1. Reading and Discussion Notes
Catcher in the Rye
Reading and Discussion Notes

2. J (Jerome) D (David) Salinger
Born in NYC in 1919
Son of a wealthy importer—child of privilege, just like Holden
Shuttled between various prep schools until he was finally sent to military school
Attended a number of colleges but never graduated
While at Columbia University, he took a class in creative writing; rekindled his interest in a writing career
First short story published in 1940
Published Catcher in 1951: only novel he ever wrote
Continued to write short stories for the next 10 years, but withdrew from public life completely in 1965

3. Catcher in the Rye—social impact
Novel is a coming-of-age story
Articulated the feelings of youth struggling against the conformist adult society of the 1950’s and 1960’s
Use of slang, profanity, and because he discussed adolescent sexuality in a complex and open way led to controversy and censorship

4. Plot Overview SETTING 1950’s Starts at Pencey Prep School in Penn.
Moves to NYC
December—a week before Christmas Break: book spans a three day period in Holden’s life
Frame Story
Outside framework: Holden is in a “rest home”/rehab like facility in Ch. 1 and 26
Inside framework: Story of 3 days that led up to Holden’s stay in the rest home
Style: stream on consciousness—we are hearing Holden’s story from his point of view, as he remembers the events and his free association of ideas

5. Plot Overview Narrator Holden Caulfield—16years old
Flunked out of Pencey and numerous other prep schools
Comes from affluent family
Has older brother, DB; sister, Phoebe; younger brother, Allie, died a few years prior of leukemia
Story is told from Holden’s perspective looking back on the past
Where is he now?

6. Plot Overview Ch. 1-8: Leaving Pencey
Holden failed 4 out of 5 subjects and is not invited back after Christmas Break
Says goodbye to his favorite teacher, Mr. Spencer
Admonishes Holden that he must learn to “play the game”
Game of Life—How does Holden see life as a game? Is it a fair game? Who has the advantage?
Encounters his roommate (Stradlater) and neighbor (Ackley); both are slobs and phonies

7. Plot Overview Ch. 1-8: Leaving Pencey
Favor for Stradlater—who went on a date with Holden’s friend, Jane Gallagher—lets reader know about the death of Allie and Holden’s reaction to it
Importance of Jane Gallagher? Who is she to Holden? What’s the deal with her kings in the back row?
When Stradlater returns from date, he and Holden fight about Jane
Holden packs up and leaves Pencey after fight
Heads to Manhattan to relax in a hotel for 3 days before returning to his parents’ apartment
On the train—incident with Mrs. Morrow

8. Symbols and Motifs so far…
Ducks in Central Park
The red hunting hat
Holden’s gray hair
Jane’s kings in the back row
Phonies

9. Title Origins Based on a poem by Scottish poet, Robert Burns
O Jenny is all wet, poor body, Jenny is seldom dry: She draggled all her petticoats, Coming through the rye!
Coming through the rye, poor body, Coming through the rye, She draggled all her petticoats, Coming through the rye!
Should a body meet a body Coming through the rye, Should a body kiss a body, Need a body cry?
Should a body meet a body Coming through the glen, Should a body kiss a body, Need the world know?
Should a body meet a body Coming through the grain, Should a body kiss a body, The thing is a body's own.

10. Title Origins What does the poem mean? What is Jenny doing in the rye?
She has had a sexual encounter and is wrestling with feelings of guilt, shame, and excitement
What, then, does it mean to be the “catcher” in the rye? What would the “catcher” do?
Literally: to stop or catch people before they have sex in the fields
Metaphorically: Protect people from losing their “innocence”
How does this relate to Holden? How does he feel about sex? Romantic love?
He wants to protect innocent people (children, Jane) from being taken advantage of
How does this relate to the little boy who Holden hears singing the poem while he walks along the sidewalk with his parents?
Kid is on the curb, about to fall into the dangerous city street…parents are not watching, but Holden is.

11. Plot Overview Ch. 9-22: NYC Stays at Edmont Hotel
Watches others in their hotel rooms
Calls hooker/stripper Faith Cavendish
Refuses to meet him so late
Goes to bar: Lavender Room
Can’t get served drinks
Hits on 3 older women
They use him to buy them drinks and then leave

12. Plot Overview
Ch. 9-22: NYC
After leaving the bar, Holden thinks about Jane
Met on vacation in Maine
Played checkers, went to movies, kissed once
Leaves hotel to go to Jazz Bar: Ernie’s
For the third time in the novel, he wonders where the ducks in Central Park go in the winter
Back at the hotel, the elevator man (Maurice) offers to get Holden a hooker
When Sunny comes to his room, he decides he just wants to talk, then he pays her and asks her to leave
Maurice shows up demanding more money; Holden refuses and gets beat up by Maurice

13. Plot Overview Ch. 9-22: NYC NYC Day 2
Calls former girlfriend Sally Hayes—makes a date for the afternoon
Calls Jane Gallagher—not home
Goes to Central Park to try and find his sister
Calls Carl Luce, student advisor from Whooton
Meet at a bar, where Holden proceeds to act extremely immature and offends Luce, who leaves
Holden stays at bar and gets drunk
Drunk, he heads first to Central Park to see the ducks, then home to his parents’ apartment to see Phoebe

14. Plot Overview Ch. 9-22: NYC Admits to Phoebe he’s kicked out
Tells her he wants to be a “catcher in the rye”
Based on a Robert Burns poem
Person who rescues little kids from a cliff
Phoebe corrects him and tells him that he’s got the poem all wrong
Holden’s version “IF A BODY CATCH A BODY”
Phoebe’s correction “IF A BODY MEET A BODY”

15. Plot Overview
Ch. 23-end
Leaves parents’ apartment to see former English teacher Mr. Antolini
Falls asleep on his couch
Wakes up to Antolini stroking his forehead
Holden thinks he is trying to molest him, so he leaves
NYC Day 3: Goes to Phoebe’s school
Leaves her a note that he is running away and to meet him at the museum at lunch
Phoebe comes with her suitcase—she wants to go with him
He refuses, takes her to ride the carousel, which makes him very happy
What is significant about the carousel ride—What does Holden say that might show evidence that he is maturing just a bit?
Story ends with Holden saying that he doesn’t want to tell about going home or where he is; says he is starting new school in fall—WILL HE BE SUCCESSFUL THIS TIME?

16. Themes Alienation to protect ourselves Painfulness of Growing up
Holden alienates himself from everyone as a result of Allie’s death
If you don’t care about anyone or anything, then nothing can hurt you
Painfulness of Growing up
This book isn’t really about anything happening; it is about Holden growing up and maturing
Holden tries to resist growing up as much as possible
Phoniness of the Adult World
All adults are phonies and they can’t see their phoniness
Phony: superficial, hypocrite, shallow

17. Symbols The “Catcher in the Rye” Red Hunting Hat
Based on poem by Robert Burns
Childhood=field of rye
Catcher rescues the children from the cliff
Cliff=adulthood
Red Hunting Hat
Symbol of his uniqueness and individuality
Hat is red—same color as Phoebe and Allie’s hair

18. Symbols Museum of Natural History Ducks
Everything is frozen and unchanging
Holden would like to freeze his life—he is confused by the adult world and would like to stay a kid
Ducks
Symbolize Holden’s still youthful curiosity
Symbolize that sometimes things/people leave, but they do come back (unlike Allie)