Setting and Places
Character Quotations
Symbols
Who Said It?
Grab Bag
100

This story takes place over the course of 3 days as Holden travels this major U.S. city.

What is New York?

100
"He was terrifically intelligent. His teachers were always writing letters to my mother, telling her what a pleasure it was having a boy like [him] in their class.. .He used to laugh so hard at something he thought of at the dinner table that he just about fell off his chair."
Who is Allie?
100
Holden writes Stradlater's composition about this.
What is Allie's catcher's mitt?
100
"I'm the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life."
Who is Holden Caulfield?
100
He wrote The Catcher in the Rye.
Who is J.D. Salinger?
200
The school Holden is kicked out of at the beginning of the novel.
What is Pencey Prep?
200
"He wrote this terrific book of short stories. The Secret Goldfish, in case you never heard of him. The best one in it was "The Secret Goldfish." It was about this little kid that wouldn't let anybody look at his goldfish because he'd bought it with his own money. It killed me."
Who is D.B.?
200
"The best thing...was that everything always stayed right where it was" is how Holden describes this place.
What is the Museum of Natural History?
200
"Can I go with you Holden? Can't I? Please?"
Who is Phoebe?
200
Holden reacts this way to his brother's death.
What is he breaks all of the windows in his garage?
300

The novel is set during this decade.

1950s

300
"He was always cleaning his fingernails. It was funny, in a way. His teeth were always mossy-looking, and his ears were always dirty as hell, but he was always cleaning his fingernails. I guess he thought that made him a very neat guy."
Who is Ackley?
300
Holden's desire to be "the catcher in the rye" symbolizes this.
What is his desire to save childhood innocence or keep children from growing up?
300
"Well, how 'bout it? Y'innarested? Five bucks a throw. Fifteen bucks the whole night."
Who is Maurice?
300
The only subject that Holden is passing in school.
What is English?
400
Holden visits this place several times throughout the novel including towards the end as he watches Phoebe on the carousel.
What is Central Park?
400
"He was pretty handsome, too—I'll admit it. But he was mostly the kind of a handsome guy that if your parents saw his picture in your Year Book, they'd right away say, "Who's this boy?" I mean he was mostly a Year Book kind of handsome guy"
Who is Stradlater?
400

This is a symbol of Holden's alienation and isolation from others as well as his unique character and tendency to stand out from the norm.

What is the red hunting hat?

400
"Because you can't, that's all. In the first place, we're both practically children. And did you ever stop to think what you'd do if you didn't get a job when your money ran out? We'd starve to death."
Who is Sally?
400

Holden imagines someone will write this on his grave stone

What is the F*&^% You?

500
One of the places in which Holden sees the "F*** You" written on the wall.
What is Phoebe's school or the Museum of Natural History?
500
"What made it even more depressing, [he] had on this very sad, ratty old bathrobe that he was probably born in or something. I don't much like to see old guys in their pajamas and bathrobes anyway. Their bumpy old chests are always showing."
Who is Mr. Spencer?
500
Holden realizes this as he watches Phoebe on the carousel.
What is he cannot keep children from growing up and losing their innocence and children must be permitted to learn from their mistakes?
500
"Many, many men have been just as troubled morally and spiritually as you are right now...You'll learn from them -if you want to."
Who is Mr. Antolini?
500

The illness that Holden's brother died from.

What is childhood leukemia?

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