Catcher In the Rye study guide- Naughtin – Flashcards
Unlock all answers in this set
Unlock answersquestion
about the author
answer
- Born 1/1/1919 - served in WWII - very reclusive - "A Perfect Day for Bananafish" - tells of the suicide of a despairing war veteran - "For Esme - With Love and Squalor" - US Soldiers encounter with two British children -"Ocean Full of Bowling Balls" - Vincent (D.B.) recalls relationship with deceased younger brother Kenneth (basis for Allie) -"The Last of the Peter Pans" - narrated by Vincent (D.B) focuses on a conversation between Vincent and his actress mother -"Last Day of the Last Furlough" Vincent (D.B) and Babe Gladwaller prepare to go off to WWII - " Slight Rebellion Off Madison" - source of chapter in which Holden tries to convince Sally to run away with him to New England "The Sandwich has No Mayonnaise" "I'm Crazy"
question
"The Sandwich has No Mayonnaise"
answer
narrated by Vincent Caulfied - D.B. Caulfield learns that is brother is missing from Pentey (Pencey) Prep School
question
"I'm Crazy"
answer
forms the basis for the first two chapters of the CITW as well as the chp where Holden goes home to see Phoebe. In this story though Holden expresses greater regret for his expulsion from Pentey (Pencey)
question
Holden Caulfield
answer
The protagonist and narrator of the novel
question
Phoebe Caulfield
answer
Phoebe is Holden's ten-year-old sister, whom he loves dearly. Although she is 6 years younger than Holden, she listens to what he says and understands him more than most other people do.
question
Allie Caulfield
answer
Holden's younger brother who died three years earlier of leukemia. Bright, sensitive, and exceptional. Wrote poetry on his baseball mitt.
question
D.B. Caulfield
answer
holden's older brother in Hollywood, wrote a book of short stories, secret goldfish, prostitutes himself by writing for movies
question
Jane Gallagher
answer
- going out w/Stradlater - she is a madonna figure to Holden - holden cannot get her out of his mind
question
Faith Cavendish
answer
- doesn't know her - she is "easy" in Holden's mind - she says no - ***** figure
question
Lilian Simens
answer
- knows holden - asks about D.B.
question
Sally Hayes
answer
- went around w/ her while he was in New York - described her as "easy" - Holden calls her bc he doesn't care about her that much so he wouldn't care about her opinions - ***** figure
question
Mr. Spencer
answer
- Holden's history teacher at Pencey Prep - a character that confronts Holden ~ Holden discredits him by saying he's old, wears a bathrobe, smells like Vicks Vapor Rub
question
Ward Stradlater
answer
-Holden's roommate at Pencey - dates Jane Gallagher - handsome and popular - slob and superficial - holden criticizes him because he is jealous - Jane is a possession symbolically (goldfish)
question
Robert Ackley
answer
-Holden does not like him -criticizing Ackley tells us that Holden is feeling insecure - how he treats Ackley is is how an immature person would act; do something the person hates to get them to go away
question
Mrs. Morrow
answer
- the first person holden does't know - the conversation is a lie - b/c he is uncomfortable w/himself - her son go to Pencey Prep
question
Lillian Antolini
answer
- wife of Mr. Antolini - serves Holden food when he visits and doesn't let him look at her bc she's tired and had no makeup on - doesn't take much part in the story
question
Mr. Antolini
answer
*[he's not a pedophile, let's make that clear]* -Holden's favorite teacher from Elkton Hills - one of the characters to confront Holden ~ Holden discredits him by saying he's a pervert and a flit - pats Holden on the head in a fatherly way
question
Mr. Vinson
answer
- speech teacher at Pencey Prep - wants students to simplify and unify but never digress
question
James Castle
answer
- killed himself bc he didn't want to take the name he called someone back - jumped out a window
question
Maurice
answer
- elevator guy that punched Holden in the gut for the $5 extra that Sunny charged
question
Sunny
answer
- the young prostitute Holden called at Edmont Hotel
question
Bernice, Marty, and Laverne
answer
- the 30 something tourists that Holden met in the Lavender Room
question
Horwitz
answer
- cab driver - takes Holden to Ernie's Nightclub - had the duck and fish conversation w/ Holden
question
Ernie
answer
- pianist at Greenwich Village
question
Charlene
answer
- the Caulfields' maid
question
Ossenburger
answer
- a wealthy Pencey Prep alum - Ossenburger Hall is named after him (Holden lives in that dorm)
question
protagonist
answer
- Main character - Holden Caulfied
question
frame story
answer
- a story within a story - the outside story is far smaller than the inside - outside - holden tells his story to a therapist - inside - how he got there
question
satire
answer
-Purpose of satire is to change human behavior -critical - uses humor, parody, comedy to take the sting out of something -criticizes youth (Holden) or the world where the youth lives (want to change him)
question
quest narrative
answer
- most ancient - about a search for something - holden is searching for himself
question
stream of consciousness
answer
a style of writing that portrays the inner (often chaotic) workings of a character's mind.
question
point of view - first person limited
answer
- narrators thoughts and feelings - can't trust narrator - when he is critical of himself we can start to trust the narrator
question
symbol
answer
An object or action in a literary work that means more than itself, that stands for something beyond itself.
question
motif
answer
A recurring subject, theme, or idea in a literary work.
