside from the fact that he does not like actors, why do you think Holden feels this way? 3. Discuss why you think Holden changes his mind about going into the museum. Chapter Explain the following statement of Holden s: I told her I loved her and all. It was a lie, of course, but the thing is, I meant it when I said it. What does this have to do with Holden always calling himself a madman? In what ways might this and other contradictions be said to be acting crazy? 2. Discuss why you think Holden would not tell his roommate that he was an excellent whistler. 3. Discuss why Holden laughs at Sally while she is angry. 4. Discuss what Holden means when he says that although he would not have taken her up to New England, if she had wanted to go, he meant it when he asked her to go with him. Chapter Discuss whether you think Holden s attitude toward war foreshadowed the anti-war movement of the sixties. 2. What does Holden mean when he says that he is glad that the atomic bomb has been invented? 3. Why do you think some people (like Holden) find religious tributes by the theater offensive, e.g., the Christmas show at Radio City Music Hall? The Catcher in the Rye: Suggested Essay Topics 88

89 Chapter Holden describes the Wicker Bar as sophisticated, but he is critical of the people who patronize it. Discuss why you think Holden chose the Wicker Bar as a place to meet Luce. 2. Discuss how you feel about Luce. Give reasons why you think he is or is not an appealing character. Chapter Discuss the significance of the increased frequency of Holden s references to his loneliness and depression. 2. Discuss Holden s preoccupation with dying in this chapter. Chapter Explain why you think Holden enjoys reading a child s school notebook. 2. Explain what Holden may mean when he describes his sister as quite affectionate for a child. Chapter When asked by Phoebe what he likes, Holden can think only of the nuns and James Castle. Why do you suppose he thinks of these people? 2. What do you think is the significance of Holden s wanting to be the catcher in the rye? Chapter At the end of the chapter, why is it that Holden no longer cares if his parents find him at home? 2. Do you see any significance in the maid, Charlene, breathing on the food and everything? 3. Do you see any symbolism in Phoebe s saying her bedtime prayers in the bathroom? Chapter Why do you think Holden was disturbed by Mr. Vinson s behavior toward Richard Kinsella? 2. With regard to Wilhelm Stekel s quote, The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one, is everyone who dies for a cause immature? Please explain. Is there room in this world for both kinds of people? Chapters 25 and References are made to the hunting hat throughout the book. Comment on its symbolism. 2. Holden says that he misses everybody in his story, and he advises the reader never to tell anybody anything, because you start missing everybody. What does this mean? The Catcher in the Rye: Sample Essay Outlines Topic #1 Illustrate how Holden can be viewed as a contemporary Everyman, the main character in a medieval morality play. The Catcher in the Rye: Sample Essay Outlines 89

90 Outline I. Thesis Statement: The Catcher in the Rye can be viewed as a contemporary morality play. II. Historical Context of Morality Play A. Definition of morality play B. Characteristics of morality play C. Morality play (allegory) as a literary genre III. Everyman A. Summary of story B. Accidental differences to the stories due to different eras C. Lessons The Catcher in the Rye teaches us which are similar to Everyman Topic #2 Discuss symbolism in The Catcher in the Rye. Outline I. Thesis Statement: Although much symbolism in The Catcher in the Rye is authentic, some critics have argued for symbolism which is illusory at best and trivial at worst. II. Symbols are nothing but the natural speech of drama (T. Williams). A. Words are symbols of concepts. B. Symbolic gestures, clothing, etc. can speak more directly and simply than do words. 1. Gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh from the three wise men to Jesus symbolized that Jesus was a king. 2. White gown of a bride symbolizes her purity. 3. Wearing a black armband indicates a person in mourning. 4. A ring on the third finger of the left hand indicates that a person is married. 5. A military salute C. Authentic symbols in The Catcher in the Rye 1. Phoebe and Allie representing innocence and purity 2. Ducks representing homeless condition of Holden, i.e., evicted from their home by the cold temperature of the environment 3. Lunatic in the tombs who hurts himself identified with Holden 4. Holden s passing out in the restroom as a death, and then meeting Phoebe as a resurrection 5. Breaking of phonograph record as a symbol of the end of childhood 6. Holden s blowing smoke on the nuns as a sign of his tainting of the innocent D. Inauthentic or trivial symbols in The Catcher in the Rye 1. Holden s falling sensation as he crosses the streets as a falling into adulthood 2. Red hunting hat as a symbol of rebelliousness 3. Prayers in the bathroom suggesting that the bathroom is a sanctuary 4. Holden s frequent use of the term madman symbolizing his own deteriorating mental health 5. The red hunting hat as a consolation prize for failure, i.e., for having left the fencing equipment on the subway 6. Ernie playing the piano in the Greenwich Village nightclub as a symbol of a priest saying mass at the altar Topic # 3 Many aspects of American life have drastically changed since The Catcher in the Rye was first published. Show how Holden s story still has a profound effect on young people today despite these changes. The Catcher in the Rye: Sample Essay Outlines 90

