Catcher in the Rye

Catcher in the Rye

The Catcher in the Rye starts off with the main character, Holden

Caulfield, being expelled from school once again. Holden is a sixteen year old

boy who has been expelled on numerous occasions from other schools. This time

he is being expelled from Pency Prep. Before Holden goes home to his parents,

he plans to spend a few days in New York. His parents do not know of the

expulsion, so he spends the weekend in a hotel. Holden is a pretty strange kid

who can always find a way to get himself into trouble. Holden constantly talks

about how he hates phony people and phony words. He complains of how the head

master Thurman of Pency Prep is a phony person. Holden says he is the kind of

guy who will treat you bad, but will act polite and nice to your parents when

they visit. Holden basically decides that almost everyone he meets in his life

is a phony. He even gets disgusted with the advertisement for Pency Prep. The

picture of the horse jumping over a fence is a false image in his opinion. He

says that he has never even seen a horse on the campus. Holden is also very

curious. Of all things, he wonders where the ducks go when the pond freezes

over in the park. He loves his red hunting cap that he bought for a dollar.

The cap serves as his way to be an individual. Stradtler is his roommate and

they are fairly good friends. Stradtler is two years older than him so he is

always going out on dates and has to listen to Holden question him. One time

Stradtler goes out with one of Holden’s long time friends, Jane Gallagher,

and he has to listen to an earful from Holden. Ackley is Holden’s

neighbor and they are all right friends. Ackley is the kind of guy though who

can get on anybody’s nerves in a heart beat. Ackley and Stradtler despise

of each other and rarely talk. Ackley is very nosy and Holden does not

understand why he puts up with Ackley’s nonsense. Holden has a dead

brother Allie, an older brother D.B., who is a writer, and a younger sister

Phoebe. He does not talk much with D.B. While in New York, Holden tries to get in

touch with many of his