What is so special about the catcher in the Rye?
The Catcher in the Rye takes the loss of innocence as its primary concern. Holden wants to be the “catcher in the rye”—someone who saves children from falling off a cliff, which can be understood as a metaphor for entering adulthood. As Holden watches Phoebe on the carousel, engaging in childlike behaviour, he is so overcome with happiness that he is, as he puts it, “damn near bawling.”
What is the plot of the catcher in the Rye?
Themes in Catcher in the Rye
- Self-alienating for the purpose of self-protection
- Growing pains and loss of innocence
- Maintaining appearances and performing happiness. Self-alienating for the purpose of self-protection – Holden clearly does not want to grow up. ...
What can be learned from the catcher in the Rye?
What can we learn from The Catcher in the Rye? The lesson to be learned from The Catcher in the Rye is the importance of tackling problems constructively and taking responsibility for our actions.
What does "the catcher in the Rye" really mean?
What does the title The Catcher in the Rye really mean? The title The Catcher in the Rye refers to how Holden Caulfield sees himself. He tells his sister Phoebe that he wants to be a catcher in the rye, saving kids running around a field of rye from falling off the edge of a cliff.
Why does Holden call his brother DB?
from Pencey Prep. 1) Q: What does Holden mean when he says that his brother D.B. is out in Hollywood "being a prostitute"? A:Holden means that his brother is a 'prostitute' meaning that he sold out to hollywood forsaking a career in serious literature for the wealth and the fame of movies.
What is DB Caulfield real name?
Vincent Caulfield Vincent is said to be the basis of D.B. in the novel.
How does Holden describe his brother DB?
He describes D.B. as a good writer, and Holden compares him to a prostitute.
What war was DB in Catcher in the Rye?
World War IICaulfield Character Analysis. D.B. is Holden's older brother. A former army soldier who fought in World War II, D.B. is an author best known for his short stories, which Holden deeply admires.
What Holden thinks about DB?
Holden feels that D.B. was a truly "terrific" short-story writer before going to Hollywood to write scripts, drive Jaguars, date gorgeous women, and make money.
Who is DB in Catcher in the Rye quizlet?
D.B is Holden's brother. Holden calls him a prostitute because D.B sells his stories so people can turn them into movies. He thinks he is selling himself short. You just studied 98 terms!
What did db do in Catcher in the Rye?
D.B. is Holden's older brother is a screenwriter in Hollywood. He used to write great stories—so great, in fact, that Holden credits him (twice) with being his favorite writer. D.B. is the height of phoniness in Holden's mind because he's sacrificed his art (writing stories) for money (writing screenplays).
What kind of job did DB have when he was overseas in the Army?
What kind of job did D.B. have when he was overseas in the army? D.B. was the driver for a general.
Is there a movie of Catcher in the Rye?
Surprisingly given its status in American literature, The Catcher in the Rye has never been made into a movie. Many major Hollywood producers and directors have tried to secure the film rights, but none of them has succeeded in earning the trust of J. D.
Does DB visit Holden?
We leave Holden's story-within-a-novel and see him in the present, when he's seventeen and narrating. He's in a "crumby place" "not too far" from Hollywood, so D.B. has driven up with some snobby English woman to visit.
Is DB older than Holden?
D. B. Holden's older brother. D. B. wrote a volume of short stories that Holden admires very much, but Holden feels that D. B. prostitutes his talents by writing for Hollywood movies.
What is Holden's brother's favorite short story?
was a truly "terrific" short-story writer before going to Hollywood to write scripts, drive Jaguars, date gorgeous women, and make money. "The Secret Goldfish," a story about a kid who buys a goldfish with his own money and won 't let anyone else look at it, is Holden's favorite short story written by his brother.
Why does Holden dislike the movies?
Holden dislikes the movies because he thinks that they are "phony" and manipulative; he feels that his brother has prostituted himself by becoming a screenwriter. Like Salinger, D.B. served extensively in World War II, landed in France on D-Day, and was in Europe for the duration.
Who is Holden's next door neighbor?
Holden’s next-door neighbor in his dorm at Pencey Prep. Ackley is a pimply, insecure boy with terrible dental hygiene. He often barges into Holden’s room and acts completely oblivious to Holden’s hints that he should leave. Holden believes that Ackley makes up elaborate lies about his sexual experience.