91 Outline I. Thesis Statement: Even though times have changed drastically, Holden Caulfield speaks as authentically to today s teenagers as he did to his contemporaries over 40 years ago. II. How times have changed: A. Single-Parent Homes There are 8 million single-parent homes today. In 1951, there were relatively few single parent homes. B. Working Mothers About 50 percent of mothers work outside the home today. In 1951, few mothers worked outside the home. Most of those who did work during the war were either laid off or quit their jobs to provide jobs for men returning from the war. C. Sexual Activity Over 25 percent of girls are sexually active at age 15. Since birth control methods were limited and not readily accessible, and there was a taboo against bearing children out of wedlock, sexual activity outside of marriage was much less than today. D. Violent Crime One in six youths between the ages of 10 and 17 has seen or knows someone who has been shot. In 1951, migration of the poor to the cities had just begun, so that violent crime was much less. E. Child Abuse Reported child abuse has increased two hundred fold since F. Drug and Alcohol Abuse Drug and alcohol abuse are enormous social problems today. They were not in G. Mass Communication In 1951, every home had one radio, a telephone, and a few had televisions. With communication satellites, faxes, portable phones, and the Internet, the world is truly a global village. III. Evidence that Holden speaks authentically A. The Catcher in the Rye has remained in print since it was published. B. The University of Dayton did a survey in late 1994 and found that The Catcher in the Rye was the third most popular book to be given for a Christmas gift. IV. Why teenagers still listen to Holden A. Holden, although perhaps in an exaggerated manner, speaks of what most teenagers are experiencing, e.g., finding out who you are, what you believe, how life should be lived. B. The experience of struggling through the teenage years is presented so authentically that young people today can still identify with Holden. The Catcher in the Rye: Compare and Contrast 1950s: Religion is an integral part of many classrooms. Bible readings and regular lessons about religious topics are included in course plans. Today: The separation of Church and State is rigorously upheld and children do not study religious texts; prayer in schools becomes a burning issue, and there is growing pressure from religious factions to have educators teach creationism to counterbalance lessons in Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. 1950s: Only about 58% of students finish high school, but jobs are so plentiful that employment rates remain high. Employer loyalty is the norm, and employees often remain with one company until they retire. Today: Most employers that offer jobs with living-wage incomes require employees to have college degrees, even for low-level positions. Routine layoffs and downsizing largely eliminate company loyalty, and it becomes common for workers to switch jobs and even careers. The Catcher in the Rye: Compare and Contrast 91

92 1950s: Classroom curricula focus on basic skills, including reading, writing, and arithmetic, but the inclusion of science in classes becomes a growing priority as the educational system tries to prepare students for the needs of a more technology-oriented world. Today: Educators aim to give students well-rounded educations that include sex education and an emphasis on multicultural studies; parents become concerned that children are not being taught the basics and that high school students are graduating without knowing how to read. Educators recognize the need to train students in the use of computers, which become common equipment in classrooms and libraries. 1950s: Postwar prosperity brings with it a preoccupation with material goods as the middle-classes enjoy unprecedented buying power; children begin to rebel against this crass materialism and conservatism, and nonconformist icons like actor James Dean become popular. Today: Adults who were the rebellious children of the 1950s and 1960s long for a return of the "family values" of the 1950s; "family values" becomes a campaign buzz phrase for politicians as the American people return to conservative beliefs. The Catcher in the Rye: Topics for Further Study Investigate current research on adolescent psychology. According to current theory, argue whether Holden Caulfield is a typical troubled adolescent or a seriously mentally ill young man. Is Holden Caulfield a reliable narrator? Why or why not? Compare Holden's generation of the 1940s to today's generation. How are the two cultures similar and different? The Catcher in the Rye: What Do I Read Next? The Member of the Wedding (1946) by Carson McCullers tells of an awkward young girl living in a southern town as she suffers the pangs of growing up and feelings of isolation. In her influential first novel, The Outsiders (1967) S. E. Hinton writes of how two gangs the Socs, who are teens from well-off families, and the Greasers, who come from lower-income homes come to blows that lead to murder. Hinton, who was a teenager when she wrote the novel, creates remarkable, sympathetic portraits of the troubled teens in the Greasers gang. In Judith Guest's Ordinary People (1976), a disturbed teenager comes to grips with the events underlying his attempted suicide with the help of his psychotherapist. Three Friends (1984), by Myron Levoy, in which an intelligent fourteen-year-old boy who enjoys chess and psychology becomes involved with Karen, a feminist activist, and her artistic friend, Lori; all three consider themselves outsiders and develop complex and troubled relationships with each other. The Catcher in the Rye: Bibliography and Further Reading Sources Bloom, Harold, ed. Holden Caulfield. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, Bryan, James. "The Psychological Stucture of The Catcher in the Rye." In PMLA: Publications of the Modern Language Association, Vol. 89, no. 5, 1974, pp Burger, Nash K. "Books of The Times." In New York Times, July 16, 1951, p. 19. The Catcher in the Rye: Topics for Further Study 92

