Catcher in the Rye —Study Guide
Chapter 1
1.
From where is Holden telling his story? How do you know?
2.
What is Holden’s criticism of his older brother, D.B.?
3.
What are Holden’s main complaints about Pencey?
4.
Why is Holden leaving Pencey?
5.
What do you think Holden means when he says, “After I got across the road, I felt like I was sort of disappearing” (5)?
6.
Who is Holden going to see? Why?
Chapter 2
7.
What are Holden’s criticisms of Mr. Spencer?
8.
Why does Holden visit Spencer despite his flaws?
9.
What does Spencer tell Holden about life? Does Holden understand what Spencer tells him?
10.
How many schools has Holden attended?
11.
What does Spencer do that Holden refers to as a dirty trick?
12.
What is Holden thinking about as he talks to Spencer?
13.
What kind of people does Holden dislike?
Chapter 3
14.
What does Holden like to do?
15.
What purchase did Holden make while he was in New York?
16.
Who is Ward Stradlater?
17.
Who is Robert Ackley?
18.
What does Stradlater borrow from Holden?
Chapter 4
19.
What does Holden reveal about Stradlater?
20.
What favor does Stradlater ask of Holden?
21.
Who is Jane Gallagher?
22.
How does Stradlater respond as Holden talks about Jane?
23.
Why doesn’t Holden go down to say “hello” to Jane?
24.
How does Holden feel about Stradlater’s date with Jane?
25.
Why is Holden glad to see Ackley at the end of this chapter?
Chapter 5
26.
Where does Holden go on Saturday night?
27.
What does Holden do when he gets back to his dorm room?
28.
What is the topic of the composition Holden writes for Stradlater?
29.
Who is Allie?
30.
How old was Holden when Allie died?
31.
What did Holden do the night Allie died? What does this tell you about him?
Chapter 6
32. Why is Holden so worried about Jane’s date with Stradlater?
33. What is Stradlater’s initial criticism of Holden? Is he right about Holden?
34. What happened to the composition Holden wrote?
35. Why do you think Holden puts on the hunting hat after his fight with Stradlater?
36. Why is it ironic that Holden tells us he’s a pacifist?
37. Based on Holden’s earlier description of Ackley, why do you think he goes to his room after the fight?

Chapter 7
38. In what ways does Holden mirror Ackley’s behavior when Ackley was in his room earlier that night?
39. As he lies on Ely’s bed, what is Holden’s current state of mind?
40. What decision does Holden make in this chapter?
41. When Holden packs his ice skates, what do we learn about him? What do we learn about his mother?
42. How does Holden feel as he leaves Pencey?
Chapter 8
43. Why does Holden lie to Mrs. Morrow about who he is? What does this tell you about his character?
44. What generalization does Holden make about mothers?
45. Why does Holden lie to Mrs. Morrow about Ernie?
Chapter 9
46. Why doesn’t Holden call anyone from Penn Station?
47. Who does Holden say would have been “king of the hotel”? Why?
48. What does Holden admit about his knowledge of sex? How might this contribute to his overall personality?
49. Why doesn’t Holden call Jane from the hotel? Who does he call?
Chapter 10
50. How does Holden describe Phoebe? What’s Holden’s only criticism of Phoebe?
51. According to Holden, why is the blonde he dances with too preoccupied to talk to him? Is it possible that his analysis of her behavior is wrong?
Chapter 11
52. What does Holden start thinking about on his way out to the hotel lobby?
53. How did Holden meet Jane?
54. What is significant about the fact that Holden shows Jane Allie’s baseball mitt?
55. How emotionally intimate are Holden and Jane?
56. How physically intimate are Holden and Jane?
57. What do you learn in this chapter about Jane’s family life?
Chapter 12
58. What time do you think it is at this point?
59. What does Holden ask the cab driver on his way to Ernie’s?
60. Holden once again invites the cab driver for a drink—what does this tell you about him?
61. What does Holden like about Ernie? What does he dislike about Ernie?
62. How does Holden feel about “real ugly girls”?
63. Where does Holden’s father want him to go to college?
64. Who is Lillian Simmons?
65. Why does Holden leave Ernie’s?
Chapter 13
66.
What does Holden mean when he says he’s “yellow”?
67.
How experienced is Holden sexually?
68.
Who is Sunny?
69.
What excuse does Holden give Sunny for not sleeping with her? Do you think this is the real reason?
Chapter 14
70.
What does Holden think about when he gets “very depressed”?
71.
What does Holden say about his religious beliefs?
72.
Why does Holden dislike ministers?
73.
Who comes to Holden’s room? Why?

