The Catcher in the Rye, by J. D.

Salinger
Activities

a) Part 1: Chapters 1-8

1. What does Holden Caulfield most often criticize people for? He’s got a certain word for it.
Which?

Holden always criticizes people for being fakes and layers, especially the adults and his popular
classmates, he calls them “phony”.

2. Why is this specific criticism that Holden uses against other people ironic?

This criticism is ironic because Holden is a little bit fake too, he keeps his thoughts to himself
and when someone asks him something he sometimes lies to avoid the truth, or also lies
directly. An example for this is a situation (where we all have been sometimes) when a teacher
asked him if he was okay for being kicked out of the school, he answered that he was fine,
when he really wasn’t.

3. On the day Holden begins telling his story, why did he end up returning to school early
from his event in New York City?

He ended up returning to school early because he lost the fencing equipment of his team.

4. What piece of clothing did Holden purchase while he was in New York?

Holden purchased a red hunting hat during his trip to New York.

5. Why is Holden being kicked out of school?

Holden is kicked out of school because he failed all his subjects, passing only
English.

6. What teacher does he talk to before he leaves?

He talks to Mr. Spencer. He’s the only teacher that really wants to help Holden and see him
improve.

7. What advice does this teacher give Holden about life? What does Holden think of that
advice?

Mr. Spencer tells Holden that Life is a game that one plays according to the rules. Holden
reacts to this advice by answering him that there are two different sides in the game, one
risky that makes it a game, and one boring and safe which has no purpose for the game.

8. What specific game does Holden remember playing with Jane Gallagher? What tactic did
Jane always resort to while playing?

Holden remembers playing checkers with Jane and that she used to keep her kings in the
back row.

9. Why was Holden nervous that Stradlater was going on a date with Jane?

He’s afraid that Stradlater is going to hurt Jane, as he always does this to girls, and he’s
always dating with a different one.

10. Who is Allie? What possession of his did Holden write a descriptive essay about?

Allie was Holden's little brother. He was super intelligent and redhead and died of leukemia
at the age of eleven. Holden writes a descriptive essay about a baseball glove which was
from Allie’s and where he used to write poems in Greek.

b) Part 2: Chapters 9-17

1. Who is the first person Holden calls when he gets to New York City? What is this person’s
occupation?

The first person Holden calls is Faith Cavendish, and she’s a stripper.

2. What is the name of Holden’s sister?

The name of Holden’s sister is Phoebe, and she’s ten years old.

3. What’s wrong with the people who are staying in Holden’s hotel?

The people that are staying in Holden’s hotel are perverts and strange.

4. What are the three girls who Holden meets in the hotel lobby bar obsessed with looking
for?

The three girls are obsessed about looking for famous people.
5. After leaving the bar and sitting in the lobby, who does Holden start thinking about?
What event in particular does he think of?

Holden starts thinking about Jane Gallagher and how the two of them met.

6. What question does Holden end up asking several NYC cab drivers?

Holden asked the cab drivers where the ducks go in winter.

7. What does Holden think of Ernie’s piano playing? Why doesn’t he end up having a good
time at his club?

However, as he continues to listen to the music, he becomes increasingly critical of it and

thinks that Ernie is showing off and being phony. Holden does not end up having a good
time at the club because he feels that everyone there is fake and pretentious. He believes
that they are all trying too hard to be sophisticated and cultured, and he sees through their
attempts at appearing sophisticated.

8. Who are Sunny and Maurice? Why do Maurice and Holden end up fighting?

Sunny is a prostitute, Maurice is her manager and together they win money with that business.
Holden refuses to pay extra money for their service, it is for that reason that Maurice and him
end up fighting.

9. Why does Holden have such fond memories of the Museum of Natural History? What’s
the “best thing” about visiting the museum?

Holden has fond memories of the Museum of Natural History because he sees it as a place
where everything stays the same. The exhibits and dioramas represent a world that is
frozen in time, a fact that Holden appreciates as he hates changes. Holden's favorite exhibit
at the museum is the one with the Indians and the Eskimos. He likes it because the figures
are always in the same position and nothing ever changes. He says that the best thing
about visiting the museum is that "you never had to worry about anybody's going away" or
anything changing.

