Motifs and symbols
Why is Holden pushing away from all his friends and call his friends “phonies
He wants to isolate himself from everyone.
What is the name of the school in the beginning of the story that Holden is attending?
Pencey Prep
Who is the person that gave Holden a bloody nose
Stradlater
Holden isolates himself from everybody. For example he sat up on a hill instead of being close to the action during a football game why?
Holden gives the reader a sense that he is depressed and that he needs to isolate himself from the outside world in order to express his feelings about him being depressed and thinks he can solve his depression by himself without any help.
What are the activities Holden does that make him feel more adult-like?
Drinking booze
and smoking cigarettes.
Why did Holden not throw the snowball?
Because he did not want to disturb the calmness and serenity of the cars
Holden asks about what animals in central park? What does he ask about them? And who does he ask about it?
(1) He asks where do the ducks go in the winter (2) Holden asks the cab driver
Who is holdens history teacher
Mr spencer
Holden decides to pick a fight against Stradlater even though he is telling holden to back off. Why does holden persist even though he knows he can't win
Cause Holden like to feel pain. Holden needs to feel pain in order to make himself believe he is still alive.
What event was most important in pushing Holden from immaturity to maturity?
Allies Death
Why does Holden obsess about the ducks and the fish?
The ducks fly away for the winter unlike the fish who stay in the pond and swim under the ice.
Holden can’t sleep with Sally because? And why did the elevator operator beat Holden up?
(1) He’s just had an operation (2) The operator wanted the additional 5 dollars that Holden supposedly owed him.
Who is holdens brother that died a few years ago
Allie Caulfield
what does holden think about when he walks off the edge of the curb
He thinks about disappearing into nothing like walking into a blackhole where he can't hurt anyone (death)
What is one physical feature of Holden that makes him feel older?
Him growing gray hair
The carousel is introduced at the end of the story where Holden watches Phoebe go around in a perpetual circling motion. Holden refuses to ride it and says he will watch Phoebe ride it. What could this represent?
This represents his chidhood and only the pure and innocent can ride on it.Holden, when watching Phoebe ride this seemingly never-ending carousel, says he feels a sense of happiness almost to the point of euphoria This sense of happiness that Holden feels is most likely from the never-ending circles that Phoebe is going around in this is because it seems like Phoebe will never age if she stays in the same place. However, Holden still has a fear that she will fall off the carousel which will cause an end in the perpetual circling motion which ultimately puts an end in Phoebe's innocence or childhood. In the end, though, Holden realizes that no matter how hard he tries to stop Phoebe from falling off the carousel and how hard he tries to keep her going around in circles, they eventually will fall and there is nothing you can do about it.
Where does Holden get his hat and what should he have been doing instead of buying the hat?
Holden gets the hat in New York City when he was supposed to be taking care of the foils and the fencing team.
Who is Holden’s sister who is six years younger than him
Phoebe Caulfield
what does Holden use to deal with problems in his life
what does Holden use to deal with problems in his life
he drinks and smokes which is his way of dealing with depression and stress (takes his pain away)
Which of these events show the most immaturity in Holden?
A. Breaking the window with his hands B. Giving the nuns money. C. Instigating and fighting with Stradlater D. Going out with Sally Hayes
What is a Catcher in the Rye and why is it significant?
The Catcher in the Rye is a poem written by Robert Burns actually called “Coming thro’ the Rye.” He hears a kid singing the poem and made him nit feel depressed anymore.
Why does Holden come home with Phoebe in the end?
Holden wants to distance himself from people as far as possible so that he never has to experience the pain of loving someone and then losing them again. HOlden does not want Phoebe to grow up without him so he does have to experience this pain
Who is the girl Holden has known for most of his life, and has had romantic feelings for.
Jane Gallagher
what makes holden feel happy again for the first time in a long time?
The boy singing on the side of the curb in the street while his parents arent paying attention (the catcher in the rye poem/song)
What is a duck?
A waterbird with a broad blunt bill, short legs, webbed feet, and a waddling gait.