By now, you should have completed a (very) close reading of the opening chapter of the novel. The chapter does a lot of ‘heavy lifting’ in that it sets you up for the rest of the novel by touching on almost every issue, theme, and character interaction that is to come.
In class, you may have discussed the opening paragraphs that both set up, then resist, the classification of the story as a bildungsroman.
And that’s not all we see here, that will be repeated or built on later.
Profanity and slang? Check.
Phony adults? Check.
Hints that Holden is an unreliable narrator? Check.
Holden oblivious to, or dissatisfied with the care adults show him? Check.
Holden’s preference for childhood over adulthood? Check.
Isolation from peers? Check.
Smoking? Check.
Girls and desire? Check.
Girls and conversation? Check.
What else do you see in the first chapter that foreshadows what is to come?
Use the annotations and notes you have made in class to write a comprehending-style response to one of the following questions. Post your response below, marking which question you are answering clearly.
1. Explain how the opening of the novel positions the reader to view Holden.
2. Identify the themes introduced in the opening of the novel.
3. How does the opening of the novel hint at the conflict the story will explore?
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