Catcher in the Rye

Study Questions
Chapter 1
1. Who is the narrator? What does he promise to tell the reader?

Julian Dias

Holden Caulfield is the narrator. He promises to tell the reader about this madman stuff that happened to him around last Christmas just before he got run down and had to come out and take it easy. 2. Who is D.B.? Why does the narrator call him a prostitute? D.B. is Holdens brother from Hollywood. He calls D.B. a prostitute because he feels that D.B. prostitutes his talents by writing for Hollywood movies 3. What is Pencey Prep? Pencey Prep is a school in Agerstown, Pennsylvania. They apparently boast about their school when there is nothing to boast about. They do not mold the students any more than any other school. 4. Why is the narrator leaving Pencey? How does he feel about leaving? The narrator is leaving Pencey because he is failing 4 out of the 5 subjects he is taking. He was upset yet happy because this is not his first school being kicked out of and yet he was tired of all the phony people. Chapter 2 1. Who is Mr.Spencer? Why Does Holden Visit him? Mr. Spencer is Holdens ex history teacher. Holden visits him to say goodbye before vacation started. 2. How does Holden describe himself, physically? He is six foot two and a half and he has gray hair on the right side of his head. 3. Why does Mr. Spencer read the essay about Egyptians? How does Holden react to hearing the paper read? Mr. Spencer read the essay about Egyptians to Holden because he wanted to show Holden why he flunked him. Holden was pissed because he already knew that he did a bad job, and Mr. Spencer was making him feel worse about himself. 4. What are Whooton and Elkton hills? Why did Holden leave them? Whooton and Elkton Hills are his previous schools. He left because he was experiencing difficulty. He left Elkton Hills because he was surrounded by phonies.

Chapter 3 1. What did Holden buy in New York after losing the foils? He bought a red hunting cap with a very long peak for $1 after losing the foils. 2. Name three authors whose work Holden has read Isak Dinesen, Somerset Maugham, and Ring Lardner.

3.

Who is Ackley? Does the narrator seem to like him? Would you? Robert Ackley is a guy that roomed next to Holden. The narrator does not like him that much because he is gross, annoying and has a terrible personality. I would not like him because I am an outgoing person and I am a neat freak.

4.

Who is Stradlater? Describe him. Stradlater is Holdens roommate. He is very sportsy and friendly, but is always in a hurry. He is sometimes gross when he is without company, but he cleans up well. He has a strong build and walks around shirtless.

Chapter 4 1. What favour does Stradlater ask of the narrator? Stradlater asks Holden to write a composition for him, for English. 2. Who is Stradlaters date? Jean Gallagher. She was Holdens neighbor the summer before the last. 3. How does Holden happen to know Jane? How does he seem to feel about Stradlaters dating her? Holden happens to know Jane, because they were almost neighbors the summer before the last. They used to play checkers all the time. Holden seemed jealous because he started becoming nervous when Stradlater said that the coach let him use his car. He was scared that she will like him for his looks. Chapter 5 1. Where does Holden go on Saturday night? What does he end up doing? Holden Mal, and Ackley, would take a bus into Agerstown and have a hamburger and maybe see a movie. Once they got there, they realized they all saw the movie, so they ended up getting hamburgers, and playing on the pinball machine. 2. What topic does Holden choose for the composition he is writing for Stradlater? He chooses to write about Allies baseball mitt. 3. Who was Allie? What sort of person was he? How did Holden feel about him? Allie was Holdens brother that passed away from leukemia. He was very intelligent, extremely nice, and he was strange in a nice way. Holden loved him and thought he was an extremely nice person, he raged the night Allie died.

4.

In what year did Allie die? How much time has passed? How old is Holden Now? How old would Allie have been? Allie died in 1946. Three years has passed. Holden is 16 now, and Allie would have been 14.

Chapter 6 1. Why is Holden worrying when Stradlater returns? Holden is worrying when Stradlater returns because he wants to know how his date went. Since Holden is jealous, he wants to make sure nothing happened between Jane and Stradlater.

2.

Why doesnt Stradlater like the composition? What happens? Stradlater did not like the composition because he told Holden to write about a room and be descriptive. Holden was descriptive but does not write about a house or room, instead he writes about allies baseball mitt. Stradlater shouts at him and makes rude remarks such as You do everything backasswards. Holden stands up grabs the paper from Stradlaters hands and ripped it and threw the shreds on the floor.

