CITR (Catcher In The Rye) Discussion Questions

1) What does it mean to be unique? 

It means that you are your own person and aren't trying to mold yourself into what modern society thinks that you should be. You aren't trying to copy anyone or be anyone other than yourself because you realize that even with all the imperfections that you see in the mirror you do yourself perfectly. You realize, yeah, you may not be the most beautiful person on the planet, or the smartest, or the most athletic, but it's okay because you are you and that's good enough. And also, in a more literal definition, no one can have the same genetic makeup as you do, and no one can have the same fingerprints. 

2) How do we keep individuality in an adult world?

People keep their individuality by staying true to themselves and their beliefs, not trying to change themselves, to fit a mold, and expressing truely how you feel about important situations and most importantly being themselves.

3) How is Allie’s character similar to your favorite person?

 Allie's character reminds me if my favorite person because Allie is so kind  just like my friend Kaylee. They are both very smart and play softball and baseball, but Kaylee doesn't write on her mitt. Kaylee is also very smart just like Allie was, and they have a lot more in common than initially thought. 

4) If you were Holden, and you had just been kicked out of school, where would you go?  Why?

I would go home, if I ever got kicked out of school. I would be really embarrassed and I wouldn't want to stay at the school. I would want to go home and try to explain to my parents, before they got the letter or email/phone call. But I don't really know what to do because I don't plan on being kicked out of school.  

5) Free-write about Jane’s character and her importance to Holden 

Jane was very important to Holden becaue she was a girl that he really liked for her. He didn't like her because she was extremely beautiful or a super genius or extremely athletically gifted. I think that she was also Holden's first real feelings for a girl. She also acted very differently than other girls that Holden liked, she was much more mature and reserved. And although she was reserved she was still nice and fun to be around.

6) At the end of chapter 12, Holden says, “people are always ruining things for you.”  Discuss whether or not you think this is true.  Can you think of a time someone “ruined” something for you?

I think that to a certain extent this is true, you can control your actions, but you can't control other peoples. For example if you are being a safe attentive driver and another driver is being reckless and careless and hits you it is their fault. So that reckless driver would have ruined something for you. A time that someone ruined something for me was when I was ice skating and this little kid came around and pushed my friend over (on purpos) for no reason. He called me and my friends mean names, and that kind of ruined my time ice skating. But later we told someone who worked there and the little kid was no longer allowed to skate there.