AP English: Literature

Emily Schell
Name ______________________________

Major Works Data Sheet

Biographical information about the author:

The Catcher in the Rye

Title:_________________________________
J.D. Salinger
Author:_______________________________
1951
Date of Publication:____________________
Fiction
Genre: _______________________________
Historical information about the period of publication:
The novel was published in 1951, right in the middle
of the post World War Two Era. From a political
standpoint, the era has been noted for McCarthyism
and strong cynicism, especially towards suspected
communists. As we have seen with many post war
eras, theme of disillusionment and realization of the
true horrors of the world are also present, both in
society and in literature. The predominant historical
themes of the era transcend greatly into this novel, as
both the ideas of mistrust and loss of innocence are
prevalent.

J.D. Salinger was born to an affluent cheese importer in New York

in 1919 and grew up living a fairly stereotypical rich boy lifestyle.
He shifted from prep school to prep school, and his
post-secondary education followed this pattern as well, as he
shifted from college to college but did not graduate from any. His
first short story was published in 1940, just before he entered WWII
for the Americans.Throughout his military service and during his
post war civilian life, Salinger continued writing short stories, many
of which were eventually published in renowned magazines. In
1951, Salingers first and only full-length work, The Catcher in the
Rye, was published and netted him national fame, selling 120
million copies worldwide. Two of his collections were published
later on in the 60s, but aside from those Salinger was relatively
inactive after the publication of the Catcher in the Rye. Salinger
would go on to live until the age of 91, passing away on January
27, 2010.

Characteristics of the genre:

A fictional novel is one that deals with events and
characters that are imaginary, as is the case with
this novel. The situations presented do seem
plausible however and thus it is accurate to
characterize this novel as realistic fiction.

Plot summary:
The novel is told from some type of mental rehabilitation center from the point of view of the protagonist,
Holden Caulfield. He begins his story by describing his last few days at Pencey Prep, his fourth prep
school. Holden has recently been expelled due to his poor academic performance but has four days before
he is scheduled to return back home. He decides to visit his history teacher, Spencer, for a final greeting
but is irritated when Spencer begins to scold him for his grades. When he returns to his room, his neighbor
Ackley and his roommate Stradlater, who is spending the night with Holdens Jane Gallagher, a girl whom
Holden used to spend summers with and still has feelings for, further annoy him. Holden begins to
question Stradlater about whether he had sex with Jane, and eventually Stradlater punches Holden.
Following this incident, Holden departs straight to New York and decides to stay in a hotel rather than
telling his parents he has left. From his hotel room he sees a man and a women spitting drinks at each
other, a scene that disgusts yet excites him. He calls a stripper from his hotel room, hoping she will have
sex with him, but is unwilling to wait until the next day for her and hangs up. Craving some sort of
stimulation, Holden goes into a bar and flirts with some older women and dances with them, but ends up
paying for all their drinks. After this incident he recalls his time with Jane Gallagher, and how she would
always leave all the checker kings in the back row. Holden continues to explore the city, visiting various
bars in New York City, and after one of his outings the elevator operator, Maurice, at his hotel offers
Holden a prostitute for $5. He accepts but doesnt feel right when she begins to undress and makes excuses
for not having sex with her. He gives her $5 and she eventually leaves, but she and Maurice come back
demanding $5 more. When Holden refuses, they forcibly take the money and leave Holden on the floor in
pain. The next day Holden calls up one of his ex-girlfriends, Sally Hayes, and meets up with her for a play
and ice skating. He suggests that Sally run off with him to Massachusetts or Vermont and reacts somewhat
childishly when she refuses and subsequently leaves him. Later on, Holden gets drunk and finally goes
home to speak with his little sister Phoebe, to whom he tells his dream of being the catcher in the rye,
essentially a figure who catches children and prevents them from falling into adulthood. After leaving,
Holden calls up his former English teacher, Mr. Antolini, who lets Holden spend the night in his home. He
eventually falls asleep on the couch, but wakes up in the middle of the night and finds Mr. Antolini
stroking his forehead. Holden ascribes this gesture to homosexual desire. He promptly leaves and spends
the rest of the night elsewhere. He eventually decides to leave home for good and writes Phoebe a note
detailing his intentions and asking her to meet up with him. While delivering this note, Holden is deeply
saddened by the fact that he sees profane language in the school building and immediately tries to erase it.
Phoebe ends up bringing a suitcase and intends to leave with Holden, but Holden sternly rejects her
proposal and leads her to the zoo, where he nearly cries tears of joy when he sees Phoebe riding the
carousel, evidently a sign of Holdens desire to perpetuate childhood. The scene finally shifts to the present
day, where Holden reveals his plans to start fresh at a new school after summer.

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Describe the author's style:

The story is told in first person limited omniscient,
as we learn of all the characters only through
Holdens descriptions. The style is relatively
informal and colloquial, using various slang terms
and using some profane language. Additionally,
Salinger seems to have written this novel in a
particularly experimental style, as he explores
themes, which many at the time deemed ineffable
and eventually led to the book being banned in
many institutions.

