Catcher in the Rye Final Study Guide

Chapter 1

1. What does Holden mean when he says that his brother D.B. is a prostitute?
2. How does Holden let the fencing team down?
3. Why is Holden being kicked out of Pencey Prep?
4. What event is going on at Pencey while Holden was on Thomsen Hill and why was Holden
missing the event?
5. Who is Mr. Spencer and why is Holden going to visit him?

Chapter 2

1. What does Spencer do that particularly annoys Holden?

2. In this chapter, Holden brings up his age/maturity for the first time. What does he say?
3. What advice does Mr. Spencer give Holden and how does Holden react?
4. Why did Holden fail history? What was his essay like and what "note" did he write Mr. Spencer?
5. When Holden stops paying attention to Mr. Spencer's speech, what is he thinking about?

Chapter 3

1. Who is Ackley? Describe him.

2. What does Ackley do that annoys Holden?
3. What does Holden say he is terrific at doing?
4. What does Holden say about Ossenburger Memorial Wing and the person it is named after?
5. What did Holden buy in New York?

Chapter 4

1. Holden refers to Stradlater as a “secret slob.” What does he mean by this?

2. What point does Holden try to make about people when he talks about Stradlater and commas?
3. Why do you think Holden was crying as he left?
4. What is ironic about what Stradlater asks Holden to do?
5. Who is Stradlater’s date and how does Holden know her?
6. What does Holden want Stradlater to ask Jane?

Chapter 5

1. Why does Holden think Pencey serves steak on Saturday?

2. What does Holden do Saturday night? Whom did he go with?
3. Why does Holden, Mal Brossard, and Ackley decide to skip the movie?
4. What does Holden write Stradlater’s paper on?
5. Describe Allie. Be specific.
6. What did Holden do when Allie passed away? (His immediate reaction)

Chapter 6

1. How does Stradlater react to the paper?

2. Is Holden concerned about Stradlater’s night with Jane? Why or why not? What does he
suspect?

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 3. What happens between Holden and Stradlater when Holden keeps pestering Stradlater?

Chapter 7

1. Who does Holden go talk to after the Stradlater debacle? Why?

2. After Holden wakes up Ackley, what do they talk about? Be specific.
3. What does Holden decide to do after leaving Ackley’s room?

Chapter 8

1. Holden states that “Mothers are all slightly insane.” What do you think Holden means?
2. What are some of the lies Holden tells Mrs. Morrow? Name two.
3. How did Holden get to New York?

Chapter 9

1. Holden calls other people phony. In what way is he one? Explain.

2. What is the first thing Holden does when he gets off the train?
3. What does Holden discuss with the taxi driver on the way to Edmont Hotel?
4. Why do you think Holden asks the cabbie for cocktails? Hypothesize.
5. Describe one thing Holden witnesses when he is at the Edmont Hotel.

Chapter 10

1. Who is Phoebe and what is Holden's opinion of her?

2. What did Holden order and how did he ask? What did he end up getting?
3. What did Holden think of the three girls in the Lavender Room?

Chapter 11

1. Holden shares a specific memory that demonstrates how close he was to Jane and how much he
trusted her. What was that specific memory? (The memory involves one of his siblings.)
2. What is the name of the night club that Holden used to go to with D.B.?

Chapter 12

1. What does Holden and the cab driver talk about?

2. What did Holden ask the cabbie this time? What is Holden’s hypothesis regarding the question?
What did the cabbie say?
3. Why did he ask this cabbie out for drinks?
4. What does Holden think about the piano player, Ernie?
5. Who recognizes Holden at Ernie’s? What does Holden think of her?

Chapter 13

1. Who is Maurice?
2. Who is Sunny? Describe her.
3. To avoid sleeping with Sunny, what “body part” does Holden say he got an operation on?

Chapter 14

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 1. Describe Holden’s memory regarding Allie and Bobby Fallon. How might this memory provide
insight on why Holden is so depressed? Explain.
2. Who knocks on Holden’s door? What do they want?
3. What evidence shows us that Holden might have made a good actor?
4. After Holden’s confrontation with Maurice, what does he think about doing? What is his reason
for not going through with it?

Chapter 15

1. Who is Dick Slagle and what memory does Holden share about him?
2. How does Holden treat the nuns?
3. When Holden is talking about Romeo and Juliet, what does he say about Mercutio that might
relate back to Allie? Explain.

Chapter 16

1. Why does Holden want to go to the record store? What does he buy? For whom?
2. What is the little boy singing when Holden passes him? How does it make him feel?
3. Why does Holden like the museum?

Chapter 17

1. What was Holden’s first thought when he sees Sally?

2. Why does Holden want to take off with Sally now instead of after college?
3. What does Holden say to Sally that makes her cry?

Chapter 18

1. What is Holden's opinion of the Christmas show at Radio City?

2. Why does Holden think the woman sitting next to him in the movie theater is a phony?
3. Why does Holden hate the army?

Chapter 19

1. Who is Carl Luce?

2. What does Luce say that makes Holden upset?
3. What does Luce tell Holden that he needs?

Chapter 20

1. What happens to Phoebe's record? What does this symbolize?

2. When Holden is sitting on the bench in Central Park, what does he think about?
3. What does Holden say will be the one good thing about his funeral if he dies from pneumonia?
Why does Holden think this is a good thing?
4. What information does Holden finally tell the readers about Allie's funeral?
5. What does Holden say about Allie’s death that contradicts all his other statements about being
an atheist?
6. After he leaves the park, where does Holden go?

Chapter 21

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 1. Why was Phoebe in D.B.’s room?
2. What does Holden find so intriguing about Phoebe's notebook?
3. How do we know that Phoebe is very intuitive and smart for her age?

Chapter 22

1. Who is James Castle? What happened to him? Be specific.

2. What did Holden think were the lyrics for "Comin Thro the Rye” by Robert Burns? What are the
actual lyrics?
3. What does Holden tell Phoebe he'd like to be? What does this symbolize? Be specific.
4. Who does Holden call at the end of the chapter?

Chapter 23

1. Who is Mr. Antolini?

2. What does Holden tell us about Mr. Antolini in regards to James Castle?
3. What do Phoebe and Holden do before he leaves?
4. How does Phoebe cover for Holden when their parents come home?
5. What does Phoebe give Holden? What does Holden give Phoebe?

Chapter 24

1. Describe Mr. and Mrs. Antolini.

2. What does the paper say that Mr. Antolini gives Holden?
3. What does Holden wake up to?

Chapter 25

1. Where does Holden go after the Antolini’s?

2. Describe the two articles Holden is reading in the station.
3. What is the “spooky” thing that starts happening when Holden is walking down the streets of
NYC?
4. As Holden walks down the streets, who does he keep talking to? What does he ask this person?
5. What does Holden fantasize doing in regards to his future plans? Be specific.
6. Why does Holden go to the elementary school?
7. What do the “F*** You’s” on the walls and Holden’s failure to remove all of them symbolize?
Explain.
8. Why does Phoebe have a suitcase with her when she meets Holden at the museum? How does
Holden react?
9. What are Holden’s thoughts about kids reaching for the gold rings?
10. What is the significance of Phoebe putting on Holden’s hat for him?

Chapter 26

1. Where is Holden right now?

2. In the last paragraph of the novel, Holden states, “Don’t ever tell anybody anything. If you do,
you’ll start missing everybody” (192). What do you think he means?

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