Literary Devices 1
A universal concept or insight about life, human nature, society, or the world that is explored and developed throughout a piece of literature.
What is a theme?
The use of descriptive language that appeals to the senses - sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell. Writers use this literary device to help readers visualize the setting, characters, and events in a story or poem.
What is imagery?
This character is special to Holden because of their intelligence, bright red hair, and affinity for poetry.
Who is Allie?
Holden gets expelled from school for this reason.
What is failing four subjects?
Because Jane's stepfather drunkenly interrogated her about where his cigarettes were, Holden comforted her when she started to do this.
Why did Jane start to cry during the checkers game with Holden?
A writer or narrator’s use of language or setting to create a particular feeling or atmosphere.
What is tone?
A literary device in which a character's words or actions contradict what the reader knows to be true.
What is irony?
Holden refers to this character in Catcher as a "secret slob."
Who is Stradlater?
What is the fake story about Ernest running for class president?
What is petting Holden's head while he sleeps?
A literary device in which an object, person, or place represents an abstract idea.
What is symbolism?
A situation in a piece of literature that contains two opposing ideas, and the contrast doesn’t make logical sense but does reveal some universal truth about human nature and the world.
What is a paradox?
Holden finds this character quite a phony, even though he asks them to run away to New England with him after a disastrous date.
Who is Sally?
This is what Holden keeps asking cab drivers about.
What are the ducks in the pond?
This is what happens in Chapter 20 when Holden goes to Central Park drunk, revealing his deteriorating mental state.
What is breaking Phoebe's record?
A perspective in which we get a narrow view on a narrative, with the pronouns "he" or "she."
What is third-person limited perspective?
A style or technique of writing that tries to capture the natural flow of a character's extended thought process.
What is stream-of-consciousness narration?
Holden wants to keep this character "behind glass" forever, but realizes at the carousel that he can't stop them from growing up.
Who is Phoebe?
Holden does not find these people phony even though they are adults.
Who are the nuns?
Holden believes that these are the actual lines of Robert Burns's poem instead of "if a body meet a body."
What is "if a body catch a body"?
An author's choice of words and phrases in a text, particularly to create a specific effect.
What is diction?
You can identify stream-of-consciousness narration through a disjointed narrative, inner monologues, rapid shifts between thoughts and emotion, and, and lack of these traditional grammar rules.
We never meet this character, however, Holden attempts to call them throughout the novel whenever he's feeling lonely.
Who is Jane?
James Castle was wearing this article of Holden's clothing at the time of his suicide.
What his Holden's turtleneck?
This is what makes Holden and Sunny's interaction an example of a paradox.
What are Holden and Sunny's childish/innocent ways of speaking and acting during a immoral/illegal act?