Examples Of Phoebe's Relationship In Catcher In The Rye (2023)

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Every single person has had relationships. Relationships come in several different ways, some are more pleasant than others, but everyone experiences them. Holden from “The Catcher in the Rye” by JD Salinger is no different. Holden has many issues that affect his relationships. Most of his relationships are with girls, including, Jane, the Lavender Girls, and his sister Phoebe. His relationship with Sally and specially Jane is very protective, he doesn’t want them to lose their innocence, while with the Lavender Girls he doesn’t care and even plays with their innocence, but with his sister is different, he wants to protect her, but knows she has to grow up. At the end of the book he discovers he can’t be the Catcher in the Rye, referring…show more content…
He’s very close to Phoebe and he has mostly positive things to say about her. For example: “You never saw a little kid so pretty and smart in your whole life. She’s really smart.” This quote shows how positively Holden sees Phoebe and how he cares for her. He also said very positive things about Jane, who he also cares much about. Later in the book Phoebe was, in a way, responsible for bringing Holden back from the doomed path he chose. “‘You know that song ‘If a body catch a body comin’ thro the rye’? [...] ‘It’s if a body meet a body coming through the rye.’” At that moment, Holden starts to realize that catching a person from falling from innocence to adulthood wasn’t the right thing to do. When he and Phoebe are in Central Park and Phoebe is in the carousel Holden is afraid that Phoebe will fall, but he understands that it’s okay for her to fall because she would be alright. “All the kids kept trying to grab for the gold ring, and so was old Phoebe, and I was sort of afraid she’d fall off the goddam horse, but I didn’t say anything or do anything.[...] If they fall off, they fall off, but it’s bad if you say anything to them.” Holden cares about Phoebe like he does with Jane. He wants to protect her because she’s young and innocent, and he wants to keep it that way, but at this point in the book he realizes he can’t be ‘the Catcher in the Rye’ because he can’t protect them all the time, and it’s

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FAQs

What is Holden's relationship with Phoebe in The Catcher in the Rye? ›

Holden loves Phoebe because he can easily connect with her. Not only is she a good listener, but she also has a keen sense of discernment. These characteristics make Holden feel like they are on the same page. For instance, they share an understanding of what makes a movie “lousy” or “pretty good.”

Why is Phoebe so important in The Catcher in the Rye? ›

Lesson Summary

Phoebe is Holden's favorite person because she listens to him and loves him unconditionally, but isn't afraid to tell him when he's messing up. Even if she thinks he is messing things up, she will support him by providing him with every cent she has.

What is Holden's answer to Phoebe? ›

Phoebe continues to be terribly upset over Holden's dismissal from Pencey Prep. She is sure that their father will be very upset with her brother. Holden says he'll merely be sent to a military school, if he is still around; he plans to head for Colorado to work on a ranch.

How would you describe Phoebe in The Catcher in the Rye? ›

Phoebe is intelligent, neat, and a wonderful dancer, and her childish innocence is one of Holden's only consistent sources of happiness throughout the novel. At times, she exhibits great maturity and even chastises Holden for his immaturity. Like Mr.

Why does Phoebe get angry with Holden? ›

He even begins to resent Phoebe, especially because he hates the idea that she would willingly miss her play in order to accompany him. Phoebe, for her part, becomes angry at him for not letting her join him. Frustrated, she takes off his hunting hat, which she has been wearing, and thrusts it into his arms.

What is the one thing Holden tells Phoebe he likes? ›

After remembering the death of this young boy, the only thing Holden can think to tell Phoebe he likes is “Allie.” His mind is increasingly preoccupied with childhood and childhood death; he thinks to call Mr. Antolini when he remembers the teacher picking up James Castle's broken body in his coat.

What does Phoebe do that makes Holden cry? ›

After the mother leaves, Phoebe loans Holden her Christmas money, which makes Holden cry. He gives her his treasured red hunting cap and exits down the building's back stairs.

What is Phoebe's only flaw according to Holden? ›

According to Holden, Phoebe's one flaw is that she is perhaps too emotional. In the Lavender Room, Holden takes a table and tries to order a cocktail. He explains that due to his height and his gray hair, he is often able to order alcohol, but, in this case, the waiter refuses.

Why does Phoebe want to run away with Holden? ›

And then there's her decision to run away with Holden: she packs a suitcase thinking that she'll go out West somewhere and not come back (child), but she's not running away because she hates everyone and everything—she's running away because she seems to think that Holden needs someone to care for him.

What does Phoebe make Holden realize? ›

Phoebe's character challenges Holden's view of the world: she is a child, but she does not fit into Holden's romanticized vision of childlike innocence. Although she never explicitly states it, Phoebe seems to realize that Holden's bitterness toward the rest of the world is really bitterness toward himself.

