Catcher in the rye > Untitled Deck > Flashcards

Untitled Deck Flashcards

(56 cards)

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1
Q

Holden

A

Holden Caulfield, a 16-year-old boy.

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2
Q

What happens (summary)

A

Holden gets expelled from Pencey Prep. Instead of going home, he wanders around New York City for a few days. He meets random people, tries to act like an adult, and keeps feeling lonely. His little sister Phoebe is the only one he truly connects with. He dreams of being “the catcher in the rye,” saving kids from losing innocence. By the end, he starts accepting that growing up is part of life.

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3
Q

How does Holden feel?

A

Angry, sad, confused, nostalgic, and protective. He criticizes others to hide his own pain. Deep down, he wants to protect what’s pure — especially his sister.

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4
Q

Hemorrhage

A

Rapid bleeding

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5
Q

Grippe

A

The flu.

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6
Q

Rye

A

Tall grass that is grown for seeds used in flour

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7
Q

Composition

A

An essay

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8
Q

Pacifist

A

Someone who resolves conflicts through peaceful ways

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9
Q

Cockeyed

A

Tilted to one side

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10
Q

Conceited

A

high opinion of themselves

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11
Q

Rubberneck

A

Someone who is too curious

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12
Q

Innumerable

A

Countless

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13
Q

Unscrupulous

A

Immoral

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14
Q

Disciple

A

A devoted follower of a movement.

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15
Q

Qualm

A

Doubt on whether you are doing the right thing

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16
Q

Loneliness and Alienation

A

Holden is very lonely and has a need for companionship, but his fear of “phoniness” and sense of individuality is the reason why he drifts from encounter to encounter.

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17
Q

Phoniness

A

Holden describes people who are hypocrites or inauthentic as “phonies,” and Holden holds pride in his individuality, yet he does hold some phony qualities.

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18
Q

Red hunting hat

A

Holden’s individuality and alienation

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19
Q

Innocence

A

Holden has a fear of losing innocence, and growing up. He says he wants to be the “catcher in the rye,” which is to protect children from the harsh realities of growing up, as we see with his protectiveness with Phoebe

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20
Q

Intimacy and relationships

A

Reflects how adulthood can be unpredictable and changing, yet he prefers his life to be predictable and changing. He craves intimacy yet wants to protect his innocence and sabotages connections

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21
Q

The ducks in Central Park

A

Symbolize Holden’s anxiety about change. He is concerned about where they go in the winter, reflecting his own search for stability.

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22
Q

Lying

A

Holden constantly reminds us that he doesn’t like phony people, yet he himself constantly lies and deceives people, which is a “phony” trait.

