The Catcher in the Rye: Chapters 6-11

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

In the first Related Lesson, found in the right-hand sidebar, you met the narrator and the protagonist — the main character — of the novel during his final Saturday at Pencey Prep.

In your notes, write down a brief description of Caulfield.

• How would you describe his actions and his personality?

Write a paragraph on your impression of Caulfield.

Although readers are often divided over wheher they like or hate Caulfield as a character, many critics see Caulfield as a representative of the emerging teenage culture post-World War II, and the restlessness that lay below the surface of the seeming conformity of the post-war era. To learn more about Caulfield's character, read the following article and answer the questions below on paper:

• Why is Holden Caulfield frequently compared to Huck Finn?
• What commentary did Caulfield provide on the "culture of consensus" of the 1950s?
• How does Caulfield approach his impending adulthood?

Read The Catcher in the Rye: The Voice of Alienation, by Timothy Aubry, from The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History AP US History Study Guide then answer the questions. After you finish answering the questions, discuss your responses with someone.

• How do you feel about transitioning out of childhood into adulthood?

When you finish discussing your responses, read Chapters Six through Eleven in The Catcher in the Rye. You will need to obtain a print copy of the novel, which you can find at your local bookstore or public library. As you read, take notes on the new people Caulfield meets in these chapters and what his assessment is of their personality.

When you've finished reading, move on to the Got It? section to explore the issues raised in these chapters in more depth.