Catcher in the Rye chapters 1-14 – Flashcards
Unlock all answers in this set
Unlock answersquestion
What does Holden mean when he says this his brother D.B. is out in Hollywood "being a prostitute"?
answer
Things from Hollywood are just for entertainment, so by selling out creative work for money, in Holden's mind D.B. is "being a prostitute."
question
Where is Holden as he narrates the story?
answer
a mental institution somewhere near Hollywood
question
Where and what is Pencey Prep?
answer
Pencey Prep is a school in Agerstown, Pennsylvania for boys.Their goal is to "mold boys into splendid, clear-thinking young men."
question
How did Holden let the fencing team down?
answer
Holden left all the foils and equipment on the subway.
question
Why was Holden being kicked out of Pencey Prep?
answer
Holden was flunking four subjects and not applying himself.
question
What kind of health does Holden appear to be in?
answer
Holden is not in great health because he is a heavy smoker and "practically" got t.b.
question
Who is Mr. Spencer and why does Holden visit him?
answer
Mr. Spencer is Holden's old teacher who he visits because he is recovering from a grippe and won't ever see again after winter break. Also, Mr. Spencer was the only teacher who actually believed that Holden could succeed.
question
What did Spencer do that particularly annoyed Holden?
answer
Holden was annoyed by how Spencer always yelled and by how he read his essay and called it garbage.
question
What does Holden give us as the reason for "leaving" Elkton Hills?
answer
because as Elkton Hills Holden was surrounded by phonies
question
What does Holden mean when he says "I'm quite illiterate, but I read a lot?"
answer
Holden means that even though his grammar and reading skills aren't very good, he still reads a lot of books. He reads advanced classics like Ring Laudner.
question
Who is Robert Ackley? Describe him.
answer
Robert Ackley is a student living in the room next to Holden at school. He has lousy personal hygiene and a terrible personality.
question
What does Ackley do that annoys Holden?
answer
Ackley never sits down in a chair, he comes into rooms when he's not invited, he cuts his nails on the floor, he doesn't brush his teeth, etc.
question
Who is Stradlater? Why does Holden refer to him as a "secret slob"? What does he look like?
answer
Stradlater is Holden's roommate. He always looks alright but is a slob in the way he gets clean, like how his razor was extremely rusty. He has a good amount of facial hair.
question
What point does Holden try to make about people when he talks about Stradlater and the "commas" and Ackley's description of the basketball player?
answer
He is trying to say that people base why others are better at something than they are on technical things, like the basketball players build, instead of actual talent/skill.
question
Why did it make Holden nervous that Stradlater was going out with Jane Gallagher?
answer
Holden used to date Jane, and he was worried about her because he knows that Stradlater date rapes.
question
Who is Allie, and why is his baseball mitt so special to Holden?
answer
Allie is Holden's brother who died recently of leukemia, so the baseball mitt is a very special memory of him.
question
Why did Holden's parents want to have him psychoanalyzed?
answer
The night that Allie died, Holden broke all the windows in the garage with his fist.
question
What do Holden and Stradlater fight over?
answer
Stradlater came home from his date with Jane after her curfew, and Stradlater is not pleased with the essay that Holden wrote.
question
Holden says that he is a "pacifist." What is that, and is he?
answer
a pacifist is someone who tries to avoid violence. In his head, Holden thinks that he is a pacifist, but he still can be cruel and pick fights.
question
Why dose Holden suddenly decide to visit Ackley's room?
answer
he doesn't want to stay with Stradlater after their fight, and he also wants to show his wounds to Ackley for attention
question
Where does Holden then decide to go?
answer
Holden leaves for New York until Wednesday.
question
What is his final good-bye to Pencey Prep?
answer
he yells down the corrider at the top of his lungs "Sleep tight, you morons" so that everyone probably woke up.
question
Why do you think Holden was crying as he left?
answer
he got emotional because he was leaving a place that although he hated, he had established a life.
question
What does Holden mean when he says, "Mothers are all slightly insane"?
answer
mothers care about their kids more than anything in the world and will do anything for them, so in a way they are crazy
question
What are some of the lies Holden tells Mrs. Morrow? Do you think he's as sorry for them as he stated?
answer
he tells mrs. morrow that her son was popular, shy, and almost class president, which is the opposite of his actual personality. i think he was sorry for the lies because she acted very kind towards him
question
Holden calls other people phony. In what way is he a phony?
answer
holden lied to the mother on the train, and when he wanted to get with the girl in the middle of the night. when he creates a life for himself that is not realistic he is making himself just as phony as the people he complains about
question
who is phoebe, and what is Holden's opinion of her?
answer
phoebe is Holden's younger sister, and he admires her. he thinks that she's very smart and similar to Allie
question
What evidence is there that shows us that Holden probably doesn't look as old as he says he looks?
answer
the waiter at The Lavendar asked if he was under 21, and the girls he danced with asked how his father was doing
question
what was the past relationship like between holden and jane?
answer
they dated, but they cared about each other feelings and not about physical things (checkers, holding hands, going to movies)
question
What do Holden and the cab driver talk about?
answer
holden asks the cab driver where the ducks go during the winter when their lake freezes over
question
Why does Holden leave Ernie's?
answer
because he sees Lillian, an ex-girlfriend of D.B.'s whom everyone hates. she invites him to sit with her and her date, so he makes up an excuse to leave. also, he thinks that ernie is a "phony"
question
Previously Holden stated he was a "pacifist." Does his description of how he would deal with the "glove thief" support this, or is he just "yellow"?
answer
i don't think that his story supports him being a pacifist, because although he said he would be too scared to actually punch someone he said that he would still want to do it
question
Does Holden have any guilt feelings about Allie? Do you feel this is abnormal in any way, or normal?
answer
I think that he has normal guilt feelings for Allie because he was much more accomplished and successful than Holden ever was, so he wonders why Allie passed away and not him.
question
What made Holden cry?
answer
Holden cries after Sunny and Maurice steal $5 from his wallet because it wasn't fair
question
What evidence shows us that Holden might have made a good actor?
answer
holden imagines a descriptive scene where Maurice shoots him in the guts and he walks all over the hotel
