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1 The Catcher in the Rye J.D. Salinger GCSE English Literature Study Guide +

2 2 1. Where does the narrative begin and end? Narrative Revision Questions 2. Divide the narrative into four distinct sections think about the moments when Holden leaves places and arrives in others, as well as how particular characters mark distinctive sections of the plot. 3. What is Holden watching at the beginning of the novel, and why do you think that Salinger begins the narrative with this moment think about what ideas or themes that it foreshadows in the later narrative. 4. Why is Holden forced to return early to Pencey Prep and why does Holden recount this event while watching the football game? 5. What significant item of clothing does Holden buy during his trip to New York and why is it important that he purchased it during this particular trip. Given what else happened in New York, what might it symbolize? 6. Who does Holden go to see to discuss his expulsion from Pencey Prep? 7. To whom does Holden introduce himself as Rudolph Schmidt and what is the importance of this deception? 8. Once in New York, what event demonstrates the complex nature of Holden s relationships with other people? 9. Holden checks into which hotel in New York? 10. When he has checked in what does he see from his window what might be the significance of what Holden sees? 11. Explain the events with Sunny and explain what they show us about Holden in relation to the wider world of the narrative? 12. At breakfast, Holden is in conversation with whom and what does he discuss with them? 13. What surprises Holden about the nun? 14. What does this section that ends with Holden buying the tickets for his date signify in Holden s life? 15. Explain the narrative and significance of the events at the Natural History Museum. 16. When Holden goes to see Phoebe, how does she respond physically and what is the significance of this? 17. Phoebe criticizes Holden for a variety of reasons: make a list of them and try to determine why she criticizes him for these things specifically i.e. what do they imply about Holden and his vision of life that she might not understand or she finds unpleasant? 18. While with Phoebe, Holden explains his fantasy of the catcher in the rye what is the important of this moment in the narrative?

3 3 19. How does Phoebe s generosity towards Holden at the end of this chapter suggest that Holden is on the verge of a significant event within the context of the novel? 20. Explain the importance of the events with Mr Antolini what happens, what do the events symbolize and how do they serve an important function in the narrative? 21. As Holden prepares to leave New York, he is confronted with a series of visions of everyday baseness what are they and what significance do they have in terms of the narrative as a whole? 22. Review the last two chapters of the novel is Holden saved? Is he saveable? And if so, how does Salinger save Holden? 23. Is it believable that a character like Holden might be redeemed at the end of the novel?

4 4 Characters Holden is a complex character: that is, he is defined by a range of conflicting characteristics which combine to make the whole of his personality. 1. Look at the list of descriptions below and complete spider charts for each one giving textual references and chapter numbers to show which passages you might refer to in order to prove the idea. Holden as outsider Holden as lonely Holden as cynic Holden as idealist Holden as liar Holden as intelligent Holden as sensitive Holden as hypocrite Holden as phoney Holden as adult Holden as child Holden as suicidal Holden as optimist Holden as nihilist (one who rejects the value and meaning of life & people) Holden as fatalist (one who sees life as predetermined and themselves powerless) Holden as redeemed (saved from his own weakness) 2. Consider all of the interaction that Holden has with other characters for each character complete the table below: Holden s Interactions Character s Name Relationship to Holden Holden s Attitude to them What does the character symbolise/ represent in the narrative? What does this interaction show us about Holden in the wider novel?

5 5 3. Some critics have suggested that Salinger uses the characters in the novel to represent both positive and negative aspects of Holden s world. Group the characters according to whether they are representations of positive or negative aspects of Holden s world, and then try to determine specifically what they represent. Use the table below to structure your ideas: Characters as Representations of Holden s World Character s Name Positive Negative What do they represent? 4. Now consider whether the characters that you have grouped can be as clearly defined as wholly positive or negative. Which ones are more complex and why is this think about Holden s own complexity. 5. Think about the novel as a whole how do Holden s interactions throughout the novel reflect on Holden as a character? 6. What does Holden learn from his interactions with other characters in the novel? 7. Think about the characters that we do not see in the novel Who are they? What do they have in common? Why does Salinger choose not to give them a voice in the novel? What function do these characters serve as opposed to the ones who appear in the novel? 8. Which characters have the most significant influence over Holden s perception of the world? 9. Is Holden s eventual salvation a consequence of himself or his interactions with other characters? Give textual evidence to support your answer.

6 6 Setting The settings in the novel play a crucial role because they increasingly help to define Holden s descent into ill-health but also because they provide a mirror for his emotions. 1. Complete the table below to show the location, events and their importance in each chapter. Setting in The Catcher in the Rye Chapter Number Location Events Importance 2. Using the locations listed below, complete the table to explain its significance in the novel: Pencey Prep. New York City The Seton Hotel Central Park The Museum of Natural History The Caulfield Household Significance of Key Settings Location Chapter Number(s) Which events take place here? What does the setting signify and symbolise? Textual Evidence

7 7 5. Salinger rarely, if ever, gives any clue as to when he is setting the novel in terms of its date. However, certain contextual factors suggest that the novel is set in the 1950s. What do you think Salinger does not give a specific date for the novel s setting? 6. Salinger refers to some of the most famous landmarks in New York City at different parts of the narrative why do you think he does so and what is the effect? 7. Paul Goldberger, an architecture critic for The New York Times, once said of New York City that it is: The city of right angles and tough, damaged people. With this quotation in mind, explain why New York City is an effective setting for the later stages of the novel think about what the words in the question suggest, and how this might relate to the novel, its characters and themes.

