Study Questions: The Catcher in the Rye 1
Chapter 1:
1. What kind of things does Holden (the narrator) expect us to be interested in?
2. Where is Holden as he writes the first paragraph?
3. What things, instead, is he planning to tell us about?
4. How does Holden feel about his brother’s job?
5. What does Holden think about Pencey Prep?
6. Where is Holden at the start of his (past tense) story? Why is he there?
7. What does Holden allude to when he says “That’s how I practically got t.b. and came out here for all these
goddam checkups and stuff”?
Chapter 2:
1. Why does Holden go to visit Spencer?
2. What things are nice about Spencer, as long as you don’t think too much about them?
3. Why does Holden feel depressed?
4. What does Holden have to say about people and the truth? What do you think?
5. What does Spencer say about Holden’s history grade? How does he rub it in?
6. Why does Holden think about the ducks in Central Park?
7. Why did Holden quit at Elkton Hills?
8. Why does Holden leave Spencer’s house?
Chapter 3:
1. What are “undertaking parlors”? How does Holden feel about Ossenburger?
2. Why does Holden use so much exaggeration in his descriptions? (“fifty corny jokes”; “speech that lasted ten
hours”; “I’m quite illiterate” etc.?
3. What does Holden have to say about reading?
4. What kind of person is Ackley? How does Holden treat him?
5. What does Holden mean that “Anybody else except Ackley would’ve taken the goddam hint”?
6. Why does Ackley hate Stradlater? Whose side is Holden on?
7. Why doesn’t Holden get rid of Ackley?
Chapter 4:
1. What kind of person is Stradlater?
2. How does Holden feel about being asked to write Stradlater’s essay? What comment does he make about the
skill of writing? Why does Holden mention Howie Coyle?
3. Who is Stradlater’s date and how does Holden feel about it?
4. Why doesn’t Holden go down to say hello to Jane?
5. What is Holden’s reaction, after Stradlater leaves? Why?
Chapter 5:
1. In Holden’s opinion why does the school serve steak on Saturday nights?
2. How does Ackley respond to the idea of a movie?
3. What composition does Holden write?
4. What happened to Holden after Allie died?
5. Why does Holden think people should feel sorry for Ackley?
Chapter 6:
1. Why is Holden so hostile on Stradlater’s return?
2. Why does Holden suddenly punch Stradlater?
3. How does Stradlater finally respond?
4. Why is Holden so afraid of Stradlater’s dating Jane?
Chapter 7:
1. How is Ackley, as a host?
2. Why does Holden ask Ackley about joining a monastery?
3. What kind of monastery does Holden fear he would join? Why, do you think?
4. What makes Holden sad about leaving?
Study Questions: The Catcher in the Rye 2
Chapter 8:
1. What does Holden think of the woman on the train?
2. What identity does Holden create for himself on the train?
3. What does he think of her son? What does he say to her about her son? Why?
Chapter 9:
1. What did Sally Hayes’ mother say about Holden?
2. Whom does Holden consider calling? Why doesn’t he call her?
3. What type of rules does Holden have difficulty observing?
4. What strange things are happening at the hotel? How does Holden feel about it?
5. Who does Holden finally call? What is the result of their conversation?
Chapter 10:
1. What observation can you make at this point about Holden and phone calls?
2. Why does Holden like his sister so much?
3. What does Holden see in the Lavender Room?
4. How does the blonde ruin their dancing?
5. Why does Holden kiss the blonde?
6. What does he talk about at the girls’ table?
7. Why does Holden mention Gary Cooper?
Chapter 11:
1. Where did Holden first meet Jane Gallagher? What was wrong with Jane’s step father?
2. Was Jane ever Holden’s girlfriend?
3. Why is Ernie such a phony, in Holden’s opinion? What does Holden dislike about Ernie’s playing?
Chapter 12:
1. How can we relate Horwitz’s final words to Holden to the general theme of the novel so far?
2. What kinds of people are seated near Holden? How does Lillian speak? What is her ulterior motive?
Chapter 13:
1. How does Holden explain his “yellow” nature?
2. How does Holden get into a “big mess”? Why does he agree with the elevator man’s suggestion?
3. Why can’t Holden go through with it? What problem arises?
Chapter 14:
1. How does Holden explain his religious views? What distinction does Holden make between Jesus and Jesus’
disciples?
