The Catcher in the Rye: Mo's Pod by Maureen Nagle https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf Close Reading with Quotations en-us 2021-03-26 13:30:08 UTC 2025-09-25 19:10:00 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.net/icons/png/1f4a1.png "Then all of a sudden,I got into this big mess." (page 101) mnagle10 https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf/wish/1357156815
Holden thinks this when he is back at his hotel, feeling lousy and depressed. He is just about to get propositioned for a prostitute. 

I find this quote interesting because it makes me wonder, does this mess really happen "all of a sudden"? It seems like Holden has been on downward spiral for most of this book. Allie's death, getting kicked out of four schools, feeling lonely and depressed, all of this had led him to this point where he makes a really bad decision. ]]> 2021-03-26 13:38:06 UTC https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf/wish/1357156815 Georgia Shuster https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf/wish/1372204336 "The goddam movies. They can ruin you. I'm not kidding"(136). 

Holden says this after imagining his ideal situation with Maurice, as if he is writing a movie. 

Holden got so into his own head and imagination, he was almost depressed when he found himself drift out of his thoughts. Imagining something, especially as a movie, gives false hope, which is something Holden needs less of, not more. The idea of false hope has worked against Holden before, and this is another example of his imagination getting the best of him. ]]> 2021-03-31 15:27:37 UTC https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf/wish/1372204336 Sophia https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf/wish/1372204810  “‘You’re a dirty moron’ I said.” (page 115)

Holden is yelling at Maurice because he’s clearly trying to take advantage of him by asking him for 10 dollars instead of 5. Holden is getting really mad. 

This quote is interesting because it shows that Holden can be blind to the outcome of negative situations. Yes, Maurice is a bad guy who is taking advantage of him, but Holden could've easily avoided this conflict by just giving him the 5 dollars. Holden doesn’t think before the words come out of his mouth. ]]> 2021-03-31 15:27:44 UTC https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf/wish/1372204810 Noam https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf/wish/1372205147 “Then he smacked me. I didn’t even try to get out of the way or duck or anything”(135).

When Maurice was demanding for 10 bucks instead of 5 bucks at his hotel. Maurice came to beat him up and Holden didn’t fight back.

This is interesting because this shows that Holden thinks he is the big tough guy but he is really a coward. Just like with Stradlater, he makes the other person fight him but he doesn’t defend himself. This shows that he thinks he can fight someone, but he always just chickens out of it.]]> 2021-03-31 15:27:49 UTC https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf/wish/1372205147 Louis https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf/wish/1372206869 “It was against my principals and all, but I was feeling so depressed I didn’t even think”(91). 

Holden says this after he agrees to have a prostitute sent to his room while in the elevator. 

Holden is at an all time low at this point in time. He is fishing for something to bring him out of his misery hoping that this prostitute could heal his sadness. Holden soon regrets this decision and wants to back out but Holden also fears this feeling of being yellow and a coward so he will not let himself change his decision. ]]> 2021-03-31 15:28:16 UTC https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf/wish/1372206869 Gideon https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf/wish/1372206997 “I’m one of these very yellow guys. I try not to show it, but I am.” (Page 115)

Holden says this after he talks about what he would do if he knew who stole his gloves. He said he wants to punch the guy but he is too yellow.

I find this interesting because most people don’t call themselves cowards. Holden is using this situation of wanting to punch someone but not having the guts to as a way to talk about himself. He seems to not think very highly of himself. Later on he says that you shouldn’t be yellow and if you want to hit someone, you should just do it. If he thinks that’s how people should be, why doesn’t he do it himself?]]> 2021-03-31 15:28:18 UTC https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf/wish/1372206997 Suyi https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf/wish/1372207045 “I was feeling so depressed I didn’t even think. That’s the whole trouble”(119). 

Holden says this after he makes the decision to get a prostitute sent to his room.

This quote stuck out to me because we now as readers realize how lonely and depressed Holden really is. He is  at a very low point in his life right now. He is so depressed he didn’t even think about what he was doing. ]]> 2021-03-31 15:28:19 UTC https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf/wish/1372207045 Gayatri https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf/wish/1372207410 “I was already sort of sorry I let the thing start rolling, but it was too late now”(102). 
Holden thinks about this immediately after agreeing to hire a prostitute. 
This is another example of Holden being “yellow”. Though he already regrets his actions, he decides not to change them. Holden had many regrets like not spending time with Allie, not having sex before, and  this now becomes another. He never has enough courage and this always hurts him in the end.]]> 2021-03-31 15:28:23 UTC https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf/wish/1372207410 Catcher in the Rye phineasgibbs25 https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf/wish/1372208192 "Only, I wouldn’t have the guts to do it. I’d just stand there, trying to look tough. What I might do, I might say something very cutting and snotty, to rile him up—instead of socking him in the jaw" (89).