Chapter 7 1. Why does Holden go to Ackleys room? He wanted someone to talk to. Him and Stradlater got in a little fight and so he does not want to be near him. He goes to Ackleys room to chat and to sleep there for the night. Although, he decided he did not want to be in the atmosphere of Ackleys room so he left. 2. Why does Holden call Ackley a Prince. . . Gentleman. . . And a Scholar? He is saying these things to him in a sarcastic way. Ackley doesnt want to listen to Holden and keeps ignoring him, so Holden gets angry and makes these sarcastic remarks. 3. Why does Holden decide to leave Pencey in the middle of the night - days earlier then he had planned? Where does he plan to go? He decided to leave in the middle of the night because no one was cared for him. He just got in a fight with Stradlater, Ackley is ignoring him and so he decided that he knows he is already leaving why not now. He plans to go to an inexpensive hotel in New York until Wednesday. Then after he is all rested up. He can go home to his parents. Chapter 8 1. Who sits next to Holden on the train? The mother of Ernest Morrow, who was a student at Pencey Prep. 2. What lies does Holden tell the mother about her son? Why? He tells her that her son is not a good mixer with the other kids, that he is more sensitive. Holden also says that Ernest is shy and modest. He tells these lies because he is anonymous and is not returning to the school as well did not like Ernest Morrow. 3. How does Holden explain the fact that he is not in school? Holden lies and says he has an operation, that he has a tiny tumor on his brain. He then regrets he said it.

Chapter 9 1. List the people Holden thinks of calling from Penn Station. Brother D.B, Sister Phoebe, Jane Gallaghers Mom, Sally Hayes. 2. What does Holden ask the taxi drive about the ducks? He asked where the ducks in the lagoon near central park south go when it gets frozen over. 3. What sorts of perverts does Holden see at the hotel. Screw Balls all over the place. 4. What sex rule has Holden made for himself? Why does he break it? He made a rule that he was going to quit horsing around with girls that, deep down, gave him a pain in the ass. He broke this rule the same night necking with a terrible phony named Anne Louise Sherman. 5. Who is Miss Faith Cavendish? Why doesnt Holden arrange to meet her? Miss Faith Cavendish is a woman who had went to a dance at Princeton. He got the number from the guy she went with. She also used to be burlesque stripper. Chapter 10 1. What does Holden like about his sister Phoebe? He liked that she is smart and pretty. He also likes that you can take her anywhere with you. Holden also liked that she was a little bit like Allie in a way. 2. What does Holden order to drink at the Lavender Room? Why does he end up drinking coke instead? Holden ordered a Scotch and Soda, not mixed. The waiter asks to see some I.D. So Holden just took a coke because he did not want to make a fool of himself in front of the girls sitting next to him. He did not want to argue or be embarrassed. 3. What does Holden think of the three women in the Lavender Room? At first sight, Holden says that the three of them are pretty ugly. The only one of the three he found cute was the blonde one. Chapter 11 1. Why do you think Holden cant stop thinking about Jane Gallagher? He cant stop thinking about her because he still likes her. They were really close when the lived next door to each other. Jane was the only one whom Holden showed Allies baseball glove. 2. How is Jane different from most of the girls Holden knows? Holden actually trusts Jane, and felt close enough to actually show Allies baseball glove. You never really worry with Jane.

Chapter 12 1. Who is Horwitz? What do he and Holden talk about? Horwitz was one of Holdens cab drivers. Holden and Horwitz talk about where the ducks go when the lake freezes over. Unlike his other cab drivers that were uninterested. Horwitz actually puts in his opinion and continues the conversation about the ducks.

2. Who is Ernie? Why does Holden consider him phony? Why, then do you think he sends Ernie a message inviting him over for a drink? Ernie is a guy who owns a club/bar. He plays the piano. He considers him phony because he was a show off when he played. He invites him over because he wanted to talk to someone. 3. Who is Lillian Simmons? What does Holden think of her? Lillian Simmons is a girl that used to go around with Holdens brother, D.B. Holden does not like Lillian and thought of her as a phony. He really did not want to talk to her so he got out of the club/bar fast. 4. On page 86, Holden says: People are always ruining things for you. Why? Who has ruined what for him? Lillian has ruined his time at Ernies. Holden just wanted to go out for a couple of drinks but instead finds Lillian which ruins his night, because he did not want to talk to her so Holden had to leave.