Of Mice and Men

Summary: The story starts out with George and Lennie walking down a rode on their way to work on a farm. Lennie is mentally retarded and George tells him not to speak to the boss when they meet him tomorrow. That night they will just camp out by the road and George tells Lennie to go gather some sticks to cook their beans. George tells him to show him what is in his pocket and Lennie reluctantly does. It is a dead mouse and George takes it and throws it in to the river. George then goes off on Lennie about all he could do if he didn't have to care for him. They make their beans and George tells a story of what their future will hold.

Response: I think that George doesn't treat Lennie very well. Even though his mind is not as developed as his. He should still not yell at him the way he did.

The Red Pony Part 3 "The Promise"

Summary: After thinking about how well Jody took care of Gabilan, Billy Buck and Jody's father think that it would be a great experiance for Jody to care for a colt right after birth. So Jody takes his horse down to Jess Taylor's house to get bread by his stallion. Jody starts to take more responsibility on the farm and he learns how to cut hay and milks the cows every morning. Then Billy Buck and Jody who is growing impatient go to check on the horse who is bred and Jody complains that there is no change. They then talk about the birth and Jody asks Billy to promise him that nothing will go wrong and this horse won't die like Gabilan did. Billy is hurt by this because he is upset that Jody hasn't forgotten that Billy let him down. Jody then goes worried to sit under the cypress tree and imagines the colt being a hero stallion helping out the cops and winning all the rodeos. Nellie's stomach is growing faster by the day and is due in mid January. Jody is growing anxious and stays up some nights waiting for her to birth the colt. One night Billy comes to get Jody and says he is having spasms. Billy explains that their is a problem and tells Jody to leave. He doesn't and takes a hammer and hits Nellie in the head with it and starts cutting the colt out with his pocket knife. He pulls the colt out and it takes a breath and Billy tells him there is the colt. Billy feels sick inside.

Response: Jody continues to have promblems with his horses. The colt didn't die but they had to work hard to keep it alive. Hopefully the colt grows up to be a good horse and doesn't die like Gabilan does.

The Red Pony Part 2

Summary: Jody is very curious about the mountains and asks his father various questions about what is in the mountains and what comes after them and does anyone life there. He then goes off wandering and finds a perfect rock for his sling shot and shoots a bird in the head and kills it. Later as he is by the road he sees a man coming towards the house and the man says his name is Gitano and he has come back. He says his father and he were born there and he will stay until he dies. Jody's father says no but he can stay the night and leave in the morning. When morning comes, Ganito is gone and so is the farms oldest horse. A neighbor says that she saw an old man on a horse go away towards the mountains.

Response: This was an interesting chapter because the old man wanted to die where he was born. I think I would have had the same response to the old man as Jody's father did. I wouldn't even have trusted Ganito for one night because they had no clue what his background was.

The Red Pony pg. 27-47

Summary: Jody is excited but also very nervous to ride Gabilan. Billy spends hours with him teaching him the tecnique of riding. He leaves for school and leaves Gabilan outside in the coral because Billy says that it will not rain. But it rains and nobody is home to put the pony inside and Jody is scared he will get sick. Gabilan is very sick and Jody is extremely worried. Billy continues to take care of the pony and he is doing everything in his power to keep him alive. One night as Jody is staying with Gabilan he falls asleep and the wind blows the door open and Gabilan walks away. When Jody realizes he is gone he goes and looks for him and finds him dead in the pasture not far from their farm house. Jody then kills a buzzard that is trying to eat Gabilan.

Response: I think it is very sad that Gabilan died. It really made Jody upset and it is sad that he grew so close to him and then he dies.

The Red Pony pg. 7-27

Summary: The main character in the story is a boy named Jody. They live on a farm and Jody does his chores and then starts his mile long walk to school. Jody gets done with school and does more chores and then his father and Billy Buck came home from town. His father told him to get to bed because he would need his help in the morning. He wakes up and eats his breakfast and goes to the barn with his father and Billy Buck. This is where Jody sees the present that is waiting for him. It is a red pony that his father had bought for him. Jody was very excited so after school he had his friends come over to see the pony. Jody names it Gabilan which means hawk. His father says that he will have to teach him how to lead and how to take a saddle and he can ride him in 3 weeks.

