Show two ways in which the incident with Maurice and the prostitute demonstrate
the theme of man’s inhumanity to man (an aspect of the world of experience).
One incident (which involves the prostitute) is when Holden didn’t want to
have sex with her but instead wanted to chat, she responded by saying, “What
the heck ya wanna talk about?” This just shows that talking isn’t what she
is used to doing, even if she is getting paid for it. She is probably used to
the lascivious male who is only looking to satisfy his needs. Another incident
is when Maurice and Sunny enter Holden’s room asking for more money. You can
tell that they aren’t used to manners and doing things in a civilized way. She
comes in and sits on the window sill, Maurice sits down in the big chair.
“They acted like they owned the damn place”. CHAPTER 15 1. What is the
significance of presenting the episode of nuns at this point in the novel? I
think the purpose was to show a more positive, religious and faithful Holden
Caulfield. The fact that he gives them money and wishes that he could’ve given
them more just shows that he is a nice person, who does have morals (even though
he did ask for a prostitute). It’s sort of like a break of light in the novel,
he still acts “fake” to them, but he realizes that he shouldn’t have and
he ends up regretting this. CHAPTER 16 1. Why does Holden like the Museum of
Natural History? Give at least three reasons. Holden likes the Museum of Natural
History because: 1) It brings back memories of when Phoebe and him were in the
same school and they used to go together. - He adores his sister Phoebe. 2) A
lot of his childhood was spent in this museum, he loves the memories of watching
the movie in the big auditorium and the way it used to smell, small stuff that
is really significant to him. 3) He also loved the fact that nothing moved and
that it always stayed the same. I think that this is important to him because he
wished the same could be done for him. He wishes that he can be a kid forever
and that he could always stay the same. I don’t think that he is ready to face
the world. CHAPTER 17 1. Why does Holden get angry with Sally Hayes? Holden gets
angry with Sally Hayes because she does not want to go away to Massachusetts and
Vermont with him. She thinks that they are just children. Holden hates that
Sally won’t just take risks and live life on the edge. Sally is realistic and
thinks about what will happen in the future and the hardships that they will
have to go through. CHAPTER 18 & 19 1. Luce is a typical member of the
society failing Holden. In what ways does Luce fail Holden? Luce is focused,
intelligent and sophisticated. He doesn’t like joking around, he knows that he
has to grow up and he has done just that. I think that Holden hates this because
he wants to stay a kid and to see people like Luce doing things for themselves,
being serious and doing things with themselves makes him upset. Holden knows
that he should look up to Luce and do something with his life but somehow he
still wants to be a kid inside, he is probably afraid of facing the future and
what he knows is the real world. CHAPTER 20 1. Explain the significance of
Holden’s drunken state. What does the reader learn about Holden? I think that
the significance of Holden’s drunken state is to show that he really is
immature and he really does long to remain a kid. Getting drunk is somewhat of a
childish activity. Real “mature” people can usually handle the alcohol and
they know when to not past their limit. I think Holden enjoys this drunken state
because it is somewhat of an excuse for him. He can act like he has a bullet in
his guts because he is drunk and when you are drunk you are sort of “in
another world”. The reader learns that Holden is really immature, he doesn’t
want to grow up and he is trying as hard as he can to stop this process. This is
why he makes fun of people who are sophisticated and have done things with
themselves (he knows that he can’t get there himself). CHAPTER 21 1. Explain
the significance of Phoebe’s choice of middle name- “Weatherfield” The
significance of this is that she changes just like the weather. One day she
wants one thing and the next day she wants something else. “Every time I see
her she’s got a new middle name for herself.” CHAPTER 22 1. What happened to
James Castle? How does Holden feel about this? James Castle was a boy who jumped
out of the window and killed himself at Elkton Hills. Some guys wouldn’t leave
him alone because he wouldn’t take back something that he said about this
really conceited boy at the same school. I think that even though Holden
didn’t know him too well he still feels for him. It probably reminds him of
his deceased brother Allie. 2. What does Holden want to be? Holden wants to be
the catcher in the rye. Holden wants to catch all the children if they go over
the cliff. “If they are running and they don’t look where they’re going I
have to come out from somewhere and catch them.” CHAPTER 23 & 24 1. What
advice does Mr. Antolini give Holden? Explain in your own words. Mr. Antolini
tells Holden that you have to try in order to succeed. I think what Mr. Antolini
wrote on the paper sums up the message he is trying to get across to Holden,
“The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while
the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one.” This to
me basically means that if you are immature, child-like and give up on
everything you will end up dying and not end up going anywhere in life. On the
other hand if you get your mind on the right track and you actually try then you
will have the power to live and seek life to its fullest. I think that because
Holden is not “there” morally and spiritually he does not see the way of the
“mature man”. 2. Why does Holden leave Mr. Antolini’s house? Did he
overreact or was he justified in his suspicions? I think that Holden was
justified in his suspicions. I know that if I were in the same position and
somebody starting patting my head in the dark while I was trying to sleep, I
wouldn’t even bother with a phony explanation. I would simply get up and
leave. It’s obviously unusual behaviour and it shouldn’t happen. Imagine if
Holden didn’t wake up and something else happened. The way I see it is, it’s
better to be safe than sorry. CHAPTERS 25 & 26 1. Explain the significance
of the graffiti in the museum and Holden’s reaction to it. I think that the
museum signifies a place of innocence and peace for Holden. It’s a child-like
place where kids learn about and discover the world around them. I think seeing
the words “*censored* you” had a great impact on Holden because these words
are a sign of corruption, in some way they make the child grow up faster than
they have to and Holden doesn’t like that. He’d rather kids stay kids for as
long as they have to. That is what Holden is trying to do but it obviously
doesn’t work that way. 2. How does Phoebe save Holden? List at least three
ways she saves him. Phoebe saves Holden by: 1) I think by seeing the way that
Phoebe wanted to come with Holden, he realized that what he is doing is
ridiculous. If Phoebe looks ridiculous in this situation then it’s obvious
that Holden does too. 2) I think that by Phoebe refusing to stop crying and walk
with him made him realize that he too is being stubborn and that things can’t
always work out the way people want them too. 3) I think with Phoebe going
through the whole process of being mad at Holden and then talking to him once
again, made Holden realize that he might have been mad at the world, but seeing
Phoebe in this state of innocence made him realize that all things come to an
end and that he can’t stay mad at the world forever. I think that the world
can be seen as an innocent child. If you corrupt it then you end up living a
nightmare. You must live with all the problems and consequences of this
corruption.