Monday, November 23, 2009

Catcher in the Rye Chapters 11-12

Chapter 11

1. Does Holden think that Stradlater seduced Jane Gallagher?

No, he doesn't think that Stradlater seduced Jane, he was pretty sure about it.


2. What sports does Jane Gallagher enjoy playing?

She enjoys playing tennis and golf.


3. How did Jane Gallagher and Holden get to be friends?

Jane was living next to Holden's house. One day when Jane was laying next to the pool, Holden came to her and said hello to her and they became friends.


4. What kind of books did Jane Gallagher like to read?

She liked reading poetry.


5. Is Jane Gallagher pretty?

Holden thinks that Jane is pretty, but his mother doesn't think she is pretty.


6. What was it that made Jane Gallagher cry when she and Holden were playing checkers?

When they were playing checkers, Jane's stepfather came and asked Jane if she knew where the cigarettes were. Jane didn't answer him though. After he left, Holden asked what was the matter and then she started to cry. But, it doesn't mention, why she actually cried, in the book.


7. How important was necking in Holden’s relationship with Jane Gallagher?

It wasn't important that much. Holden actually liked to hold hands with her, so did Jane.


8. How does Holden know about Ernie’s in Greenwich Village?

Ernie's is a night club, and his brother, D.B., used to go quiet frequently.


9. Who is Ernie?

Ernie is a big fat colored guy who plays piano in the night club.


10. What does Holden find especially irritating about Ernie?

Holden thinks he is a terrific snob and he won't hardly talk to you unless you are a big shot or a celebrity.


Chapter 12

1. What is the main theme of the first paragraph?

The main theme of the paragraph is loneliness. He says it was so lonesome outside even it was Saturday night.


2. How does Holden describe Horwitz’s personality?

Holden thinks he is not a bad guy but he thinks he is touchy and sound angry when he speaks.


3. What does Holden discuss with Horwitz?

They discussed about the ducks in the Central Park, and where would they go when the lake was frozen.


4. How does Holden characterize the patrons at Ernie’s?

Holden says that they were prep school and college jerks.


5. What is it that Holden objects to about the crowd at Ernie’s?

It was pretty quiet at Ernie's because Ernie was playing the piano, and the crowd always clapped whether he played good or bad.


6. Why does Holden feel sorry for Ernie?

Because Holden thinks that Ernie didn't even know whether he played right or not, and it was because of the crowd that always applauded to him whether he played right or not.


7. Describe the conversations going on at tables next to Holden.

At one table, a guy was giving her girlfriend every single play in the whole football game. At the other table, a guy was telling his girlfriend about a guy committing suicide in his dorm, and at the same time he was giving her a feel under the table.


8. Who is Lillian Simmons?

She is a girl that Holden's brother, D.B., used to go on a date with her.


9. From Lillian Simmons’ point of view, what is most impressive about D.B.?

She thinks it was the most impressive that D.B. was a writer in Hollywood.


10. How does Holden feel about such social amenities as saying to someone, “Glad to have met you?”

He doesn't like saying those stuff when he doesn't mean them, but he thinks that to be able to stay alive he had to say those expressions.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

The Catcher in the Rye Journal

Discuss the relationship between Holden and Mr. Spencer. Is it a personal, caring relationship or simply a professional relationship between teacher and student?


I think the relationship between Holden and Mr. Spencer is a personal, caring relationship between a teacher and a student. Because Mr. Spencer is the only person who really cares and worries about Holden. He worries about Holden that he feels absolutely no concern for his future and that he is not going to end up anywhere in his future. He cares about Holden because he wants Holden to be good and en up in good places in his futures.

After Holden gets kicked out of Pencey, he goes to see Mr. Spencer, because Mr. Spencer wanted to talk to him, but actually he goes to see Mr. Spencer because he thinks Mr. Spencer is not phony. When he goes to see Mr. Spencer, they talk about his future, and other things about Holden doesn't care about anything. Mr. Spencer was trying to understand why Holden wasn't caring about school and why doesn't he do things that he is suppose to do. Mr. Spencer was trying to help Holden but Holden doesn't even listen him. He was thinking about the lagoon and the ducks in Central Park, and where would the ducks go when the lake is frozen.