Response: I think that that this pony will make Jody very happy. I am happy that he got the pony but what happens later in the story is very sad and I am interested to see how Jody handles Gabilan.

Chapter 26!

Summary: Holden tells us that he doesn't want to finish the story and that he got sick and left the apartment and went home. He is now in an asylum. He might be going to school next fall and he thinks he will apply himself. He says he misses all the people in the story that he has told.

Response: I'm glad that he fianlly went to a place where he can get help and hopefully become and normally functioning human being.

Chapter 25

Summary: Holden arrives at Grand Central Station and stays there for the night. He then decides to go to Phoebe's school and make her a note telling her to come out and talk to him. He is going to the school to talk to her to tell her that he is leaving and to say goodbye. He gets to the school and hands the note to the secretary and makes up a story to make her not look at it. He talks to the secretary for a while in order to kill time and then leaves the room and walks around the school. Finally Phoebe arrives a few minutes late carrying a suitcase and saying that she is going with him. He says no and she gets angry and won't talk to him. He tells her if she will talk to him he will take her to the zoo. They then go to the zoo and Holden finds himself growing closer to Phoebe. They get to where the carousel sets and Phoebe wants to ride it and Holden buys her a ticket and watches her ride. Holden says he is so happy he could have cried.

Response: I think it is good that Holden wants to go say goodbye to Phoebe. Im glad that he is so happy to be with her, happy enough to cry.

Chapter 24

Summary: When Holden gets to Mr. Antolini's apartment they have dinner and there are dishes and glasses everywhere. Mr. Antolini is making coffee for Holden and Holden can tell that he is drunk. He asks him about Pencey and why he got kicked out and Holden says that they are to strick for him. Antolini begins to lecture Holden and tells him that his life has been a downfall. He then writes something down on a piece of paper and gives it to Holden. Holden is tired and Antolini helps him make his bed and tells him goodnight. Holden suddenly wakes up and feels Mr. Antolini's hand touching him. He figures that he is going to do something to hurt him so he leaves the apartment very quickly.

Response: Holden respects Mr. Antolini and it is good that he listens to him. Where is Holden going to go now that he left the house. I think Holden should man up and go home.

New Character: Mr. Antolini, one of Holden's old school teachers.

Chapter 23

Summary: Holden gets up and leaves Phoebe's room in order to call a man named Mr. Antolini. Mr. Antolini was a teacher at a school Holden went to when he was younger. He asks the teacher if he can stay over at his house for the night. He kindly says that he can and Holden goes back to his sister's room. They are dancing to a couple songs when they hear the door open and slam. His parents are home! Holden goes to a closet and hides right before his mother comes in to tuck in Phoebe. She says she smells smoke and asks Phoebe if she was smoking and she says she took one puff just to try it. Her mother then leaves the room. Holden leaves the closet a while later and tells Phoebe he is leaving to go to a town in Colorado. She gives him what is left of her Christmas money and he gives her his hunting hat.

Response: I think that it is a bad idea for Holden to leave the house. He should stay with Phoebe and come clean to his parents. The longer he keeps on hiding from his parents, the bigger hole he is digging for himself.

Chapter 22

Summary: Holden goes back to the apartment and finally get Phoebe to listen to him. He explains why he got expelled and tells her everything that he disliked about school. She tells him to name something he likes since he has been negative during the whole conversation. All he thinks about are the nuns and he says he likes Allie. Phoebe says that Allie doesn't count as something he can like because he is dead. When she asks him what he wants to do with his life he says he wants to be a catcher in the rye. The only grown up adult in a field of rye where children play. He would stand by a cliff and catch them when they fell.

Response: Talking to Phoebe again was a great idea and he should be thankful that she listened to him. Being a catcher in the rye as he explains seems unrealistic but at least he has something in mind.

Chapter 21

Summary: Holden gets to the where his family lives and takes the elevator up to his apartment. He gets lucky because the normal elevator operator is not working so he won't notice him and tell his parents. He carefully opens the apartment and tip toes into Phoebe's room. When he gets there he finds she is not there but is sleeping in D.B's room. She is sound asleep but he wakes her up and she is extremely happy to see him. She starts rambling about a play she is in and a movie that she went to and a boy that had been bullying her at school. She then makes the discovery that Holden is home two days early and must have gotten kick out of school again. She says over and over again that there father will kill him and then buts a pillow over her head because she doesn't want to listen to him anymore. Holden gets frustrated and leaves to get a smoke.

