Study Guide: The Catcher in the Rye

Chapter 1
1.What does Holden mean when he says that his brother D.B. is out in Hollywood "being a prostitute"?
     -He believes his brother is using his talent uselessly and basically selling himself out.
2. Where is Holden as the story begins?
     -His school, Pencey Prep.
3. Where and what is Pencey Prep?
     -Pencey Prep is an exclusive private school.
4. How did Holden let the fencing team down?
     -He forgot the gear on the subway, so they couldn't compete.
5. Why was Holden being kicked out of Pencey Prep?
     -He was failing every subject except English.
6. What kind of health does Holden appear to be in? 
     -He does not have good health because he is a heavy smoker.

Chapter 2  1. Who is Mr. Spencer and why does Holden visit him?
      -Mr. Spencer is Holden's old teacher who he visits because he is recovering from a grippe and won't ever see again after winter break. Also, Mr. Spencer was the only teacher who actually believed that Holden could succeed. 2. What did Spencer do that particularly annoyed Holden?
     -Spencer was lecturing Holden, he was also reading an essay that he claimed to be garbage. 3. What does Holden give us as the reason for "leaving" Elkton Hills?
     -He disliked all the 'phonies.'

Chapter 3 1. What does Holden mean, "I'm quite illiterate, but I read a lot"? Give examples of what he reads.
     -Holden means that even though his grammar and reading skills aren't very good, he still reads a lot of books. He reads advanced classics like Ring Laudner. 2. Who is Ackley? Describe him.
     -Ackley is a student who lives in the room next to Holden's. He has awful personal hygiene and a terrible personality. 3. What does Ackley do that annoys Holden?
     -Always comes in uninvited, never sits down, and clips his fingernails on the carpet.

Chapter 4 1. Who is Stradlater? Why does Holden refer to him as a "secret slob"? What does he look like?
     -Stradlater is Holden's roommate. He always looks alright but is a slob in the way he gets clean, like how his razor was extremely rusty. He has a good amount of facial hair and is very handsome. 2. 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?
     -He is trying to say that people base why others are better at something than they are on technical things, like the basketball players build, instead of actual talent/skill. 3. Why did it make Holden nervous that Stradlater was going out with Jane Gallagher?
     -He was worried he wouldn't treat her right. 

 Chapter 5 1. Who is Allie, and why is his baseball mitt so special to Holden?
     -Allie is Holden's brother who passed away. He likes to keep his mitt as a memory. 2. Why did Holden's parents want to have him psychoanalyzed?
     -The night Allie died, Holden was very devastated and broke all the windows in the garage with his fists.

Chapter 6  1. What do Holden and Stradlater fight over?
     -Stradlater came home from his date with Jane after her curfew and wouldn't tell Holden details about it, and Stradlater is not pleased with the essay that Holden wrote. 2. Holden says that he is a "pacifist". What is that, and is he?
    -A pacifist is someone who tries to avoid violence. In his head, Holden thinks that he is a pacifist, but he still can be cruel and pick fights.

Chapter 7 1. Why does Holden suddenly decide to visit Ackley's room?
     -He doesn't feel comfortable in his room after the fight.  2. Where does Holden then decide to go?
     -He goes to New York 3. What is his final good-bye to Pencey Prep?
     -He yells, "Sleep tight, you morons," very loudly. 4. Why do you think Holden was crying as he left?
     -Although he hated the place, he was leaving his life.

Chapter 8  1. What does Holden mean when he says, "Mothers are all slightly insane"?
     -Mothers care about their child more than anything and will do anything for them. 2. What are some of the lies Holden tells Mrs. Morrow? Do you think he's as sorry for them as he stated?
     -He tells Mrs. Morrow that her son was popular, shy, and almost class president, which is the opposite of his actual personality. I think he was sorry for the lies because she acted very kind towards him.

Chapter 9 1. Holden calls other people phony. In what way is he one?
     -Holden lied to the mother on the train, and when he wanted to get with the girl in the middle of the night. when he creates a life for himself that is not realistic, he is making himself just as phony as the people he complains about.

