Catcher in the Rye Portfolio Reflections
Chapters 1-6: “Old Allie’s Baseball Mitt”
Reread Holden’s description of Allie’s baseball glove on pg 38-39. Write one paragraph
about an object of significance to you. Describe the object as detailed as you can while
revealing the importance this object has to you. Do not simply say, “this object is important
because…” use the details and descriptions to set a tone and express the importance this
object has.
Ideas: a favorite article of clothing, a gift from a deceased relative, a poster or picture in your
bedroom, a piece of furniture
Chapters 7-12: Quotable Quotes: “The Wrong Kind of Skates”
“She bought me the wrong kind of skates… Every time somebody gets me a present, it ends
up making me sad” (Salinger 52).
Holden expresses his disappointment with concepts that bring most people joy. I find it
interesting that he deters his sadness from packing and getting kicked out of Pency to his
sadness of getting the wrong type of skates. Holden is willing to accept other people’s
irresponsibility, but not his own.
Choose 5 quotes from chapters 7-12 that you find intriguing. In three to four sentences,
explain why you find the quote interesting. Your response should be a brief, intelligent
explanation or personal insight related to each quote. Responses should also reflect one’s
knowledge and understanding of poetic devices and figurative language when and wherever
possible.
Chapters 13-18: Character Profile
Holden reveals several elements of his physical appearance in these chapters including his
crew cut and how skinny he is. Both of these attributed are a source of self consciousness
for him, in addition to a few other traits. Holden’s personality is still frighteningly clear, even
without these descriptions.
For this character portrait, choose another character in literature, a character you have read
recently or in the past few years, and create a character profile. Use as few physical
descriptions as possible, and write a first-person narrative in stream-of-consciousness style.
This one-page response should clearly identify the character because of their situation, but it
should also demonstrate your understanding of stream-of-consciousness.
Chapters 19-26: Comin’ Thro’ the Rye:
Holden’s actions at the end of the novel are evidence of his degrading state of mind. He
compulsively tries to protect innocence, yet he is struggling to find his place in a mature,
adult world. Choose an incident from chapters 19-26 and evaluate Holden’s perception of
innocence. What does it mean to loose innocence? How does Holden try to keep it for
himself? For Phoebe? For the other children at Phoebe’s school? For the whole of New
York?
In a one-page response, interpret Holden’s actions and justify his need to keep the
innocence of youth.
“End of Something” Activity
Writing Option 1 or 2 on page 1024 of the textbook
Multiple Intelligences Activity
1- Evaluate Holden's multiple Intelligence strengths. Choosing one of his strengths, identify a
specific example from the novel to support his strengths. In your commentary, explain how
Holden could be successful in school if his teachers knew of his strengths and gave him
assignments where he could use his strengths.
2- Explain what this test may imply about students' learning behaviors and how this
information would be beneficial in the classroom. Can each of these MIs be instructed to? In
your response, relate to personal experiences where you have felt that you have learned
better as a result of a teacher using strategies that reflected your MI.
J. Alfred Prufrock Analysis Question:
Explain in detail how Prufrock is a representation of 1- the loss of conviction and will power
2- the fear of change or acceptance and 3- neurotic self-absorption in one complete
paragraph or more with examples from the poem