What happened to Holden's brother?
Holden’s younger brother. Allie dies of leukemia three years before the start of the novel. Allie was a brilliant, friendly, red-headed boy—according to Holden, he was the smartest of the Caulfields. Holden is tormented by Allie’s death and carries around a baseball glove on which Allie used to write poems in green ink.
Why is Holden calling Stradlater a secret slob?
Stradlater is handsome, self-satisfied, and popular, but Holden calls him a “secret slob,” because he appears well groomed, but his toiletries, such as his razor, are disgustingly unclean. Stradlater is sexually active and quite experienced for a prep school student, which is why Holden also calls him a “sexy bastard.”.
How old is Holden in the book?
The protagonist and narrator of the novel, Holden is a sixteen-year-old junior who has just been expelled for academic failure from a school called Pencey Prep. Although he is intelligent and sensitive, Holden narrates in a cynical and jaded voice. He finds the hypocrisy and ugliness of the world around him almost unbearable, and through his cynicism he tries to protect himself from the pain and disappointment of the adult world. However, the criticisms that Holden aims at people around him are also aimed at himself. He is uncomfortable with his own weaknesses, and at times displays as much phoniness, meanness, and superficiality as anyone else in the book. As the novel opens, Holden stands poised on the cliff separating childhood from adulthood. His inability to successfully negotiate the chasm leaves him on the verge of emotional collapse.
How old is Phoebe in Holden's book?
Phoebe is Holden’s ten-year-old sister, whom he loves dearly. Although she is six years younger than Holden, she listens to what he says and understands him more than most other people do. Phoebe is intelligent, neat, and a wonderful dancer, and her childish innocence is one of Holden’s only consistent sources of happiness throughout the novel. At times, she exhibits great maturity and even chastises Holden for his immaturity. Like Mr. Antolini, Phoebe seems to recognize that Holden is his own worst enemy.
What are the criticisms that Holden aims at people around him?
However, the criticisms that Holden aims at people around him are also aimed at himself. He is uncomfortable with his own weaknesses, and at times displays as much phoniness, meanness, and superficiality as anyone else in the book. As the novel opens, Holden stands poised on the cliff separating childhood from adulthood.
Who is Jane Gallagher?
Jane Gallagher. A girl with whom Holden spent a lot of time one summer, when their families stayed in neighboring summer houses in Maine. Jane never actually appears in The Catcher in the Rye, but she is extremely important to Holden, because she is one of the few girls whom he both respects and finds attractive.
What does Holden talk about in the end of Catcher in the Rye?
It is often said that Holden changes at the end, when he watches Phoebe on the carousel, and he talks about the golden ring and how it's good for kids to try and grab it. Peter Beidler, in his A Reader's Companion to J. D. Salinger's "The Catcher in the Rye", identifies the movie that the prostitute "Sunny" refers to.
Who wrote the Catcher in the Rye?
The Catcher in the Rye. The Catcher in the Rye is a novel by J. D. Salinger, partially published in serial form in 1945–1946 and as a novel in 1951. It was originally intended for adults but is often read by adolescents for its themes of angst, alienation, and as a critique on superficiality in society.
What is the name of the story that Salinger wrote?
While at Columbia University, Salinger wrote a short story called The Young Folks in Whit Burnett 's class; one character from this story has been described as a "thinly penciled prototype of Sally Hayes". In November 1941 he sold the story " Slight Rebellion off Madison ", which featured Holden Caulfield, to The New Yorker, but it wasn't published until December 21, 1946, due to World War II. The story " I'm Crazy ", which was published in the December 22, 1945 issue of Collier's, contained material that was later used in The Catcher in the Rye .
What is the OCLC number of Catcher in the Rye?
OCLC. 287628. Dewey Decimal. 813.54. The Catcher in the Rye is a novel by J. D. Salinger, partially published in serial form in 1945–1946 and as a novel in 1951. It was originally intended for adults but is often read by adolescents for its themes of angst, alienation, and as a critique on superficiality in society.
When was Catcher in the Rye banned?
Between 1961 and 1982, The Catcher in the Rye was the most censored book in high schools and libraries in the United States. The book was briefly banned in the Issaquah, Washington, high schools in 1978 when three members of the School Board alleged the book was part of an "overall communist plot.".