question
verbal irony
answer
A figure of speech in which what is said is the opposite of what is meant
question
situational irony
answer
An outcome that turns out to be very different from what was expected
question
foreshadowing
answer
A warning or indication of a future event - At the beginning of the novel, Holden hints that he has been hospitalized for a nervous breakdown, the story of which is revealed over the course of the novel.
question
allusion
answer
-A brief and indirect reference to a person, place, thing or idea of historical, cultural, literary or political significance. - allusion to Diken's character says his path will not tell you anything
question
red hunting cap
answer
a symbol of his uniqueness and individuality. The hat is outlandish, and it shows that Holden desires to be different from everyone around him. At the same time, he is very self-conscious about the hat—he always mentions when he is wearing it, and he often doesn't wear it if he is going to be around people he knows. The presence of the hat, therefore, mirrors the central conflict in the book: Holden's need for isolation versus his need for companionship.
question
the park
answer
childhood innocence, purity amidst very corrupt city, escape reality, nostalgia, permanence
question
the ducks
answer
Holden is terrified by the idea of change and disappearance. The ducks vanish every winter, but they return every spring, thus symbolizing change that isn't permanent, but cyclical.
question
the winter
answer
death
question
the seasons
answer
change/growth
question
Pencey Prep
answer
symbolizes things that youth hate the most - follow rules, conformity
question
Allie's glove
answer
represents innocence and goodness
question
unmade phone calls
answer
failed connection, isolation, escaping reality
question
museums
answer
the symbolic meaning of the museum's displays: they appeal to him because they are frozen and unchanging. He also mentions that he is troubled by the fact that he has changed every time he returns to them.
question
mummies
answer
permanence, preserving the past
question
movies
answer
allow one to escape reality physically and mentally Holden loves them and hate them b/c they are not real
question
the rye (holden's version)
answer
Holden overhears a little kid singing, "If a body catch a body coming through the rye." For just a second, it makes him feel not so depressed, in part because Holden is a fan of little children
question
the cliff
answer
Saving from falling from innocence
question
the rye (poem)
answer
Holden imagines a field of rye perched high on a cliff, full of children romping and playing. He says he would like to protect the children from falling off the edge of the cliff by "catching" them if they were on the verge of tumbling over.
question
the kiss (poem)
answer
- always wet and is seldom dry, meaning life sucks and it's seldom good
question
getting wet (poem)
answer
- obstacles
question
crying (poem)
answer
- extreme emotion - can be happy tears or sad tears it's your choice
question
"Little Shirley Beans" Album
answer
innocence and purity, to reinforce phoebe's "childishness", singer isn't phony; record Holden bought for Phoebe
question
Erasing profanity
answer
preserving childhood innocence
question
getting drunk
answer
it's an escape
question
the carousel
answer
On the carousel, there is movement, but the carousel never actually goes anywhere.
question
What elements demonstrate that this is like a book of short stories?
answer
They have different plots, and sometimes the same word is spelled different ways
question
What are some of the characteristics that Holden shares with youth
answer
Immature qualities - distrust/contempt of adults - distaste for sell outs - insecure - illogical - self destructive/masochistic - isolation/alienation
question
What do Holden's judgments say about him
answer
- he's immature - doesn't like confrontation
question
Explain the irony present in the symbols of the hunting cap and the museum
answer
Holden wears the hat to unique but he's not being unique at all everyone has a red hat - he says the museum is unchanging, but that he keeps changing
question
What do we mean when we say Holden suffers from the Peter Pan syndrome?
answer
'Peter Pan' syndrome is where people are unwilling to grow up. They are attached to their youth. They choose not to face the responsibilities of adults. Holden Claufield finds it difficult to come to terms with taking the step to adulthood. He avoids responsibility and associates himself with youth. As a result Holden is a classic example of 'Peter pan' syndrome. Holden dislikes adults and always refers to them as phoney's
question
What do we mean when we say Holden suffers from Madonna complex
answer
Holden Caulfield, the main character in The Catcher in the Rye, suffers from a Madonna/whores complex, meaning he can only see women in two ways; as perfect and innocent or as dirty whores, without any ground in between.
question
How does Holden show his self destructive/suicidal tendencies
answer
- dreams about jumping out of windows and his own funeral -
question
Why does Holden constantly think about the ducks at the park
answer
Holden is terrified by the idea of change and disappearance. The ducks vanish every winter, but they return every spring, thus symbolizing change that isn't permanent, but cyclical.
question
How does Holden misinterpret the poem and what does it really mean
answer
Holden wants to be "the catcher in the rye," standing by the edge of a cliff and keeping children, playing in an adjacent field of rye, from falling off.
question
Explain Holden's veiwpoint on maturity, including the explanation of a catcher in the rye, what he feels about adults like his brother, and what he attempts to do in New York to become mature
answer
- catcher in the rye: he wants to be one bc they're protectors of youth and innocence - what he feels about adults like D.B.: he thinks they're phony sellouts - what he attempts to do to become mature: ?
question
How does Holden demonstrate that he has yet to grow
answer
- still discredits people - wants to be like James Castle: jump out a window instead of not calling people "morons"
question
How does Holden demonstrate that he is growing
answer
- gives Phoebe his red hunting cap, sign of maturing [Phoebe gives it back, sign that Holden still has yet to find himself] - tells the therapist that he regrets telling his story bc he misses the people in it showing that he cares [sign that he might've grown, but hasn't at the same time]
