When I asked ChatGPT why I should read The Catcher in the Rye, it said because the book portrays 鈥渁dolescent alienation and identity.鈥� ChatGPT also told me that the book is a 鈥渃ritique of society鈥� and that it has some 鈥渟ymbolism.鈥� Sadly, none of this is helpful if you actually want to engage with Salinger鈥檚 text. This blog aims to provide concrete discussion questions, relevant quotes, and substantive analysis, both for educators and for students.听聽
1) Holden, D.B., and 鈥淭he Secret Goldfish鈥�
Discussion Question / Essay Prompt
Though Holden sets out to tell the reader about 鈥渢he madman stuff that happened to [him] around last Christmas,鈥� he first talks about his brother, D.B. (1). Specifically, he talks a great deal about the collection of short stories that D.B. wrote called The Secret Goldfish. What does Holden鈥檚 discussion of this book say about his relationship to D.B.? What does it say about the text as a whole?聽聽
Response
In the first chapter, Holden says that his brother, D.B. 鈥渦sed to be just a regular writer鈥� (1). However, now that D.B. has left to write for the movies, 鈥渉e鈥檚 out in Hollywood鈥eing a prostitute鈥� (2). D.B.鈥檚 鈥減rostitution鈥� is connected to the fact that he wrote a “terrific book of short stories鈥� called The Secret Goldfish (1). We can see that Holden鈥檚 low opinion of D.B. results from the latter鈥檚 betrayal of his real talent.听
It鈥檚 also worth examining the plot of Holden鈥檚 favorite story in D.B.鈥檚 The Secret Goldfish. As the title story, it鈥檚 about 鈥渢his little kid that wouldn鈥檛 let anybody look at his goldfish because he鈥檚 bought it with his own money鈥� (1-2). Now, anytime a narrator talks approvingly of another book, an attentive reader should pay attention. (Holden says on the same page, 鈥淚t killed me.鈥�)聽
We have to ask ourselves 鈥� Why does Holden connect so deeply with this story? I would assert that 鈥淭he Secret Goldfish鈥� is a distillation of Holden鈥檚 central anxiety 鈥� the inability of children to control the world around them. In the story, the kid manages to fend off a world that wants to see what the boy holds most precious. If there鈥檚 a hero to Holden, it might well be this kid, who just wants to have something to himself.听
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2) Holden and/or Burns 鈥� Who鈥檚 Catching Whom?
Discussion Question / Essay Prompt
It鈥檚 no secret that the title of the book comes from Robert Burns鈥� 鈥淐omin鈥� thro鈥� the rye.鈥� How does Holden understand himself in relation to this poem? In other words, what does it mean to him as a character?聽
Response
I鈥檇 be remiss if I didn鈥檛 address the source of the book鈥檚 title 鈥� Holden brings up the poem when he鈥檚 talking to his sister Phoebe late in the book (he鈥檚 snuck back home to see her.) Phoebe has just asked him what he wants to do with his life and here鈥檚 what Holden says,聽
鈥淚 keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody鈥檚 around 鈥� nobody big, I mean 鈥� except me. And I鈥檓 standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff 鈥� I mean if they鈥檙e running and they don鈥檛 look where they鈥檙e going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That鈥檚 all I鈥檇 do all day. I鈥檇 just be the catcher in the rye and all.鈥� (186)
There鈥檚 so much here to unpack. First, as Phoebe notes (and Holden acknowledges), the line is not 鈥淚f a body catch a body comin鈥� through the rye鈥� 鈥� the line is actually, 鈥淚f a body meet a body coming through the rye鈥� (italics added). We鈥檒l come back to Holden鈥檚 misreading a bit later. First, let鈥檚 look at what Holden makes of (his misreading of) the poem.
