Catcher In The Rye Fact Sheet
Nolan Jakubik
Mrs. Sinders
3/21/17
Period 3
Independent Reading Project
Book Information
Title: The Catcher in the Rye Author: J.D. Salinger. Date of Publication: July 16, 1951. Genre: Coming-of-age fiction.
Genre
The genre is coming of age. I believe the book meets the characteristics of this specific genre, because the entire book is about him growing up, and living on his own. He is around alcohol at the age of 16, so he is obviously growing up to become an adult. Not only is he just around it he drinks it nonstop, acting like he is already an adult.
Setting
The setting in The Catcher in the Rye takes places around the 1950’s in Pennsylvania and then later changes to take place in New York City.
Major Characters
The 3 major characters …show more content…
are: Holden Caulfield, Phoebe Caulfield, and Mr. Antolini. Holden- Very criticizing to pretty much everything, especially to people that he finds annoying and selfish. He is a 16 year old boy who stands 6 feet 2 inches, and the right side of his head is full of grey hairs. Phoebe- She is Holden’s younger brother. She is 10 years old, has read hair, and is extremely smart. Mr. Antolini- Is an adult who has an older wife. He is a very protective person .He was Holden’s old English teacher and plays a big role in Holden’s life.
Summary
Holden is a kid who lives in Pennsylvania and who has dropped out of 3 different high schools. At the 4th high school (Pency), he fails most of his classes and is expelled. He leaves the school early and is supposed to be heading home, but stops at a hotel. He gets drunk at many places and reconnects with a lot of people. He wants to return home to see his sister, but is afraid that his parents will see him and he will get in big trouble. He sends a letter to his sister’s school, telling her to meet him at a museum. He says in the note he is moving away so his sister Phoebe brings a suitcase full of clothes and begs to go with him. He refuses, and she gets upset and won’t talk to him. He buys her a ticket to a carousel and watches her ride up. Holden is in tears and ends the story unsure about his future.
Theme
The theme of The Catcher in the Rye is coming of age. The whole novel is about how Holden is growing up and how he wants to move out by himself. It also talks a lot about alcohol and other substances that he is surrounded by throughout the book as he goes from place to place.
Quotes
-“You never saw a little kid so pretty and smart in your whole life” (75). This quote is expressing the amazing relationship between Holden and Phoebe. It explains that they have a good relationship and they think well of each other.
- “He got up and poured some more booze in his glass” (207).
This quote is referring to Mr. Antolini. It shows that he drinks, and drinks a lot. Throughout the book, Holden drinks and gets drunk with his friends. Holden is only 17 and his friends and he drink all the time. This quote shows that Mr. Antolini drinks right in front of Holden, and doesn’t care if it’s a bad thing for him to see. Holden hasn’t grown up with a good role model, and Mr. Antolini is as close as he gets.
- “I figured I’d probably see them again, but not for years” (225). At this point Holden decides that he will move away from all his friends. This is a big point in the story because after not deciding where to go or what to do with his life for 5 years, he finally knows. At first, he says he won’t really miss anyone except his sister, but then later on states that he will end up missing a lot of people, even the ones he didn’t expect to.
Symbols & Motifs
The biggest symbol in the book is the “Catcher in the Rye”. Holden explains to Phoebe at the end, that he wants to be the Catcher in the Rye. He states he wants to catch kids as they fall off a cliff. In the end of the story he sends Phoebe on a carousel, and watches her ride all the way to the top. The carousel symbolizes his good bye message to Phoebe, since he is moving away. Relationships are a reoccurring motif in the novel. The relationships, gives him the opportunity to get away from the cage he is trapped in.
Authors
Style
I really enjoyed the author’s style of writing because there was a lot of symbolism. There were so many things in the story that J.D. Salinger had symbolizing and representing other things. The author’s style of writing is very amusing and sad. Salinger has so many funny things about Holden he tells, and also said things. “For one thing, they kept drinking tea or some goddamn thing all through the play” (140). This quote is very amusing and gives the book some humor. “It was just that she looked so damn nice, the way she kept going around and around, in her blue coat in all” (233-234). On the other hand, quotes like this Salinger uses is very touching and very emotional.
