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'''Geordie''' refers to a person originating from [[Tyneside]] ([[England]]) and the adjacent former coal mining areas of northern [[County Durham]] or the [[dialect]] spoken by such people. There are a number of rival theories to explain how the term came about, though all accept that it derives from a familiar diminutive form of the name "George".
[[Image:rye_catcher.jpg|thumb|200px|''The Catcher in the Rye'' book cover]]
'''''The Catcher in the Rye''''' is a [[novel]] by [[J. D. Salinger]].
In recent times Geordie has also been used to refer to a supporter of [[Newcastle United F.C.|Newcastle United]] [[football (soccer)|football]] club no matter their origin, including people from outside the traditional area.
Published in [[1951]], the novel remains controversial to this day, especially by noted book critic EJ Carver, "I enjoyed the book immensely, despite being asleep for half of it. I would call it a masterpiece of modern times". It has long been considered "inappropriate" and "[[immoral]]" in more [[conservative]] areas of the [[United States]]. It was the 13th most frequently [[banned books|challenged]] book of the [[1990s]], according to the [[American Library Association]] [http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/bannedbooksweek/bbwlinks/100mostfrequently.htm].
== Derivation of the term ==
Its [[protagonist]], [[Holden Caulfield]], has become an icon for teenage [[angst]]. The book, written in the first person, relates Holden's experiences in the days following [[expulsion]] from his [[preparatory school]].
One explanation is that it was established during the [[Jacobitism|Jacobite Rebellion]] of 1745. The Jacobites declared that the natives of [[Newcastle upon Tyne|Newcastle]] were staunch supporters of the Hanoverian Kings, in particular of [[George II of Great Britain|George II]] during the [[1745]] rebellion. This contrasted with rural [[Northumbria]], which largely supported the Jacobite cause. If true, the term may have derived from a popular anti-Hanoverian song, which calls the first Hanoverian king "Geordie Whelps", meaning "George the [[House of Guelph|Guelph]]".
''[[Publishers Weekly]]'' has reported that the majority of current readers of ''The Catcher in the Rye'' are women.
An alternative explanation for the name is that local miners used "Geordie" safety lamps designed by [[George Stephenson]], rather than the "Davy Lamps" designed by [[Humphry Davy]] which were used in other mining communities.
The term Geordie is often incorrectly used to cover all the peoples of the [[North East England|North East of England]], though this usage is generally confined to people from other parts of the [[United Kingdom]], and is considered an insult by North-Easterners who do not come from Tyneside, due to intense local rivalries. To North-Easterners the term exclusively refers to persons from Tyneside; since about [[1991]] people from [[Sunderland|Wearside]] have been termed [[Mackem|Mackems]]; people from [[Hartlepool]] are known as [[monkey hanger]]s, whilst natives of the [[Teesside]] conurbation are generally referred to as [[Smoggies]]. People from the countryside in between these urban areas are generally referred to as 'farm yackers' or 'pit yackers' (particularly in Northumberland around the Ashington area).
==Plot Summary==
{{spoiler}}
The book covers the 48 hours in Holden's life after being kicked out of Pencey [[preparatory school|Prep]], right before the [[Christmas]] holidays, circa [[1949]]. Having already been kicked out of other schools and not wanting to face his parents, he decides to set off and spend a few days alone in [[New York City]] after visiting the only teacher he's ever trusted. (Please finish summary)
== The Geordie dialect ==
==Character List==
* '''[[Holden Caulfield]]'''. The protagonist and narrator of the story, Holden is a troubled, [[antisocial]] 16 year old boy.
* '''Phoebe Caulfield'''. Phoebe is Holden's younger sister whom, in Holden's eyes, has retained her innocence. However, she can be even more mature than he, at times criticizing him for his childishness.
* '''Allie Caulfield'''. Allie is Holden's deceased younger brother and possibly the root of Holden's turbulent maturation process.
