RE: The Catcher in the Rye Chapter 22 Questions
- What is the significance of Holden’s wanting to be the “catcher in the rye”? What things has he done, or tried to do, during the course of the novel to try to be the “catcher in the eye”?
- How is the name Holden Caulfield an echo of the title, The Catcher in the Rye?
- How does Phoebe think their father will react to Holden’s expulsion?
- What does Phoebe challenge Holden to do?
- Where does Holden think he might be, despite his father’s wishes?
How does Phoebe think their father will react to Holden’s expulsion?
When Phoebe first learns of Holden’s expulsion, she covers her head with a pillow and refuses to look at him. As the main character tells us: ‘She was ostracizing the hell out of me. Just like the fencing team at Pencey…’ After Holden goes to the living room to nab some cigarettes, Phoebe takes her head out of the pillow but still refuses to look at him. Trying to change the subject, Holden asks Phoebe about the stories she writes, but she’s not ready to drop his academic record. Anticipating how their parents will respond to her brother’s expulsion, she says: ‘Daddy’ll kill you.’