Mr. Spencer had a grippe, he was wearing his bathrobes, and the room smelled like Vicks Nose Drops. Instead of trying to listen Mr. Spencer, Holden was thinking that how depressing it was to see old guy's bumpy chest and their white and unhairy legs, also the smell of Vicks Nose Drops and to sit on a bed that is hard as a rock. Holden wasn't listening to Mr. Spencer because he didn't care about his future. But Mr. Spencer care for him.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Catcher in the Rye Chapters 8-9

Chapter 8

1. Why does Holden walk to the train station?

Because it was too late to call a cab or something else.


2. What does Holden say when asked whether he likes Pencey Prep?

He says it is not too bad and paradise and he says it is as good as most schools.


3. Why is Mrs. Morrow concerned about Ernest?

Because she thinks that Ernest takes things a little more seriously than he should. Also, she sometimes feels he's not a terribly good mixer.


4. Because Holden likes Mrs. Morrow, what does he tell her about Ernest?

He tells her that in class elections they were going to pick Ernest, because they think he was the perfect person for it, but Ernest didn't let them choose him. Because he was shy.


5. According to Holden, why was Ernest Morrow not elected president of the class?

He was not elected because he was very shy and he didn't let the class pick him as a president.


6. What does Mrs. Morrow suspect is the reason for Holden’s going home late on a Saturday night?

She suspected that he was called home suddenly because of the illness in the family.


7. What is Holden’s explanation for going home on Saturday?

He says he has this tiny little tumor on the brain and he was going home to have the surgery.


8. Why does Mrs. Morrow keep calling Holden by the name Rudolf?

Because Holden said his name was Rudolf Schmidt when she asked him what his name was.


9. Where does Mrs. Morrow invite Holden to visit Ernest in the summer?

She invites him to their house in Massachusetts.


10. What excuse does Holden give to Mrs. Morrow for not being able to visit Ernest in the summer?

He said he was going to South America with his grandmother.

Chapter 9

1. What does Holden do when he reaches Penn Station?

He goes to the phone booth. He was thinking to call someone but he couldn't think of anybody to call.


2. What does Holden discuss with the cab driver on the way to the Edmont Hotel?

He discusses about the ducks in the lagoon near Central Park South. He asked him where would the ducks go when the lake is all frozen.


3. What is Holden’s opinion of the Edmont Hotel?

He thinks the hotel was full of morons and screwballs.


4. How does Holden describe the bellman at the Edmont Hotel?

Holden says that he was a very old guy around sixty-five, and he was one of those bold guys that comb all their hair over from the side to cover up the baldness.


5. How does Holden feel about “necking” with girls whom he does not really care about?

He doesn't understand it and he says that he doesn't know where he is when "necking" with girls.


6. What type of rules does Holden have difficulty observing?

He made a rule that he was going to quit horsing around with the girls who is not Holden's type. But he couldn't observe it.


7. What excuse has Holden planned to use in order to get through to Jane Gallagher on the telephone
after-hours?

He was going to tell that he was Jane's uncle and that her aunt just got killed in a car accident and that he had to speak to her immediately.


8. Why does Holden not call Jane Gallagher?

Because he says he is not in the mood.


9. From whom did Holden get Faith Cavendish’s name?

He got it from a guy named Eddie Birdsell that he met at a party last summer.


10. How does Holden feel after Faith Cavendish refuses to meet him for a cocktail?

He felt like he should've at least made it for cocktails, and he really fouled that up.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

The Catcher in the Rye Chapter 2-3

Chapter 2

1. What had Mr. Spencer bought and shown the boys when they were visiting him one Sunday?

He had bought an old beat-up Navajo blanket from an Indian in Yellowstone Park.


2. What advice did Dr. Thurmer give to Holden?

He said that life was a game, and it should be played according to the rules.


3. Did Holden agree with Dr. Thurmer’s description of life as a game? Explain your answer.

Holden was thinking that life was a game when you are on the side where all the hot-shots are. But if you are on the side where there aren't any hot-shots, then it is not a game. He means that when there are hot-shots on your side, it is a game between you and them. Without hot-shots life is nothing.


4. Was Pencey Prep really the fourth school from which Holden was asked to leave? Explain your answer.

He said that it was the fourth school he was asked to leave, but at Elkton Hills School, he said that he quit. Because he was surrounded by phonies.


5. What did Holden think about Mr. Spencer’s description of his parents as “grand people”?

He was thinking that his parents were nice people. But he hated the word "grand". Because he was thinking that the word was phony.