Response: I'm happy that Holden finally went home. Hopefully Phoebe will help with his depression and will put him in a better mood. I wonder just how angry his father will be at him when he finds out.

Chapter 20

Summary: After Luce leaves the bar Holden stays there for quite some time and ends up getting very drunk. He calls up Sally at a phone booth outside and makes her very angry along with her grandmother who answers the phone. Sally asks him why he is calling so late and she knows right away that he is drunk. He asks her a bunch of questions and then she tells him to go to bed. Holden then went back inside to get his coat and dunk his head in some water to try and sober up before he leaves. He walks out by the pond in Central Park to see if the ducks are there. As he is walking he drops the record that he has bought to give to Phoebe. It shatters on the ground but he picks up the pieces and keeps them. He then sits on a bench is freezing and he thinks he is getting sick. He imagines his funeral and how he missed Allie's funeral because he was in the hospital for hitting a window with his bare hand. Holden wants to talk to Phoebe but has very little money and doesn't want to see his parents. He decides to risk it and is going to go home and hopes his parents aren't up considering it is really late.

Response: Getting drunk was not one of his better decisions. I think that going home is a good thing for him. Maybe talking with Phoebe and coming clean to his family about school and everything else will make him better.

Chapter 19

Summary: Luce shows up at the Wicker Bar a little bit late and tells Holden that he can't stay and talk long. Holden starts asking him about sex and questions like they used to ask each other at school. He tells Holden that he hasn't matured any and he needs to grow up or have psychoanalysis. Luce says he is dating an older woman and is going to Colombia University. Holden continues to ask more and more questions and Luce tells Holden he needs help and then Holden asks Luce if he has gotten help. Luce does not want to answer the question so he gathers his belongings and leaves the bar.

Response: It was a good thing for Holden to talk to Luce for a little while. If made him figure out that maybe someone out there could help him with his problems.

Chapter 18

Summary: He gathers up the courage to call Jane but nobody answers and he hangs up the phone. He calls his friend named Carl to give him some company. Holden says Carl is very smart and he enjoys talking to him. Holden then goes to a movie to kill time since Carl can't meet him for drinks until 10. He hates the movie and when it gets over he walks to the bar named the Wicker Bar to meet Carl.

Response: Holden has finally found someone that wants to meet with him and talk to him. This Carl guy sounds smart and intelligent and maybe he will talk some sense into Holden.

Chapter 17

Summary: At 2 o'clock he meets up with Sally and he says that she is looking very nice. They go to the theater and make out on the way there. Holden thinks that the actors in the movie are all phonies but Sally says that she likes the movie. This makes Holden very angry and kind of annoys him. After the movie Holden takes her skating and they skated for a while and then got tired and go and get a drink. While having there drinks Holden starts to freak out and yells at Sally. He says that he wants her to go with him far away and start a life together. He leaves without her after she won't accept his apology.

Response: This date didn't go as well as Holden had probably hoped. It was going pretty good until Holden got going about phonnies and his crazy talk about moving to Vermont and living with Sally.

Chapter 16

Summary: He then goes on a walk and thinks about Phoebe and how he wants to talk to her so badly but he doesn't want his parents to find out that he is home. So he remembers a record that he wants to buy for her and buys it. He then goes to look for her at a skating park but only sees a girl that knows her but doesn't know where she is. She tells him that she might be at the museum because she sometimes goes there on Saturdays. He gets to the museum and feels depressed and doesn't even go in.

Response: It is a good thing that he wants to see his sister. I just wish that he had a way of communicating with her so he could meet up with her and talk without his parents knowing. I think that would really help out his situation.

Chapter 15

Summary:Holden checks out of the hotel and thinks about his parents and how much they hate it when he losses thing. And he also is telling us about how his mother isn't taking the death of Allie very well. After all of the continued stress from the death of her son, Holden is worried about how she will take the news of him being expelled from school. He then goes into a sandwitch shop and has a bite to eat with a couple of nuns. He gives them ten dollars and leaves but feels guilty that he only gave ten. He also calls up Sally and sets a date with her.

