How does Catcher in the Rye end?

Holden concludes his story by refusing to discuss what happened after his day in the park with Phoebe, although he does say that he went home, got sick, and was sent to the rest home from which he now tells his story.

What does Holden realize at the end?

In a brief final chapter, Holden concludes the story, telling us that he doesn't know what he thinks about everything that has happened, except that he misses the people he has told us about. Holden's anxiety as he crosses streets on Fifth Avenue is reminiscent of the feelings that he had on his way to Mr.

What does the ending mean in The Catcher in the Rye?

One possible reading would take Holden at his word. This would entail believing that his happiness at the end of Chapter 25 is genuine and that this happiness predicts an eventual, full recovery. Such a reading sees Holden shedding his cynicism about the world and developing warmer feelings about other people.

Does Holden end up in a mental hospital?

Holden is not specific about his location while he's telling the story, but he makes it clear that he is undergoing treatment in a mental hospital or sanatorium. The events he narrates take place in the few days between the end of the fall school term and Christmas, when Holden is sixteen years old.

What mental illness does Holden have?

Holden displays many common traits of a person with PTSD following this loss. He has substantial amounts of guilt and depression and struggles to remember the details of events in his life. Holden's emotions seem to be highly unbalanced. His rage is extreme and his joy is more manic.

Video SparkNotes: J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye summary

What was the point of Catcher in the Rye?

The Catcher in the Rye takes the loss of innocence as its primary concern. Holden wants to be the “catcher in the rye”—someone who saves children from falling off a cliff, which can be understood as a metaphor for entering adulthood.

Does Holden blame himself for Allie's death?

Holden's relationship with Allie enables him to see "the beauty of a child's innocence," but he feels a great deal of guilt and "blames himself for not being able to 'catch' Allie[,] even though there was nothing he could do to save him from cancer." There is an appropriate, rather than rich, use of language about ...

Does Holden go to Allie's funeral?

Holden reflects on Allie's funeral, which he could not attend because he was in the hospital with his broken hand (and possibly for emotional evaluation). His memory of Allie's grave at the cemetery depresses him.

Did Holden lose his virginity?

Holden is a virgin, but he is very interested in sex, and, in fact, he spends much of the novel trying to lose his virginity. He feels strongly that sex should happen between people who care deeply about and respect one another, and he is upset by the realization that sex can be casual.

Who is the serial killer in The Catcher in the Rye?

Robert John Bardo, Rebecca Schaeffer's killer, was found with The Catcher in the Rye when he killed her. He was a long time stalker of Schaeffer, obsessing over her for a few years. When he saw her in bed with another man in one of her films, he was furious and thought that was a good enough reason to kill her.

Why was Catcher in the Rye so controversial?

The Catcher in the Rye has been challenged several times for its “excessive vulgar language, sexual scenes, and things concerning moral issues” (Sova).

What did Holden do when Allie died?

The night Allie died, Holden slept in the garage and broke his hand while punching out the garage windows. Throughout the novel, Holden is protective of children and innocence. Surely, this is related to his feelings for Allie, whom he could not defend from death.

What do the last two lines of Catcher in the Rye mean?

The last line of the book says, "Don't ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody." From what I remember, this means that Holden made up all of those stories.

Does Holden understand death?

Part of this may have to do with Holden not fully understanding how to deal with death – the death of his brother and his own mortality. Instead of facing the very real nature of death, he makes it supernatural and calls it "disappearing" instead of "dying."

Who tries to molest Holden?

In Chapter 24 Holden wakes up to Mr. Antolini touching his head, and he thinks his former teacher is trying to molest him. Although the reader has no definite way to tell whether Holden reads the situation correctly, it seems likely that Mr. Antolini is not making a pass at him.

Did Holden kiss Jane?

One day, Jane's alcoholic stepfather came out to the porch where Holden and Jane were playing checkers and asked Jane for cigarettes; Jane refused to answer him, and, when he left, she began to cry. Holden held her, kissing her face and comforting her.

Who does Holden Caulfield fall in love with?

Jane Gallagher is one of two possible love interests of the protagonist, Holden Caulfield, in the J.D. Salinger novel, ''The Catcher in the Rye''. In this lesson, we will learn more about Jane.

How old is Holden when Allie dies?

Allie died of leukemia at the Caulfields' summer home in Maine on July 18, 1946. He was 11 years old; Holden was 13. Holden, distraught over the loss of his brother, broke his hand punching the windows out of the garage of their summer home.

What is Holden's lowest point in Catcher in the Rye?

He ponders his own death and decides to finally go home so he will not get pneumonia and die. The ordeal is a low point for Holden as he finally runs out of money and has nowhere to go but home, the one place he was trying to avoid when he went to New York City.

Why does Holden call Sally when he's drunk?

Accordingly, he calls Sally instead, knowing that his relationship with her has already been ruined, meaning there's nothing he can do to make things worse. Returning to the bar after his phone conversation with Sally, Holden goes to the bathroom, fills the sink with cold water, and dunks his head into it.

What dirty trick did Mr Spencer pull on Holden?

The “dirty trick” that Mr. Spencer pulled on Holden was that he was reading holden's essay that he wrote for his test out loud to him, and the note that he wrote saying that Holden wouldn't mind if Mr. Spencer failed him.

What do we learn Holden did after the death of his brother Allie?

Eleven years is how old Allie was when he died of leukemia. Holden, thirteen at the time of his death, takes the loss of his brother harshly. He loved his brother dearly; after finding out about Allie's death he becomes destructive and breaks the windows out of the garage of his parents' summer home by punching them.

What does the duck symbolize in Catcher in the Rye?

Although Salinger did not directly state it, he intended for Holden's curiosity about ducks to symbolize his desire to protect the childhood innocence that they represent. In addition, the ducks symbolize the uncertainty of the future.

Why do psychopaths like Catcher in the Rye?

So what is it about the book the appeals so strongly to those of psychotic tendencies? There's a real sense of isolation surrounding the protagonist, Holden Caulfield. Told solely from his perspective, the relatively uneventful novel explores his, often very emotional, opinions of other people.

Why is it called Catcher in the Rye?

The book's title stems from a scene in Chapter 16 when Holden observes a young boy who, ignored by his parents, walks in the street while singing “If a body catch a body coming through the rye.” Holden interprets this scene as a perfect expression of the innocence of youth.