The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

Learning Goal and Agenda March 24, 2014 Learning Goal: Students will be able to analyze and make inferences about character, plot, theme, and setting in The Catcher in the Rye. Agenda: Do Now Robert Burns poem Themes to look out for Intro to the novel Begin reading Do Now: 1. Take out homework for collection 2. Go to my wiki (misstringali.pbworks.com) click on your class and find the poem “Comin thro’ the Rye” by Robert Burns 3. Read the poem and answer the following questions as best as you can in your notes for discussion: 1. What do you believe the poem is about? 2. Based on this poem what do you believe the book The Catcher in the Rye is about? 3. What will the boy be like? 4. What problems do you think he will face? 5. Why might he be attracted to this poem?

Learning Goal and Agenda March 24, 2014 Learning Goal: Students will be able to analyze and make inferences about character, plot, theme, and setting in The Catcher in the Rye. Agenda: Do Now Robert Burns poem Themes to look out for Intro to the novel Begin reading Themes:  Depression- What are some reasons teenagers get depressed? What are some different ways teenagers react to depression?  Craziness- How many words can you think of that mean “insane”? What is your definition of insane?  Loneliness- Why are so many people lonely? Are there some common reasons for loneliness among teens? What are those reasons? What can you do about loneliness  Friendship- What makes a good friend? How much “artificiality” are you willing to overlook in a friend?  Conformity/Rebellion- Why are teenagers often characterized as “rebellious”? When is conformity desirable and when is it not?

Learning Goal and Agenda March 24, 2014 Learning Goal: Students will be able to analyze and make inferences about character, plot, theme, and setting in The Catcher in the Rye. Agenda: Do Now Robert Burns poem Themes to look out for Intro to the novel Begin reading What you should know before reading…

Learning Goal and Agenda March 24, 2014 Learning Goal: Students will be able to analyze and make inferences about character, plot, theme, and setting in The Catcher in the Rye. Agenda: Do Now Robert Burns poem Themes to look out for Intro to the novel Begin reading The Catcher in the Rye Author: J.D. Salinger Jerome David Salinger was born in New York City on January 1, 1919 and died January 27, 2010 Salinger attended Valley Forge Military Academy after flunking out of boarding school and then continued his erratic education at three colleges He was married twice, having two children with his second wife His first story was published in Story magazine in 1940 and by 1958 he wrote exclusively for The New Yorker Salinger kept mostly to himself and out of the spotlight. Many of his stories were just recently leaked after a documentary was made exploring his life.

Learning Goal and Agenda March 24, 2014 Learning Goal: Students will be able to analyze and make inferences about character, plot, theme, and setting in The Catcher in the Rye. Agenda: Do Now Robert Burns poem Themes to look out for Intro to the novel Begin reading The Catcher in the Rye Fun facts: Until 2006, Catcher was one of the most frequently challenged and banned books in library history because of sex and vulgar language Has sold over 65 million copies worldwide Mark David Chapman (assassin of John Lennon) and John Hinckley Jr. (attempted assassin of President Ronald Reagan) both had copies of the book in their pockets when they were arrested.

Learning Goal and Agenda March 24, 2014 Learning Goal: Students will be able to analyze and make inferences about character, plot, theme, and setting in The Catcher in the Rye. Agenda: Do Now Robert Burns poem Themes to look out for Intro to the novel Begin reading The Catcher in the Rye How we connect with Holden: Holden Caulfield = sketch of an American teenager Nearly all readers identify with or see some of their friends reflected in different aspects of Holden’s character. Young readers see in Holden Caulfield a little bit of what they are, while older readers see in Holden a bit of what they once were. Ultimately, we all know that is some way, Holden is one of us.

Learning Goal and Agenda March 24, 2014 Learning Goal: Students will be able to analyze and make inferences about character, plot, theme, and setting in The Catcher in the Rye. Agenda: Do Now Robert Burns poem Themes to look out for Intro to the novel Begin reading The Catcher in the Rye Point of view: First-person limited- we see this story only through Holden’s eyes “You”- the psychoanalyst and the reader Stream of Consciousness; many digressions Dialect- Salinger perfected the dialect of the teenage boy  This language is the cause of much controversy over the book  This creates a very believable character

Learning Goal and Agenda March 24, 2014 Learning Goal: Students will be able to analyze and make inferences about character, plot, theme, and setting in The Catcher in the Rye. Agenda: Do Now Robert Burns poem Themes to look out for Intro to the novel Begin reading The Catcher in the Rye What to look for while reading… This novel is a character study of Holden.  Analyze Holden’s motivations, his personality, and his mental stability.  What’s Holden’s deal? Is there something wrong with him (is he crazy?) or is he a just a normal teenager?

Learning Goal and Agenda March 24, 2014 Learning Goal: Students will be able to analyze and make inferences about character, plot, theme, and setting in The Catcher in the Rye. Agenda: Do Now Robert Burns poem Themes to look out for Intro to the novel Begin reading Homework: Read chapter 1-3 and complete guided reading questions