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How are Holden and Phoebe alike or different?
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Holden and his sister Phoebe are very much alike and yet very different. Phoebe is almost an exact copy of Holden at most times. She is rebellious, lies, and doesn't listen to her parents. All of these are traits that Holden has, but there is one very significant difference. In the novel she grows up the entire novel, Holden only grows at the end when he is watching the carousel. She is much more mature than Holden and knows much more about society than Holden does. This is the reason why Holden trusts her so much and always asks for her advice. CR
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What is the significance of the carousel and saying, "All the kids kept trying to grab for the gold ring, and so was old Phoebe . . . but I didn't say anything . . . if they want to grab the gold ring, you have to let them do it . . . If they fall off, th
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He realizes that all kids will eventually become adults and he has to let them and himself fall and become adults. JE
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James Castle
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Boy who jumps from a window while wearing Holden's sweater to escape bullies; Castle represents Holden's ultimate hero, a person who sticks up for the truth to the point of death. This leads him to stand up to Maurice.
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Robert Burns
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This national poet of Scotland was the original author of the song "The Catcher in the Rye". CR
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Faith Cavendish
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She is the prostitute a friend tells Holden about. Holden calls her up one night for cocktails, but she can't that night. His interaction with her shows that Holden is at this point desperate for company. EM
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Yellow
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Holden calls himself this because he is too afraid to fight anyone. Really, he's this kind of person because he has trouble moving on. He wants to change who he is, yet he doesn't. CR
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Sally Hayes
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She is the girl Holden wanted to marry and leave town with. His interaction with her shows that he's trying to connect to anyone. EM
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DB
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Holden's older brother. Although Holden does not like his older brother near as much as he liked Allie or likes phoebe, he still loves him. He does not play a very large part in the story. He is a person that the author uses to show how Holden is detached from society through his criticism of society. CR
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Allie
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Holden's younger brother that died of cancer. He died a few years before the story, but Holden still does not want to let go. That is the reason why Holden carries around an old baseball glove and wears an ugly red hunting hat. Holden loved Allie and was his favorite person in the world. When Allie died that was the thing that made Holden starts to crumble. CR
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What does Holden's interactions with Sunny tell us about him?
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The tells us that Holden is still scared and is not man enough to have sex with a girl yet. This also could show some signs that he still likes Jane and doesn't feel right having sex with this prostitute he doesn't know at all. EM
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Wicker Bar
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This is where Holden meets Carl Luce, one of his old friends, and they talk. This is when people start to actually tell Holden that he might have problems. CR
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Holden Caulfield
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is the main character and he undergoes many changes in the story. He loves his sister very much and misses his other brother Allie even more. His interactions with Allie's hat shows that he is always thinking about him and loves him more than anything in the world. EM
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The museum
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A museum in central park in New York City; Holden likes it because it never changes, he fears the transition from childhood to adulthood and the lose of innocence. JE
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After leaving the Wicker Bar, Holden is afraid to cross the street, why?
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Holden needs to cross over from childhood to adulthood and he's afraid of this. He doesn't want to take up the responsibility and fears himself changing. He can't connect w/ other people and is also drunk. JE
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What's the significance of song "catcher in the rye"?
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The song tells about Holden's wish to be the 'catcher' of children so they never have to become responsible. He wants to save them from falling off the cliff and losing their innocence. JE
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Stradlater
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This is Holden's roommate as his school. He is going out with the girl Holden likes, Jane. His interactions show that Holden cares for Jane very much and doesn't want to see her get hurt. EM
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Mr. Spencer
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Holden's History teacher at Pencey Prep. Holden's interaction with him shows that Holden is unwilling to face his problems and runs away whenever he is confronted with the truth. EM
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Sunny
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She was the prostitute sent by Maurice. Holden pays 5 bucks to get her in his room, but it turns out he just needs someone to talk to and help him out. EM
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Why does Holden never call Jane/ Why does he like the museum?