10. What does Holden ask Sally Hayes to do at the end of their date?

Holden suggests that they run away together and start a new life in the countryside, away from
the phoniness of New York City.

c) Part 3: Chapters 18-28

1. What does Holden think about the movies?

Holden has a somewhat contradictory view of movies. On the one hand, he enjoys watching
movies and even goes to the movies several times throughout the novel. On the other hand, he
is highly critical of what he sees as the phoniness and artificiality of Hollywood movies.

2. What happens to Holden in Central Park after leaving the Wicker Bar?

Holden becomes increasingly anxious and paranoid, imagining that he is being followed by a
group of men who want to hurt him. He also begins to hallucinate, seeing the faces of various
people he has known throughout his life. Eventually, he becomes so overwhelmed by his
emotions that he feels like he is disappearing and losing touch with reality.

3. Why did James Castle from the Elkton Hills school commit suicide?

One day, a group of boys had physically attacked James, and he refused to take back
something he had said to defend himself. As a result, the boys continued to beat him until
he jumped out of a window to his death.

4. What is the “the Catcher in the Rye”? Why does Holden want to be that person?

The catcher in the rye is a metaphor that Holden uses to describe his desire to protect the
innocence of children. Holden wants to be the catcher in the rye because he is deeply
troubled by the idea of innocence lost and the corruption and phoniness of the adult world.

5. What piece of advice does Mr. Antolini write down and give to Holden? (You can put this
in your own words.)
Mr. Antolini writes down a piece of advice for Holden and gives it to him before he leaves
his apartment. The advice is: "The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly
for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one."

6. What is Mr. Antolini talking about when he speaks of “a beautiful reciprocal

arrangement?”

Mr. Antolini is referring to the idea that there is a reciprocal relationship between
teachers and students, where teachers have a responsibility to guide and mentor their
students, and in return, students have a responsibility to learn from their teachers and
to respect their guidance.
7. Why does Holden leave Mr. Antolini’s apartment early?

Holden becomes convinced that Mr. Antolini is trying to make a sexual advance towards him,
and he becomes fearful and agitated. He leaves the apartment and spends the night wandering
around New York City, trying to make sense of his thoughts and feelings.

8. When Holden imagines living in a cabin near the woods, what rule does he have for his
visitors?

The rule that Holden would have is that nobody could do anything phony to Holden.

9. How does Holden recognize Phoebe from a far distance while waiting for her at her school?
Holden recognizes his younger sister Phoebe from a distance while waiting for her at her
school by the way she is holding her suitcase. He notices that Phoebe is holding her suitcase by
the handle with both hands, instead of dragging it behind her as most children would.

10. While watching Phoebe, what does Holden think to himself about kids riding on the
carousel?

Holden reflects on the nature of childhood and the way that children experience joy and
innocence. He thinks to himself about how children ride the carousel in order to try and
grab the gold ring, which is a symbol of achieving something or attaining a goal.

d) Writing

Choose one of these two topics and write an essay (minimum 200 words) about it:

1. Examine Holden’s behavior and relationships at school and at home to determine what is
wrong with him. Is Holden an insane person in a sane world, or is he a sane person in an
insane world? Give your opinion justifying it with examples from the book.
2. Holden’s hunting cap is a constant symbol in the book. Write an essay about its
meaning and its evolution through the novel.

The hat's meaning evolves throughout the novel, reflecting Holden's changing attitudes
and experiences.

First, the hat symbolizes Holden's disobedience and desire to stand out. He wears it to be
different off other students of his school, who are required to wear uniform caps. Donning
the hunting cap allows Holden to stand out from the conformist world around him.

As the novel progresses, the hunting cap takes on new meaning, representing Holden's
sense of vulnerability and need for protection. He wears it when he feels insecure or alone
and uses it as a shield to hide behind. When he gave his sister Phoebe the hat, he offered
her protection and comfort, expressing his love and concern for her.
In the novel's final scenes, Holden's hunting cap takes on a new meaning, representing his
conformation of the world and his willingness to grow. While watching Phoebe ride the
carousel, he puts his hat on backwards, symbolizing his disposition to go forward and
embrace the world around him.

Overall, Holden's hunting cap is a powerful symbol of his struggle to find his place in the
world. This reflects his desire to be different and stand out, as well as his need for
protection and comfort. His development in the novel shows Holden growing and
developing as he learns to accept the world around him and step into the age of
adulthood.