Chapter 10  1. Who is Phoebe, and what is Holden's opinion of her?
     -His younger sister, who he admires. She reminds him of Allie. 2. What evidence is there that shows us that Holden probably doesn't look as old as he says he looks?
     -The waiter asked if he was under 21.

Chapter 11 1. What was the past relationship like between Holden and Jane?
     -They dated and cared about each other's feelings.

Chapter 12 1. What do Holden and the cab driver talk about?
     -About where ducks go when their lakes freeze. 2. Why does Holden leave Ernie's?
    -Because he sees Lillian, an ex-girlfriend of D.B.'s whom everyone hates. She invites him to sit with her and her date, so he makes up an excuse to leave. Also, he thinks that Ernie is a "phony"

Chapter 13 1. 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"?
   -I don't think that his story supports him being a pacifist, because although he said he would be too scared to actually punch someone he said that he would still want to do it

Chapter 14 1. Does Holden have any guilt feelings about Allie? Do you feel this is abnormal in any way, or normal?
   -I think that he has normal guilt feelings for Allie because he was much more accomplished and successful than Holden ever was, so he wonders why Allie passed away and not him 2. What made Holden cry?
     -Holden cries after Sunny and Maurice steal $5 from his wallet because it wasn't fair 3. What evidence shows us that Holden might have made a good actor?
       -Holden imagines a descriptive scene where Maurice shoots him in the guts and he walks all over the hotel

Chapter 15 1. What is the point that Holden tries to make about people when he elaborates about the suitcases of the nuns and of his former roommate?
    - He talks about prejudices in people.
 2. How does Holden treat the nuns?
      -He treats them kindly and respectfully. 3. Why does Holden think it spoils a conversation if someone asks what religion he is?
     -Holden is obsessed with the idea of authenticity, and he seems to feel that when people find out what religion a person belongs to, it makes them look at that person in a certain way.

Chapter 16 
 1.Who does Holden make a date with? Why does he call her up if he thinks she's a phony?
     -He dates with Sally Hayes because he is lonely. 2. How does Holden treat little kids? Give an example.
     -He is protective and kind to them. He buys his little sister a record. 3. Does Holden know his way around the city? What does this tell us about him?
     -Yes, and that hes lived or been there before.

 Chapter 17 1.How do Holden's feelings for women compare to his feelings for men?
     -Holden likes women but feels they'll end up with bad men. Holden dislikes men. 2.How does Holden feel about actors?  How does he feel about The Lunts?
     -He feels that they are phonies. And that the Lunts are too good.   3.What is Holden's point about the difference between men owning a car and men owning a horse?
     -He thinks cars are just to show off. 4. How does Holden describe a boy's school to Sally?
     -As horrible and phony. 5.Why does Holden want to take off with Sally now instead of after college?  What’s the difference in his eyes?
      -He wants to escape and not deal with his feelings.  

Chapter 18 1.What is Holden's opinion of the Christmas show at Radio City?
     -He believes its lame and phony. 2.Why did Holden think the woman who cried through the movie was a phony?
     -She wouldn't stop crying even if it wasn't sad.

Chapter 19 1.Why did Holden get mad at Luce for calling his (Luce's) old girlfriend the "Whore of New Hampshire"?
     He missed her. 2.Who was Luce to Holden?
     His advisor and Whooton School.

Chapter 20 1.How does Holden "act" again in this chapter? 2.What happens to Holden at the Wicker Bar?
      -He pretended he got shot. 3.What happens to Phoebe's record?
     -He drops it and it shatters.  4.Where does Holden go right after he leaves the bar?
     -He goes to central park and tries to find ducks 5.What information does Holden finally tell us about Allie's funeral?
      -All his family went but he didnt go himself. 6.What does Holden say about Allie that contradicts all his other statements about being an atheist?
     -He believes he's in heaven. 7.After he leaves the park, where does Holden go?
      -He goes home.

Chapter 21 1.What does Holden find so intriguing about Phoebe's note- book?
      -She changed her middle name.

