1. Compare and contrast Holden Caulfield and Huckleberry Finn. How do their youthful naivety allow their creators, Salinger and Mark Twain, to convey moral principles?

2. Numerous of Salinger's fellow writers have critiqued his novels for being overly romantic and immature in perspective. Investigate the criticism directed at Salinger and either support or counter these claims.

3. Holden often mentions Hollywood and New York's Madison Avenue as epicenters of American phoniness. As hubs of the movie-making and advertising industries, these places represent to Holden the fabrication of false realities. What were these industries like during the 1940s and 1950s?

4. Holden admires the American writer Ring Lardner. What aspects of Lardner's writing appeal to Holden?

5. Salinger's other works also revolve around youth or nostalgically reflect on the lives of characters who have aged. Examine the common themes and events that connect Salinger's later books with The Catcher in the Rye.