The Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger
Ch. 1
1. At the beginning of the novel, what does Holden (the narrator) say he doesn't want to go into?
2. What will he tell us about instead?
3. Where is Holden as he's telling his story
4. What does the narrator say about his brother D.B.?
5. Where did Holden go to school?
6. What was his opinion of Pencey?
7. Who was Selma Thurmer and why did Holden like her?
8. How did Holden ruin the fencing meet?
How do his classmates seem to treat him?
What does his reaction to all this tell you about him?
9. Why was Holden kicked out of school?
10. What does Holden feel he has to do before he leaves a place?
11. Who is Spencer?
Ch. 2
1. How does Holden's visit to Spencer turn out?
Why?
Do you think Spencer should have done what he did?
Why?
2. About how many schools has Holden been to?
3. What does Holden think about as Spencer talks?
What does this concern show about Holden?
4. What kind of people does Holden seem to think surround him at most schools?
5. How does Holden feel as he shakes hands good-bye with Spencer?
6. What things in this chapter have indicated that Holden has a preoccupation with aging and death?
Ch. 3
1. What does Holden call himself at the beginning of this chapter?
2. Who was Ossenburger?
3. What piece of clothing did Holden buy in New York?
4. What does Holden say about good books?
5. Where is everybody besides Ackley?
6. Describe Ackley's looks and personality.
7. Describe Stradlater.
Ch. 4
1. What does Holden agree to do for Stradlater?
According to Stradlater, what makes a good composition?
2. How does Holden act in the bathroom with Stradlater?
3. Who is Jane Gallagher?
What was her relationship with Holden like?
4. Why does Jane's going out with Stradlater worry Holden?
Ch. 5
1. Why does Holden believe steak is served on Saturdays?
2. Why does Holden ask Mal to include Ackley in their plans?
3. What is ironic about Holden's complaining that people never believe him?
4. What does Ackley do when they get back to the dorm?
What does Holden think of this?
5. What topic does Holden choose for the paper?
6. Who was Allie and what happened to him?
7. If Holden is now 16-17, when does the novel take place?
8. What did Holden do when Allie died?
What would make him act like this?
9. Why do you suppose Holden carries the mitt around with him in a suitcase?
10. What does Holden describe at the end of the chapter?
Ch. 6
1. What does Stradlater think of the composition?
2. What drives Stradlater crazy?
How does this contrast with Holden?
3. What does Holden keep asking Stradlater about?
Why?
4. What does Holden try to do to Stradalter?
Why?
5. How does the fight end up ( p.45)?
6. What does Holden tell us about him and fighting?
Ch. 7
1. Whom does Holden go to visit?
Why?
2. What does Holden "almost wish" on p.48?
Why does he wish this?
How would he do it?
3. What does Holden think about after Ackley goes to sleep?
4. What does Holden wake Ackley up for?
5. On p. 51, where does Holden decide to go?
6. What depresses Holden as he is packing?
Why?
7. Describe what Holden does at the end of the chapter.
Ch. 8
1. Who sits next to Holden on the train to NY?
2. What does Holden think of her son?
3. What name does Holden give? Whose is it?
4. What other lies does Holden tell Mrs. Morrow?
5. What does Holden think when Mrs. Morrow says her son is "sensitive"?
6. What does Holden offer Mrs. Morrow?
Why, according to Holden , is he usually able to do this?
Do you believe him?
Ch. 9
1. Where does Holden go once he arrives at Penn Station?
2. Whom does he consider calling?
Whom does he end up calling?
3. What does Holden ask the cabbie?
4. What does he offer the cabbie?
5. Describe what Holden sees when he looks out his window on pp. 61-62.
6. How does Holden feel about sex?
7. Whom does Holden at first think of calling on p. 63?
Whom does he call instead? Why?
8. How does the call turn out?
Ch. 10
1. Who is Phoebe?
How does Holden feel about her?
2. Why doesn't Holden call her?
3. What sorts of people are downstairs in the lobby and in the Lavender Room?
4. What does Holden try to do again on p. 69?
5. What does Holden think about the blonde?
6. What does Holden lie about again on p. 73?
What does this probably indicate about him?
7. What does Holden find depressing on p. 75?
Ch. 11
1. Whom does Holden now think of?
What things does he remember about her?
What did he show her? Why?
2. What happened one day when they were playing checkers? (pp.78-79)
3. What is Ernie's?
Ch. 12
1. What does Holden ask Horwitz?
What does Horwitz say?
2. What does Holden offer Horwitz?
What does Horwitz reply?
3. What is Holden's opinion of Ernie?
4. Is Holden able to drink at Ernie's?
5. What does Holden say surrounds him? (p.85)
6. What are the Joe-Yale guy and the girl talking about?
What is the guy doing? (p.86)
7. Whom does Holden invite over for a drink?
What do all these people whom Holden invites to drink with him have in common?
8. Who comes up to Holden and talks to him?
9. Why does Holden have to leave Ernie's?
Ch. 13
1. What is Holden likely to do is someone steals something from him?
If he loses something?
2. What does Holden say about his drinking (p. 90)
3. What "big mess" does he get into?
4. What did Holden end up doing with Sunny?
What lie does he use as an excuse?
When did he tell a similar lie?
5. What does Holden do when he's making out with a girl and she tells him to stop?
Why does he do so? (p. 93)
6. What trouble does Holden sometimes have with girls? (p. 93)
7. About how old was Sunny?
Ch. 14
1. Whom does Holden "talk to" after Sunny leaves?
What does he regret?
2. What are Holden's religious views? (p. 100)
3. What does Maurice do now? Why?
Does Holden act foolishly here, do you think? Why?
4. What does Holden pretend at the end of the incident?
5. What does he feel like doing at the end of the chapter?
Why (according to him) doesn't he?
