Geschke/English IV The Catcher in the Rye The Catcher in the Rye Pages 46-66

Geschke/English IV The Catcher in the Rye Loneliness and Depression “I felt so lonesome, all of a sudden. I almost wished I was dead.” (48) “Boy, did I feel rotten. I felt so damn lonesome.” (48) “It was even depressing out in the street. You couldn’t even hear any cars any more. I got feeling so lonesome and rotten, I even felt like waking Ackley up.” (50)

Geschke/English IV The Catcher in the Rye Loneliness and Depression “Everybody was asleep or out or home for the week end, and it was very, very quiet and depressing in the corridor.” (49) “It made me too sad and lonesome.” (49)

Geschke/English IV The Catcher in the Rye Loneliness and Depression “Almost every time somebody gives me a present, it ends up making me sad.” (52) Self esteem issues? Not worthy of a gift?

Geschke/English IV The Catcher in the Rye Loneliness and Depression “I was sort of crying.” (52) How can you be sort of crying?

Geschke/English IV The Catcher in the Rye Loneliness and Depression Predictions Suicide? “Every time I thought about it (Jane and Stradlater’s date), I felt like jumping out the window.” (48)

Geschke/English IV The Catcher in the Rye Holden’s Mother “My mother gets very hysterical. She’s not too bad after she gets something thoroughly digested, though.” (49)

Geschke/English IV The Catcher in the Rye Holden’s Mother Ice Skates Pages Why does Holden have this reaction? Feels guilty? Disappoints his mother?

Geschke/English IV The Catcher in the Rye Holden’s Mother “Mothers are all slightly insane.” (55) “You take somebody’s mother, all they want to hear about is what a hot-shot their son is.” (56) “Mother’s aren’t too sharp about that stuff.” (57) –Stuff—knowing who their sons really are

Geschke/English IV The Catcher in the Rye Holden’s Nerves “Besides, I sort of needed a little vacation. My nerves were shot. They really were.” (51) What does Holden mean? Worn out? Frazzled? Exhausted?

Geschke/English IV The Catcher in the Rye Holden’s Hat “My ears were nice and warm, though. That hat I bought had earlaps in it, and I put them on—I didn’t give a damn how I looked.” (53) Holden’s hat keeps him warm Gives him security

Geschke/English IV The Catcher in the Rye The Phone Booth Holden spends twenty minutes in the phone booth trying to make a decision. Ends up not calling anyone.

Geschke/English IV The Catcher in the Rye The Cab Driver Holden asks the cab driver if he knows what happens to the ducks in the winter. “He turned around and looked at me like I was a madman. ‘What’re ya tryna do, bud?’ he said. ‘Kid me?’” (60)

Geschke/English IV The Catcher in the Rye What Does the Reaction Say About the Question? Not many people think about the ducks? It is an odd question? Holden is playing a joke? It is not a normal thought? What is important to Holden is not important to other people?

Geschke/English IV The Catcher in the Rye The Hotel Odd activities going in the rooms. Holden considers the other people to be perverts “I was probably the only normal bastard in the whole place—and that isn’t saying much.” (63) What does this say about Holden’s opinion of himself?