RE: The Catcher in the Rye help with homework Chapter 1

  1. What do we learn about Holden’s relationship with his parents in this chapter?
  2. How has Holden’s brother D.B. lost his respect? Why does Holden object to his brother’s current writing? What does Holden mean when he says D.B. is in Hollywood “being a prostitute?”
  3. What is Holden’s self-image in Chapter 1? Find two supporting quotations. What incidents in this chapter tell us that Holden is a loner?
  4. Give an example of Holden making a broad generalization (a generalization unsupported by specific evidence).
  5. In talking about good-bys, Holden says, “I don’t care if it’s a sad good-by or a bad good-by, but when I leave a place I like to know I’m leaving it. If you don’t, you feel even worse.” What does this quotation show about Holden’s character?
Add Comment
5 Answers

What do we learn about Holden’s relationship with his parents in this chapter?

We learn that Holden’s parents provided him with a lousy childhood, because they were too occupied. Salinger, Pg. 3 (“….and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all…”). There is not a strong relationship between Holden and his parents. Ultimately there must have been some driving forces in sending Holden away to for high school and since Holden spends the majority of his year away from home the conflict hasn’t been resolved. Holden’s father has standards for Holden, such as passing all of his classes, and Holden likes to rebel against these standards .The only role that his parents seem to play in his life, is bringing fear upon him. Holden’s mother constantly smokes during the middle of the night which shows that she may be experiencing great troubles, which can presumably be featured around Holden, but the details are never mentioned. A healthy upbringing results in a healthy adult, Holden was raised in a way that resulted in an unhealthy relationship with his parents by not being able to trust them or talk to his parents about any problems. Holden’s relationship with his parents may have been the very thing that caused his need for physiological help.

Answered on 21.06.2017.
Add Comment

Your Answer

By posting your answer, you agree to the privacy policy and terms of service.