At the heart of Holden鈥檚 (mis)reading is a desire to protect children. Think back to the protagonist of 鈥淭he Secret Goldfish,鈥� who manages to protect what is precious from the outside world. In Holden鈥檚 reimagining of Burns’ poem, the adults have all disappeared 鈥� there鈥檚 no one to stop these kids from accidentally running off the cliff. I would argue that Holden wants to take care of these kids precisely because there was no one to catch him as he ran off the cliff. In The Catcher in the Rye, adults have collectively abdicated responsibility for their children.听
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3) If a body _____ a body?!?!
Discussion Question / Essay Prompt
Sex and sexuality are prevalent in The Cather in the Rye. How does Holden navigate sexual relationships in the book? What moments and experiences have formed his understanding of sex?聽
Response #1听
Let鈥檚 return to Holden鈥檚 misreading of Burns鈥� 鈥淐omin鈥� thro鈥� the Rye.鈥� Though the poem allows Holden to explain his desire to protect children, the way he misremembers the content of the poem is significant as well. Aspoints out, Burns鈥� poem has nothing to do with innocence and childhood. It is, in fact, a poem about 鈥渟eduction and sexual dalliance鈥� (Luedtke, 200). As this is the case, Holden鈥檚 misreading becomes symptomatically significant. While Holden uses the content of Burns鈥� poem to explain his desire to protect children, his misreading functions to protect himself from the adult world of sexuality and violence.听
The threat of sexuality is everywhere in the book. Two moments stand out in particular 鈥� Holden鈥檚 feelings toward Jane Gallagher and his 鈥減erverty鈥� experience with Mr Antolini. The reader meets Jane Gallagher indirectly via Holden鈥檚 roommate Stradlater. Early in the novel, Stradlater mentions to Holden that he鈥檚 going out on a date with 鈥淛ean Gallagher鈥� (he can鈥檛 be bothered to get her name right). Holden knows how Stradlater operates with women (i.e., rapey 鈥� see chapter 7) and can鈥檛 stand the thought of him 鈥済iving the time鈥� to Jane. Holden gets into a fight with Stradlater when the latter gets back from his date, an event that makes Holden leave Pencey early.听
It鈥檚 not until chapter 11 that we learn the backstory of Jane and Holden. The way Holden tells it, Holden and Jane were playing checkers on her front patio when her 鈥渂oozehound鈥� stepfather comes out onto the porch. He asks Jane some questions but she refuses to answer. When he leaves, she starts to cry. Though Jane denies it, Holden suspects that Jane鈥檚 stepfather might have 鈥渢ried to get wise with her鈥� (86).听
Response #2
The second explicit moment of sexual inappropriateness occurs when Holden spends the night at Mr Antolini鈥檚 house. Recall that Holden, kicked out of Pencey Prep, has been staying in a hotel in New York until he鈥檚 due home for Christmas break. Short on cash, he calls his old English teacher from Elkton Hills, Mr Antolini, and asks if he can crash at his place. Mr Antolini says Holden can come right over.听
It鈥檚 late when Holden arrives at Mr Antolini鈥檚 apartment. Mr and Mrs Antolini were entertaining some friends before Holden鈥檚 arrival, so when Mr Antolini answers the door, Holden can tell that 鈥渉e was a little oiled up鈥� (196). Mrs Antolini brings them coffee and cakes, then goes to bed. Once she鈥檚 left, Holden and Mr. Antolini have a wide-ranging conversation about Holden鈥檚 present problems and future struggles.听
Here鈥檚 the thing 鈥� Mr. Antolini gives Holden some pretty good advice. While he fears that Holden is 鈥渞iding for some kind of terrible fall,鈥� it鈥檚 a fall that will occur only if Holden 鈥済ive[s] it up before [he] ever really even got started鈥� (202). He then offers Holden a quote that (he believes) is from Wilhelm Stekel 鈥� 鈥淭he mark of an immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of a mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one鈥� (203). And finally, don鈥檛 forget that Mr Antolini is the teacher who covers the body of James Castle and carries it to the infirmary.听聽聽聽聽
