The Catcher in the Rye s5

The Catcher in the Rye Socratic Seminar Questions

The questions below are designed to invite your thoughts on The Catcher in the Rye. Think deeply and carefully about them as you answer.

Be sure that you include textual evidence (i.e., quotes and page numbers) for all questions. You may use your phones to pull up a searchable PDF of the text (google PDF: Catcher in the Rye). For credit, provide all the information each question asks for.

Please do not discuss the questions or share answers while you’re working on this sheet. The seminar will be much more fruitful if each person’s insights are unique.

You may not get to every question. Begin with the ones that intrigue you the most. As long as you show evidence of having worked solidly for two class periods, you will receive full credit.

Chapters 1-6 1. Two adults tell Holden that “life is a game” (11). What does Holden think about their claim? What do you think?

2. Why does Holden break all the windows in his garage (44)? Were his parents right to want to have him psychoanalyzed? Why or why not?

Chapters 7-13 3. How is Holden’s loneliness a constant theme in these chapters? Provide and discuss 4-5 examples from the novel. 4. Discuss Holden’s fascination with the ducks in Central Park. (Also see page 16). Why is he so interested in what happens to them? What is the deeper meaning in their conversation?

5. Reflect on the relationship/theme of innocence versus experience. What does Holden suspect about Jane’s past? Describe how his suspicions impact his character and actions in the novel.

Chapters 14-19 6. When he is depressed, Holden frequently talks to Allie, his dead brother. Describe the incident that most often comes to Holden’s mind when he talks to Allie. Why is this episode so frequently on Holden’s mind? What does this fixation on this memory demonstrate about him?

7. After his confrontation with Maurice, what does Holden imagine? Analyze his fantasy and discuss what it reveals about Holden’s character. 8. Closely examine Holden’s conversation with Carl Luce. What assumptions can you make about Holden’s state of mind from their interaction?

9. Explore the concept that society forces children to grow up too quickly. Why is Holden so fascinated by the child singing? What is it about the child that captivates Holden? What does the boy represent to Holden?

Chapters 20-26 10.What is the deeper meaning of the pond in Central Park being “partly frozen and partly not frozen”? How does this relate to his earlier concern over what happens to the ducks? How does this statement relate to Holden himself?

11.Examine the conversation that takes place between Phoebe and Holden while their parents are out. What do they discuss in terms of his future goals? What misconceptions is Phoebe able to resolve? Why does his conversation with Phoebe effect Holden so greatly? 12.Discuss Holden’s experience with Mr. Antolini. How do Mr. Antolini’s words echo the advice that Holden received at the beginning of the novel from Mr. Spencer? What effect does it seem to have on Holden? Why does Holden later flee from Mr. Antolini’s apartment?

13.Reflect on the themes of innocence versus experience and the fear of change in the final chapters of the novel. Consider the theme in all of the following situations: 1) his dream of being the “catcher in the rye”, 2) the reoccurring profanity in public places, 3) his experiences at the Museum of Natural History, 4) the scene at the carousel.

14.You began this unit by reflecting in your journal on what it means to leave childhood. After reading Catcher, how have your thoughts changed? What does it mean to leave childhood behind?