Chapter 15
74.
What day and time is it?
75.
Who does Holden call?
76.
Who does Holden talk to while he eats breakfast?
77.
Why is it ironic that Holden gives them money?
Chapter 16
78.
For whom does Holden buy a record? What does this tell you about his feelings for this person?
79.
What does Holden mean by the word “swanky”? (114)
80.
What does Holden notice about the family walking in front of him?
81.
What is the little boy singing? How does this make Holden feel?
82.
Why does Holden buy tickets for the Lunts’ show?
83.
Where does Holden go to look for Phoebe?
84.
What does Holden say is the best thing about the Museum of Natural History? Why do you think he likes this about the museum?
Chapter 17
85. Who does Sally see, and why is Holden annoyed by it?
86. What is Holden’s plan for his and Sally’s future? What is Sally’s reaction to his idea?
Chapter 18
87. Where does Holden go to kill time before he meets Carl Luce?
Chapter 19
88. What does Holden want to talk to Carl Luce about, what Luce calls “a typical Holden Caufield conversation”?
89. What does Carl Luce recommend to Holden?
Chapter 20
90. Who does Holden call from the bar?
91. Where does he go at the end of the chapter?
Chapter 21
92.
Where does Phoebe sleep? Why?
93.
Why do you think Holden feels good once he’s in D.B.’s room?
94.
Why isn’t Phoebe’s dad going to see her in her play? Where are her parents while Holden is there? What does this tell you about them?
95.
What does Phoebe do when she realizes Holden has been kicked out of school?
96.
What is Holden’s plan to avoid punishment from his parents?
Chapter 22
97.
Who is James Castle?
98.
What is Holden’s first answer when Phoebe asks him to name one thing he likes?
99.
What does Holden say he would like to be?
100.
Who does Holden call at the end of the chapter?
Chapter 23
101.
What does Holden do when his parents come home?
102.
Who does Phoebe claim was smoking when her mom asks?
103.
What does Phoebe give to Holden?
104.
What does Holden do that makes him say, “scared hell out of old Phoebe”?
105.
What does Holden give to Phoebe before he leaves? What does this symbolize?
106.
Even though Phoebe is younger than Holden, in what ways does she seem older and more mature?

Chapter 24
107.
What type of relationship does Holden seem to have with Mr. Antolini?
108.
What class does Holden complain about? What is his main complaint about it?
109.
What do you think Holden is referring to when he says some things can’t be “simplified” and “unified”?
110.
What is Mr. Antolini’s concern about Holden?
111.
What does Mr. Antolini say that shows he really understands Holden?
112.
What does Mr. Antolini say is the value of education?
113.
Why does Holden leave the Antolinis’ apartment?
114.
What clues do we have that Holden is over-reacting when he thinks Mr. Antolini is being “perverty”?
115. a: What does Holden’s reaction to Mr. Antolini’s affection tell you about him?
Chapter 25
115. b: What “spooky” thing started to happen to Holden? What did he do to appease his fears?
115.
c: After Holden decides to “go away,” why does Holden go to Phoebe’s school?
116.
What did he see at school that drove him “crazy”?
117.
Who does Holden meet first at the museum?
118.
How did Holden find Phoebe at the museum?
119.
Where did Holden and Phoebe go after the museum? What made Phoebe not be mad at Holden anymore?
120.
What made Holden become so “’darn’ near bawling” and “’darn’ happy?”
Chapter 26
121.
Where is Holden when he tells the rest of his story in this chapter? How do you know?
122.
Who does Holden begin to miss?
123.
Explain your interpretation of Holden’s closing line, “Don’t ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody.”