“The Catcher in the Rye”

1. “The Catcher in the Rye” Author: J.D. Salinger Power point by: Amber Edwards

2. Author • He was famous for not wanting to be famous. • He wrote many books on disturbed people as his characters.

3. Author (Continued) • He is very reclusive and has yet to publish another book since 1965. • His works were mainly semi-autobiographical.

4. Insight of the Book • Holden Caulfield, the narrator, is a sixteen year old boy that is having a problem finding himself. • He can point out other peoples faults before he can point out his. • He gives several flashbacks to give the reason the way he is now. • The story is based on a couple days before Christmas and how Holden lives and understands things in life through those days.

5. Major Points • Holden is expelled from Pencey Prep, a boarding school, in the beginning of the book. • Holden got into a fight with his roommate, from Pencey Prep, over what he did on a date with Jane Gallagher, one of Holden’s childhood friends. • Holden decides to leave before the date of Christmas break since he was expelled anyways. He heads off to New York City to lie low until the date his is supposed to come home.

6. Major Points (Continued) • He checks into a hotel and entertains himself at the hotel’s bar. • He encounters prostitution at the hotel and almost commits to it himself but decides it isn’t him because he is depressed deeply. • He makes a date with a ex-girlfriend and they get into a fight, which makes him even more depressed. • Holden finally decides to go home to visit his little sister after his rampages through New York City.

7. Themes Phoniness • Holden talks about everyone at Pencey Prep being phony saying that they are all dishonest and aren’t being themselves. • In reality Holden is being phony as well, he lies all the time and he doesn’t see himself as a phony. • Holden thinks everyone and everything is phony except himself. He’s making this excuse because he’s trying to preserve his innocence.

8. Themes (Continued) Alienation • Holden makes it seem like he is better than everyone else which makes him think that he should isolate himself. • He alienates himself because he is trying to protect himself. • The irony is that this causes more pain for him than helping.

9. Themes (Continued) Trouble of Growing up • Holden is trying to find out how the adulthood works but is having difficulty reaching adulthood. • He makes up several things by making adulthood look phony and he should stay a kid where he will keep his innocence.

10. Critical Review • “The Catcher in the Rye” in my opinion was a good book overall. • At the beginning it had a slow start and was hard to understand but it is well worth the time of reading.

11. Critical Review • I also think that Salinger portrayed very well what goes through people’s minds that they don’t admit to. • It gave great detail of what teens go through while maturing to adulthood.