Response: Holden continues to become more and more depressed as the story goes on. He is now starting to give away his money saying that money just depresses people. It is good that he set up a date though, maybe it will help.

Chapter 14

Summary: Holden stays awake longer after she leaves thinking about Allie while smoking. He goes to sleep and is awoken by a loud knock on the door. He opens it up to see the elevator man and Sunny is with him. He is asking and demanding the 5 dollars that he didn't pay and he continues to refuse to pay it. The man from the elevator pins Holden up against the wall punches him in the stomach and takes the money from his wallet and leaves. Holden lays on the floor a while and then goes off to bed.

Response: Holden should know that bad things are gonna happen when he invites a prostitute up to his room. He is so lonley that he needs a prostitute to keep him company even for a couple of minutes. Hopefully this beat down won't affect him to much.

Chapter 13

Summary: He then walks 41 blocks back to his hotel. While he was walking he was thinking about a guy from college that stole his gloves. When he gets back to the hotel the elevator man asks him if he wants a prostitute ordered up to his room. He says yes and when she comes up he just wants to talk to her and not do anything. She gets up and leaves and wants her money and he pays her and she leaves.

Response: Holden is not very well off right now. I think remembering the good things from the past is making him worse and making him feel even more lonley now.

Chapter 12

Summary: Holden takes a cab to a club in which his brother used to alot. He wants to see Ernie play the piano and when he does he isn't that impressed by it. He sees a girl named Lillian and he says that she is very annoying and that she used to go out with his brother. He doesn't like her very much so he leaves to get away from and so he wouldn't have to sit at her table.

Response: I think that he should have given Lillian a chance. He needs someone to hang out and she probably would have hung out with him so he wouldn't be so lonley.

Chapter 11

Summary: In this chapter Holden is leaving the hotel and is walking through the lobby and Jane Gallagher comes to his mind. He remembers when they were young that they were the best of friends. They would never do anything physical he said but they would always hold hands. They would go to movies and hold hands throughout the entire movie with out switching the positions of there hands or anything. He said they were so close, he even showed her Allie's baseball mit. She was the only person he ever showed the glove to besides the rest of his family.

Response: I think that it is kind of sad that he is no longer that close to Jane. He is very lonley and just wants someone to hang out with. Not even as a girlfriend, but just as a friend like it used to be. If Jane would only know the problems that Holden is having. I think she could really be a big help to him.

Chapter 10

Summary: Holden is still feeling like he wants to get out and do something so he goes downstairs in the hotel to the Lavender Room. It is a dance club with a band and drinks. While at the Lavender Room he tries to order a cocktail. Reffering to his gray hair and height, saying that he would pass as old enough to buy alcohol. But the waitress refuses to sell to him and he is upset. He then meets 3 girls who he dances and flirts with for a long period of time. He then pays for there drinks and leave the Lavender Room and goes back to his room alone.

Response: How old is Holden? Holden continues his search for belonging and trying to find girls. I think it would be pretty cool to have a dance club like that in your hotel.

Chapter 9

Summary: Holden is at the train station thinking of someone to call to tell that he is there. He thinks of his brother but doesn't want to call him. His sister is to young and two other girls he knows he doesn't want to talk to. He calls for a cab and a makes conversation with the cab driver talking about several random topics. He also says he sees a man in girls clothing? He gets to his hotel room and is feeling like having a girl up to his room so he calls a girl named Faith but she declines to come over. So he hangs up without meeting with her.

Response: I get the sense that Holden is extremely lonley and would do anything to find a good friend right now. I think that is what he needs, someone who he can talk to and tell his problems to. That is something everyone needs at some point in there live.

Chapter 8

Summary: Holden is walking towards the train station and is very cold. He gets lucky because he only has to wait about ten minutes for the train to come around and pick him up. He is one of the only ones on the bus but then a good looking gal comes and sits in the seat right next to him. It turns out she is the mother of a kid that goes to Pencey named Ernest. He is one of the more popular boys at the school and Holden sort of brags him up telling a couple lies. Holden tells the women his name is Rudolph and he is leaving the school because he has a small brain tumor and needs an operation.