Shortly after leaving Ernie’s piano bar, Holden imagines confronting the Pencey classmate who stole his gloves. 

And yet, even in his fantasy confrontation, Holden admits that he “wouldn’t have the guts” to punch the “crook.” He “might,” however, talk to him. Even so, Holden doesn’t imagine insulting the thief directly. Instead, he would simply “rile him up,” ensuring that the thief would sock him in the jaw, as both Stradlater and Maurice did. In this passage, Holden’s inability to act takes on a self-destructive edge which we have seen evolve into a pattern since the death of his brother. We see Holden act in a manner that makes it so he is asking to get punched in the jaw.  







]]> 2021-03-31 15:28:34 UTC https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf/wish/1372208192 Everett https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf/wish/1372208935 “I went right to my room and out some water in my hair, but you can’t really comb a crew cut or anything. Then I tested to see if my breath stank from so many cigarettes and the scotch and sodas I drank at Ernies”(120).


Holden got in the elevator  and the elevator guy asked him if he wanted a prostitute. Holden said yes but then instantly regrets it. 


I find this quote interesting because Holden  says yes but then instantly regrets it but he still gets dressed in clean cloths and combs his hair. Even though he doesn’t want a prostitute, he does all these things that makes it look like he wants a prostitute. ]]> 2021-03-31 15:28:45 UTC https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf/wish/1372208935 David https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf/wish/1372209074 “I felt so depressed, you can’t imagine. What I did, I started talking, sort of loud, to Allie. I do that sometimes when I get really depressed” (Chapter 14: page 129 (Big Book))

Holden had just let the prostitute leave after he refused to do anything, and is in a state of mind that can be dangerous to his mental health.

As I was reading,I thought how anyone can get into a state of mind that someone would know that they are depressed and not get help. This also makes me wonder if Holden had a deep relationship with his brother, or if he is just mad that he wasn’t there to say goodbye.]]> 2021-03-31 15:28:48 UTC https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf/wish/1372209074 Charley https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf/wish/1372210281 “But I’d plug him anyway. Six shots right through his fat hairy belly”(136).

Holden and his vivid imagination are talking about how he would shoot Maurice. Just like in the movies.

I find this quote interesting because just like his imagination with the “stolen” gloves, Holden is imagining himself being all tough. In reality we know Holden is the opposite. I believe that these stories in his head are just how he wants himself to be, because he knows he’s not tough and in reality he’s a coward even though he doesn’t want to be.]]> 2021-03-31 15:29:07 UTC https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf/wish/1372210281 Lola https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf/wish/1372213473 “I felt more depressed than sexy, if you want to know the truth. She was depressing...I don’t think I could ever do it with somebody that sits in a stupid movie all day long” (125).
Holden is trying to take things slow and have a conversation with sunny and doesn’t wasn’t to do anything more than that. Sunny makes Holden miserable and depressed. 

This quote makes me think about Holden and his way of making friends. Holden doesn’t have really any friends mainly because no one is like him and he can never commit to someone. I don’t think Holden commits to people easily because of his loss of Allie and how he would only be in more pain and depression if he loses another person he cares about. That shows another reason why he might lie to people.]]> 2021-03-31 15:29:56 UTC https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf/wish/1372213473 Casey https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf/wish/1372214120 “I kept hoping she’d be good looking. I didn’t care too much though I just wanted to get it over with”(122).

Holden just said to the pimp that he would be “interested in a little tail tonight” and is immediately regretting it as he gets back to his hotel room. He’s admitting that he didn’t actually want to do it and that it was just out of impulse.

This quote is really interesting to me because before this happens he continues to call himself “yellow” - a coward - and also continues to say how bad it is to be yellow. Then right now we see him hiding from his own advice. It’s even more interesting to me how he continues to repeat everything he does. He repetitively gives great advice for other people but when he is in the situation he hides from his own advice just like he hides from reality. This is his way to escape.]]> 2021-03-31 15:30:07 UTC https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf/wish/1372214120 Ivy https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf/wish/1372216458 "All of the sudden I started to cry. I'd give anything if I hadn't, but I did. 'No, you're crooks,' I said. 'You're just selling five-' 'Shut up' old Maurice said"(134).

This shows that Holden is still not an adult. He tries his best to act more mature, but in the moment, he couldn't hold himself up anymore and Maurice could see it. 