* '''D. B. Caulfield'''. D.B. is Holden's older brother who has become a successful screenwriter in [[Hollywood]]. Although Holden enjoys his stories, he regards him as a phony for "selling out".
* '''Robert Ackley'''. Ackley occupies the room adjacent to Holden's at Pencey Prep, and Holden portrays him as "pimply" social outcast and a generally obnoxious person.
* '''Jane Gallagher'''. Jane does not appear in the novel, but Holden thinks of her frequently as one of the few girls he had felt truly intimate with.
* '''Ward Stradlater'''. Stradlater is Holden's popular roommate, and one of the few sexually active boys at Pencey Prep. Holden is infuriated by his date with Jane and provokes a violent encounter with him.
* '''Mr. Spencer'''. Mr. Spencer was Holden's History teacher at Pencey. He feels guilty for failing Holden, and he unsuccessfully attempts to make Holden understand the "game of life".
* '''Mr. Antolini'''. Antolini was Holden's English teacher at Elkton Hills, another school he attended before, who Holden seeks for guidance. Like Mr. Spencer, he too tries to make Holden understand maturity and he almost reaches him, but Holden fears that Mr. Antolini may be making [[homosexual]] advances and flees from his apartment.
* '''Carl Luce'''. Carl is a student at [[Columbia University]] that Holden knows from Whooton, a school he once attended. Holden meets up with him at a bar and is anxious to discuss sex, but his childish and irritating behavior causes Carl to leave.
* '''Sally Hayes'''. Sally is a girl that Holden asks out on a date, but ultimately he ruins the affair by calling her a "pain in the ass" in frustration and then later phoning her house while intoxicated.
* '''George Andover'''. George Andover is a close friend of Sally Hayes. Sally and George accidentally meet at a theater, while Holden is on a date with Sally. Holden becomes increasingly bitter towards George while George and Sally have conversations during the intermissions.
* '''Maurice.''' Maurice is the elevator operator at the Edmont Hotel who procures a [[prostitute]] for Holden, and then later barges into Holden's hotel room and forces him to pay more than agreed upon.
* '''Sunny'''. Sunny is the young prostitute Holden hires through Maurice; he is uncomfortable with the prospect of sex with her, and she leaves.
* '''Ossenberger'''. Ossenberger is a graduate of Pencey Prep who has become very rich since he left. He started an undertaking business where he would take a dead body away for just five dollars. Holden sarcastically claims that Ossenberger probably just wraps the bodies up in bags and throws them in a river.
* '''Ernest Morrow'''. Holden meets Mrs. Morrow, Ernest's mother, on a train to New York, and has a conversation with her. Holden describes Ernest to the reader as one of the biggest jerks he's ever met, but tells his mother that Ernest is kind, sensitive, shy, and smart.
* '''Anne Louise Sherman'''. Anne Louise Sherman is one of Holden's ex-girlfriends.
* '''Valencia'''. Valencia is a dancer at a The Wicker Bar. Holden tries to make an advance on her, but he is ignored.
* '''Faith Cavendish'''. Holden is told that Faith Cavendish gives up sex to anyone very easily, and therefore decides to call her in [[New York]] while he is bored and aroused. They have a phone conversation, but she tells Holden that she cannot go out on a date that night, so Holden gives up on her.
* '''Eddie Birdsell'''. Birdsell, who attends [[Princeton]], is the person that tells Holden that Faith Cavendish is "easy." Holden met him once at a party, but otherwise knows nothing about him.
* '''Ernie'''. Ernie is a very skilled piano player at a bar in New York. Holden believes that Ernie is a "phony" because he is very good at his job and gladly accepts all the positive praise that he receives.
* '''Horwitz'''. Horwitz is a cab driver that picks up Holden. They have a conversation about where ducks go in winter (a predominant symbol in the novel).
* '''Lillian Simmons'''. Lillian Simmons is an old friend of D.B. Caulfield, whom Holden runs into at a bar that the three of them used to visit often. Holden regards her as a phony. She has very big knockers.
