Chapter+Questions

Part I. Chapters 1-4 1. Who is Holden Caulfield? Write down at least three characteristics of Holden and note the page number of each. Holden is the protagonist and narrator of the novel. He is a sixteen-year-old junior who has just been expelled for academic failure from a school called Pencey Prep. Holden narrates in a mocking and worn-out voice, although he is intelligent and responsive. He finds the insincerity and ugliness of the world around him unbearable, and through his pessimism he tries to protect himself from the soreness and disappointment of the adult world. However, the criticisms that Holden aims at people around him are also aimed at himself.

2. Where is Holden as he narrates the story? As Holden shares his experiences, it becomes obvious that he is narrating from a hospital for people who are mentally unstable and he’s being treated. This can be seen by his frequent use of the word 'madman" when he criticizes himself: "I was smoking like a madman" 3. Why wasn't Holden at the big football game?  Holden was not at the big football game because he had just come back from New York with the fencing team and he left all their equipment on the train. Everyone was mad at him. Another reason is that he was on his way to say good-by to old Spencer, his history teacher. He had the grippe, and Holden figured he probably wouldn't see him again till Christmas vacation started. 4. Why wouldn't Holden be back to Pencey after Christmas vacation? Holden was kicked out of Pencey because he was regularly given warnings, failing four subjects, and not behaving.

5a. What "dirty trick" did Mr. Spencer pull on Holden?

5b.On page 8 Mr. Spencer explains to Holden that life is a game. Do you agree with Holden's reaction to Mr. Spencer?

"'Life is a game, boy. Life is a game that one plays according to the rules.' 'Yes, sir. I know it is. I know it.'  Game, my ass. Some game. If you get on the side where all the hot-shots are, then it’s a game, all right—I’ll admit that. But if you get on the other side, where there aren’t any hot-shots, then what’s a game about it? Nothing. No game."

5c. If life is a game, who is on the winning and losing side among Holden, Ackley, and Stradlater?

6. Compare and contrast Robert Ackley and Ward Stradlater by listing at least two characteristics for each character. Note down the page number of each.

8. Who is Jane Gallagher? Jane Gallegher is a girl who used to live near Holden and played checkers with. She danced ballet and had trouble with her father.Holden cares for her a great deal.

9. Why doesn’t Holden go down to see Jane when he has the chance to? Do you believe him when he says, “I’m not in the mood right now.”(10) No, I don’t believe him because after the conversations he said, “I’m quite a nervous guy.” Maybe he didn’t have the confidence to confront her again.

10. Count the number of times Holden’s red hunting hat it mentioned In chapter’s 1-4 He mentioned the red hunting hat about 6 times.

11. What do you think the following quotation on p.22 tells us about Holden’s red hunting hat means to Holden? What does it tell us about how he sees the world? Ackley[|?] took another look at my hat. . . "Up home we wear a hat like that to shoot deer in, for Chrissake,” he said. “That’s a deer shooting hat.” “Like hell it is.” I took it off and looked at it. I sort of closed one eye, like I was taking aim at it. “This is a people shooting hat,” I said. “I shoot people in this hat.”

I think Holden feels like he doesn’t fit in society, because he says, “This is a people shooting hat, I shoot people in this hat.”

12. According to Holden, what is a phony? Do you agree with him that there are many phony people in the world? A phony is a fake. It is a person who doesn’t act like him/herself. Yes, there are many phony people in the world.

Part II.

1. Count the number of words in the lead sentence. How does the length of the lead sentence contribute to its meaning.

2. Describe the tone of the opening page and explain how the word choice creates the tone.

Catcher in the Rye p. 1

If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth. In the first place, that stuff bores me, and in the second place, my parents would have two hemorages apiece if I told anything pretty personal about them. They're quite touchy about anything like that, especially my father. They're nice and all--I'm not saying that--but they're also touchy as hell. Besides I'm not going to tell you my whole goddam autobiography or anything.(1).