I think this shows that he still doesn't have the essentials to become an adult because he has not yet felt like a kid.]]> 2021-03-31 15:30:42 UTC https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf/wish/1372216458 Grace https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf/wish/1372230310 “It was against all my principals and all, but I was feeling so depressed I didn’t even think. That’s the whole trouble. When you’re feeling very depressed, you can’t even think.”

Holden said this once he got a prostitute sent to his room. This shows how depressed Holden is and it’s gotten very bad because he doesn’t care about anything and the decisions he makes even when it goes against all his principal's ]]> 2021-03-31 15:33:59 UTC https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf/wish/1372230310 Coco https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf/wish/1372240307 “What I really felt like though, was committing suicide. I felt like jumping out the window”(136). Holden says this in the bathroom after being assisted by Maurice. It shows that he feels he has nothing left to live for, and in a way is impulsive because he later goes on to say that he genuinely would of done it had he been covered right after. This is not the first time Holden has reference or shown signs of depression. ]]> 2021-03-31 15:36:11 UTC https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf/wish/1372240307 Sophia https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf/wish/1372586318 “It’s really hard to be roommates with people if your suitcases are much better than theirs”(121). 

Holden is eating breakfast at the train station and two nuns sit next to him with inexpensive looking suitcases. This causes him to think about his roommate Dick Slagle at Elkton Hills who would put his cheap suitcases next to Holden’s. 

This quote is interesting because it shows that Holden is very judgmental about people’s social status. He uses his money as an excuse to separate himself from others. I think this stems from his many insecurities. It gives him comfort to feel like he’s better than other people, therefore he judges others who don’t necessarily have as much money as him. ]]> 2021-03-31 17:02:33 UTC https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf/wish/1372586318 Charley https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf/wish/1373787165 “...I hated like hell for her to know I got the ax again”(140).

While Holden was in the taxi cab he was talking about his money and how his father was wealthy. During this he was talking about how when Allie died his mom wasn’t really the same.

This quote is interesting to me because even though Holden describes his parents as ‘touchy’ and says that he couldn’t say anything personal about them, this is something we learned about Holden’s mom. We also know he cares about her and is lying to her but to protect her feelings and maybe his own. I think Holden is too scared to tell his parents the truth but also face the reality of getting kicked out of Pency.]]> 2021-04-01 00:37:08 UTC https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf/wish/1373787165 Casey https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf/wish/1374989620
“The best thing, though, in that museum was that everything always stayed right where it was.”

Holden is bored and killing time before his date with Sally, so Holden decides to walk from Central Park to the Museum of Natural History. Along the way, he remembers in detail his school trips to the museum.

This quote really intrigues me because it really gives us more insight and can help us take a deeper dive into his character. I find it interesting that Holden always describes people and the two sided part of them, but then here it seems like he is saying he likes things simple. Holden also has already demonstrated that he fears and does not know how to deal with conflict, confusion, and change. The museum presents him with a vision of life he can understand it is frozen, silent, and always the same.]]> 2021-04-01 11:20:25 UTC https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf/wish/1374989620 Noam https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf/wish/1378491127 “If an actor acts it out, I hardly listen. I keep worrying about whether he’s going to do something honey every minute.”

Holden was thinking about his experiences with movies and about how he doesn’t like movies as much as his sister Phoebe.  He was thinking about the time he went to watch Hamlet with Phoebe and about how he didn’t like actors. 

When I saw this quote, I thought of how much Holden doesn’t enjoy his life. There are so many things he does that would bring other people joy but he just brings himself sorrow and worry. Every time he thinks about his past, his train of thought always brings him to a bad place. This shows that he isn’t very positive about his life and that he doesn’t enjoy the simple things.]]> 2021-04-02 17:46:51 UTC https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf/wish/1378491127 Gayatri https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf/wish/1381660455 "It drives me crazy if somebody gets killed...and if it's somebody else's fault. Romeo and Juliet, at least it was their own fault. 

Holden is eating at Grand Central Station and starts to talk with an English teacher about Romeo and Juliet. 

I found this quote  interesting because it is a great example of how experiences create people's personalities. Holden is pushing Allie's death into the conversation because it was a defining moment in his life and will continue to affect him. He gets annoyed with that type of death because that was how Allie died and knowing that he could not do anything to stop it upsets him. ]]> 2021-04-05 01:10:20 UTC https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf/wish/1381660455 Georgia Shuster https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf/wish/1381714497
“I kept worrying about whether he’s going to do something phony every minute”(153).

