Solomon, Olivia Period 5 1.06.09 The Catcher in the Rye: Winter Break Assignment Theme #1: Phoniness in our society Theme Statement: Throughout the book the main character Holden Caulfield expresses his dislike and pet-peeve of all the phony people which dominate our society. Supporting Quotes: 1. “Grand. “Grand. There’s There’s a word I really really hate. It’s a phony. phony. I could could puke every time I hear it” (9). This quote relates to the theme since Holden is able to see the fakeness fakene ss behind the word ‘grand’ in general. He understands that when the word word is used it had no real meaning and the speaker is being phony and trying to impress. 2. “He “He [Os [Osse senbu nburg rger er]] sai said d he talked to Jesus all the time. time. Even when he was driving his car. That killed me. I can just see that big phony bastard shifting shifting into first first gear and asking Jesus to send him a few more stiffs” (17). This quote describes how people will be false enough to make up stories for attention. Ossenburger formulates stories which fascinate those gullible gullible enough to overlook his truly phony words. Holden is able to see through through him and despise his invented personality. 3. “I didn’t didn’t want to to hang around around in in that stupid stupid atmosphere atmosphere any more. more. I stopped stopped on the way, though, and picked up Ackley’s hand, and gave him a big, phony handshake” (50). This quote shows Holden being phony himself. himself. He wants to be appreciative appreciative so he stoops low enough to give Ackley a grateful handshake when his desire would be to walk straight straight out of the room. Phoniness can come at any moment moment from anybody. 4. “That killed killed me. Then he [George] [George] and and Sally Sally started started talking talking about a lot of people people they both knew. It was the phoniest conversation conversation you ever heard in your life. life. They both kept thinking of places as fast as they could, then they’d think of somebody that lives there there and mention their name. I was all set to puke when it was time to go sit down again” (127-128). This quote shows how two people can be phony to each other face to face. George and Sally barely know each other and they fake a conversation with no real basis. It is all heartless and phony. 5. “After “After a while, while, he’d be sittin sitting g back there there and he’d start start interrup interrupting ting what what old Spencer was saying to crack crack a lot of corny jokes. jokes. Old Spencer’d practically kill kill himself chuckling and smiling and all, like as if Thurmer was a g-ddam prince or something” (168). This quote shows how someone is willing to be phony to impress someone more prestigious than themselves. themselves. Old Spencer fakes laughs to to humble his boss and make a good impression in order to keep his job. It is all a phony mask.
Theme #2: Lack of Communication Theme Statement: Throughout the novel, Holden finds difficulty with successfully communicating with others; whether it be the inability to portray his desired attitude or speak on a mature topic. Supporting Quotes: 1. “ ‘Don’t shout, please,’ old Sally said. Which was very funny, because I wasn’t even shouting” (130). This quote shows Holden’s inability to communicate correctly. Holden begins to shout at Sally and he doesn’t realize it. This proves his lack of communication skills and his incapability to keep calm in a conversation. 2. “ I started toying with the idea, while I kept standing there, of giving old Jane a buzz--I mean calling her long distance at B.M., where she went, instead of calling up her mother to find out when she was coming home. You weren't supposed to call students up late at night, but I had it all figured out. I was going to tell whoever answered the phone that I was her uncle. I was going to say her aunt had just got killed in a car accident and I had to speak to her immediately. It would've worked, too. The only reason I didn't do it was because I wasn't in the mood. If you're not in the mood, you can't do that stuff right” (63). This quote also shows Holden’s immaturity with communication. He expresses that he must be in the mood to speak with people sometimes. Maturity would enable him to hold a conversation at any time under pressured circumstances. 3. ““No, sir, I haven’t communicated with them, because I’ll probably see them Wednesday night when I get home” (9). This quote is one of the first examples showing Holden has problems with communication. Holden is not ready to speak to his parents about being kicked out of Pency. He is going to wait until he is forced into the communication. He won’t make the decision to say something on his own. 4. “ ‘How’s your sex life?’ I asked him. He hated you to ask him stuff like that. ‘Relax,’ he said. ‘Just sit back and relax, for Chrisake.’ ” (144). This quote shows how Holden's lack of communication with others affects him when he does choose to communicate. Holden opens a conversation with an overly personal question and causes quick offense. He doesn’t understand how to hold a simple small talk conversation with a friend. 5. “Then I thought of calling up this guy that went to the Whooton School when I was there, Carl Luce, but I didn't like him much. So I ended up not calling anybody. I came out of the booth, after about twenty minutes or so, and got my bags and walked over to that tunnel where the cabs are and got a cab” (59). This quote shows Holden’s inability to communicate in that he could not find a single person to call on a regular night. He was able to find up with an excuse for almost everyone he could think of calling and a reason not to speak to communicate with them.
Theme #3: Dealing with change Theme Statement: Holden cannot deal with change in his life because he is afraid of how change will affect him so he does not give new things a chance and when he is forced to deal with change, he reacts negatively to the situation. Supporting Quotes: 1. “When I was all set to go, when I had my bags and all, I stood for a while next to the stairs and took a last look down that g-ddam corridor. I was sort of crying. I don’t know why. . . .and then I yelled at the top of my g-ddam voice, ‘Sleep tight, ya morons!’” (52). This quote shows Holden’s difficulty with change. He is crying since he is being forced to leave the school which he has grown accustomed to over time and is not ready for the differences that are to co me. 2. “ ‘Promise me you’ll let your hair grow. Crew cuts are getting corny. And your hair’s so lovely.’ Lovely my ass” (125). This quote shows Holden’s hostility to a change as simple as his hair being grown. It has always been one way and he wants it to stay as is. He is addicted to the uniformity of his current haircut and wants no discussion of a possible change. 3. “The best thing, though, in that museum was that everything always stayed right where it was. Nobody’d move... Nobody’d be different. The only thing that would be different would be you” (121). This quote shows Holden’s love for consistency. The museum is a place of comfort for Holden since he can expect the same thing every time he enters. There is no change to deal with. 4. “Ask her if she still keeps all her kings in the back row” (34). This quote shows Holden's obsession with things staying the same. The one thing Holden cares most about when it comes to Jane is if she still has the same style when playing checkers. He doesn’t want this habit of hers to change since he wants everything about her to be the same. 5. “I’m always saying “Glad to’ve met you” to somebody I’m not at all glad I met. If you want to stay alive, you have to say that stuff, though” (67). This quote shows Holden’s stubbornness towards new things, such as meeting new people. This causes a change in his life and therefore makes it unwanted. He isn’t glad to meet new people and for this reason finds it dull to say so. If Holden welcomed change he would be more prompt to accept new people into his life with open arms.
