Eng11

Ms. Henze

Inner/Outer Circle Seminar Guidelines:

“The unexamined life is not worth living.” - Socrates

  • Come prepared to the seminar with questions and responses.
  • Clear desks except for the guidelines, questions and notes, novel, paper, pen/pencil.
  • Students will be assigned to the inner circle or outer circle. The inner circle discusses for the pre-determined time or until the teacher feels all these students’ thoughts have been fully expressed. The circles will then switch positions.
  • Focus on guiding questions; you may get a bit sidetracked at times, but make sure you return to the overarching questions and answer them as thoroughly as possible.
  • Remember Ms. Henze’s role is an OBSERVER. My primary role is to monitor and evaluate the discussion.
  • Notes will be turned in to me; the notes can be bulleted, but make sure the ideas are clearly expressed. Everyone else should make notes as necessary – remember, these will help you on the exam!

Inner Circle Responsibilities:

  • Serves as the discussion panel for questions
  • May or may not take notes
  • Each member should provide at least three quality responses(extension, cause/effect, elaboration-fully supported by textual evidence)
  • Find appropriate quotations where necessary to help support your answers/comments. Quoting directly from the text is the strongest evidence you can have!
  • Speak one at a time. When you are done speaking, call on another class member with his/her hand up. When he/she finishes, repeat this process.
  • Give everyone a chance to talk. Don’t dominate the conversation! Some people may speak more often than others, but everyone should have a chance to make at least three insightful comments.
  • Follows rules of courteous discussion
  • May ask questions of each other only
  • No interaction with outer circle or teacher

Outer CircleResponsibilities:

  • Responsible for guiding/motivating/extending inner circle discussion (through questions)
  • Listen/take notes/ask questions
  • Each member should ask at least one (1) question
  • Follows rules of courteous discussion
  • No “yes” or “no” questions allowed
  • No interactions with inner circle or teacher
  • May not respond to the inner circle discussions

The Catcher in the Rye Seminar Questions

Directions: Respond to the following questions to prepare for our class seminar. Include specific textual quotes and page numbers to support your responses.

  1. Throughout Catcher in the Rye, we do not see the healthy presence of adults inHolden’s life. Instead we see pimp daddies, teachers who stroke children’s heads,prostitutes, irritated taxi drivers, and absent parents.

a)What message does the novel seem to send about adults and the adult world?

b)How do you interpret the scene with Mr. Antolini? Evil? Good intentions gonewrong? How doeswhat happens affect how we as readers interpret what Mr.Antolini tells Holden about education? To what extent do you trust Holden'snarration and why?

“Coming Through the Rye”by Robert Burns (1759-1796)

Coming thro' the rye, poor body,
Coming thro' the rye,
She draiglet a' her petticoatie
Coming thro' the rye.
O, Jenny's a' wat, poor body;
Jenny's seldom dry;
She draiglet a' her petticoatie
Coming thro' the rye.
Gin a body meet a body
Coming thro' the rye,
Gin a body kiss a body—
Need a body cry?
Gin a body meet a body
Coming thro' the glen,
Gin a body kiss a body—
Need the warld ken?

Eng11

Ms. Henze

  1. Annotate the poem above by Robert Burns.

a)What is this poem about?

b)How does Holden’s misquote (“Can a body catch a body” instead of “meet”) change the meaning of the poem for Holden? What does it reveal about Holden’s view of the world and feelings about it?

c)Look closely at the ending scene with Phoebe on the carousel with Holden watching, almost crying, and happy (212-213). Why does Holden want to be a “catcher” in the rye (and not one who “meets”) and to what extent does Holden succeed in being that catcher for Phoebe?

  1. Why is this novel entitled The Catcher in the Rye? Who is the catcher in the story? Arethere multiple characters who embody the title? Why or why not?
  1. In many works of literature, a physical journey—the literal movement from one place toanother—plays a central role. What does Holden’s journey from Pencey Prep to NewYork and eventually to a "rest" home in California reveal about the novel’s overallthemes? To what extent does Holden change on his journey? Why?
  1. Now that you have read the entire novel, what is the significance of the ducks? At whatpoint does Holden stop thinking about them and why? How does this reflect a change inhim?
  1. Create at least 2 questions with notes to consider for the inner-circle discussion. No “yes” or “no” questions allowed.