Catcher in the Rye Characters
This younger sibling is Holden's source of comfort and innocence.
Who is Pheobe?
This character is determined to fulfill his selfish desire for new teeth.
Who is Anse Bundren?
This red accessory represents Holden’s individuality and comfort.
What is the red hunting hat?
Holden is obsessed with preserving this quality in children.
What is innocence?
The Bundren family embarks on a journey to bury Addie in this Mississippi town.
What is Jefferson?
This teacher at Elkton Hills lets Holden stay the night but makes him uncomfortable with a questionable gesture.
Who is Mr. Antolini?
This son builds his mother’s coffin and suffers a horrific injury during the journey.
Who is Cash Bundren?
Holden wants to be this person, who saves children from falling off a cliff, a symbol of preserving innocence.
What is the catcher in the rye?
The novel, As I Lay Dying, explores how each character processes this inevitable event in different ways.
What is death?
Darl burns this to stop the decaying process of Addie’s corpse.
What is the barn?
This roommate of Holden’s at Pencey dates Jane Gallagher and angers Holden by bragging.
Who is Stradlater?
This daughter hides a pregnancy and seeks an abortion during the journey.
Who is Dewey Dell Bundren?
This decaying object represents the physical and moral deterioration of the Bundrens' journey.
What is Addie’s corpse?
The novel explores this psychological struggle, which many teens face during adolescence.
What is coming of age?
Holden lies to this character’s mother on the train, claiming her son is a class favorite.
Who is Ernest Morrow’s mother?
This girl goes on a date with Holden and irritates him with her phoniness.
Who is Sally Hayes?
This character's intuitive nature causes others to turn against him.
Who is Darl Bundren?
This natural barrier becomes a symbol of the Bundren family's struggle against nature and fate.
What is the flooded river?
Darl's instability and others’ inner monologues examine this theme related to mental health.
What is sanity vs. madness?
At the end of the book, Holden watches Phoebe do this, which brings him a moment of genuine happiness.
What is ride the carousel?
This pimp beats up Holden after he refuses to pay more than originally agreed for a prostitute.
Who is Maurice?
This character narrates one chapter and reflects bitterly on her family.
Who is Addie Bundren?
This item, bought at the end of the novel, represents selfish desires triumphing over familial duty.
What are Anse's new teeth?
Addie’s rejection of words and belief that life’s meaning is empty reflects this bleak philosophical viewpoint.
What is nihilism?
The novel ends with Anse introducing this new person to the family.
Who is his new wife?