* '''Hazle Weatherfield'''. Hazle Weatherfield is a recurring character in stories made up by Phoebe Caulfield.
* '''Rudolf Schmidt'''. Rudolf Schmidt is the janitor on Holden's floor in Pencey Prep. Holden uses Rudolf's name as his own, as a false identity when he meets Mrs. Morrow.
* '''Jim Steele'''. This is another false identity used by Holden. This alias is made up.
* '''Arthur Childs'''. While at Whooton, Holden meets Arthur Childs. The two share an interest in tennis, and converse about the sport. Eventually Arthur alters the conversation to where the nearest Catholic Church is located, thus souring their relationship for Holden.
* '''James Castle'''. James Castle commits suicide while Holden is attending Whooton. Holden is taking a shower when he hears Castle fall. Holden assumes that it was a TV or a radio, but heads downstairs and finds Castle's bloody corpse on the pavement as well as observers gathered around it. Mr. Antolini is the only person at the whole scene who comes near Castle's body. Antolini checks Castle's pulse, then puts his coat over Castle, and carries the dead body to the infirmary.
* '''Phil Stabile'''. Phil Stabile is responsible for James Castle's suicide. James Castle had said something about Stabile, and Stabile responded by gathering some friends to go lynch Castle. When they break into his room, Castle refuses to take back his comment, and ends up jumping out of the dorm room window. Stabile is expelled for the death, but receives no further punishment.
* '''Ed Banky'''. Ed Banky is the baseball coach at Pencey who frequently lends his car to students so they can have sex.
* '''Fredrick Woodruff'''. Fredrick buys Holden's 90-dollar typewriter for $20 as Holden leaves Pencey.
* '''Mal Brossard'''. Mal is an acquaintance of Holden's. Holden and Ackley go to see a movie with Mal on Holden's last night at Pencey.
* '''Mr. Haas'''. Mr. Haas is headmaster at Elkton Hills. Holden remembers him as a big phony.
* '''Dr. Thurmer'''. Dr. Thurmer is the headmaster at Pencey Prep. Tells Holden that life's a game.
* '''Selma Thurmer'''. Selma Thurmer is the daughter of the headmaster of Pencey Prep. She goes to Pencey's football games often and had a conversation with Holden on a bus from Agerstown.
'''Geordie''' derives much less influence from French and Latin than does Standard English, being substantially [[Angle tribe|Angle]] and [[Viking]] in origin. The accent and pronunciation, as in [[Scots language|Lowland Scots]], reflect old Anglo-Saxon pronunciations, accents and usages.
==Themes==
The title refers to a misquote on Holden's part of the line from the lyrical poem ''Comin' through the Rye'' by [[Robert Burns]], "gin a body ''meet'' a body / comin' thro' the rye". It is a thought born of innocence trying to protect innocence. Holden imagines himself standing in a field of rye in which children are playing. In his imagination, there is a cliff just beside the field. He would stand in the field and catch the children if they came too close to the cliff, saving them from falling over it into adulthood—a metaphor for children losing their innocence and growing up into the "phonies" Holden so despises (see below). This theme is best illustrated when Holden discovers a number of "Fuck You" [[graffiti]] and does his best to erase them before any young children can see them, though he laments that, undoubtedly, more is being "created" faster than he can get rid of it. (Ironically, this exact mentality was cited by censors when the book was [[banned books|banned]].)
Personal pronouns differ markedly from Standard English: Geordies use "youse" for plural "you", "me" for "my", "us" for "me", "wor" for "our". The word "wor" is sometimes placed before the given name of the person being the subject of conversation to denote that they are a family member, for example "wor Allan" or "wor da" (father). It is also quite common for Geordies to use the word "man" for both men and women, as in "howay man" (c'mon you).