2. Besides violence, with what does Maurice threaten Holden?
3. What does Holden imagine, after Maurice and Sunny leave?
Study Questions: The Catcher in the Rye 3
Chapter 15:
1. Why did it take Holden a long time to figure out that Sally Hayes was not intelligent?
2. Why didn’t Holden call Jane? Does he make plans with Sally?
3. What do we learn about Holden’s family?
4. Why does Holden hate it when people have cheap suitcases? Any deeper meaning?
5. How is the nuns’ breakfast similar to their suitcases? What surprises Holden about the nuns?
6. Why does Holden mention Louis Shaney? What could be the theme of this chapter?
Chapter 16:
1. Why does Holden mention his mother, and Mrs. Hayes?
2. How does Holden describe the record “Little Shirley Beans”?
3. Why does the ten year-old boy make Holden feel better?
4. Why do movies depress Holden so much?
5. What is the latest development in Holden’s attempt at communication with Jane?
6. Why didn’t Holden like “Hamlet”? What part, at least, did he like?
7. How does Holden feel in the park?
8. Why does Holden remember the museum so fondly?
Chapter 17:
1. What kind of “guys” does Holden postulate will marry the girls he is watching?
2. How did Holden feel about Harris Macklin?
3. Why is Holden so happy to see Sally?
4. Whom do they meet in the lobby? How does he bother Holden?
5. What does Holden start complaining about? Is he shouting?
6. What idea does Holden have for escaping? What is Sally’s response?
7. Why does Holden think it would be different, later, with “postcards from hotels….riding to work in cabs and
Madison Avenue buses, and reading newspapers”?
8. Why does Holden laugh at Sally?
Chapter 18:
1. Why is Carl Luce surprised to hear from Holden?
2. Whom did Holden and Allie like, at Radio City?
3. How is the movie? What does Holden say about the woman near him?
4. What book did Holden particularly like? 
Chapter 19:
1. What is the Wicker Bar? Why doesn’t Holden like it?
2. What kind of guy is Luce?
3. What is a “typical Caulfield conversation,” apparently?
4. What bothered Luce, back at Whooton?
5. What did Luce apparently recommend to Holden at Whooton?
6. How long do they talk?
Study Questions: The Catcher in the Rye 4
Chapter 20:
1. What conversation does Holden have with Sally? Why doesn’t he call Jane?
2. How does Holden try to mitigate his drunkenness?
3. Where does Holden go after the club? What is he looking for?
4. How much money does Holden have left? What does he do with some of it?
5. After the park, where does Holden go?
Chapter 21:
1. What do we learn about Holden’s mother? How does he describe her hearing?
2. How does Phoebe look, sleeping? How do adults usually look?
3. What do Phoebe and Holden talk about?
4. What does Phoebe realize about Holden? What is her reaction?
Chapter 22:
1. Why did Holden join the “secret fraternity” at Pencey?
2. What does Holden say about Mr. Spencer?
3. Why did the old man ask the boys’ permission to use the bathroom? What was he looking for?
4. Why does Holden mention James Castle?
5. What things does Holden say he likes?
6. What does he say about being a lawyer?
7. What job does Holden say he would like to have?
8. Whom does Holden call?
Chapter 23:
1. Why did Holden like Mr. Antolini?
2. Why does Holden cry?
3. How does Holden get out of the house?
Chapter 24:
1. Why did Mr. Antolini (and others) tell D.B. not to go to Hollywood?
2. Why does Antolini say “day old infant in your arms…”?
3. What bothered Holden about Oral Expression class?
4. Why did Antolini have lunch with Holden’s father? What did they discuss?
5. What kinds of “fall” does Antolini imagine for Holden? Do you agree?
6. Why is Holden unable to listen to Antolini’s advice?
7. What does Antolini have to say?
8. What is Holden’s reaction to Antolini’s odd behavior? Was he being a “pervert”?
9. How many times has “that kind of stuff” happened to Holden?
Chapter 25:
1. Where does Holden go to sleep?
2. Why does Holden feel bad about his behavior toward Antolini?
3. How does Holden feel, walking along Fifth Avenue?
4. What decision does he finally make? How realistic is this decision?
5. How does Holden contact Phoebe? What is her reaction?
6. Why does the obscene graffiti bother Holden so much?
7. How is Holden’s health at this point?
8. Why is Phoebe late?
9. Where has Holden decided to go, at the end of the chapter?
10. Why doesn’t Holden get out of the rain?
Chapter 26:
1. Why does Holden miss people?