The Catcher in the Rye

Chapters 17-24

Timeline of events

Holden gets to the Biltmore early and worries about girls

Sees the show with Sally and then they go ice skating

Holden calls himself a madman when recalling the conversation with Sally – Why?

Calls Jane and no one answers, then calls Carl Luce

Holden only has three people in his address book – Who are they?

Timeline of events

What upsets Holden about the show at Radio City Music Hall that he sees “to kill time”?

What happens when Holden meets up with Carl Luce?

“a typical Caulfield conversation”

“he’d help you recognize the patterns of your mind”

Calls Sally about trimming the tree

Timeline of events

What “terrible” thing happens when Holden is on the way to Central Park? Symbolic?

What happens when Holden is looking for the ducks?

How does Holden feel about visiting the cemetery?

Holden goes home. What makes Holden happy about Phoebe?

What does Phoebe do with the record?

Why does he tell Phoebe he “got the ax again”?

Timeline of events

Phoebe demands that Holden name something he likes; what is his reply?

Who is James Castle?

What is the significance of the title of the novel?

What does Phoebe give Holden, and how does Holden react?

Holden decides to go to Mr. Antolini’s house; why did Holden like Mr. Antolini?

Why did Holden flunk Oral Expression (speech class)?

Timeline of events

Mr. Antolini’s advice: “I have a feeling that you’re riding for some kind of

a terrible, terrible fall” “The whole arrangement’s designed for men who,

at some time or another in their lives, were looking for something their own environment could supply them with. Or they thought their own environment couldn’t supply them with. So they gave up looking. They gave it up before they ever really even got started.”

“The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one.”

Timeline of events

What strange event happens in the middle of the night?

How does Holden react?

“That kind of stuff’s happened to me about twenty times since I was a kid. I can’t stand it.”

Allusions

The Great Gatsby

Thoreau and Walden

The Poem by Robert Burns

Motifs

Pretending to be wounded

Phone calls

Interest in sex

The ducks

What else?

Homework

Two chapters left!!!!!

Finish the book for tomorrow (Thursday)!!!!!