Another major theme is what Holden calls "phoniness." He feels surrounded by dishonesty and false pretenses, and throughout the book is frequently picking out the "phonies" he sees around him. As a teenage boy who is deeply troubled by his own depression and personal failings, Holden believes that most of the seemingly happy or successful people he encounters are either liars or ignorant. However, Holden flat-out refuses to consider that other people might have honest reasons for acting the way they do. He calls them "phony," but his entire narrative is a set of categorical judgements he makes without evidence: in other words, he is pretending to himself he is being honest and sees what others do not, presumably to reinforce his feelings of righteousness.
Vowel sounds are also quite unusual. "er" on the end of words becomes "a" ("father" is pronounced "fatha", both "a" sounds as in "hat"). Many "a" sounds become more like "e": "hev" for "have" and "thet" for "that". Double vowels are often pronounced separately as dipthongs: "boat" becomes "boh-ut". Some words acquire extra vowels ("growel" for "growl", "cannet" for "can't"). This property of the dialect has lead Geordie to be known for ''putting as many vowels as possible into a word''. The "or" sound in words like "talk" becomes "aa", while "er" sounds in words like "work" becomes "or". The "ow" in words like "down" or, most famously, "town" becomes "oo", hence "the Toon" meaning [[Newcastle upon Tyne|Newcastle]]. In Wearside, the "oo" in words like "cook", "book" or "look" becomes "uu", although this accent has come to be known as [[Mackem]], not Geordie.
Ironically, Holden exhibits the same "phoniness" he denounces; he admittedly puts on pretenses, lies, and makes irrational and contradictory assumptions, which alienate him from society. He oversimplifies, overgeneralizes, and overreacts in his interactions with those around him. He is idealistic, emotionally immature, and unable to adapt to the realities and complexities of adulthood, and considers himself a martyr of sorts, a victim of the world, in order to justify his alienation and inability to relate with others.
Geordie also has a large amount of vocabulary not seen in other English dialects. Words still in common use today include "canny" for "pleasant" (it should be noted that the Scottish use of canny is often somewhat less flattering), "hyem" for "home", "divn't" for "don't", "bairn" and "grandbairn" for "child" and "grandchild", "hacky" for "dirty", and "gan" for "go". "Howay" is broadly comparable to the invocation "Come on!". Examples of common use include "Howay man!", meaning something like "come on" or "hurry up", "Howay the lads!" as an encouragement for a football team, or "Ho''way''!?" expressing incredulity or disbelief. The word "hyem" for "home" is inherited from the [[Old Norse language]]. The word "tab" for "cigarette" is thought to derive from Ogden's Tabs, a once-popular brand of cigarettes.
==Style==
===Sarcasm===
Though the tone of the novel is gloomy, Holden's [[sarcasm|sarcastic]] comments add [[humor]]. When Holden watches some men unloading a [[Christmas tree]] while taking [[God]]'s name in vain, he comments: "It certainly was a gorgeous way to talk about a Christmas tree."
Geordie commonly uses the word 'Aye' meaning 'Yes', which is also found in most Scottish dialects. As a contrast, a geordie might say the word 'Na' for 'No' however this occurs less frequently.
===Stream of conciousness===
This style, used throughout the novel, refers to the use of seemingly disjointed ideas and episodes used in a [[pseudorandom]] and highly structured way that is used to illustrate a [[theme]].
Much of the vocabulary is a preserved form of [[Old English language|Old English]], the north having not been so affected by the [[Norman conquest]]. Pronouncing Old English with a geordie-like accent, rather than the more commonly recommended German, results in a form more comprehendible to those with knowledge of the meaning of Geordie vocabulary. When a Geordie uses the word "larn" for teach, it is not a misuse of the English word "learn"; the word is derived from the [[Anglo Saxon]] word "laeran", meaning to teach.
==Controversy==
''The Catcher in the Rye'' has been shrouded in [[controversy]] since its publication. Reasons for banning have been the use of [[offensive]] [[language]], [[premarital sex]], [[alcohol abuse]], and [[prostitution]]. According to some extremist theories the book is an [[FBI]] or [[CIA]] tool for [[mind control]].
