Catcher in the Rye Notes and Reading Guide

Catcher in the Rye Notes and Reading Guide

Character List:

Holden Caulfield / * failed 4 subjects at Pencey Prep (only passed English)
* Forgot fencing equipment on train
* immature * got kicked out of Pencey and other schools * 16/17 yrs old
* outsider *is sarcastic*doesn’t have a good relationship with his parents
*doesn’t have a lot of friends *stubborn* thinks a lot of things and people are phony
* speaks with a lot of profanity * blunt/straightforward
* is honest to himself, but lies to others* Holden is intelligent, but scatterbrained
*Holden reacted violently to Allie’s death (punched out windows)
* calls himself a “terrific liar”
* wishes he could be friends with an author so he could talk about their book
Mr. Spenser / * Holden’s history teacher at Pencey * in his 70’s * is sick with the flu
* Holden goes to say goodbye to him
* Gives Holden advice, knows he can do better * is concerned for Holden
*Holden respects him
*Tells Holden he knows nothing about history
D.B. Caulfield / * is Holden’s older brother * is a writer * lives in Hollywood
* Holden calls him a prostitute
Allie Caulfield / * is Holden’s younger brother * died of Leukemia
* Liked poetry and wrote it on his baseball mitt
* was left handed * was intellectual * had red hair
Phoebe Caulfield / * is Holden’s younger sister
Ackley / * is Holden’s neighbor at Pencey * is 18 * has “mossy teeth” * has pimples
* cleans his nails constantly *is rude
* is annoying * doesn’t like anyone *doesn’t get along with Stradlater
Stradlater / * Holden’s roommate * is a “pretty boy” * athletic * is popular * is conceited
* is a secret slob * is a ladies man
* asks favors of Holden (borrow his jacket, asks Holden to write an English composition)
Jane Gallagher / * Holden’s ex-neighbor and childhood friend * Stradlater’s date
* Holden used to play checkers with her
* Holden is anxious about her going out with Stradlater

Chapters 1 and 2

The reader is first introduced to Holden Caulfield, the narrator of this autobiography of sorts. In the first chapter we learn little of Holden's background-only that he has an older brother, D.B., who writes for Hollywood. Holden, 17 years old, has just been "kicked out" of Pencey Prep in Agerstown, Pennsylvania, for not applying himself in any of his classes.

The main action of the first two chapters revolves around Holden's visit to his History teacher, Mr. Spencer, to say good-bye (at Mr. Spencer's request). Contrary to our expectations from Holden's records in school and his bleak outlook on life, we find that he treats his teacher cordially, and that there is some mutual respect between them. Mr. Spencer attempts to convince Holden to begin applying himself, but merely uncovers the fact that Holden can't stand school because, as Holden puts it "I was surrounded by phonies." From there, Holden spends the rest of the conversation simply "shooting the bull" in order to ease Mr. Spencer's guilt for failing him.

Essential Questions:

What does Holden mean when he says that his brother D.B. is out in Hollywood “being a prostitute?
Where is Holden as the story begins?
Where and what is Pencey Prep?
Why was Holden being kicked out of Pencey Prep?
Who is Mr. Spenser and why does Holden visit him?
What did Spenser do that particularly annoyed Holden?
What does Holden give as the reason for leaving Elkton Hills?

Chapters 3 and 4

Chapter 3 opens with the ambiguous statement "I'm the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life," and then progresses into a description of Pencey, beginning with the phoniness of an alumni, Ossenburger.

The main action of the chunk begins when Robert Ackley, "a very peculiar guy" and suitemate, enters the room. Ackley is one of the few students not outside watching the football game, and hence is described more or less as a loser. Furthermore, he is incredibly messy and unkempt (with mossy teeth), and every action is interpreted as a pretense. For example, Ackley's lazy "hi" as he enters appears to Holden as if he is trying to make it seem as if the reason he is visiting is boredom rather than need for company. To annoy Ackley, Holden "horses around," first by pretending to be blind, then by spitting out nonsense compliments ("you're a goddam prince").

Ackley finally leaves upon the entry of Holden's roommate, Ward Stradlater, who rushes into the room from the football game, borrows Holden's jacket for a date, and rushes out to shave. Stradlater is described as very handsome, and comes off as incredibly friendly. However, Holden is quick to note that he is a "secret slob," shaving with a rusty blade, and that the friendliness is a "phony kind of friendliness."

Holden follows Stradlater to the bathroom and learns that Stradlater is leaving for a date with an old acquaintance of Holden's, Jane Gallagher.