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23
Q

Unreliable narrator

25
Hyperbole
26
Symbolism
27
Allusions to movies, songs, people
28
Apostrophe
29
Metaphor
“Catcher in the Rye”
30
Imagery
31
Repetition
32
Simile
“Roller-skating skinny”
33
POV
First person (limited) we only see things from his perspective, and he is unreliable.
34
Plot Structure
Exposition: Holden flunks out of Pencey prep and his incident with Stradlater propels him to leave early, and head to NYC. Rising Action: He wanders the city, meeting a few strangers, hiring a prostitute, getting beaten up by her pimp, and going on a bad date with Sally Hayes. He grows more lonely and mentally unstable, thinking about Allie and Phoebe. Climax: Holden sneaks home and talks to Phoebe, and she confronts him about his aimlessness. Holden tells Phoebe he wants to be the "catcher in the rye,” to save children from losing their innocence. Falling Action: Holden has a disturbing encounter with Mr. Antolini, causing him to flee to Central Park, where he meets Phoebe at the museum. He tells Phoebe he wants to run away and be the “catcher in the rye,” and Phoebe wants to run away with him, but Holden convinces her to stay. Resolution: As Phoebe reaches for the gold ring on the carousel, Holden realizes that he can’t always protect her and that she needs to reach for her own gold ring and risk falling. Holden ends up in a mental institution, getting the help he needs.
35
Setting
NYC in the late 1940s. Places like the museum, Central Park, Pencey Prep, carousel, his house, the bar, movie theatre.
36
Tone
Sarcastic, bitter, judgemental.
37
Mood
Lonely, depressing, nostalgic.
38
Theme
The struggle between innocence and corruption of adulthood Finding one’s place in society Dealing with grief from the death of a loved one
39
Conflict
Holden vs. himself (depression, grief, fear of growing up) Holden vs. society (a phony world he can’t fit into)
40
Holden
Role: protagonist, unreliable narrator Traits: Sensitive, lonely, judgemental, vulnerable, wants connection Motivations: To protect innocence, stay away from “phoniness,” and to avoid the pain and change of growing up. Decisions: Flunks out of school, fights with Stradlater, leaves early and stays in NY, visits Phoebe Behaviours: Constantly criticizes, lies as a defense mechanism, behaves strangely in sexual/social situations
41
Phoebe
Role: Holden's younger sister, symbolizes hope and innocence Traits: Affectionate, imaginative, innocent, smart, mature. Motivations: To care and protect Holden Decisions: Gives him her Christmas money, attempts to run away with him Behaviours: Challenges Holden’s fear of uncertainty
42
Allie
Role: Holden’s deceased younger brother, symbol of lost innocence Traits: Kind and intelligent Motivations: None in the story, but motivates Holden to preserve innocence Decisions: His death is a major source of Holden’s trauma and grief
43
Jane
Role: Childhood friend who Holden can truly connect with, romantic interest Traits: Authentic, sensitive, not “phony” Motivations: none in the story, but is a source of comfort for Holden
44
Stradlater
Roles: a foil to Holden, (contrasts Holden’s qualities) Traits: Handsome, athletic, “secret slob,” self-centred, popular Motivations: To date girls and remain handsome and have a good social status Decisions: Asks Holden to write his English composition, then criticizes it. Goes on a date and apparently gives her “the time,” which sparks an argument with Holden, and Stradlater punches him. Behaviour: Self-centred, confident, superficial, arrogant.
45
Sally Hayes
Roles: Romantic interest, represents the “phoniness” that Holden hates Traits: Attractive, conventional, phony Motivations: To a have a typical, social life Decisions: Goes on a date with Holden, rejects his idea of running away together, and cries and is upset when he calls her names, and ends the date.
46
Mr. Antolini
Roles: Mentor figure, offers advice and a place to stay Traits: Intellectual, caring, alcoholic Motivations: To guide Holden and warn him about his self-destructive tendencies Behaviours: Gives Holden a place to sleep and advice, but Holden wakes up to him patting his head, and he misinterprets the gesture, running away and losing trust in another adult.
47
Red hunting hat
Holden’s desire for individuality and authenticity
48
Ducks in Central Park
Isolation and alienation
49
Museum of Natural History
preserve a world of predictability and unchanging innocence.
50
Catcher in the rye
Desire to protect children from the corruption of adulthood
51
Allie’s baseball mitt
Holden’s love for his brother, and grief for his death
52
Phoebe on the Carousel
Phoebe’s happiness on the carousel represents innocent childlike joy, and Holden realizes as she reaches for the gold ring that he can’t protect children from everything, and that they must reach for their own gold ring even if they risk falling.
53
Alienation and isolation
Holden feels disconnected from others and struggles to make meaningful connections. His isolation is a defence mechanism to protect him from the changing and overwhelminging adult world.
54
Loss of innocence
Holden saw what maturation did to people, such as: Allie’s death which shattered his safe and innocent world Seeing Jane who was genuine and caring, dating Stradlater who was superficial and phony. His desire of being the “Catcher in the Rye,” is a reflection of how he wants to save pure and innocent children from falling off the cliff into the phoniness and vulgarity that maturity brings.
55
Loss and grief
The death of Allie brings Holden great trauma, which shapes his world and the way he sees others. Allie's death causes Holden’s alienation and depression.
56
Identity and authenticity
Holden is constantly searching for authenticity in his supposed phony world, trying to figure out who he is in a world that feels fake.
Catcher in the rye
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