Holden
Holden repeatedly uses this term to describe people, situations, and institutions he considers fake or insincere.
What is "phony"?
This item, purchased after Holden loses the fencing equipment, becomes both a symbol of his alienation and a source of comfort throughout the novel.
What is the red hunting hat?
Holden describes this younger sibling as “terrific,” and their emotional honesty grounds him.
Who is Pheobe?
This major theme is shown through Holden’s constant desire to protect kids from growing up.
What is the loss of innocence?
This city is where Holden spends most of his wandering after leaving Pencey Prep.
What is New York City?
Holden frequently engages in this deceptive behavior when meeting strangers on trains, in bars, and hotels.
What is making up elaborate lies about himself?
Holden treasures this object because it reminds him of his brother Allie.
What is Allie's baseball glove?
This character's death before the novel begins continues to haunt Holden and significantly influences his emotional state throughout the story.
Who is Allie?
Holden’s loneliness and his constant attempts to reach out to people connect to this recurring theme.
What is isolation/ alienation?
Holden ends up in this type of facility at the end of the novel.
What is a mental institution or rest home?
This physical characteristic of Holden's, mentioned early in the novel, highlights his premature aging and serves as a metaphor for his character.
What is his grey hair on the side of his head?
Holden’s intense hatred of this thing symbolizes not just his disgust for phoniness, but his deeper fear that this aspect of adulthood might swallow him too.
What is the movies?
Holden’s older brother works in Hollywood, which Holden hates because he thinks it makes him a “phony.”
Who is D.B.?
Holden constantly calls people “phonies,” highlighting his concern with this theme.
What is authenticity vs. superficiality?
This author wrote The Catcher in the Rye, first published in 1951.
Who is J.D. Salinger?
Holden's misinterpretation of Robert Burns' poem creates this central metaphor that reveals his desire to protect children from losing their innocence.
What is "the catcher in the rye"?
Holden loves this place because everything inside it stays the same, symbolizing his wish for life to be frozen and predictable.
What is the Museum of Natural History?
Holden admires this character's caring nature and sensitivity, even though he thinks she’s very nervous and easily upset.
Who is his mother?
This theme is developed through Holden's unprocessed feelings about his brother's death, causing him to break windows and sleep in the garage afterward.
What is unresolved grief?
The Catcher in the Rye has been frequently challenged or banned in schools, often for this type of content.
What is language and sexual content?
This psychological state, revealed through Holden's narration from a mental health facility, frames his entire story and adds complexity to his critique of society.
What is depression?
Holden erasing obscene graffiti from school walls symbolizes his futile attempt to protect this from corruption.
What is childhood innocence?
Holden’s relationship with his parents is distant, symbolized by this recurring action he takes when returning home.
What is sneaking in quietly or avoiding seeing them because he feels ashamed/afraid of disappointing them?
Holden’s repeated attempts to resist change and preserve the past reflect this theme about accepting life’s inevitabilities.
What is the inevitability of growing up / coming of age?
The Catcher in the Rye is often categorized in this literary genre, focusing on a young person’s growth.
What is a coming-of-age novel / bildungsroman?