Andy’s page

The Catcher in the Rye comes out in theaters near you August 16, 2013!

The movie poster on the left shows Holden with his hunter’s hat departing from a train in New York after he gets expelled from Pencey Preparatory School and leaves Pennsylvania. By leaving his old life behind, Holden hopes to reinvent his life from rock bottom while taking his family along his journey.

The word search above hides key terms of the book in its puzzle. All of the key terms are significant to the main character, Holden. Some of the words are characters in the book while other are objects or events that take a toll in Holden’s life.

Haiku

There is no one here
Who understands me like you
Where’d you go, brother?

Who understands me like you

Where’d you go, brother?

The haiku talks about Holden’s struggle after losing his brother, Allie. He’s alone throughout the book with nobody to relate to or talk to. I feel like if his brother was still around, Holden would not struggle as much in life. He would have a person to talk to about all his problems. It is obvious in the book that Holden shares a close relationship with his sister, Phoebe, and I find that his siblings play a very important part in the way he copes with all of his stress and problems.

Tombstone

In loving memory of Allie Caulfield, beloved brother and son. Allie Caulfield was the little brother of the main character, Holden. On the night of Allie’s death, Holden threw a large tantrum and smashed all the windows to their garage and as a result had to be hospitalized. The two boys were young when the tragedy struck their family. Because of this, it traumatizes Holden. In any moment of distress, he will turn to Allie when times are worst. In the novel, a baseball mitt is a symbol of Holden’s brother. Across the entire story, the symbol will appear, indicating that Allie Caulfield is a significant figure in Holden’s life. His impact on the story is immense, as I feel like he gives such a strong handicap to Holden by scarring him for life.

Character Sketch

The sketch on the left represents Holden at his school, Pencey Prep. The red hunter’s hat is a significant figure in the story as it’s a token of his confidence. It represents his self-image. He admits that it’s a corny hat, but he likes the way it looks on him. Often times he takes it off when he goes out in public because he’s afraid of what others will view him as. However in one instance, he put it on and said, “I didn’t give a damn how I looked.” It was a momentum that he kept throughout the entire book and it’s definitely something important to the story.