What is the analogy of Holden?
This "catcher in the rye" is an analogy for Holden, who admires in children attributes that he often struggles to find in adults, like innocence, kindness, spontaneity, and generosity. Falling off the cliff could be a progression into the adult world that surrounds him and that he strongly criticizes.
Where does Holden live?
Holden Caulfield, a depressed 16-year-old, lives in an unspecified institution in California after the end of World War II. After his discharge within a month, he intends to go live with his brother D.B., an author and war veteran with whom Holden is angry for becoming a Hollywood screenwriter.
What chapter does Ernie appear in Catcher in the Rye?
The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance. Chapter 11. ...to get away from the hotel, he decides to go to a piano bar called Ernie ’s that D.B. once took him to.
Who is the cab driver in Chapter 13?
On his way to Ernie ’s, Holden strikes up a conversation with his cab driver, Horwitz. When he asks about the... (full context) At Ernie ’s, Holden is disgusted to find the place full of “phonies” from fancy colleges and prep... (full context) Chapter 13.
Who is Ernie in The Piano?
Ernie is a talented piano player who has his own bar in New York City. Holden has been to this bar with D.B. in the past, so he decides to visit once more when he reaches the city after leaving Pencey. When he arrives, though, he hates how many “phonies” are there, including D.B.’s ex-girlfriend Lillian, and also dislikes the showboating way that Ernie plays the piano.
Overview
Plot
Holden Caulfield, a depressed 17-year-old, lives in an unspecified institution in California after the end of World War II. After his discharge within a month, he intends to go live with his brother D.B., an author and war veteran with whom Holden is angry for becoming a Hollywood screenwriter.
Holden recalls the events of a single night during the previous Christmas, beginning at Pencey Preparatory Academy, a boarding school in Pennsylvania. Holden has just been expelled from Pe…
History
Various older stories by Salinger contain characters similar to those in The Catcher in the Rye. While at Columbia University, Salinger wrote a short story called "The Young Folks" in Whit Burnett's class; one character from this story has been described as a "thinly penciled prototype of Sally Hayes". In November 1941 he sold the story "Slight Rebellion off Madison", which featured Holden Caulfield, to The New Yorker, but it wasn't published until December 21, 1946, due to World War II. …
Writing style
The Catcher in the Rye is narrated in a subjective style from the point of view of Holden Caulfield, following his exact thought processes. There is flow in the seemingly disjointed ideas and episodes; for example, as Holden sits in a chair in his dorm, minor events, such as picking up a book or looking at a table, unfold into discussions about experiences.
Critical reviews affirm that the novel accurately reflected the teenage colloquial speech of the tim…
Interpretations
Bruce Brooks held that Holden's attitude remains unchanged at story's end, implying no maturation, thus differentiating the novel from young adult fiction. In contrast, Louis Menand thought that teachers assign the novel because of the optimistic ending, to teach adolescent readers that "alienation is just a phase." While Brooks maintained that Holden acts his age, Menand claimed that Holden thinks as an adult, given his ability to accurately perceive people a…
Reception
The Catcher in the Rye has been consistently listed as one of the best novels of the twentieth century. Shortly after its publication, in an article for The New York Times, Nash K. Burger called it "an unusually brilliant novel," while James Stern wrote an admiring review of the book in a voice imitating Holden's. George H. W. Bush called it a "marvelous book," listing it among the books that inspired him. In June 2009, the BBC's Finlo Rohrer wrote that, 58 years since publication, the boo…
Censorship and use in schools
In 1960, a teacher in Tulsa, Oklahoma was fired for assigning the novel in class. She was later reinstated. Between 1961 and 1982, The Catcher in the Rye was the most censored book in high schools and libraries in the United States. The book was briefly banned in the Issaquah, Washington, high schools in 1978 when three members of the School Board alleged the book was part of an "overall communist plot." This ban did not last long, and the offended board members …
Violent reactions
Several shootings have been associated with Salinger's novel, including Robert John Bardo's murder of Rebecca Schaeffer and John Hinckley Jr.'s assassination attempt on Ronald Reagan. Additionally, after fatally shooting John Lennon, the delusional fanatic Mark David Chapman was arrested with a copy of the book that he had purchased that same day, inside of which he had written: "To Holden Caulfield, From Holden Caulfield, This is my statement".