Week 9 Read The Catcher in the Rye

Aim: What can you infer about Holden’s character through his note to Mr. Spencer?

Do Now: Journal #23 When you feel the whole world is against you or there is something wrong about everything surrounding you, how do you express your anger, frustration and disappointment? What expressions do you use ( no curse words please)? For example, Holden used the word "phony" to describe everything to show her disillusion.

Procedure:

1.Review questions from Chapter 1

  1. What does Holden mean when he says that his brother D.B. is out in Hollywood
    "being a prostitute"?
  2. Where is Holden as the story begins?
  3. What is Pencey Prep, and why does Holden dislike it?
  4. How did Holden let the fencing team down?
  5. Why was Holden being kicked out of Pencey Prep?
  6. What kind of health does Holden appear to be in?

2. HW # 25 (PART 1)Copy and answer the questions:

Chapter 2 Read The Catcher in the Rye

  1. Who is Mr. Spencer and why does Holden visit him?
  2. What does Spencer do that particularly annoyed Holden?
  3. What can you infer about Holden’s character through his note to Mr. Spencer?
  4. What does Holden give us as the reason for “leaving” Elkton Hills?
  5. What is he wondering about in terms of the ducks?
3.(PART 2) Critical Thinking
  1. Holden is critical of many things and often uses the word “phony” to express his criticism.  What would you say he is critical of?  (Incorporate at least 4 examples/quotes from in your response.)
  2. Why do you think Holden is concerned about the ducks during the winter ? (Hint: perhaps he feels an affinity with their situation?)

(PART 3)Write meaningful sentences with these words.  (You can use the back if you run out of room):

  1. qualms:
  2. hemorrhage:
  3. unscrupulous:
  4. innumerable:
  5. falsetto:

(PART 4) Answer these questions.  Complete sentences are optional.

  1. Describe how you feel when you have grippe
  2. Who might use a foil?  Why?
  3. Give me an example of an exhibitionist and say why they are an exhibitionist.
  4. What might you do at a rostrum?
  5. List 3 things in your life that are compulsory.
  6. Give me an example of a pacifist and tell me why they are a pacifist.
  7. Give me a detailed example of a sadist and tell me why they are a sadist.
  8. Why might there be gore in a movie?
  9. Give me two examples of crude behavior.

11/04

Aim: What does Ackley do that annoys Holden?

Do Now: Journal #24 When you disagree with the authority or dislike certain rules or rituals in the society, what do you do besides getting rebellious?

Procedures: Copy and answer the questions:

HW#26

Copy and answer the questions:

Ch. 3

  1. What does Holden mean when he says, “I’m quite illiterate, but I read a lot?”  Give examples of what he reads.
  2. Who is Ackley?  Describe him.
  3. What does Ackley do that annoys Holden?

11/05/09

Aim: Is it possible to grow up without becoming phony?

Do Now:

Journal #25

Procedure:

Literary Definitions

symbol—something that is itself but also stands for something else
motif—an image, metaphor, or symbol that appears over and over again in a work
hyperbole—conscious exaggeration

Vocabulary Words


unanimous (adj.) all in agreement

snub (v.) to slight; behave coldly toward

conscientious (adj.) careful; honest; painstaking

nonchalant (adj.) seeming to be coolly unconcerned or indifferent

incognito (adj.) unknown

bourgeois (adj.) middle-class

putrid (adj.) rotten and disgusting

lavish (adj.) extravagant

Copy and answer/respond to the follwoing Questions:

  1. Is it inevitable (unavoidable) that we conform to the world and society around us?
  2. How should a person adjust to a world they did not create?
  3. Is it possible to grow up without becoming phony?
  4. What does it mean to be a kind, decent person?
  5. What does it mean to be a pushover and what does it mean to be kind?
  6. Is it possible to protect everything that matters to you?
  7. Is life a game?

HW #27Respond to the the 7 questions above.

11/06

Aim: Why did Holden's parents want to have him psychoanalyzed?

Do Now: Journal #26

Dealing with Others - Holden has a very hard time dealing with people that are not known to him. He feels that most people are phonies and finds it hard to open himself up to others. He is very insecure as well as being very immature. Describe your ways of dealing with people including your family members, friends , teachers or people you don't know.

Procedure:

Copy and answer the following questions:

Chapter 5
1. Who is Allie, and why is his baseball mitt so special to Holden?
2. Why did Holden's parents want to have him psychoanalyzed? 

Chapter 6
1. What does Stradlater criticize Holden for?
2. Why is Holden so concerned about what happened with Jane Gallagher and Stradlater? What does this possibly reveal about Holden?
3. What do Holden and Stradlater fight over?
4. What does Holden put on after the fight? Have we seen him put this on before

HW#28

Part 1. Copy and answer the 6 questions above.

Part 2: Make a sentence using each of the following words.

Chapters 1-5: autobiography, dough, ostracize, grippe, posture, ironical, innumerable, moron, phony, sheer, parlor, rostrum, chiffonier, falsetto, conceited, aggravate, hound's-tooth, muffler, monotonous, psychoanalyze, halitosis

 

 

 

Chapter 7
1. Holden decides to go visit Ackley.  How is he received by Ackley?
2. What is he thinking about while lying in bed? (49)
3. Why doesn’t Holden want to stay at Pencey any more? (50-51)
4. Where does Holden then decide to go? (51)
5. What is his final good-bye to Pencey Prep?
6. Why do you think Holden was crying as he left?


Themes:

Loss of Innocence

Rebellion From Society-

Mental Instability

Key Issues

Nervous Breakdown - The book begins as Holden is recovering from his nervous breakdown. He tries to save all children from growing up and losing their innocence, and when he realized that he can not, he goes insane and can't deal with it.

Death - Death is a major issue in this novel because of the death of his brother Allie. It is the death of his brother which fuels his desire to save children from growing up and becoming corrupt. Holden uses his brother as a model for innocence.

Dealing with Others - Holden has a very hard time dealing with people that are not known to him. He feels that most people are phonies and finds it hard to open himself up to others. He is very insecure as well as being very immature.

Immaturity in sexual relationships - Holden's immaturity is shown when he invites the prostitute, Sunny, up to his hotel room for sex. When she arrives he cannot go through with it. Holden also rarely had a girlfriend for an extended period of time because of his fear of commitment.

Resentment towards parents - Holden disliked his parents because they sent him away to a private school. He thinks that they feel he is useless and give up on him and send him away. He also wouldn't face his parents until the very end of the novel.

Holden's Hypocrisy - Holden calls other's phonies but in actuality, Holden is the biggest phony in the novel. He despises those who value material things but he himself prides his possessions.

Morals, Lessons, and Applications

  1. Everyone has to grow up. It is an inevitable fact. Holden cannot grasp this concept and therefore has a nervous breakdown.
  2. We must deal with the ways of our society in order not to seclude ourselves from it.
  3. The ways of society are set and no single man can alter them.