Characters
He is the first teacher that Holden speaks to at the start of the novel.
Who is Mr. Spencer?
Holden wanders around this city, his hometown.
What is New York City?
Fake, fraudulent, or pretentious.
What is phony?
“I’m the most terrific liar you ever saw.”
Who is Holden?
It's the name of Holden's good-looking, but conceited, roommate.
Who is Stradlater?
He is a "friend" who meets Holden at the bar for a drink and offers some half-hearted advice.
Who is Luce?
If Holden wanted to return to Pencey, he would have to head back to this state, where the school is located.
What is Pennsylvania?
To exclude someone from a group.
What is to ostracize?
“You don’t like anything that’s happening.”
Who is Phoebe?
Holden loves this Museum because everything stays the same and never changes.
What is the Museum of Natural History?
This man is a teacher whom Holden visits in New York City after finally returning home. He offers some advice but also doesn't act particularly normal...
Who is Mr. Antolini?
Holden claims that all he wants to do is move out west to this state, where he can buy a cabin and never talk to anyone.
What is Colorado?
Deriving pleasure from inflicting pain
What is sadistic?
“The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause.”
Who is Mr. Antolini?
This is the name of the record that Phoebe buys for Holden, which he then drops and breaks.
What is "Little Shirley Beans"?
At the very end of the novel, Holden claims to miss a couple characters. Stradlater and Ackley, and even this very unlikely character who does not treat Holden very well at all...
Who is Maurice?
Holden spends a lot of time fixated on a dress that his mother bought for Phoebe in this country.
What is Canada?
Having one's true identity concealed
What is incognito?
"What the heck did you tell that crazy Maurice you wanted a girl for, then? If you just had a goddam operation on your goddam wuddayacallit. Huh?"
Who is Sunny?
This is the name of the hotel that Holden stays in before returning home.
What is the Edmont?
Holden's story brings up traumatic events and especially the one involving this young boy at boarding school who was bullied.
Who is James Castle?
Holden claims that his father would never wake up, but his mother would hear someone cough in this faraway, very cold place.
What is Siberia?
movement away from the central or main point
What is a digression?
“You ought to see a psychiatrist.”
Who is Sally Hayes?
Stradlater takes Jane on a date at the start of the novel and uses this character's car.
Who is Ed Banky? The basketball coach