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Catcher Name Symbolism

Catcher Name Symbolism. Holden Caulfield. “Holden Back” As the novel opens, Holden stands poised on a hill separating himself from the rest of the school who are at a football game. He is both isolated from and above the level of his peers, watching the big game from a distance.

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Catcher Name Symbolism

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  1. Catcher Name Symbolism

  2. HoldenCaulfield • “Holden Back” • As the novel opens, Holden stands poised on a hill separating himself from the rest of the school who are at a football game. • He is both isolated from and above the level of his peers, watching the big game from a distance. • His position is a metaphor for his views on life.

  3. “Holden” back • The phoniness of life disgusts him, and he longs to live in a world free of the tainted hypocrisy he is seeing more and more as he grows older. • He sees the game as a collection of the “phonies” he detests and purposely separates himself from them. • He is “holden” back, not allowing himself to become a part of the ugliness he sees in virtually everyone.

  4. Holden Caulfield • Caulfield, his last name, relates to the theme of childhood innocence. • A “caul” is one of the membranes that is around the fetus in the uterus. Less than one out of about every 1,000 babies is born with this membrane still around the head. • The caul protects young children, just as Holden longs to do (chapter 22).

  5. Holden Caulfield • The second part of his last name represents the field of rye.

  6. Other Characters Directions: Identify these characters from Catcher in the Rye and try to identify the symbolic meaning behind their names. -Ackley -Carl Luce -Faith Cavendish -Sally Hayes -Phoebe Name of character: -Where does Holden meet this person. -What does he think of him/her? -How might the name be symbolic?

  7. Ackley • Ackley, Holden’s across the hall Pencey neighbor, is described as “he always had a lot of pimples. Not just on his forehead or his chin, like most guys, but all over his whole face.” • Holden’s blunt description disgusts the reader and provides a clear, graphic account of Ackley. • The name Ackley sounds like acne, one of Ackley’s most prominent features. • It also sounds similar to a reaction of disgust. (“eech” or ach” sound). • Ackley’s unpleasant features may evoke this kind of reaction.

  8. Carl Luce • Holden admires Carl Luce because of his intelligence, saying he had the highest IQ out of all of the students at Whooton School. • He says he does not like him too much, but he was very intellectual, citing his IQ as the only thing that made him worth talking to. • Carl’s last name “Luce” means “light” in Spanish. Knowledge is the light of life, and ignorance is the darkness.

  9. FaithCavendish • Holden smokes a great deal of cigarettes at the Edmont and then decides to call Faith Cavendish. • His incessant smoking symbolizes his want to appear older. • Faith’s last name, Cavendish, is a process used to cut and cure tobacco. • It is not by chance that the very thing Holden does excessively to conceal his age around women is smoke tobacco, which is Faith’s last name.

  10. SallyHayes (“haze”) • Sally Hayes is a shallow socialite Holden used to date before he attended Pencey. • He says he used to think she was intelligent because she knew a lot about theater and literature, but after time goes by, he realizes she is lacking in intelligence. He says, “My big trouble is, I always sort of think whoever I’m necking is a pretty intelligent person. It hasn’t got a goddamn thing to do with it, but I keep thinking it anyway.” • Even after recognizing her stupidity, he is struck dumb by her looks. “The funny part is, I felt like marrying her the minute I saw her. I’m crazy. I didn’t even like her much, and yet all of a sudden I felt like I was in love with her and wanted to marry her. I swear to god I’m crazy. I admit it.” • Her last name, Hayes, shows the phony haze even Holden himself becomes lost in due to her looks.

  11. Phoebe Caulfield • Phoebe is one of the few people who brings true happiness to Holden. • The word “phoebe” means “bright” when traced back to its Greek roots. • In Greek mythology, Phoebe was a Titaness who became identified with Artemis as the goddess of the moon. She is described as “radiant, bright, and prophetic.” • Phoebe is the light countering against Holden’s overwhelming dark depression. She shines as the light in Holden’s life, bringing him joy when nothing else can.

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