Notes for The Catcher in the Rye

Literary Devices Characters

Themes

Coming-of-age storyFrom: 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

bildungsroman, a German term for a type of novel that includes coming of age.

Point of ViewFrom: 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?

DictionFrom: 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?

HyperboleAn 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)

SymbolFrom: 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 ParkAllie’s catcher’s mittHolden’s red hunting hatOther symbols…?

ConflictFrom: 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. AdulthoodIn 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

CharactersKeep a list of characters as you read about them.How does Holden feel aboutHis family…

ParentsAllieD.B.Phoebe

What do we know about them?Where does he fit in?

CharactersStradlaterAckleyJane GallagherMrs. Morrow/Ernest MorrowSally HayesFaith Cavendish Carl Luce

A research paper reviewHow might a critic analyze this novel?

• 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)