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Holden never calls Jane throughout the entire story. Holden mentions Jane in almost every chapter, and Holden thinks about her all the time, yet she is never seen. Holden does not ever call her because he is afraid of change. Holden is afraid that Jane has changed in some way and that she wont like him in some way, or that he might not like the new her. This is the first sing in the book that the reader receives showing that Holden is very afraid of change. CR
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Selma Thurmer
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Daughter of the principal of Pencey Prep; Holden doesn't like phonies and he thinks of her as honest even about her own dad. JE
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Mrs. Morrow
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She is the women Holden meets in a train. Holden does not like her child, so he starts telling her all these lies about her child that are far beyond true such as her son was very popular. His interaction with her shows that even though Holden hates phonies, he can sometimes be one too. EM
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Phoebe Caulfield
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She is Holden's sister, his protector. She cares about Holden a lot. Her interaction with Holden shows she cares about him. She questions him about himself and what he really likes and in a way she imitates him. EM
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What does Holden mean when referring to Stradlater as a secret slob and give an example?
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Holden says this because, Stradlater does his things slobby that no one can see. An example of this would be when Holden is talking about how Stradlater is shaving, but with an old bent up razor that's rusty and not clean at all. This shows that Stradlater takes care of himself in a clean manner, but the way he does it makes him a slob. EM
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The two nuns
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He meets them at a diner for breakfast. Holden talks to them and thinks of them as innocent children and is shocked when they talk about Romeo and Juliet, he also gives them a donation as a kind of pay for their companionship. JE
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Whooten
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This is a school Holden is kicked out of and this is where Luce goes to. JE
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Maurice
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He is the guy in the elevator that Holden meets and he offers Holden a prostitute for 5 bucks. After Holden rejected Sunny, he comes in and demands for 5 extra bucks. He beats Holden. Holden doesn't give in, and this shows that he is willing to stick up for the truth. EM
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The Red Hat
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Holden bought it while on his fencing trip. This is a symbol of his brother, Allie, and him not wanting to let go and not being over Allie's death. CR
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Lavender Room
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A club-type room on the first floor of the Edmont; here Holden meets Marty, Laverne, and Bernice, it shows his internal conflict where he thinks differently from his actions. He thinks they're stupid yet he drinks and dances with them.
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Ernie's
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Holden's escape from himself, whenever he finds himself with time to contemplate. JE
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Elkton Hills
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This is the school where James Castle dies while wearing Holden's sweater and where he begins to think of fighting for his beliefs. He also comes away with the thought that Mr. Antolini is a 'protector'. JE
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Why is the red hunting hat has so important to him?
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It is important to Holden for many reasons. Holden first get this hat when he visits New York and keeps it throughout the entire book. The most obvious symbolism of the hat is of his brother Allie. His brother has red hair and whenever he wears the hat it shows that he is thinking about Allie. CR
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Why does Holden hate going to the movies with Ackley?
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He doesn't because while their watching the movie, Ackley and his friends laugh like hyenas even when it's not funny. It gets on Holden's nerves and he thinks about how phony the movie stars are. EM
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Central Park
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This is the only place Holden is able to question himself. CR
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Grand Central
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This is where Holden goes after he visits Mr. Antolini's house. This is a resting place and more like a break between Mr. Antolini's and the next scene with Phoebe. This is one of Holden's places for escaping from reality. CR
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Rain
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The rain at the end of the story represents how he's changed and different. JE
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Ackley
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He was a roommate in Holden's school. Holden's interaction with him shows us that Holden has severe internal conflict. EM
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Luce
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This is one of Holden's old friends from Whooton. We discover that he actually cares about Holden when he recommends that he see his father a psychiatrist. We are discovering that other people can tell by his behavior that something is wrong. CR
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Mr. Antolini
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An English teacher; Holden views him as a protector because Antolini is the only person to try to help James Castle. JE
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Jane Gallagher
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She sets the standard of what a true person must be like. Holden meet her a couple of summers back and has not talked to her much since. Although you hear a lot about her you never see her in the novel. Holden does not want to talk to her because Holden is afraid she's changed. She is a symbol that Holden is afraid of change. CR
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