The Catcher in the RyeOral Presentation

By Tony Luo, Terrence Carling, Sarah Nguyen and Sarah Dun

THE CATCHER IN THE RYEINTRODUCTION

What challenges does Holden face regarding

his reality?

The People around him Loss of his brother Allie

His parents’ misunderstanding of Holden

D.B. in Hollywood

“…I was surrounded by phonies. They were coming in the goddam window.”

Sally and Jane

Innocent Children

People in bars like the 3 women

Adults

Family

Loss of his brother Allie

His parents’ misunderstanding of Holden

Social Caste

D.B in Hollywood

Phoebe

Growing Up & Adulthood

Central Park

Half-Frozen Lake

The Ducks

The Catcher in the Rye

Transition from child to man

Death and Mortality

Loss of Allie from Leukemia

Holden is confused and depressed

James Castle’s Death at Elkton Hills

Desires the thought of death – Innocence

The Mummies

Suicidal Thoughts

Phony’s everywhere!

Everyone generally

Celebrities

Himself

Friends

Women

Adults

Anyone who isn’t just a small

“innocent” child

Actors

Loneliness and Alienation

The Ducks

Wandering in the streets of New York City

Uses people he doesn’t like for company

Tries to use a prostitute for company instead of giving her ‘the time’

He tries to alienate himself

Does Holden construct different realities?

“The Catcher in the Rye”

What happened?

“I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody’s around – nobody big, I mean – except me. And I’m standing on the edge of some crazy cliff – I mean if they’re running and they don’t look where they’re going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them… I know it’s crazy, but that’s the only thing I ‘d really like to be…” (Ch.22 pg.156)

What realities did he construct and what does it mean?

The Incident with Holden Caulfield and Maurice

What happened?

“…I'm crazy. I swear to God I am. About halfway to the bathroom, I sort of started pretending I had a bullet in my guts. Old 'Maurice had plugged me. Now I was on the way to the bathroom to get a good shot of bourbon or something to steady my nerves and help me really go into action. I pictured myself coming out of the goddam bathroom, dressed and all, with my automatic in my pocket, and staggering around a little bit. Then I'd walk downstairs, instead of using the elevator. I'd hold onto the banister and all, with this blood trickling out of the side of my mouth a little at a time. What I'd do, I'd walk down a few floors--holding onto my guts, blood leaking all over the place-- and then I'd ring the elevator bell. As soon as old Maurice opened the doors, he'd see me with the automatic in my hand and he'd start screaming at me, in this very high-pitched, yellow-belly voice, to leave him alone. But I'd plug him anyway. Six shots right through his fat hairy belly. Then I'd throw my automatic down the elevator shaft--after I'd wiped off all the finger prints and all. Then I'd crawl back to my room and call up Jane and have her come over and bandage up my guts. I pictured her holding a cigarette for me to smoke while I was bleeding and all. ”

(Ch.14 pg.94) What realities did he construct

and what does it mean?

Holden Pretends His Deaf-Mute

What happened?

“I thought what I’d do was, I’d pretend I was one of those deaf-mutes. That way I wouldn’t have to have any goddam stupid useless conversations with anybody… Everybody’d think I was just a poor deaf-mute and they’d leave me alone…I’d meet this beautiful girl that was also a deaf-mute and we’d get married… I got excited as hell thinking about it. I really did…”

(Ch.25 pg.178-179)

What realities did he construct and what does it mean?

Holden Caulfield and Sally Hayes

What happened?

“Here’s my idea. I know this guy down in Greenwich Village that we can borrow his cab for a couple of weeks. He used to go to the same school I did and he still owes me ten bucks… We’d stay in these cabin camps and stuff like that… I could get a job somewhere and we could live somewhere with a brook and all and, later on, we could get married or something… Honest to god, we could have a terrific time!”

(Ch.17 pg.118-119) What realities did he construct and what

does it mean?

Holden at the Wicker Bar What happened?

“…I started that stupid business with the bullet in my guts again. I was the only guy at the bar with a bullet in their guts. I kept putting my hand under my jacket, on my stomach and all, to keep the blood from dripping all over the place. I didn't want anybody to know I was even wounded. I was concealing the fact that I was a wounded sonuvabitch.”

(Ch.20 pg.135)

What realities did he construct and what does it mean?

The F**k You Signs on the Wall

What Happened?

“I figured it was some perverty bum that'd sneaked in the school late at night to take a leak or something and then wrote it on the wall. I kept picturing myself catching him at it, and how I'd smash his head on the stone steps till he was good and goddam dead and bloody.” (Ch.25, pg.181)

What realities did he construct and what does it mean?

Summary Holden faces a lot of challenges:

1. Family

2. Phony’s Everywhere

3. Growing Up and Adulthood

4. Death

5. Loneliness

6. People around him

He does indeed construct different realities:

1. Himself being the ‘Catcher in the Rye’

2. Incident with Maurice

3. Pretending to be Deaf-Mute

4. Holden and Sally Hayes

5. Holden at the Wicker Bar

6. The F**K You Signs on the Wall

The End