Geordie is also sometimes used to describe the distinctive dialect of the people of [[Northumbria]]. However strictly speaking, South East Northumberland (the [[mining]] area bordering Tyneside) has its own similar, but distinctive dialect known as [[Pitmatic]].
[[Mark David Chapman]], murderer of musician [[John Lennon]], was carrying the book when he was arrested immediately after the murder and referred to it in his statement to police shortly thereafter, but oddly [[John Lennon]] was reading the book when killed. [http://www.crimelibrary.com/classics4/chapman/]. [[John Hinckley, Jr.]] was also reported to have been obsessed with the book.
In recent times, the Geordie accent has featured prominently in the national media, arguably more so than ever before. TV Presenters such as [[Ant and Dec]], and [[Marcus Bentley]], are happy to use their natural accents on air. The commentator on the UK edition of [[Big Brother (UK TV series)|Big Brother]] is often perceived by southerners to have a Geordie accent (North-East accents do sound very alike to the untuned ear), however, he grew up in [[Stockton on Tees]]). Brendan Foster and Sid Waddell have both worked as television sports commentators. However, in general, the Geordie accent still tends to be employed for comedy effect as opposed to serious usage.
Critics see Holden as a disturbing influence on youths they consider to be "social outcasts". Holden is portrayed as a juvenile who rejects and is rejected by many peers and individuals. People like Chapman and Hinckley come to relate themselves to Holden, the person that nobody understands and that can't understand anybody else.
The accent was also popularised by the [[comic]] [[magazine]] [[Viz (comic)|Viz]], where the accent itself is often conveyed phonetically by unusual spellings within the comic strips. Viz magazine itself was founded on Tyneside by a couple of Geordie lads, [[Chris Donald]] and his brother [[Simon Donald|Simon]].
Thirty years after its publication in 1951, ''The Catcher in the Rye'' was both the most banned book in America as well as the second most taught book in public schools.
It is said that the Roma influenced much of the Geordies' words eg. "charva" is an old word meaning child in Roma and used by Geordies to describe troublesome people. The word "gadgie" for man is derived from the similar-sounding Roma word for a non-Roma. There is a high percentage of Roma origins in the North East and Newcastle hosts a large Gypsy travelling-fair, the "Hoppins", which has been held annually on the Town Moor every year for over a century.
==Cultural References==
==Famous Geordies==
The [[1997]] film ''[[Conspiracy Theory (movie)|Conspiracy Theory]]'', featuring [[Mel Gibson]], uses the book quite prominently, although it does not explicitly link the book's content to the theme of mind control.
*[[Paul Gascoigne|Paul Gascoigne (Gazza)]], footballer
In the [[1993]] film ''[[Six Degrees of Separation (film)|Six Degrees of Separation]]'', the character Paul (played by [[Will Smith]]) pretends to be writing a thesis on the book and gives a brief analysis of it.
*[[Ant and Dec]], television presenters
*[[Peter Beardsley]], footballer
*[[Michael Bridges]], footballer
*[[Catherine Cookson]], author
*[[Steve Cram]], athlete
*[[Bryan Ferry]], [[Roxy Music]], musician
*[[Robson Green]], actor
* Tim Healey, actor
*[[Brian Johnson]], [[AC/DC]] singer
*[[Mark Knopfler]] of [[Dire Straits]]
*[[Jayne Middlemiss]], television presenter
*[[Jimmy Nail]], actor and singer
* Sir [[Bobby Robson]], former footballer, club and England national team manager
*[[Ridley Scott]] and [[Tony Scott]], film directors
*[[Sting (musician)|Sting]], actor and musician
*[[Alan Shearer]], footballer
*[[Paul Smith]], [[Maximo Park]] singer
*[[Andy Taylor]], [[Duran Duran]], musician
*[[Peter Taylor, Baron Taylor of Gosforth]], late [[Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales]]
*[[Neil Tennant]], [[Pet Shop Boys]], musician
*[[Chris Waddle]], footballer
* Kevin Whateley, actor
*[[Harry Woolf, Baron Woolf]], former [[Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales]]
*[[Ross Noble]], comedian extraordinaire
[[Category:Tyne and Wear]]
"[[We Didn't Start the Fire]]" by [[Billy Joel]] made reference to the book in the song.