6. Why did Holden write Mr. Spencer a note at the end of his examination paper?

He wrote a note that was saying that he didn't know anything about history. He wrote it so that Mr. Spencer wouldn't feel bad about flunking him.


7. What was Holden thinking about while he said the following: “I told him I was a real moron, and all that stuff. I told him how I would’ve done exactly the same thing if I’d been in his place, and how most people didn’t appreciate how tough it is being a teacher.”

He was thinking about where would the ducks when the lagoon in Central Park is frozen.


8. Why did Holden leave Elkton Hills School?

He left Elkton Hills School because he was surrounded by phonies.


9. What excuse did Holden give Mr. Spencer for having to end the visit?

He said that he left some of his equipment at the gym, so he had to get to take it home with him.


10. Holden told Mr. Spencer not to worry about him. What reason did he give for not worrying?

He said that he was going through a phase. Also, he said that everybody goes through phases.


Chapter 3

1. Who is Ossenburger?

He was a student who went to Pencey. He gave Pencey a pile of dough, and the dorm was named as Ossenburger.


2. What was the substance of Ossenburger’s speech?

Holden was thinking that the only good part of his speech was in the middle of it. He was talking about what a swell and hot-shot guy he was.


3. Who are Holden’s favorite authors?

His favorite authors were his brother D.B., and Ring Lardner.


4. How does Holden determine whether a book is outstanding?

He determines the book outstanding when it is funny at least once in a while.


5. What does Ackley usually do when he comes to visit Holden?

There was a shower between the two rooms, so he always comes through the shower curtains.


6. What is it about Ackley that Holden finds annoying?

He finds it annoying when his mouth is full of mashed potatoes or peas. Also he thinks that Ackley didn't have any personality and that he was a nasty guy.


7. Give an example of something which Ackley considered very funny.

He always laughed when a guy gets hit on the head with something.


8. Why does Ackley not like Stradlater?

Because he hated Stradlater's guts. Also, Stradlater said something about brushing his teeth once in a while.


9. What does Holden say in defense of Stradlater?

He said that he was a good guy and generous. Also he said that he didn't say the thing about brushing his teeth to insult him.


10. What did Stradlater want to borrow from Holden?

He wanted to borrow hound's-tooth jacket from Holden.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

The Catcher in the Rye

1. Who is Holden Caulfield?

He is the narrator and the main character of the book. Also, he is a freshman in high school.


2. Who is D.B., and why is Holden somewhat contemptuous of him?

He is Holden's brother. Holden is contemptuous of him because he is out in Hollywood, and Holden hated the movies so much.


3. What is the reality of Pencey Prep in contrast to the advertisements, as seen by Holden?

Holden thinks that the school always advertise on something that does not have anything to do with the school. On the advertisements it says, "Since 1888, we have been molding boys into splendid." But they don't do any more moldings and there isn't anyone that is splendid.


4. Why does Holden watch the game from the hill?

Because when Holden and the fencing team were going to meeting, Holden left all the equipments and foils at the subway. So nobody was talking to him. And the other reason was that Holden was on his way to say good-by to his history teacher, Mr. Spencer.


5. Who is Selma Thurmer, and why did Holden like her?

She was the headmaster's daughter. Holden was thinking that she was a pretty nice girl. Holden liked her because she didn't tell a lot about what a great man her father was.


6. Who is Mr. Spencer, and why was Holden going to visit him?

He is Holden's history teacher. Holden was going to visit him because they kicked him out of the school, so he wasn't coming back after Christmas vacation. So, before he leaves, Mr. Spencer told him that he wanted to see him. That's why he was going to visit him.


7. Why was Holden trying to “feel” some kind of good-bye?

He wanted people to say him good-bye when he was leaving, so that he can know there were people who cares about him. Because when nobody says you anything when you are leaving them, you feel bad about nobody caring about you. He wanted to know he was leaving.


8. What does Holden think about the other students who attend Pencey?

There were some guys that came from very wealthy families. But he thinks Pencey was full of crooks. Also, he thinks that when a school is more expensive, the more crooks it has.


9. How popular was the sport of polo at Pencey Prep?

In the advertisements, they always showed that a guy on a horse jumping over a fence. But it wasn't really like that, because Holden says that he never saw a horse around the place. So ,there wasn't any polo at Pencey Prep.


10. Does Holden blame others for his flunking out of school?

No, he doesn't blame others for flunking out.