Character+Analysis

__**Pictures from-http://www.enotes.com/catcher-in-the-rye/pictures**__ __**Holden**__- Holden is a very perceptive person, he can tell whats going on around him or when someone is upset over something. Though Holden shows a great deal of intelligence he does not have the intrest necessary to maintain passing grades in school, he once admitted to his history teacher he had only glanced through part of his history book once. Holden dislikes anyone who is either disingenous, or as he calls it a "phony". Holden also has a very critical eye, whenever he talks to someone he is always taking in details about them, and these details shape his opinion of them. For example when talking to two nuns who own cheap suitcases Holden explains that he can come to hate a person just for owning a cheap suitcase. Holden is also Depressed and mentions his younger brother throughout the book and talks about him in detail. Holden also admires his younger sister, and speaks to children as if they were adults. Holden is sixteen years old, he recently grew 6 1/2 inches and has a few gray hairs on his head that He belives make him look older than his age, though throughout the book people refuse to serve him drinks because of his age.

__**Pheobe**__- Holden's younger sister, and something of a genius according to Holden. She makes up fake middle names frequently because she doesn't like her actual middle name. She is a bit of a movie buff, greatly enjoys movies and even memorizes some of the lines in some of the movies that she ahas seen many times. She does not want Holden to get into trouble. Pheobe likes to ice skate, and holds agreat deal of admiration towards her older brother Holden, so much to the point when Holden tells her his plan to run away she asks to go with him. Pheobe has red hair, is a bit thin, and sometimes wears her hair in braids.

__**Stradlater**__- Is an athlete that rooms with Holden at Pencey. According to Holden Stradlater is very focused on his looks, as well was being a bit of a "secret slob" because though he takes care of his body he is always leaving stuff around the room. He is a bit conceited about how he looks since he walks around without a shirt a lot to admire himself. Stradlater is very focused on sex and pushes for his dates to go along with it. He is about the same height of Holden but twice the size of Holden with very broad shoulders.

http://www.shmoop.com/catcher-in-the-rye/allie-caulfield.html
 * __Allie__**- Allie was a very unique individual. He was Holden's younger brother and died at the age of eleven from leukemia when Holden was only thirteen, and the night he died Holden went on a rampage and started breaking windows in the garage and had to be hospitalized. According to Holden, Allie was left-handed and really stood out from the crowd. He loved to write poems and wrote them on his baseball glove in green ink. Holden always looked at Allie as if he was a saint and will glorify him forever.

http://www.shmoop.com/catcher-in-the-rye/sunny.html
 * __Sunny__**- Sunny is a prostitute and is supposed to be the first girl Holden has sex with, but he ends up not going through with it. He originally thought that he didn't need to have sex, but he'd like to get practice so he'd be prepared when he was married. Then when it came down to it he ended up realizing that he saw Sunny as person, not a prostitute, and it would be very difficult to treat her like a whore. Sunny soon gets frustrated and makes him pay the initial amount of money he had to pay her originally to get her over there, and then she left.


 * __Holden's Mother-__** Holden's mom is rarely mentioned in this book due to not being a big part in Holden's life. When Holden mentions her he often says she's very emotional and phony. The absence of Holden's mom in Holden's life could have a huge factor on why he is the type of character he is, feeling he needs to be more independent.

__**Ackley**__- Ackley is Holden's next-door neighbor in his dorm at Pencey Prep. He's described as a pimply, insecure, and annoying boy with terrible dental hygiene and rude behavior. He often barges into Holden's room and acts completely oblivious to Holden's hints that he should leave. Ackley says he hates just about everyone, but he honestly dislikes Stradlater, and will leave whenever he shows up. Holden believes that Ackley makes up elaborate lies about his sexual experiences. Holden finds Ackley disgusting but appears to feel sorry for him at the same time.

__**Mr Antolini-**__

Mr. Antolini is the adult who comes closest to reaching Holden. He manages to avoid alienating Holden, and being labeled a “phony,” because he doesn’t behave conventionally. He doesn’t speak to Holden in the persona of a teacher or an authority figure, as Mr. Spencer does. He doesn’t object to Holden’s calling him in the middle of the night or to Holden’s being drunk or smoking. Moreover, by opening his door to Holden on the spur of the moment, he shows no reservations about exposing his private self, with his messy apartment, his older wife with her hair in curlers, and his own heavy drinking.

Mr. Antolini’s advice to Holden about why he should apply himself to his studies is also unconventional. He recognizes that Holden is different from other students, and he validates Holden’s suffering and confusion by suggesting that one day they may be worth writing about. He represents education not as a path of conformity but as a means for Holden to develop his unique voice and to find the ideas that are most appropriate to him.

When Mr. Antolini touches Holden’s forehead as he sleeps, he may overstep a boundary in his display of concern and affection. However, there is little evidence to suggest that he is making a sexual overture, as Holden thinks, and much evidence that Holden misinterprets his action. Holden indicates in Chapter 19 that he is extremely nervous around possible homosexuals and that he worries about suddenly becoming one. We also know that he has been thinking about sex constantly since leaving Pencey. Finally, this is not the only scene in which Holden recoils from a physical approach. He is made very uncomfortable when Sunny pulls off her dress and sits in his lap. Even when his beloved sister puts her arms around him, he remarks that she may be a little too affectionate sometimes.

Holden regrets his hasty judgment of Mr. Antolini, but this mistake is very important to him, because he finally starts to question his own practice of making snap judgments about people. Holden realizes that even if Mr. Antolini is gay, he can’t simply be dismissed as a “flit,” since he has also been kind and generous. Holden begins to acknowledge that Mr. Antolini is complex and that he has feelings.

__**Maurice-**__ Maurice is Edmont's elevator operator/pimp. He send up "a girl", Sunny, up to Holden's room for "a good time". After agreeing upon a price, five dollars, Maurice decides he wants more. Holden, after refusing to pay him anymore has a fist-fight with him but he doesn't stand a chance.

**Old Spencer **- Old Spencer is one of Holden’s teachers at Pencey. He taught Holden history and before Holden was going to leave for New York he decided to go see Old Spencer. Old Spencer is an older man and is grumpy at times. He wants Holden to better his life and keep on track. He embarrasses Holden by reading his essay and he does this because he thinks that Holden is smarter than he really thinks. Spencer is in his pajama’s when Holden goes to visit him because he had just gotten over a cold. **D. B. Caulfield ** - Holden’s older brother. D. B. wrote a volume of short stories that Holden admires very much, but Holden feels that D. B. prostitutes his talents by writing for Hollywood movies. D.B doesn’t really come around much because he is so busy with his career, but Holden never forgets the great memories they had together as kids.

**Mrs. Caulfield- ** Holden’s mother seems to be like a very dry person. From what Holden tells us her & his father are caught up with work & haven’t been the same since his little brother’s death. Holden doesn’t go into his childhood much because he said that his parents would be horrified if anything was said about them that made them look bad. http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/catcher/characters.html

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