The Catcher in the Rye
Ch. 1-7 Guided Reading Questions
Ch. 1
1. What does Holden mean when he says that his brother D.B. is out in Hollywood “being a
prostitute”?
Holden believes his brother has “sold out” to become a screenwriter. When he was younger, he
wrote short stories simply as a passion, but now he’s making “piles of dough” as a big shot in
Hollywood. Holden also hates the movies (not authentic).
2. Where is Holden as the story begins?
Holden’s first paragraph and last chapter take place somewhere near Hollywood. The rest of the
book is told as a flashback, and the action of that flashback starts at Pencey Prep in
Pennsylvania.
3. Where and what is Pencey Prep?
Pencey is an all-boys private boarding school in Pennsylvania. Magazines advertise it as a place
where “splendid young men” partake in such activities as polo.
4. How did Holden let the fencing team down?
Holden is the manager of the fencing team, which means he is in charge of the equipment. The
team heads to NYC for a meet, and he accidentally leaves all of their equipment on the subway.
Not only do they have to forfeit their meet, but their equipment is now lost forever, all because
of his mistake. Holden doesn’t seem to think this is a big deal.
5. Why was Holden being kicked out of Pencey Prep?
He was failing four of his five classes – only passing lit. The school had been warning him for
some time, and they even had a meeting with his parents, but he still would not “apply” himself.
6. What kind of health does Holden appear to be in?
Holden indicates that he’s a smoker and doesn’t have great lung capacity for someone his age.
He also tells us that he “practically got TB,” which is an exaggeration. Holden lies a good bit.
Ch. 2
1. Who is Mr. Spencer and why does Holden visit him?
Spencer is Holden’s history teacher who knew he was getting kicked out and wanted Holden to
come see him before he left. He’s an older man and is suffering from a severe cold or the flu
when Holden stops by. He seems to be very concerned about Holden.
2. What did Spencer do that particularly annoyed Holden?
Holden was annoyed with just about every aspect of his visit (the smell of Vick’s, Spencer in his
bathrobe, calling him “boy” all the time), but what really got to him was when Spencer reads his
final exam essay aloud to him. Spencer is equally frustrated because he believes Holden simply
gave up and then did not take responsibility for failing the class.
3. What does Holden give us as the reason for “leaving” Elkton Hills?
Elkton Hills was apparently full of phonies, Holden’s least favorite people. He said the
headmaster was even phonier than the one at Pencey. It’s clear by this point that Holden
doesn’t like too many people, especially those who serve as authority figures.
Ch. 3
1. What does Holden mean when he says, “I’m quite illiterate, but I read a lot”? Give examples of
what he reads.
Holden is not illiterate. An illiterate person cannot read or write, and Holden excels at both of
these. In fact, he lists books he’s read or is currently reading – Out of Africa, Return of the
Native, Of Human Bondage – and it’s obvious that he is quite adept in these areas. None of
these books would be considered “light” or “fun” reading. So, his illiterate comment could be
seen as either an excuse for his failures or the fact that he’s beginning to truly believe he’s not
smart or good enough to be a part of the academic setting. If he tells us right away that he’s not
smart, then he doesn’t have to live up to any high expectations and set himself up to fail.
2. Who is Ackley? Describe him.
Ackley is in the room next to Holden and Stradlater, and the two rooms share a shower.
According to Holden, not many people like Ackley because of his morose personality and his
poor hygiene.
3. What does Ackley do that annoys Holden?
Like Spencer, everything Ackley does annoys Holden. He clips his toenails and doesn’t pick up
the clippings; he picks up objects and puts them back in different places; he tells tall tales; he
doesn’t brush his teeth, so he has chronic halitosis and “mossy” teeth; he’s really pimply.
Ch. 4
1. Who is Stradlater? Why does Holden refer to him as a “secret slob”? What does he look like?
Stradlater is Holden’s roommate, who he describes as “yearbook photo” good-looking. He
makes sure he looks good on the outside, but he doesn’t practice the most sanitary habits
(keeping his razor clean) when the doors are closed.
2. What point does Holden try to make about people when he talks about Stradlater and the
“commas” and Ackley’s description of the basketball player?
Stradlater basically tells Holden that the only difference between a good and a bad essay is the
grammar, the conventions. Holden knows that good grammar usage (putting commas in the
correct place) doesn’t make a great essay, just like a good build doesn’t always equate to a great
basketball player. These things are auxiliary and not essential to the skill that comes with being a
good writer or athlete.
3. Why did it make Holden nervous that Stradlater was going out with Jane Gallagher?
We find out that Holden actually knows Jane from their summer vacations together at the Cape.
He indicates that he has a thing for her when he remembers small details about her character
and behavior, but Stradlater just cares about going on a date. Holden knows about Stradlater’s
behavior on dates and it makes him nervous that he may have bad intentions for Jane.
Ch. 5
1. Who is Allie, and why is his baseball mitt so special to Holden?
Allie was Holden’s little brother who died three years earlier from leukemia. Holden puts him on
a pedestal and tells us that he was unique in every way: he was the nicest and smartest member
of the family, he had red hair but wasn’t quick to anger, he was left-handed, and he wrote
poems in green ink on his baseball mitt to keep from getting bored when he was in the outfield.
Holden values authenticity and innocence, and Allie’s death largely contributes to his attitude
toward the rest of the world.
2. Why did Holden’s parents want to have him psychoanalyzed?
The night Allie died, Holden slept in the garage and punched out all the windows, eventually
breaking his hand. Even though this isn’t a completely abnormal reaction to the death of a
sibling, Holden seems to skip many of the more passive stages of grief and jumps straight to
anger.
Ch. 6
1. What do Holden and Stradlater fight over?
The tension in the room starts building after Stradlater insults the essay Holden writes for him,
prompting Holden to tear it up (Stradlater doesn’t seem to know or care that it’s a sensitive
subject). Then, Holden asks him about his date with Jane, and Stradlater won’t divulge the
information, which infuriates him. He fears the worst has happened between his roommate and
Jane, and he immediately becomes angry and attacks Stradlater. He then won’t stop calling him
a moron, which finally causes Stradlater to punch him. Holden can’t stand it when he believes
someone’s innocence is at risk.
2. Holden says that he is “pacifist.” What is that, and is he?
A pacifist is someone who doesn’t like to fight and who would rather keep the peace. Holden is
quick to anger and can be violent when someone he cares about is compromised. However,
Holden also isn’t good at fighting and obviously doesn’t enjoy it, as he gets very upset by his
fight with Stradlater.
Ch. 7
1. Why does Holden suddenly decide to visit Ackley’s room?
He feels lonely all of a sudden, and he probably starts to realize that Ackley is one of the people
he most relates to at Pencey. He needs to feel some kind of goodbye, and he doesn’t want to be
in the same room as his roommate.
2. Where does Holden then decide to go?
He decides to leave right away and go to New York City for a few days to avoid his parents. He
doesn’t want them to know just yet that he’s been kicked out again.
3. What is his final goodbye to Pencey Prep? Why do you think he was crying as he left?
He yells, “Sleep tight, ya morons!” at the top of his lungs as he leaves, but he’s crying at the
same time. This time, he seems to finally feel his goodbye. He’s crying because he’s once again
failed at something and disappointed those he loves, and he can’t figure out why he can’t just
follow the path blindly like the rest of his sleeping peers.