Literature Analysis Reading Notes

·         Narrator-Holden Caulfield

·         “bored by all that David Coperfield crap.

·         Failed all subjects except for English

·         He seems smart but just refused to apply himself

·         His teacher tells him that he flunked Holden, and tries to give him advice to think about his future but Holden interrupts him and leaves.

·         Holden appears to lack social skills.

·         He reads a book while bright red hunting cap.

·         Describes an annoying student who lives next to him.

·         This is more evidence of Holden not social connecting with his peers.

·         His roommate Stradlater, is attractive and sexually experienced.

·         He tells Holden that he is taking out a girl named Jane who Holden has feelings for.

·         Holden tries to convince him not to go out with her but when they leave, Holden sits in his room tormented at the thought of them together.

·         Holden wants to say hello to her when she comes to meet Stradlater but decides not to once she is there.

·         When Stradlater returns, Holden questions him and they end up getting in a fight.

·         This chapter seems to support the idea that Holden has problems connecting with his peers.

·         Holden describes the death of his brother Allie.

·         The night he died, Holden punched out all the windows in his garage.

·         Maybe this could be the reason Holden is socially odd, and struggles to participate in society.

·         Holden decides to go back to New York and doesn’t tell his family about it.

·         This is something that most people wouldn’t do.

·         Why wouldn’t he want to let his family know he was coming home?

·         When he arrives in New York he goes to a phone booth and considers calling some people who once meant a lot to him but then decides not to and walks away.

·         Another odd act by Holden.

·         I don’t understand why he would back out of this. What does he have to lose?

·         Holden calls a woman he has never met.

·         He got her number from a friend and he knows that she used to be a stripper and he hopes to have sex with her.

·         The two are talking on the phone and before they set up a meeting, Holden hangs up.

·         This is yet another odd social act he commits. He appears to not know what he wants.

·         Holden flirts with three women and feels as though he is “half in love with one of them”.

·         This scene made me think of Holden a little differently.

·         He surprisingly is acting smooth and like he is not a social outcast.

·         Holden recalls him and Jane’s first meeting while on vacation one summer in Maine.

·         The elevator guy sends a prostitute to Holden’s room for him

·         Holden agrees at first then when she is naked, ready to have sex, he lies and says that he recently had spinal injury.

·         And then the guy who gave him the prostitute comes in the room and beats him up.

·         Holden again acts very odd and predictably awkward.

·         Holden tells his sister that he is leaving home for good.

·         She is very sad and asks to go with him and he angrily refuses.

·         He takes her to the zoo and watches her and seeing how happy she is makes Holden happy as well.