The Catcher in the Rye Chapters 1 & 2

Group 1 What bothers Holden so much about D.B. working in Hollywood as a screenwriter?

Group 2 Describe Holden’s first use of the word “phony” on page 3. Who is it in reference to? What do you think this indicates about Holden’s feelings about Pencey?

Group 3 Explain this quotation from page 4: “What I was really hanging around for, I was trying to feel some kind of goodbye. I mean I’ve left schools and places I didn’t even know I was leaving them. I hate that. I don’t care if it’s a sad good-by or a bad good-by, but when I leave a place I like to know I’m leaving it.”

Group 4 Analyze the quotation below from the bottom of page 8 – what does it tell us about Holden? “Game, my ass. Some game. If you get on the side where all the hot-shots are, then it’s a game, all right – I’ll admit that.”