The Catcher in the Rye Lesson Plan

Talking Like Holden

Kind of Activity:

Group Work

Objective:

To understand how Holden's diction is unique and reveals his character

Common Core Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.L.5 ; CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.L.3

Structure:

Choose a passage and have students analyze Holden's word choices and sentence constructions in that particular passage, to create a picture of his speech and what it reveals about his character. Unique speech patterns include: use of the passive voice; use of the second person ("you" instead of "I"); repeated phrases and words (phony, "it killed me," "listen," "crumby," "I sort of did X,"...