Notes for The Catcher in the Rye
Literary Devices
Characters
Themes
Coming-of-age story
From: A Dictionary of Literary and Thematic Terms, Second Edition.
A sociological term for the movement of an individual
from childhood or adolescence to adulthood. In primitive
societies, coming of age is marked by a prescribed ritual in which the young
person, after undergoing a test or submitting to a painful procedure, becomes a
member of the tribe. In literature, this tradition is reflected in stories that mark
a child's passage from innocence to experience or knowledge, in which the child
usually pays the price of pain or disillusionment.
Notable examples in 20th-century literature include those short stories of Ernest
Hemingway that focus on the character of Nick Adams, J. D. Salinger's Catcher
in the Rye (1951), and Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird (1960). The theme also
constitutes an important chapter in any novel characterized as a
a German term for a type of novel that includes
coming of age.
bildungsroman,
Point of View
From: A Dictionary of Literary and Thematic Terms, Second Edition.
The perspective from which the action in a
story is viewed.
• The Catcher in the Rye uses FIRST PERSON. Holden
Caulfield, the "I" of the story is a participant and
observer of the action.
• Can first person narrators be trusted? Is Holden a
reliable narrator? How does the reader know?
Diction
From: A Dictionary of Literary and Thematic Terms, Second Edition.
The choice of words in a work of literature.
The general categories of diction are formal,
colloquial, and slang.
How would you characterize Holden’s language?
Examples??
Motif
• Motif (mōtēf′), in literature, term that denotes the
recurrent presence of certain character types, objects,
settings, or situations in diverse genres and periods of
folklore and literature. Examples of motifs include
swords, money, food, jewels, forests, oceans, castles,
dungeons, tests of skill or wisdom, journeys, separations
and reunions, chaos brought to order.
• Loneliness, lying, problems with relationships, phoniness
• Others?
Hyperbole
An exaggerated expression not
meant to be taken literally.
“My parents would have about two hemorrhages apiece…” (1)
“They advertise in about a thousand magazines.” (2)
“The one side of my head is full of millions of gray hairs.” (9)
Symbol
From: A Dictionary of Literary and Thematic Terms, Second Edition.
A widely used term in many disciplines,
referring to the process by which a person,
place, object, or event comes to stand for
some abstract idea or condition.
The ducks in Central Park
Allie’s catcher’s mitt
Holden’s red hunting hat
Other symbols…?
Conflict
From: A Dictionary of Literary and Thematic Terms, Second Edition.
The struggle either within or between
characters that is often the basis of the
plot of a play or story.
Internal --(Holden vs. struggles with his
feeling of loneliness)
External -- (Holden vs. his parents, Holden
vs. the adult world)
Other conflicts?
Childhood vs. Adulthood
In what ways is Holden like a child?
Pencey Prep scenes
In what ways does he act like an adult?
With Mrs. Morrow/at the hotel
Characters
Keep a list of characters as you read about them.
How does Holden feel about
His family…
Parents
Allie
D.B.
Phoebe
What do we know about them?
Where does he fit in?
Characters
Stradlater
Ackley
Jane Gallagher
Mrs. Morrow/Ernest Morrow
Sally Hayes
Faith Cavendish
Carl Luce
A research paper review
How might a critic analyze this novel?
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Autobiographical elements (Salinger’s life)
Style (1st person, flashback)
Historical/Political Background (post-WWII)
Symbolism (red hunting hat, ducks, glove…)
Theme (the difficulty of crossing the bridge
from childhood to adulthood)
• Characterization (how is Holden portrayed)