An example that demonstrates the style:

Hes got a lot of dough, now
On my right there was this very Joe Yale-looking guy,
in a gray flannel suit and one of those flitty-looking
Tattersall vests. All those Ivy League bastards look
alike
It was a helluva lot easier getting out of the house than
it was getting in, for some reason. For one thing, I didnt
give much of a damn any more if they caught me
I just lit one for one second. I just took one puff. Then I
threw it out the window

Memorable Quotes (at least 3)

Quote

Significance

Certain things, they should stay the way they are. You ought to be A central theme of the novel is Holdens aversion to the
maturation process and his desire to prevent children
able to stick them in one of those big glass cases and just leave
from being exposed to the horrors of adulthood. It can be
them alone
inferred that one of these things is the innocence present
in most children, as Holden wants to prevent this
innocence from being snatched by adulthood.

If you had a million years to do it in, you couldnt rub out even half This quotation illustrates that he understands that no
the Fuck you signs in the world. Its impossible
matter how hard he tries to shield children from the vices
of adulthood, they will eventually succumb to the process
of maturation and be exposed to the profanity of
adulthood.

I am always saying "Glad to've met you" to somebody I'm not at

all glad I met. If you want to stay alive, you have to say that stuff,
though.

The trouble with girls is, if they like a boy, no matter how big a
bastard he is, they'll say he has an inferiority complex, and if they
don't like him, no matter how nice a guy he is, or how big an
inferiority complex he has, they'll say he's conceited. Even smart
girls do it.

This quote reveals how Holden feels compelled to

conform. Although he might not like people, society has
molded Holden to say "Glad to've met you" to them.
Throughout the novel, Holden shows how he is sick of
society's conventions even though he acknowledges that
one has to adapt In order to stay alive.
Holden runs into many females through the course of the
story, but never seems to connect with them on a deeper
level. In this quote Holden exposes the "phoniness", as
he would say, of the girls his age. One theme of the story
is Holden's desire for intimate relationships while coming
to terms with his sexuality, which never happens.

A problem that Holden faces in the story is his changing

mindset and body. He is growing older and is entering a
kind of middle stage where he is neither a child nor an
"It was that kind of a crazy afternoon, terrifically cold, and no sun adult. At the beginning of the book, Holden has no idea of
out or anything, and you felt like you were disappearing every time his future. He doesn't want to move forward but has no
way of going back to the childhood he admires. This
you crossed a road."
scene on the sidewalk represents this. As he walks
forward along the sidewalk, Holden feels he is
disappearing due to his changing identity. He has no
grasp of himself and no character of his own to consider
his own.

I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big
field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody's aroundnobody big, I mean-except me. And I'm standing on the edge of
some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if
they start to go over the cliff-I mean if they're running and they
don't look where they're going I have to come out from somewhere
and catch them. That's all I'd do all day. I'd just be the catcher in
the rye and all."

Throughout the book, Holden faces his coming adulthood

and his need to move on from adolescence. However, he
does not want to look towards the future and hates the
idea of losing his childhood. This quote is important
because it is Holden's first attempt to be completely
honest with someone about his desires for his future. It
also addresses Holden's dear of adulthood's corruption
and his desire to save others from facing what he
currently is.

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Characters

Name
Holden Caulfield

Phoebe Caulfield

Allie Caulfield

D. B. Caulfield

Stradlater

Ackley

Jane Gallagher

Sally Hayes

Sunny

Mr. Antolini

Mr. Spencer

Role in the story

Holden is the main
character of the story and
the story is also told
through his point of view.
Phoebe is Holden's sister
in the story. She is still a
young 10-year-old who
lives in New York with her
parents.
Allie was Holden's
brother that died before
the time of the book.
D.B. is Holden's older
brother. He works as a
rather successful
screenwriter in
Hollywood.
Stradlater was Holden's
roommate at Pencey
Prep. Holden seemed to
be jealous of him.
Ackley was another
student as Pencey Prep
with Holden. They had
their own kind of strange
friendship.
Jane was a girl whom
Holden spent a summer
with in Maine. They
became close and had a
real relationship.
Sally is Holden's ex
girlfriend who lives in
New York.
Sunny is a prostitute that
Holden ends up hiring
when he is staying at a
hotel. She is still a young
girl.

Significance
Holden goes through a journey into adulthood
as he experiences the horrors of leaving the
comfort of home. He shows the reader how
people progress as they realize what they want
to do and have direction in their life.