93 Engle, Paul. "Honest Tale of Distraught Adolescent." In Chicago Sunday Tribune Magazine of Books, July 15, 1951, p. 3. Faulkner, William. "A Word to Young Writers." In Faulkner in the University: Class Conferences at the University of Virginia , edited by Frederick L. Gwynn and Joseph L. Blotner. University of Virginia Press, 1959, pp French, Warren. J. D. Salinger, Revisited. Boston: Twayne Publishers, Inc., J. D. Salinger. New York: Twayne Publishers, Inc., Green, Martin. Re-Appraisals: Some Commonsense Readings in American Literature. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., Grunwald, Henry Anatole, ed. Salinger: A Critical and Personal Portrait. New York: Harper & Brothers, Gwynn, Frederick, and Joseph L. Blotner. The Fiction of J. D. Salinger. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, Hamilton, Ian. In Search of J. D. Salinger. New York: Random House, Hamilton, Kenneth. J. D. Salinger: A Critical Essay. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Laser, Marvin, and Norman Fruman. Studies in J. D. Salinger: Reviews, Essays, and Critiques of The Catcher in the Rye and Other Fiction. New York: The Odyssey Press, Longstreth, T. Morris. "New Novels in the News." In Christian Science Monitor, July 19, 1951, p. 11. Miller, James E., Jr. J. D. Salinger. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, For Further Study Baumbach, Jonathan. "The Saint as a Young Man: A Reappraisal of The Catcher in the Rye." In Modern Language Quarterly, Vol. 25, no. 4, December, 1964, pp This defense of The Catcher in the Rye valorizes Holden's childlike innocence as a form of saintly idealism. Bloom, Harold. "Introduction." In Major Literary Characters, edited by Harold Bloom. Chelsea House, 1996, pp A general analysis of the character Holden Caulfield which situates him relative to other literary figures. Costello, Donald P. "The Language of The Catcher in the Rye." In American Speech, Vol. 34, no. 3, October, 1959, pp An analysis of how Salinger's use of language realistically portrays American teenage slang during the 1950s. Edwards, Duane. "Holden Caulfield: Don't Ever Tell Anybody Anything." In English Literary History, Vol. 44, no. 3, Fall, 1977, pp This analysis of the character of Holden Caulfield emphasizes how Holden is an ironic character who exemplifies the same kind of phoniness that he criticizes in others. French, Warren. J. D. Salinger, Revisited. Twayne Publishers, This book provides an overview of Salinger's life and fiction, and one of its chapters also contains an excellent introduction to the themes and issues raised in The Catcher in the Rye. The Catcher in the Rye: Bibliography and Further Reading 93

94 Furst, Lilian. "Dostoyevsky's Notes from Underground and Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye." In Canadian Review of Comparative Literature, Vol. 5, no. 1, Winter, 1978, pp An analysis of parallels between The Catcher in the Rye and Dostoyevsky's Notes from Underground. Heiserman, Arthur, and James E. Miller, Jr. "J. D. Salinger: Some Crazy Cliff." In Western Humanities Review, Vol. 10, no. 2, Spring, 1956, pp An analysis of The Catcher in the Rye which shows how it belongs to the western literary tradition of epic quest narratives. Howell, John M. "Salinger in the Waste Land." In Critical Essays on J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, edited by Joel Salzberg. G. K. Hall & Co., 1990, pp An analysis of parallels between The Catcher in the Rye and T. S. Eliot's poetry. Kaplan, Charles. "Holden and Huck: The Odysseys of Youth." In College English, Vol. 18, no. 2, November, 1956, pp A comparison of The Catcher in the Rye to Mark Twain's Huckleberry Finn. Lee, Robert A. "'Flunking Everything Else Except English Anyway': Holden Caulfield, Author." In Critical Essays on J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, edited by Joel Salzberg. G. K. Hall & Co., 1990, pp An analysis of Holden's character which focuses on his artistic creativity. Ohmann, Carol, and Richard Ohmann. "Reviewers, Critics, and The Catcher in the Rye." In Critical Inquiry, Vol. 3, no. 1, Autumn, 1976, pp A Marxist analysis of how capitalist social and economic strategies influence the development of Holden's character. Salzman, Jack. "Introduction." In New Essays on The Catcher in the Rye, edited by Jack Salzman. Cambridge University Press, 1991, pp An overview of critical interpretations of The Catcher in the Rye. Schriber, Mary Suzanne. "Holden Caulfield, C'est Moi." In Critical Essays on J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, edited by Joel Salzberg. G. K. Hall & Co., 1990, pp A feminist analysis of the critical reception of The Catcher in the Rye which argues that male critics inflate the significance of the novel because they identify with Holden as a representation of their own male adolescence and because they ignore female perspectives. Weinberg, Helen. The New Novel in America: The Kafkan Mode in Contemporary Fiction. Cornell University Press, An analysis of parallels between The Catcher in the Rye and Franz Kafka's fiction. The Catcher in the Rye: Bibliography and Further Reading 94