Response: I think that it was good for Holden to talk to an older adult that could possibly give him some advice. It kind of disturbs me that Holden is such a good lier and could tell a whole story of lies without even thinking about it.

Chapter 7

Summary: This chapter starts out with Holden going into to Ackey's room and waking him up and not letting him go to sleep. He starts to think about Jane fooling around with other guys and it angers him even more. He wakes up Ackley again and asks him a bunch of dumb questions. He then grabs his hunting hat and barges out of the room. He begins to cry and and starts packing his bags and walks out of Pencey yelling "sleep tight ya morrans."

Respose: I feel kind of bad for Holden, he can't seem to get his live together and nothing ever goes right for him. Hopefully he gets a break soon but i don't see it happening any time in the near future.

Chapter 6

Summary: In this chapter Holden's roommate is just getting back from his date with Jane. Holden is trying to make him tell him about his date and he says they couldn't go to New York so they stayed in the car the whole time. This angers Holden so they get into a huge fight a Stradlater punches Holden and pins him to the ground with his knees and tells him to shut his mouth. But he continues to talk and get decked again.

Response: I think that this was Holden's way of letting Stradlater know that he wants Jane and that he needs to back off. Stradlater doesn't even like Jane that much.

Chapter 5

Summary: Holden and his friend Mal have a snowball fight and then catch a bus along with Ackley to go see a movie. Mal and Ackley have already seen the movie so the 3 of them just go get some burgers. They come back and talk about stuff and then Holden thankfully gets to leave to work on homework. He writes about a baseball glove that he got that his brother Allie used. His brother died of leukemia years before. He talks the chapter about his brother and how angry he is that he died.

Response: It is very sad that his brother died. He was very sad about it and I think it is probably one of the many reasons why Holden is always in trouble and ticked off at the world.

Chapter 4

Summary: This chapter starts out with Holden and his roommate talking in the bathroom while his roommate shaves. Holden asks Stradlater about his date with Jane. Holden has strong feelings for this girl and is upset that his roommate is going out with her. He continues thinking about Stradlater and Jane for a while after they leave. Then Ackley comes in to the room again to annoy him.

Response: I think that if Holden likes her he should try and talk to her. Stradlater doesn't really talk like he likes her that much and I think he might be using her. Holden keeps thinking about her so I think he should do something about it.

Chapter 3

Summary:In this chapter he talks about where he lives and who his hall is named after. He is sitting in his room and reading a book and wearing a hunting hat. A guy named Ackley comes into his room through the shower curtain. Ackley is continuously messing with Holden's stuff and not letting him read. When his roommate Stradlater enters, Ackley leaves because he dislikes him greatly.

Response: I could see how Ackley would get annoying. If I were the narrator I would kick him out of my room and not let him come back in.

Chapter 2

Summary: When he gets to Mr. Spencer's home a couple of blocks from the college. He is greeted by Mr. Spencer's wife and he tells him that Mr. Spencer is in his room and is sick. He goes in the room and meets with his teacher. Mr. Spencer lectures him about all the things he has done bad at the college and all of the classes he has failed and even reminds him that he failed his class as well. Spencer wants him to think about his future and he gets up and leaves.

Response: I don't think that Spencer should have tried to lecture Holden about getting his life together and thinking about his future. I'm sure he has heard it all before and it isn't going to help. I feel that Holden was going to this teacher to get away and say goodbye, not to get lecctured.

The Catcher in the Rye

Chapter 1
Summary: The first chapter starts with the main character who hasn't yet stated his name (Mrs. Lebo says his name is Holden) talking about how he will not talk about his early life. He talks about his brother and how he owns a nice Jaguar and is a writter in Hollywood. He then starts telling his story of how he is in trouble. He is going to a school called Pency Prep and his time there has been filled with trouble and he was soon kicked out because he didn't apply himself. He wants to say goodbye to something or someone so he goes and talks to his teacher named Mr. Spencer.

Response: I think that this is going to be a very interesting book. I think that Holden will have a very troubled life in this story and it will be interesting to see what happens to him as I continue to read this book.