Chapter 22 1.Why did it depress Holden when an "old guy" told him that his days at Pencey were the happiest days of his life?
      -He realized Pencey was the happiest place he has been to. 2.What does it tell us about Holden when Phoebe states, "You don't like anything that's happening"?
      -He's really depressed. 3.Why does Holden think about James Castle when Phoebe asks him to name one thing that he likes a lot?  Why does he deny really knowing James? What does it tell us about Holden when he says, "Just because somebody's dead, you don't just stop liking them, for God's sake---especially if they were a thousand times nicer than the people you know that’re alive and all"?
       -He thinks about James because he is thinking about the cruelty in the world making him go crazy. It is a perfect example of how cruel people bully the weak people. It shows Holden's inability to concentrate and proves Phoebe's point that he doesn't really like anything. He likes that James isn't phony and won't back down when he is being bullied. He and James never talked and weren't really friends, but James borrowed Holden's sweater once (the sweater he killed himself in). He is still hung up on Allie's death and doesn't want to forget about him. He feels really alone and Allie was one of the only people he actually liked
 4. What does Holden tell Phoebe he'd like to be?
     -A catcher in the rye

Chapter 23 1.Who is Mr. Antolini?
      -Holden's favorite teacher. 2.How does Phoebe cover for Holden when their parents come home?
     -She told her parents she was smoking to cover for Holden smoking. 3.In talking with her parents how does Phoebe "sound" like Holden?
      -She lies and says lousy a lot. Acts more mature 4.What does Phoebe do that makes Holden cry?
     -She gives him her Christmas money.   5.What does Holden give to Phoebe?
     -His red hunting hat and the broken pieces of the record.

Chapter 24 part1 1.Why did Holden fail his speech class?
      -He did not attend class. 2.How does Holden feel physically while he talks to Mr. Antolini?
      -Ill. 3. What does Holden say about him hating people, such as Ackley and Stradlater?
      -He does not always hate them, just when they do certain things. 4.What does Antolini's quote mean, "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"?
      -It means that all the immature man wants is glory and recognition from his peers, while the mature one is self-content with himself, confident in himself. 5.How does Antolini upset and scare Holden?
     -He was stroking Holden's head. 

Chapter 24 part2 1.Later, after he has had time to think about it, what does Holden think about Antolini?
       -He started to question himself. 2.Why does the article on hormones upset Holden?
      -He realized he had the bad hormones. 3.What strange feeling does Holden start to have when he steps off of curbs?
      -He feels like he won't make it to the other side and will disappear. 4.Why does he keep repeating, "Allie, don't let me disappear"?
      -He is delirious and wants Allie to keep him safe. 5.What does Holden decide he must do next?  Where does he first go?
     -He's going to have lunch with Pheobe.   6. With all the bad language that Holden uses, why was he so upset that curse words were written on a school wall?
     -He sad about the negativity. Theyre going to live in a phony world. 7.How does Holden treat the two small boys in the museum?
     -He is very kind to them. 8.Why is it so important to Holden that Phoebe not be mad at him?  Relate this to his past, and Allie.
     -He didn't want her to be bad and him and then die, like Allie. 9.What does Holden mean when he states, "The thing with kids is, if they want to grab for the gold ring, you have to let them do it, and not say anything.  If they fall off, they fall off, but it's bad if you say anything to them"?
    -What Holden means by this is you have to let kids be kids. In the past, Holden tends to have a protective nature, evident throughout the novel when he is extremely friendly and caring to little kids. He has previously stated that he wants to be a catcher in the rye, protecting little kids from harm. In this instance, he now realizes that it is a futile job.  10.What is the carousel symbolic of?
      -Childhood, how Holden doesn't want to grow up but life goes on and on.  
Chapter 25 1.At the conclusion, where is Holden?
      -Just finished telling his story to a psychoanalyst. 2.What was the past relationship like between Holden and Jane?
     -They cared about each other greatly.

Chapter 26 1.What does Holden mean when he says, “Don’t ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody.”?
       -Do not get too close to anyone, they will disappoint you.