The Catcher in the Rye
Introduction + Context
Plot Summary
Detailed Summary & Analysis
Chapter 1 Chapter 2  Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25 Chapter 26
Themes
All Themes Phoniness Alienation and Meltdown Women and Sex Childhood and Growing Up Madness, Depression, Suicide
Quotes
Characters
All Characters Holden Caulfield Phoebe Caulfield Mr. Antolini Jane Gallagher Ward Stradlater Robert Ackley Sally Hayes Allie Caulfield D.B. Caulfield Mr. Spencer James Castle Faith Cavendish Carl Luce Maurice Sunny Horwitz Bernice Krebs Ernest’s Mother (Mrs. Morrow) Ernie
Symbols
All Symbols The Catcher in the Rye Holden’s Red Hunting Hat The Ducks in the Lagoon in Central Park The Museum of Natural History
Literary Devices
All Literary Devices Allusions Dialect Dramatic Irony Ethos Flashbacks Frame Story Genre Hyperbole Idioms Imagery Irony Metaphors Mood Motifs Paradox Pathos Setting Situational Irony Style Tone Unreliable Narrator
Download PDF
Download Teacher Edition
The LitCharts.com logo.
Sign In Sign up for A+
The LitCharts.com logo.
AI Tools
  • Ask LitCharts AI
  • Discussion Question Generator
  • Essay Prompt Generator
  • Quiz Question Generator
Guides Guides
  • Literature Guides
  • Poetry Guides
  • Shakespeare Translations
  • Literary Terms
Sign In Sign up for A+ Sign up

The Catcher in the Rye

by

J. D. Salinger

Upgrade to A+
Introduction Intro
Plot Summary Plot
Summary & Analysis
  • Chapter 1
  • Chapter 2 
  • Chapter 3
  • Chapter 4
  • Chapter 5
  • Chapter 6
  • Chapter 7
  • Chapter 8
  • Chapter 9
  • Chapter 10
  • Chapter 11
  • Chapter 12
  • Chapter 13
  • Chapter 14
  • Chapter 15
  • Chapter 16
  • Chapter 17
  • Chapter 18
  • Chapter 19
  • Chapter 20
  • Chapter 21
  • Chapter 22
  • Chapter 23
  • Chapter 24
  • Chapter 25
  • Chapter 26
Themes
  • All Themes
  • Phoniness Theme Icon
    Phoniness
  • Alienation and Meltdown Theme Icon
    Alienation and Meltdown
  • Women and Sex Theme Icon
    Women and Sex
  • Childhood and Growing Up Theme Icon
    Childhood and Growing Up
  • Madness, Depression, Suicide Theme Icon
    Madness, Depression, Suicide
Quotes
Characters
  • All Characters
  • Holden Caulfield
  • Phoebe Caulfield
  • Mr. Antolini
  • Jane Gallagher
  • Ward Stradlater
  • Robert Ackley
  • Sally Hayes
  • Allie Caulfield
  • D.B. Caulfield
  • Mr. Spencer
  • James Castle
  • Faith Cavendish
  • Carl Luce
  • Maurice
  • Sunny
  • Horwitz
  • Bernice Krebs
  • Ernest’s Mother (Mrs. Morrow)
  • Ernie
Symbols
  • All Symbols
  • The Catcher in the Rye Symbol Icon
    The Catcher in the Rye
  • Holden’s Red Hunting Hat Symbol Icon
    Holden’s Red Hunting Hat
  • The Ducks in the Lagoon in Central Park Symbol Icon
    The Ducks in the Lagoon in Central Park
  • The Museum of Natural History Symbol Icon
    The Museum of Natural History
Lit Devices
  • All Literary Devices
  • Allusions
  • Dialect
  • Dramatic Irony
  • Ethos
  • Flashbacks
  • Frame Story
  • Genre
  • Hyperbole
  • Idioms
  • Imagery
  • Irony
  • Metaphors
  • Mood
  • Motifs
  • Paradox
  • Pathos
  • Setting
  • Situational Irony
  • Style
  • Tone
  • Unreliable Narrator
Theme Wheel Theme Viz
Download this Chart (PDF)
Download the Teacher Edition
Download this Chart (PDF)
Previous
The Museum of Natural History

The Catcher in the Rye Literary Devices

Next
Allusions
Previous
The Museum of Natural History
Previous
The Museum of Natural History
Next
Allusions
Next
Allusions

Company
About Us Our Story Jobs
Support
Help Center Contact Us
Connect
Facebook Twitter
Legal
Terms of Service Privacy Policy Privacy Request
Home About Contact Help
Copyright © 2025 All Rights Reserved
Terms Privacy Privacy Request
The LitCharts.com logo.
Save time. Stress less.
Sign up!
  • AI Tools for on-demand study help and teaching prep.
  • Quote explanations, with page numbers, for over 47,307 quotes.
  • PDF downloads of all 2,129 LitCharts guides.
  • Expert analysis to take your reading to the next level.
  • Advanced search to help you find exactly what you're looking for.
  • Quizzes, saving guides, requests, plus so much more.
  • Expert analysis to take your reading to the next level.
  • Advanced search to help you find exactly what you're looking for.
  • Quizzes, saving guides, requests, plus so much more.
The LitCharts.com logo.
Requesting a new guide requires a free LitCharts account
You'll also get updates on new titles we publish and the ability to save highlights and notes.

or

Already have an account? Sign in
Complete your free account to request a guide
Already have an account? Sign in
The LitCharts.com logo.
Get your answer with a free account
You’ll also get tons of other helpful features, including free quizzes and saving guides.

or

Already have an account? Sign in
Last step: complete your free account
Already have an account? Sign in
The LitCharts.com logo.
Creating notes and highlights requires a free LitCharts account.
You'll be able to access your notes and highlights, make requests, and get updates on new titles.

or

Already have an account? Sign in
Complete your free account to access notes and highlights
Already have an account? Sign in
The LitCharts.com logo.
Saving guides requires a free LitCharts account
Easily access your saved guides anytime.

or

Already have an account? Sign in
Complete your free account to save guides
Already have an account? Sign in