Holden says this as he is describing the time DB took him and Pheobe to see Hamlet. He thinks actors are phonies and fake, and had a hard time paying attention to the play because he was worried about whether or not what the actor was saying was real or fake. 

It is almost as if Holden is scared of phony people and phony words. He has had a lot of hardships in the past, and has probably had a lot of people lie to him with phony words. He almost as a 6th sense for it now; always looking out to protect himself from anything that is not the truth. It has hurt his relationships with people and is a struggle of his, however I think if he is able to admit that to himself, he will be able to overcome it and be more trusting of the people around him. 


]]> 2021-04-05 01:38:00 UTC https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf/wish/1381714497 Coco https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf/wish/1381748863 “what I don’t spend, I lose. Half the time I sort of even forget to pick up my change, at restaurants and nightclubs and all. It drives my parents crazy”(140).

Holden is counting the money in his wallet while riding in the cab to Grand Central Station. He is reflecting on the fact that he had blown through a large amount of money in the past 2 weeks. 

This quote intrigued me because I thought it showed the entitled rich side of Holden. Throughout the past chapters Holden has spent his money carelessly without hesitation. This is whether he is spending it on a hotel, drinks for himself and others, cab fairs..etc. after stating this he goes on to explain that his patents have got annoyed by this in the past showing that it is an ongoing problem with Holden. 
]]> 2021-04-05 01:54:00 UTC https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf/wish/1381748863 Lola https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf/wish/1381799832 “God I love it when a kids  nice and polite

In this moment Holden is talking to phoebes friend at the skatepark. Holden figured she could be there but when she’s not he asks someone around her age. That friend of phoebe is very polite and Holden likes when people are like that.

This thought of holdens was interesting to me because it’s always fun to see what Holden values in different things because we never see much only about him it’s always what he thinks of others. It’s also interesting to observe and think about how judgemental Holden is. In reality everyone is probably like that we just only see it in Holden as a bad thing because we are hearing every thought in his head.]]> 2021-04-05 02:19:46 UTC https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf/wish/1381799832 Ivy https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf/wish/1382010445 "I was sorry anyway, though. Goddamn money. It always ends up making you blue as hell"(147).

When Holden says this, he had just been done talking to the nuns that he had met and talked to. He was thinking about how to manage his money because he needed to save some for later. For example, his date with Sally later.

This quote sums up Holden's thoughts and I think it means that he is fed up with his surroundings, and having/not having enough money and feels like in this moment he is stuck in a pool of different thoughts of what to do. The last sentence also mentions blue, which is another color that could also be an emotion. I think the author liked to use these types of words because they compliment Holden's style of his thoughts.]]> 2021-04-05 04:20:10 UTC https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf/wish/1382010445 Catcher in the Rye phineasgibbs25 https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf/wish/1382811761 "The thing is, it drives me crazy if somebody gets killed—especially somebody very smart and entertaining and all—and it’s somebody else’s fault. Romeo and Juliet at least it was their own fault."

This is Holden's reflection on his conversation with the nuns and how he thinks of Romeo and Juliet.

This is the first time we see Holden reflect on death and using Romeo and Juliet is an allegory for his brothers death and referring to people's reaction of which he did not approve. ]]> 2021-04-05 12:10:18 UTC https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf/wish/1382811761 Louis https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf/wish/1382836385 “If an actor acts it out I hardly listen I keep worrying about whether he was going to do something honey every minute”. 

Holden is talking about his thoughts on movies and whether he likes them or not. He compares himself to his sister phoebe and how she loves movies. Specifically referring to the time he went to hamlet with phoebe and wasn’t fond of the actors. 

This quote is very interesting because in some ways, it mirrors the way Holden’s lives his life and shows something about his personality. Here Holden shows the readers how he worries about things he shouldn’t, like how he worries about when an actor is going to be honey or not when he should just be enjoying the movie. This applies to Holden’s life because he also worries about things and doesn’t things he shouldn’t. ]]> 2021-04-05 12:20:47 UTC https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf/wish/1382836385 Grace https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf/wish/1382887849 “Boy, it made me so happy all of a sudden. I could hardly wait or for to the park to see is old Phoebe was around so that I could   Give it to her.”
He is buys a record fro Phoebe to give to her at Central Park if he sees her there. 
This shows how important Phoebe is to Holden and he is excited to see her. He also has someone now that he cares and thinks about and I think that is good for Holden.]]> 2021-04-05 12:40:43 UTC https://padlet.com/mnagle10/ati821e5z4kw5xrf/wish/1382887849