8 8 Themes The key themes in The Catcher in the Rye are all linked to Holden s experience of the world he inhabits within the novel. There are four key themes that you need to understand, however, towards the end of this section, some more complex themes are explored and to give yourself the opportunity to achieve the higher grades, you will want to make sure that you think about them and how they relate to other ideas in the novel. The four key themes are: Relationships The Individual and Society The effects of the environment Childhood vs. Adulthood 1. Relationships One of the central causes of Holden s breakdown at the end of the novel is his feeling of social isolation and dislocation, Holden repeatedly tells us that he feels lonely. Holden tries to counteract his loneliness by befriending other people; however he is constantly confronted by his own awkwardness when such moments arise. Eventually, Holden is caught in a paradoxical cycle of wanting to be known while always finding safety from rejection in his own solitude. Look at the headings below these are all elements of the narrative that present the theme of relationships: Pencey Prep. Adults and Parents Meaningful Conversation Relationships in the past Use the headings above and create a list of quotations that explore the theme of relationships in the novel. For each subsection, you should use the table below to help you structure your ideas: Pencey Prep. & the theme of relationships Quotation Chapter Number How this quotation presents the theme of relationships

9 9 2. The Individual and Society America in the 1950s was the first modern consumer society in which some sections of the population had considerable wealth and opportunity. One of the key elements of Salinger s narrative is concerned with how Holden rejects the society that he sees around him. Some of Holden s most cynical and nihilistic ideas are witnessed when he is commenting on the society to which he belongs. Holden attacks 1950s American society with charges of superficiality and an unhealthy obsession with financial reward and material possessions. Look at the headings below these are all ideas in the narrative that present the theme of the individual and society : Materialism (an obsession with possessions) The values of school New York people Pressure to conform Use the headings above and create a list of quotations that explore the theme of relationships in the novel. For each sub-section you could use the table below to help you structure your ideas: Materialism & the theme of the Individual and Society Quotation Chapter Number How this quotation presents the theme of individual/society 3. The Effects of the Environment Holden experiences three distinct environments throughout the novel: Pencey Prep., New York City and his family home. Each one has a direct impact on Holden and he tries to escape from each one at different points. This is another of Holden s many paradoxes, he constantly claustrophobic places where he one desired to be, soon become suffocating, and he leaves them before he can become consumed by them. Take the three locations listed below and briefly remind yourself of the key moments in each location: Pencey Prep. New York City The Caulfield Family Home For each section complete a spider chart like the one below, and label it with quotations that show how that particular environment affects Holden s inner emotions:

10 10 Pencey Prep. 4. Innocence and Childhood The principle project of Salinger s novel is to explore the transition between adolescence and adulthood. Salinger subverts the conventions of the bildungsroman genre because there is no definite affirmation of Holden s maturity by the end of the novel. Instead, we are left to interpret the final ending as we choose. However, it is clear that at the end of the novel, Holden as, at least, regained his faith in childhood innocence, which might be taken to imply a salvation of sorts. Look at the headings below: The transition between adolescence and adulthood. Allie, Phoebe and Jane Holden s childlike qualities. Using the headings above find quotations from the text that explore the theme of Innocence and Childhood You should use a table like the one below to structure your ideas: The transition between adolescence and adulthood Quotation Chapter Number How this quotation presents the theme of childhood and innocence

11 11 Additional Themes You should think about the themes outlined below because they are more complex than the four key themes discussed above. You should consider each theme and for each one find some textual quotations which trace their development across the novel. 1. Alienation Vs. Self-Preservation 2. The superficiality of the adult world 3. Religion 4. Sex 5. Self-abnegation 6. Redemption

12 12 Motifs The novel s motifs are slightly different from its themes motifs are used by a writer in order to develop the broader themes that they are writing about. 1. Look at the list of motifs that are used by Salinger to develop his exploration of the novel s themes. Loneliness Relationships, Intimacy and Sexuality Lying and Deception Faith & Faithlessness Hope & Despair Disappearance Vs. Visibility Suicide Re-birth 2. For each of the motifs complete a diagram like the one below using each motif as a heading, show which theme the motif is linked to and find a range of textual quotations that explore each one. For example: Loneliness Linked to the theme of RELATIONSHIPS Quotation Quotation Quotation 3. Try to find some motifs of your own and complete a chart for each one like you have above.

13 13 Symbols The novel s symbols are objects, characters, figures or colours that Salinger uses to represent abstract ideas or concepts. 1. Look at the list of symbols that Salinger uses in The Catcher in the Rye. The Catcher in the Rye Holden s Red Hunting Hat The Museum of Natural History The Ducks in the Central Park Lagoon The Carrousel Holden s Smoking The Graffiti ( fuck off) The rain at the end of Chapter Complete a chart like the one below for each symbol. Symbol: Represents the idea of: Quotation Quotation Quotation 3. Salinger s novel uses symbolism heavily, however, in most other regards he chooses not to employ many of the literary devices many novelists employ. Explain, with close reference to the text, the importance of symbolism in The Catcher in the Rye.