How does Holden describe Phoebe in Chapter 10? ›

Phoebe is thin like Holden; he describes her as "roller-skate skinny." She has pretty ears, and she is unusually perceptive. She knows a good movie from a lousy one, as evidenced by her adoration of the Alfred Hitchcock suspense classic The 39 Steps (1935).

How does Phoebe save Holden? ›

Phoebe chastises him for getting kicked out of Pencey and also helps him deal with the death of their older brother Allie. She does her best to persuade him to think of things in the world that he actually likes and does not frown upon. She also scolds him about his constant use of profane language.

Do you think Phoebe is too loyal to her brother? ›

She is extremely loyal to her brother, and she will do anything she can to help him through his tough situation. She supports him through the mental breakdown that he experiences throughout the course of the story by remaining loyal to him.

What characteristics make Phoebe so important to Holden quizlet? ›

What characteristics make Phoebe so important to Holden? He like that she's really smart and has always been(67). He liked her red hair and it reminded him of allie and his red hair. He likes the way she looks.

What does Phoebe help the reader understand about Holden? ›

What does Phoebe help the reader understand about Holden? Holden is not really so messed up. Holden's mean to her. Holden constantly tells lies and makes false promises.

What kills Holden about Phoebe? ›

”(pg. 212) The last sentence when Phoebe tells Holden that he can keep his hat for a while is saying that she is allowing him to not grow up for now. And that is what kills him because she just granted him or welcomed him back in safe haven.

How does Phoebe punish Holden? ›

How does Phoebe punish Holden? She hits him.

What does Phoebe do that surprises Holden? ›

How did Phoebe surprise Holden? What was Holden's reaction? She had packed her bags to go with Holden and she said she would not go back to school.

Who is Phoebe and how does Holden feel about her? ›

Phoebe is Holden's younger sister. Though only 10 years old, she is considerably more mature than Holden, though Holden actually covets her because of her youthful innocence. She is a voice of reason throughout the novel, both in Holden's thoughts and in the advice she gives to him in person.

How does Phoebe psychoanalyze Holden? ›

how does Phoebe psychoanalyze Holden? When Holden tells Phoebe that he did not like anything that was happening at the school he has run away from, Phoebe remarks, "You don't like anything that's happening." And, she forces Holden to name something he does like, challenging him.

How did Phoebe hurt her arm? ›

Phoebe has a scrape on her arm from where a classmate pushed her down the stairs after she poured ink on his jacket – an indication of the cruelty of children.

How many guys did Phoebe sleep with? ›

Tied for second place in the sleeping-around category were Phoebe Buffay (Lisa Kudrow) and Ross Gellar (David Schwimmer), who each had 16 partners, although 37.5 percent of Phoebe's relationships were serious, while half of Ross' relationships wound up being long-term.

How many relationships did Phoebe have Friends? ›

Lisa Kudrow's Phoebe Buffay and David Schwimmer's Ross Gellar tied for second, with 16 partners each. Half of Schwimmer's conquests turned into long-term relationships, while only 37.5 percent of Kudrow's did. Rachel Green, played by Jennifer Aniston, had 14 partners, but more longevity.

Who impregnated Phoebe? ›

1. Keeping it in the family. The triplets were conceived via IVF, with Phoebe acting as surrogate for her half-brother, Frank Buffay Jr and his wife, Alice Knight Buffay.

What does Phoebe teach Holden about life and how does she do it? ›

When Phoebe rides the carrousel, Holden realizes that there are times when kids want to try to grab the gold ring, symbolically taking a chance in life, and he must allow her the freedom to do that, even though she may fall. That realization is a big step for Holden.

How is Phoebe a mentor to Holden? ›

Phoebe Caulfield

And she helps him out by covering for him when their mom comes home, lending him money, and putting the red hunting hat on his head when it starts raining.

Who is Phoebe and what is Holden's opinion of her? ›

Who is Phoebe, and what is Holden's opinion of her? Phoebe is Holden's sister, he completely respects her and believes she is mature beyond her years.

What does Holden want to get for Phoebe? ›

He wants to buy a recording, for Phoebe, of an old song called "Little Shirley Beans." Along the way, Holden notices an apparently underprivileged family walking home from church.

What does Phoebe teach Holden about life? ›

Phoebe's character challenges Holden's view of the world: she is a child, but she does not fit into Holden's romanticized vision of childlike innocence. Although she never explicitly states it, Phoebe seems to realize that Holden's bitterness toward the rest of the world is really bitterness toward himself.

What did Phoebe give Holden that made him cry? ›

After the mother leaves, Phoebe loans Holden her Christmas money, which makes Holden cry. He gives her his treasured red hunting cap and exits down the building's back stairs.

How does Holden try to protect Phoebe? ›

Holden always wear the red hunting hat to protect himself from the “hunter”, the society. He gave the hunting hat to Phoebe, “she took off my red hunting hat – the one I gave her” (207), to protect her from the society. He wanted Phoebe to have her innocence as long as she needed it.

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