Ch. 15
1. Whom does Holden call?
What is his opinion of her?
Whom should he probably have called instead?
2. What information does Holden give about his parents on p. 107?
3. What is Holden trying to say when he claims that "it's really hard to be roommates with people if your suitcases are much better than theirs"?
4. What is Holden 's reaction to the nuns?
What does he wonder about on p. 110?
What embarrasses him at the end of the chapter?
Ch. 16
1. What does Holden think about that makes him sad on p. 114?
2. What does Holden want to do for Phoebe?
3. Describe the family Holden sees on p. 115.
What in particular makes him feel less depressed?
4. What happens now when Holden decides to call Jane?
5. What bothers Holden about actors?
6. What does Holden do for a little girl at the park (p. 119)?
7. What does Holden think you should be able to do with "certain things" (p. 122)?
Explain what he means by this.
8. On p. 122, what seems to be the reaction of the kids whom Holden tries to help?
Ch. 17
1. What does Holden think about the girls as he waits for Sally?
2. What is Holden's reaction when he sees Sally?
3. What do they do, and what does he tell her, on the way to the theatre?
4. Whom does Sally see in the lobby?
5. By the time they get into the cab after the show, how does Holden feel about Sally?
6. What does Holden try to do when they sit down after skating?
7. Describe the conversation that Holden has with Sally on pp. 130-133.
How does their date end up? Why?
What does Holden say that makes Sally really upset?
Do you agree with Holden about Sally?
Ch. 18
1. What does Holden say girls do "every time you mention some guy that's strictly a bastard"?
2. What happens when Holden tries to call Jane on p. 136?
3. Who is Carl Luce?
Why is Luce surprised to hear from Holden?
4. What does Holden think of the Christmas show at Radio City?
5. Why did Holden and Allie like the drummer?
What did they try to do for him?
How did this turn out?
6. What does Holden think of the lady who sat next to him at the movie and why?
7. Why wouldn't Holden be able to stand the army?
8. What TWO things does Holden say he'd do if there were another war? (p. 141)
9. What does Holden say about The Great Gatsby ?
Ch. 19
1. What kind of people go to the Wicker Bar?
2. How does the bartender treat people?
3. What topic of conversation does Holden describe on p. 143?
What do both Holden and Luce seem preoccupied with?
What might this indicate about them?
4. What does Luce think Holden needs to do (pp. 144-146)?
5. What does Holden think of Luce's treatment of women? (p. 145)
6. What do Holden and Luce agree sex should be?
7. Why, according to Holden, is his sex life "lousy"? (p. 148, top)
8. What does Luce suggest might help Holden?
9. On p. 149, what reason does Holden give for wanting Luce to stay for another drink?
Ch. 20
1. What message does Holden try to send to Valencia?
What happens to it?
2. When he gets really drunk, what does Holden imagine?
3. Whom does he call and how does this call turn out?
4. What does Holden do in the bathroom?
5. What "terrible" thing happens on p. 154?
6. What is Holden trying to find in the park? Why?
7. What does he picture as he sits down on a bench, shivering?
What is the only "good part" in all this?
8. What things does Holden tell us about the visits to Allie's grave?
9. What does Holden imagine may happen to him?
Where has he imagined or talked about similar things before in the novel?
10. Where does he decide to go at the end of the chapter?
What things do you predict could happen when he gets there?
Ch. 21
1. What lie does Holden tell the elevator boy about himself?
2. What works when you want to get somebody to do something for you?
3. What does Holden say about his mother?
4. Where are Holden's parents?
5. What does Phoebe figure out on p. 165?
How does she feel about this?
6. Where does Holden tell Phoebe he's going next?
Ch. 22
1. What do Phoebe's actions remind Holden of?
2. What reasons does Holden give for flunking out of school? (pp. 167-168)
3. On p. 169, what does Phoebe ask Holden to name?
4. What occupies Holden's mind on p. 170?
5. What was Castle wearing when he died?
6. Finally, how does Holden answer Phoebe's question?
What does she think of his response?
7. What does Holden remark about the dead on p. 171, bottom?
8. What does Holden say he could never be sure of if he became a lawyer?
9. On p. 173, what does Holden explain about the "catcher in the rye"?
Ch. 23
1. Whom does Holden phone now?
2. What do Holden and Phoebe do on p. 175?
Where has Holden done this twice before in the book?
3. What does Phoebe say to cover for Holden on p. 177?
4. What makes Holden cry on p. 179?
5. What does he "almost wish" on p. 180?
What did he "almost wish" earlier in the book?
How do these two things relate to the book's title?
Ch. 24
1. What does Holden say about Mr. Antolini's wife (p. 181)?
2. What does Mr. Antolini do a lot of?
3. Why did Holden flunk "Oral Expression"?
4. What does Mr. Antolini tell Holden about himself on pp. 186-187?
5. What does Mr. Antolini write down for Holden on p. 188?
6. Why does Holden suddenly leave Mr. Antolini's?
Ch. 25
1. Where does Holden go now, and how does he feel?
2. What does Holden think about when he wakes up?
3. What does he read that makes him feel even worse?
4. What "very spooky" thing starts happening to Holden as he walks up Fifth Avenue? (pp. 178-179)
5. What does Holden dream of doing on pp. 198-199?
What would he pretend to be?
Why?
6. What drove Holden "damn near crazy" on p. 201?
What does this show about him?
What thought makes him "even more depressed"?
7. What part of the museum does Holden end up in?
8. What happens to him as he's coming out of the bathroom?
9. When he lives on his own, what rule will Holden have for those who visit him?
10. What does Phoebe want to do?
11. Where does Holden finally decide to go?
Ch. 26
1. According to Holden, why shouldn't we tell people things?