Mrs. Sinders
3/21/17
Period 3
Independent Reading Project
Book Information
Title: The Catcher in the Rye Author: J.D. Salinger. Date of Publication: July 16, 1951. Genre: Coming-of-age fiction.
Genre
The genre is coming of age. I believe the book meets the characteristics of this specific genre, because the entire book is about him growing up, and living on his own. He is around alcohol at the age of 16, so he is obviously growing up to become an adult. Not only is he just around it he drinks it nonstop, acting like he is already an adult.
Setting
The setting in The Catcher in the Rye takes places around the 1950’s in Pennsylvania and then later changes to take place in New York City.
Major Characters
The 3 major characters …show more content…
are: Holden Caulfield, Phoebe Caulfield, and Mr. Antolini. Holden- Very criticizing to pretty much everything, especially to people that he finds annoying and selfish. He is a 16 year old boy who stands 6 feet 2 inches, and the right side of his head is full of grey hairs. Phoebe- She is Holden’s younger brother. She is 10 years old, has read hair, and is extremely smart. Mr. Antolini- Is an adult who has an older wife. He is a very protective person .He was Holden’s old English teacher and plays a big role in Holden’s life.
Summary
Holden is a kid who lives in Pennsylvania and who has dropped out of 3 different high schools. At the 4th high school (Pency), he fails most of his classes and is expelled. He leaves the school early and is supposed to be heading home, but stops at a hotel. He gets drunk at many places and reconnects with a lot of people. He wants to return home to see his sister, but is afraid that his parents will see him and he will get in big trouble. He sends a letter to his sister’s school, telling her to meet him at a museum. He says in the note he is moving away so his sister Phoebe brings a suitcase full of clothes and begs to go with him. He refuses, and she gets upset and won’t talk to him. He buys her a ticket to a carousel and watches her ride up. Holden is in tears and ends the story unsure about his future.
Theme
The theme of The Catcher in the Rye is coming of age. The whole novel is about how Holden is growing up and how he wants to move out by himself. It also talks a lot about alcohol and other substances that he is surrounded by throughout the book as he goes from place to place.
Quotes
-“You never saw a little kid so pretty and smart in your whole life” (75). This quote is expressing the amazing relationship between Holden and Phoebe. It explains that they have a good relationship and they think well of each other.
- “He got up and poured some more booze in his glass” (207).
This quote is referring to Mr. Antolini. It shows that he drinks, and drinks a lot. Throughout the book, Holden drinks and gets drunk with his friends. Holden is only 17 and his friends and he drink all the time. This quote shows that Mr. Antolini drinks right in front of Holden, and doesn’t care if it’s a bad thing for him to see. Holden hasn’t grown up with a good role model, and Mr. Antolini is as close as he gets.
- “I figured I’d probably see them again, but not for years” (225). At this point Holden decides that he will move away from all his friends. This is a big point in the story because after not deciding where to go or what to do with his life for 5 years, he finally knows. At first, he says he won’t really miss anyone except his sister, but then later on states that he will end up missing a lot of people, even the ones he didn’t expect to.
Symbols & Motifs
The biggest symbol in the book is the “Catcher in the Rye”. Holden explains to Phoebe at the end, that he wants to be the Catcher in the Rye. He states he wants to catch kids as they fall off a cliff. In the end of the story he sends Phoebe on a carousel, and watches her ride all the way to the top. The carousel symbolizes his good bye message to Phoebe, since he is moving away. Relationships are a reoccurring motif in the novel. The relationships, gives him the opportunity to get away from the cage he is trapped in.
Authors
Style
I really enjoyed the author’s style of writing because there was a lot of symbolism. There were so many things in the story that J.D. Salinger had symbolizing and representing other things. The author’s style of writing is very amusing and sad. Salinger has so many funny things about Holden he tells, and also said things. “For one thing, they kept drinking tea or some goddamn thing all through the play” (140). This quote is very amusing and gives the book some humor. “It was just that she looked so damn nice, the way she kept going around and around, in her blue coat in all” (233-234). On the other hand, quotes like this Salinger uses is very touching and very emotional.