Essential Questions:

What does Holden mean when he says “I’m quite illiterate, but I read a lot”?
Who is Ackley? Describe him.
What does Ackley do that annoys Holden?
Who is Stradlater? Why does Holden refer to him as a “secret slob”? What does he look like?
What point does Holden try to make about people when he talks about Stradlater and the “commas” and Ackley’s description of the basketball player?
Why did it make Holden nervous that Stradlater was going out with Jane Gallagher?

Chapters 5, 6 and 7

Ackley, Holden, and a friend, Mal Brossard, take a bus to Agerstown for a Saturday night's entertainment. When they get back, Holden begins to write an essay on his younger brother's baseball glove for Stradlater's English Comp class. In doing so, he reminisces about his brother Allie: "terrifically intelligent," nice, and dead (from leukemia).

The memories of Allie bring out a sentimental side of Holden, and so when Stradlater returns from his date with Jane, Holden has little tolerance for Stradlater's evasive responses to his questions as whether he gave Jane "the time." A fight soon ensues, wherein Holden calls Stradlater a moron and begins bawling about how morons, and presumably everybody, "never want to discuss anything [intelligent]." In the end, Holden is left on the ground screaming with blood all over his face. He rejects Stradlater's offers of assistance, choosing instead to retreat to Ackley's room.

In Ackley's room Holden attempts to begin a half-hearted conversation, but merely annoys Ackley, who wishes to sleep. In the end, Holden leaves the room and makes a spontaneous decision to leave Pencey that night. Within moments, he is packed and out the door, but not without shouting his farewell: "Sleep tight, ya morons!"

Essential Questions:

Who is Allie and why is his baseball mitt so important to Holden?
Why did Holden’s parents want to have him psychoanalyzed?
What do Holden and Stradlater fight over?
Holden says that he is a “pacifist”. What is that and is he one?
Why does Holden suddenly decide to visit Ackley’s room?
Where does Holden decide to go?
What is his final good-bye to Pencey Prep? What does this say about Holden?
Why do you think Holden was crying as he left?

Chapters 8,9,10 and 11

Having left Pencey, Holden walks to the train station to return to New York City, where his family leaves. On the train, he meets the mother of one of his classmates, and begins "shooting the old crap around a little bit," lying about his name and telling false stories about her son.

After his arrival in New York, he spends some time trying to find someone to call, but can't think of anyone, so finally takes a cab to the Edmont hotel. At the hotel, he looks out of his window and watches first a distinguished-looking man put on women's clothes, and then a man and woman squirting water at each other out of their mouths.

In a fit of loneliness, Holden then decides to call Faith Cavendish, a prostitute, to go out with, but Faith declines his invitation. He then contemplates calling his youngest sibling, "Old Phoebe." In reminiscing about her, he notes that "you never saw a little kid so pretty and smart in your whole life," though she can be "too affectionate sometimes." Finally, he decides not to wake her up and instead goes down to the hotel bar, where he "makes eyes" at three unattractive girls at the table next to his. After dancing with all three, he attempts to converse with them but finds them all rather unresponsive.

After they leave, Holden sits outside in the hotel's lobby, thinking again about Jane Gallagher. Unlike Stradlater, Holden notes that she understood the significance of Allie's glove. And unlike with most people, Holden notes that he rarely kidded with her-"You never wanted to kid Jane too much." At the climax of the chapter, he describes a moment in their relationship when she cries, presumably about her "booze hound" father, and Holden offers compassion.

These thoughts, however, make Holden even more depressed and he leaves the hotel for a city nightclub called Ernie's.

Essential Questions:

What dose Holden mean when he says “Mothers are all slightly insane.”?
What are some of the lies Holden tells Mrs. Morrow? Do you think he really is sorry for telling them?
Holden calls other people phony. In what ways is he one?
Who is Phoebe and what is Holden’s opinion of her?
What evidence is there what shows us Holden probably doesn’t look as old as he says he looks?
What was the past relationship like between Holden and Jane?

Chapters 12 and 13

On the way to the bar in a taxi, a depressed Holden mentally complains that he always gets "those vomity kind of cabs." Once again Holden tries to strike up a conversation with the driver and find out where the ducks take refuge in winter. The taxi-driver scowls at his question and begins to talk about fish instead. As earlier, Holden asks the taxi-driver to have a drink with him and is again rejected.

