Catcher in the RyeThemes

Task

• For each of the following ideas identify quotes and be able to analyse how it illustrates that theme

• You can create a table or a mindmap to show your ideas

Relationships• Pency Prep• Mr Spencer: Holden feels he can speak to him –(tho not

honestly - barrier) we see the 2 sides to Holden -he is outwardly respectful / inwardly open to the reader. He sees Holden’s potential.

• Stradlater: a little envy of Stradlater’s confidence, success with girls and with his date with Jane. Contributes to Holden’s crisis through not appreciating / understanding why he wrote about Allie

• Ackley: Holden turns to him to make himself feel better about himself, but doesn’t get the expected / hoped for response. Not a close friend maybe because Holden won’t allow anyone close, but similar in that they are both a bit of a loner

• Adults and parents• Mr. Antolini- describes Holden in an apathetic free fall—

giving up, disengaging himself from the world, falling in a void removed from life around him. Close family friend / x teacher

• Breaking trust• Parents – distant – although he cares about their opinion• Taxi Driver – brief – educational / philosophical

Relationships

• Meaningful relationships• Phoebe: she looks up to him. her opinion of him

is important. Sibling. He looks up to her as in some ways she is more mature than Holden. She makes him realise someone cares and this changes his mind about leaving. She points out his misunderstanding of the song.

• Relationships in the past• Allie• Jane• DB

The effect of the environment - Setting

• Pency Prep

• New York – The Edmonton Hotel

• The Lavender Rooms» Central Park + the Museum

•

• The Caulfield Family Home

The Individual and Society

• The values of school – waste of time / as can’t be bothered (apathetic ). Sees it as leading to becoming an adult = phony. Doesn’t embrace the school ethos, has changes school so many times – lost faith in the system.

• Materialism

• New York people

• Pressure to conform

Innocence and Childhood

• The transition between adolescence and adulthood

• The Museum• Allie• Phoebe• Jane

• Holden’s childlike qualities – simplified view of the world

Mortality and Holden's Obsession with Death

• The Ducks • He cannot apply logic as Horwitz can• Holden equates death with disappearing• Death – Holden has experienced this on

a personal level: Allie + James Castle• When he begs Allie to not let him

disappear this shows that he does not want to die

• His sweating and difficulty breathing are symptoms of panic, reinforcing this

Mortality and Holden's Obsession with Death

• Mr Antolini’s quote:• ‘It is better to live humbly than to die

nobly for an unworthy cause.’

Redemption

• The Christian definition of redemption is “the act of delivering from sin or saving from evil“.

• Do you feel Holden has achieved any sort of redemption at the end of the novel?

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