Sign Posts
This signpost shows up when a wiser, older character gives advice to the main character.
Words of the Wiser
This device compares two unlike things using the words “like” or “as.”
Simile
This New York City prep school kicks Holden out at the start of the novel.
Pencey Prep
This is the age Susie Salmon is when she is murdered, marking a tragic end to her young life.
Fourteen
Gordie is passionate about this creative pursuit, which sets him apart from the other boys.
Writing
When a character shares a memory that interrupts the current action, this signpost is at play.
Memory Moment
This figure of speech gives human traits to non-human things, like “the wind whispered.”
Personification
Holden often uses this word to describe people he sees as fake or insincere.
Phony
Susie's murderer is this man, a neighbor who has a history of killing young girls.
George Harvey
Gordie’s older brother, Denny, died before the story begins; Gordie feels this from his parents in response.
Neglect
A repeated image, phrase, or situation is this signpost, prompting readers to ask, “Why does this keep happening again and again?”
Again and Again
When an object, person, or place represents a bigger idea—like a dove representing peace—this device is in use.
Symbolism
Holden tells his sister he wants to be this, protecting children from losing their innocence.
The catcher in the rye
Susie watches her family from above, but this person in particular becomes obsessed with solving her murder.
Jack Salmon (her father)
This tough-talking friend of Gordie often hides his vulnerability behind bravado and brings a gun on their trip to find the body.
Chris Chambers
This signpost occurs when a character faces a tough decision, often signaled by phrases like “I wondered...” or “It made me think...”
Tough Questions
This device hints at future events in a story, often used to build suspense.
Foreshadowing
Holden is deeply affected by the death of this younger sibling.
Allie Caulfield
In a rare supernatural moment, Susie briefly returns to Earth by doing this with Ruth's help.
By inhabiting Ruth’s body
Gordie experiences a vision or hallucination in the woods that symbolizes his emotional turmoil. He sees this.
The ghost of the dead boy (Ray Brower) or a deer (symbolizing peace/loss)
This signpost appears when a character does something unexpected, causing readers to ask, “Why would the character act this way?”
Contrasts and Contradictions
This advanced literary device involves a reference to a well-known work of art, literature, history, or mythology, like mentioning Achilles’ heel to imply a weakness.
Allusion
Throughout the novel, Holden struggles with this psychological issue, though it’s never explicitly named, reflecting his grief, alienation, and possible trauma.
Depression
Susie struggles to move on in the afterlife because of this central emotional conflict.
Her desire for justice and revenge
By the end of the story, Gordie realizes this painful truth about childhood friendships.
"Friends come in and out of your life like busboys in a restaurant" or that childhood friendships often fade with time