All this is to say that up until this moment in the book, Mr Antolini is represented as a stand-up guy. But then 鈥� Holden wakes up to Mr. Antolini petting his head. The details are unimportant (as is whether Mr. Antolini is gay or not), but Holden freaks out and leaves, telling the reader that 鈥淭hat kind of [perverty] stuff鈥檚 happened to me about twenty times since I was a kid鈥� (208). The importance of this moment is that Mr Antolini鈥檚 heretofore upstanding character is undermined. Now he鈥檚 just another adult who can鈥檛 get it together enough to protect a child.听
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4) 鈥淎round and Around鈥� 鈥� Protection and/or Disempowerment in The Catcher in the Rye
Discussion Question / Essay Prompt
The last image of the book 鈥� Holden watching Phoebe as she goes 鈥渁round and around鈥� on the carousel 鈥� is striking. What do you make of this image? What does it say about Holden鈥檚 relationship with Phoebe? Lastly, what does it say about him?聽
Response
It鈥檚 only appropriate that I end this article with a discussion of the final image of the book 鈥� Phoebe on the carousel. It鈥檚 worth quoting at length:聽
I felt so damn happy all of a sudden, the way old Phoebe kept going around and around鈥 don鈥檛 know why. It was just so damn nice, the way she kept going around and around, in her blue coat and all. God I wish you couldve been there.” (229)聽
“I don鈥檛 know about you, but I can totally imagine this as a poignant Wes Anderson set-piece. The precocious teen, with his twee red hunting cap, sitting on a New York park bench in the rain, finally realizes the simple joys of family.听
At the same time, I can鈥檛 help thinking that there鈥檚 something more significant about this moment. Recall the context 鈥� Holden had written a note to Phoebe telling her to meet him by the museum to say goodbye (he鈥檇 decided to hitchhike out west). Phoebe shows up, suitcase in hand, ready to go with him. This enrages Holden, who comes close to hitting her. When Holden calms down, he assures Phoebe that he鈥檚 not going anywhere and he lets her skip school this afternoon and go with him to the zoo.听聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽
If we return to the quote above, the first thing we notice is the repetition of 鈥渁round and around鈥� (229). (This is actually the third time Holden has mentioned Phoebe going 鈥渁round and around鈥� on the carousel 鈥� he uses the same phrase two pages before (227).) Anytime you see this kind of repetition, you have to wonder what鈥檚 going on. Why is it so important for Holden that Phoebe is going 鈥渁round and around鈥� on the carousel? Let鈥檚 try to put this scene into the larger context of the book. As we鈥檝e seen, The Catcher in the Rye is about Holden鈥檚 tentative forays into the adult world. In other words, understood as , Holden鈥檚 story is about progress 鈥� his moving forward toward adulthood.听
If we return to the final image of the book, we realize that the image of the carousel is antithetical to forward movement. While it might seem like she鈥檚 moving, progress is disallowed for Phoebe 鈥� she can only ever go 鈥渁round and around.鈥� (Recall too that when they first see the carousel, Phoebe tells Holden she鈥檚 too big to ride 鈥� he tells her she鈥檚 not.) Understood in this way, Holden鈥檚 happiness at the end of the book, though touching, is a result of his infantilizing (and disempowering) Phoebe. Though Holden genuinely wants to protect children (and himself), he can only do it by denying them their own progress toward adulthood.听聽聽聽
The Catcher in the Rye 鈥� Final Thoughts
ChatGPT might eventually be able to engage in a genuine way with literature, but until then, we meat-suits still have the advantage. What鈥檚 more, reading and analyzing literature isn鈥檛 about finding definite answers; rather, it鈥檚 a process of self-exploration which, done well, can lead to greater empathy and insight.听
If you鈥檝e found this article useful or interesting, you can also check out my summaries and analyses of 1984, Frankenstein, The Great Gatsby, Hamlet, The Crucible, Beloved, Brave New World, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Macbeth, Jane Eyre, Of Mice and Men, and Romeo and Juliet.听
