For Holden, their actions are trite and meaningless, yet while they have a purpose and a plan, however simplistic, Holden behaves randomly and without motivation. This chapter continues a pattern of pseudonyms that Holden adopts for himself.
When he arrives at New York's Penn Station, Holden considers telephoning several people but ends up calling no one. He takes a cab to the Edmont Hotel where he observes unusual happenings from the window of his shabby room. His phone call to Miss Faith Cavendish, a young lady whose sexual reputation precedes her, ends without any plans to meet.
Setting (time) A long weekend in the late 1940s or early 1950s. Setting (place) Holden begins his story in Pennsylvania, at his former school, Pencey Prep. He then recounts his adventures in New York City. Protagonist Holden Caulfield. Major Conflict The major conflict is within Holden’s psyche. Part of him wants to connect with other people ...
Holden walks back to his hotel, although it is forty-one blocks away. He considers how he would confront a person who had stolen his gloves. Although he would not do so aggressively, he wishes that he could threaten the person who stole them. Holden finally concludes that he would yell at the thief but not have the courage to hit him.
What does Holden decide he must do next? Where does he first go? In a letter to phoebe, Holden states that he must goto the museum to give back Phoebe's money that he took. "If you can and will give you your Christmas dough back"(220).
Holden Caulfield doesn't take responsibility for his actions and tends to blame society for his problems. Whenever Holden has a bad experience, he's very quick to blame society and other people around him. For example, Holden blames the general population for “ruining things for him” (87).
Holden expands his definition of phony to include anyone who is not 100% genuine at all times or that he doesn't like. People who are charismatic, wealthy, attractive, friendly to others, or superficial are phonies according to Holden.Dec 13, 2021
compromise; Holden can't keep all of the children pure, but he had to learn this himself.
What does Holden give us as the reason for "leaving" Elkton Hills? “One of the biggest reasons I left Elkton Hills was because I was surrounded by phonies” (13).
Here are some more facts: Allie was Holden's younger brother who died of leukemia on July 18, 1946, when he was eleven and Holden was thirteen. The night of his death, Holden broke all the windows in the garage and had to be hospitalized. Allie was red-haired and left-handed. He wrote poems on his glove in green ink.
Holden is critical of many things and often uses the word "phony" to express his criticism. What would you say he is critical of? I think he is critical of people who try to cover up their true selves to make themselves appear better in the eyes of others, like the people he goes to school with at Pencey Prep.
#8 What does Holden mean when he uses the word "phony"? Define it as he might. Find two examples of "phonies" in this chapter. When Holden uses "Phonies" he means that people aren't real and just they lose their innocence. D.B. is a phony and Stradlater is a phony.
Holden's desperate need to find out about the ducks symbolizes his need to survive his own emotional “winters.” Holden struggles with change, especially after his brother's death, so knowing where the ducks go also represents a comfort he might find if he can prove that difficult change isn't always bad or permanent.
After looking in Central Park, he decides to walk to the Museum of Natural History despite knowing “Phoebe wouldn't be there,” describing how he “knew the whole museum routine” because they “used to go there all the time.” Holden's desire to visit the Museum of Natural History symbolizes his yearning to return to ...
What was the "big mess" Holden got into when he got back to the hotel after being at Ernie's? He got roped into buying a prostitute and ended up getting punched by the pimp, Maurice.
It is significant because it reveals the character of Holden's cherished younger brother. Allie wrote poems, in green ink, all over the glove so that he would have something to read when he was in the field and bored. Holden tells us that Allie was extremely intelligent and the nicest member of his family.
I think that Mr. Antoli is trying to tell Holden to not be so extreme and impulsive in his judgments and actions. Holden gravitates towards the ext...
I think Holden is just really nervous. Loosing his virginity to a prostitute that night was harder than he thought it would be. Holden attempts to...
This means not to lie or deceive yourself. We often are not honest with ourselves about certain things and situations.
I think that Mr. Antoli is trying to tell Holden to not be so extreme and impulsive in his judgments and actions. Holden gravitates towards the ext...
I think Holden is just really nervous. Loosing his virginity to a prostitute that night was harder than he thought it would be. Holden attempts to...
This means not to lie or deceive yourself. We often are not honest with ourselves about certain things and situations.
Holden goes down to the Lavender Room, a nightclub in the hotel. The band there is putrid and the people are mostly old. When he attempts to order a drink, the waiter asks for identification, but since he does not have proof of his age, he begs the waiter to put rum in his Coke.
When Stradlater reads it, he gets upset at Holden, because it is simply about a baseball glove. Irritated that Stradlater is upset, Holden tears up the composition. Immediately Holden starts smoking, just to further annoy Stradlater.
Stradlater says that the answer is a "professional secret," and Holden furiously responds by trying to punch him. Stradlater pushes him down and sits with his knees on Holden's chest. He only lets Holden go when he agrees to say nothing more about Stradlater's date.
Holden describes his family in more detail in the course of this chapter. His sister Phoebe is the smartest little kid that he has ever met, and Holden himself is the only dumb one. Phoebe reminds Holden of Allie in physical appearance, but she is very emotional.
Major Conflict The major conflict is within Holden’s psyche. Part of him wants to connect with other people on an adult level (and, more specifically, to have a sexual encounter), while part of him wants to reject the adult world as “phony,” and to retreat into his own memories of childhood.
Tone Holden’s tone varies between disgust, cynicism, bitterness, and nostalgic longing, all expressed in a colloquial style. Tense Past. Setting (time) A long weekend in the late 1940s or early 1950s. Setting (place) Holden begins his story in Pennsylvania, at his former school, Pencey Prep.
Themes Alienation as a form of self-protection; the painfulness of growing up; the phoniness of the adult world. Motifs Relationships, intimacy, and sexuality; loneliness; lying and deception. Symbols The “catcher in the rye”; Holden’s red hunting hat; the Museum of Natural History; the ducks in the Central Park lagoon.