Holden enters Ernie’s and is surprised at how crowded it is at such a late hour. He is shown to yet another bad table, at which he is able to hear the miserable conversations of the couples on either side of him. While Holden sits there smoking and drinking, a girl named Lillian Simmons comes up to him and asks about his brother D.B., whom she once dated. She introduces the sailor who is with her and asks Holden if he would like to join them. Holden refuses the offer, saying he is about to leave. Holden is immediately sad that he told this lie, for he now feels compelled to leave since he has said he was going.

Holden walks back towards his hotel in the cold, lamenting the loss of his gloves, which he thinks were stolen by someone at Pencey. To regain some of his warmth, Holden puts on his hunting hat and decides to stop in another bar. He changes his mind when he sees two tough looking guys emerging from the bar.

Back at the hotel, Holden is solicited by the elevator operator, Maurice, who promises to send him a prostitute in fifteen minutes. Holden agrees to the offer, but regrets his decision almost immediately. He cleans up and then paces nervously around the room, waiting for the girl. Sunny soon arrives, and Holden introduces himself as Jim Steele. He tries to act suave, but no matter how hard he tries, Holden, still a virgin, is still extremely uncomfortable. The girl’s businesslike manner only makes him feel more awkward. When he tries to strike up a conversation, Sunny wants to know what he is waiting for. She sits on his lap and tries to seduce him. It is more than Holden can handle. He apologizes, pays her five dollars, and tells her to leave. Sunny tells Holden the price is ten dollars. He refuses to pay her more than he agreed on with Maurice, and she leaves with an insult and a veiled threat.

Essential Questions:

What do Holden and the cab driver talk about?
Why does Holden leave Ernies?
Previously Holden stated he was a “pacifist”. Does his description of how he would deal with the “glove thief” support this or is he just “yellow”?

Chapters 14 and 15

Holden finishes his breakfast around noon and decides to take a walk since he has two hours to spare before his date with Sally Hayes. While he is walking, Holden cannot help but think about the nuns and their collection basket. This sets him off imagining what his mother, aunt, and "Sally Haye’s crazy mother" would do if they were given the job of collecting money for charity.

Holden has no particular direction in mind, but finds himself walking toward Broadway and decides to stop by a record store and buy a record for Phoebe. He wants to get her a rare record called ‘Little Shirley Beans’ by "this colored girl singer, Estelle Fletcher". On his way, Holden comes across "this family that you could tell just come out of some church", and the little boy attracts Holden’s attention. The boy is walking behind his parents, who are obviously poor. But the boy is happy and sings to himself. In fact, his carefree attitude and song even help to dispel some of Holden’s depression.

Holden enters a store and buys the record he wants to take Phoebe. Then he goes to a nearby drugstore to give Jane Gallagher a call. This time he really does call her house, but hangs up without asking for her because her mother answers the phone. Holden then buys a newspaper, checks to see what is playing, and buys tickets for "I Know My Love". It is a show he has little interest in seeing, but he thinks Sally Hayes will love it.

Next, Holden takes a taxi up to Central Park to look for Phoebe and give her the record. Though Phoebe often visits Central Park, she is not there, so Holden starts walking toward the Museum of Natural History, reminiscing about past trips he has made there. When he arrives, he changes his mind about going in. Instead, he hails a taxi and heads for the Biltmore to meet Sally Hayes

Essential Questions:

Does Holden have any guilty feelings about Allie? Do you feel this is abnormal in any way, or is it normal?
What makes Holden cry?
What evidence shows us that holden might have made a good actor?
What is the point that Holden tries to make about peple when he elaborates about the suitcases of the nuns and his former roommate?
How does Holden treat the nuns?
Why does Holden think it spoils a conversation if someone asks what religion he is?

Chapter 16

Essential Questions:

Who dose Holden make a date with? Why does he call her up if he thinks she is a phony?
How does Holden treat little kids? Give an example.
Does Holden know his way around the city? What does this tell us about him?

Chapters 17, 18 and 19

Holden is early for his date with Sally, so he waits for her and indulges in a bit of girl watching. Sally arrives ten minutes late, but since she is looking extremely nice, Holden decides not to be upset with her. They watch the play for which Holden has bought tickets, and he reluctantly admits the show is not bad. Afterward, Sally suggests they go ice skating at Radio City, mostly because she wants to rent one of those little skating skirts to show off her legs. However, both Holden and she are miserable skaters, and they finally retreat to the bar for cokes. While having refreshments, Holden is suddenly roused from his depression with the thought of running away. He asks Sally to go with him, but she dismisses his idea, thinking he is being weird. They fight and Sally leaves with hurt feelings.