Title+author Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, title gives key aspect of story
Escapist/Formulaic or Escapist fiction
Imaginative fiction?
Plot Holden is being expelled from school. He is going to say goodbye to his teacher Mr
Spencer but when Mr Spencer lectures him about being expelled he becomes
annoyed. In his dorm he is also annoyed by Stadlater (his roommate) because he is
going out with Holden’s former girlfriend Jane. When Stadlater returns Holden
questions him about sex with her and attacks him. He goes away to a hotel in New
York instead of his parents because it's not Christmas break yet. He calls a woman
to have sex with him but hangs up and goes down to the bar to flirt with women. He
thinks about Jean and leaves to a jazz club. He orders a prostitute for his room
(Sunny) but only wants to talk instead of having sex. Her pimp later comes to
collect more money and punches Holden. He goes to the park and the Museum of
Natural History to look for his younger sister Phoebe. He can’t find her and meets
his former girlfriend Sally at a play. He asks her to run away with him, but she
refuses. He goes to the park to look at the ducks and then goes to his childhood
home to wake up Phoebe and tells her that he wants to be “the catcher in the rye”
but Phoebe explains to him that he misunderstood the poem. Holden goes to Mr
Antolinis apartment and sleeps on his couch but thinks Mr Antolini wants to have
sex with him so he ends up sleeping at a bench. He meets Phoebe in the park the
next day and takes her to a carousel and loves to see her ride the carousel. He
ends his narration here because he does not want to talk about getting home and
getting sick but says he plans to go to a new school in the fall and is somewhat
optimistic about his future.
Setting (time & place) - Post world-war 2 era (Late 1940’s/early 1950’s)
- Pencey Prep (boarding school, Holden doesn’t like it there because
Escapist/Formulaic or Escapist fiction
Imaginative fiction?
Plot Holden is being expelled from school. He is going to say goodbye to his teacher Mr
Spencer but when Mr Spencer lectures him about being expelled he becomes
annoyed. In his dorm he is also annoyed by Stadlater (his roommate) because he is
going out with Holden’s former girlfriend Jane. When Stadlater returns Holden
questions him about sex with her and attacks him. He goes away to a hotel in New
York instead of his parents because it's not Christmas break yet. He calls a woman
to have sex with him but hangs up and goes down to the bar to flirt with women. He
thinks about Jean and leaves to a jazz club. He orders a prostitute for his room
(Sunny) but only wants to talk instead of having sex. Her pimp later comes to
collect more money and punches Holden. He goes to the park and the Museum of
Natural History to look for his younger sister Phoebe. He can’t find her and meets
his former girlfriend Sally at a play. He asks her to run away with him, but she
refuses. He goes to the park to look at the ducks and then goes to his childhood
home to wake up Phoebe and tells her that he wants to be “the catcher in the rye”
but Phoebe explains to him that he misunderstood the poem. Holden goes to Mr
Antolinis apartment and sleeps on his couch but thinks Mr Antolini wants to have
sex with him so he ends up sleeping at a bench. He meets Phoebe in the park the
next day and takes her to a carousel and loves to see her ride the carousel. He
ends his narration here because he does not want to talk about getting home and
getting sick but says he plans to go to a new school in the fall and is somewhat
optimistic about his future.
Setting (time & place) - Post world-war 2 era (Late 1940’s/early 1950’s)
- Pencey Prep (boarding school, Holden doesn’t like it there because