Adjectives
Lonely, Cynical,
Judgmental, Lost,
Impulsive, and
Sensitive

Phoebe acts as a sympathetic person whom

Holden needs during his journey. She is quite
Intelligent,
wise despite her young age. Holden goes to her Sympathetic,
when he has nowhere else to go. Phoebe plays Understanding, Kind,
a necessary role of someone that Holden can go
Innocent, Insightful,
to in order to be understood.

and Mature

Allie is Holden's ideal and the personification of

all that Holden admires. He was the type of kind,
innocent child that Holden loves and his death Perfect, Emotional,
could have been a cause of Holden's desire to Intelligent, Loving,
save other children.
Favorite, and Unique
D.B. is significant due to his act of being an
example of Holden's idea of being a phony. D.B.
was, in Holden's opinion, a great short-story
Creative, Talented,
writer. He wrote Holden's favorite story, "The
Fake, Disillusioned,
Secret Goldfish," in which a boy spends his
money on a goldfish an refuses to let others see and Cynical
it. However, after being in WWII and seeing its
horrors, D.B. went on to Hollywood and seems
to have sold out in Holden's mind.
Stradlater is significant as he brings out
Holden's hatred of being fake right at the
beginning of the story. He hates Stradlater's
action of pretending to be something he is not.

Popular, Handsome,
Proud, Messy, and
Persuasive

Ackley was the opposite of Stradlater. Holden

still seemed to be willing to extend a hand of
friendship to Ackley by inviting him places and
talking to him. Although Ackley is called a phony
due to his fake sexual stories, he is still more
true to himself than people like Stradlater who
Disgusting, Annoying,
are two-faced.

Unhygienic,

Jane plays a large role in helping define Holden. Hypocritical, and SelfJane helps show that Holden is not as cold and centered
distant as he may appear to be.Holden seems in
love with Jane.

Attractive, Memorable,
Sally shows how Holden is desperate for a
Smart, Reserved,
connection to someone and for a close
relationship. Sally also plays an important role Athletic, and Special
because his time with her makes him look
inward for one of the first times as the source of
problems.
Beautiful, Normal,

Sunny is important because she represents the Conventional, and

corruption of youth that Holden hates and
Satisfied
wishes to prevent. Sunny is still a young girl.
Sunny is a disadvantaged youth whose
circumstances have required her to whore
Saddening, Pitiful, and
herself out.

Childish

Mr. Antolini was an important character because

he was one of the few people whom Holden
respected, and made Holden second guess
himself. He was one of the few to really help
Holden figure things out.

Mr. Antolini was Holden's

old English teacher at
Mr. Spencer is significant to the story due to his Wise, Sympathetic,
Open, and
Elkton Hills. Holden really role of bringing out Holden's emotions and
thoughts. His disgust of the old age in Mr.
Approachable
respected him.
Spencer's apartment show Holden's fear for
Holden's history teacher
at Pencey whom Holden
goes to speak to before
leaving to New York.

growing up and his calling Mr. Spencer a phony

for wanting Holden to act for his future shows
Oblivious, Stern,
Holden's belief of the corruption of adulthood.

Withered, and Wellinentioned

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Setting

Significance of opening scene

The opening starts off with Holden describing his
situation living in California and "taking it easy",
The novel starts off at Holden's prep school in
apparently in an institution. Holden's cynical
Pennsylvania, Pencey Prep. He leaves for New
personality and his disillusionment with his family are
York City, where he spends the next week
wandering around. He visits many places in the city, evident immediately. He then describes his prep
school, Pencey Prep, which is full of phonies. Holden
including Central Park, the Edmont hotel, various
is not at the football game, which is a big deal at
clubs, the Museum of Natural History, Radio City,
Pencey. Instead, he is visiting his old teacher
and his parents's apartment. He is 16 years old
Spencer because he has failed out of Pencey.
during the story, which takes place in the 1950s.

Symbols

Significance of the ending/closing scene

Red Hunting Hat - This strange looking hat is a symbol of

Holden's individualism. He loves the way it looks, but never wears
it in public, showing that he is uncomfortable with his own
uniqueness. When Phoebe gives Holden back the hat, it
symbolizes that she accepts him for who he really is.

After declining Phoebe's offer to leave with him, Holden

takes her to the zoo, where he watches her ride a carousel
in the rain and nearly cries out of happiness. Holden
concludes by revealing that he misses everyone and is
returning to school. The scene is significant because
Holden finally finds someone to connect to intimately,
enjoying Phoebe's innocence. He begins to mature
somewhat in the last chapter by valuing the people around
him more.

Ducks in the Pond - Holden wonders where the ducks in Central

Park go in the winter when the pond is frozen. The ducks adapt
and come back every year regardless of what happens, just like
Holden will eventually make it through his troubles. The cold ice
and winter are similar to the unpleasant society that Holden has to
deal with.
Museum of Natural History - The museum represents what
Holden envisions himself as - something unchanging even as time
moves on. Even though the children that visit every time are
different, the exhibits stay the same.
"Little Shirley Beans Record" - Holden buys this record for
Phoebe, but drops it and breaks it while he is drunk. It is another
symbol of lost innocence, as Holden is distraught after dropping it.
However Phoebe keeps the broken record pieces that Holden
gives her, showing that she still maintains the innocence that
Holden treasures.

Possible Themes
-The Loss of innocence
-Dealing with growing up
-The Phoniness of the adult world
-Adapting to social norms