[[Category:British English]]
[[nn:Geordie]]
The anime series ''[[Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex]]'' has references to the book throughout the series. The main story arc involves the case of a cyber-terrorist known as [[The Laughing Man (anime)|The Laughing Man]], whose name is taken from [[The Laughing Man (Salinger)|one of Salinger's short stories]], and the use of symbolism referring to the novel as well as some quotes of it. The most notable quote is the one plastered on the Laughing Man's logo: "I thought what I'd do was pretend I was one of those deaf-mutes".
The film ''[[Igby Goes Down]]'' borrows heavily from the plot of Catcher in the Rye, and contains numerous allusions to the work throughout the film.
American rock band [[Green Day]], in their [[Kerplunk!]] album, has a song titled "Who Wrote Holden Caulfield?"
"Life Is A Flower", featured on Swedish band [[Ace Of Base]]'s 1998 album "Flowers", includes the line "No catcher in the rye can help you from yourself".
One of the main characters in the film ''[[The Good Girl]]'' calls himself Holden and is seen reading the book and constantly referring to it.
Kevin Smith’s [[1997]] film ''[[Chasing Amy]]'' features the characters named Holden McNeil (a reference to [[Holden Caulfield]]) and Banky Edwards (a reference to the Pencey baseball coach Ed Banky).
The song 'Magna Cum Nada' on The [[Bloodhound Gang]]'s album [[Hooray for Boobies]] refers to Holden Caulfield. The opening lines of the song are:
'Why try? I'm that guy/Holden Caulfield from "Catcher In The Rye"/Put away 'cause he wasn't all there/Like a jigsaw puzzle you might compare/Me to him not a liver but wurst/Been much better off as a still birth'
==Time Period==
''The Catcher in the Rye'' clearly takes places in the late [[1940s]] to the early [[1950s]], which is about the time the novel was written. The death of Allie, Holden's younger brother, is given to be [[July 18]], [[1946]] and it is stated Holden was thirteen at that time. It follows, therefore, that the bulk of the story takes place in approximately [[December]] of [[1949]] and the story's "present" is the [[summer]] of [[1950]]. Given that in 1949 Christmas fell on a [[Sunday]], the two days that consume most of the novel are most likely [[December 18]] and [[December 19|19]] (if it was one week later, the second day of Holden's romp would be Christmas and, if it was one week earlier, Pencey would be letting its students out two full weeks before Christmas.)
==Memorable and Significant Quotes==
*"''I'm the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life. It's awful. If I'm on my way to the store to buy a magazine, even, and somebody asks me where I'm going, I'm liable to say I'm going to the opera.''"
*"''I thought what I'd do was, I'd pretend I was one of those deaf-mutes. That way I wouldn't have to have any goddam stupid useless conversations with anybody.''"
*"''Anyway, I'm sort of glad they've got the atomic bomb invented. If there's ever another war I'm going to sit right the hell on top of it. I'll volunteer for it, I swear to God I will.''"
*"''What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff- I mean if they're running and they don't look where they're going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That's all I'd do all day. I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it's crazy, but that's the only thing I'd really like to be. I know it's crazy.''"
*"''If you want to know the truth, I don't ''know'' what I think about it....Don't ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody.''"
*"''I think, even, if I ever die, and they stick me in a cemetery, and I have a tombstone and all, it'll say 'Holden Caulfield' on it, and then what year I was born and what year I died, and then right under that it'll say 'Fuck you.'"''
*Recurrent: "''I'm not kidding.''", "''I'm a madman.''"
==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
* [http://www.bookrags.com/summary-catcherintherye.html BookRags Study Guide] Book notes, essays, biography, etc.
* [http://www.geocities.com/exploring_citr/ Exploring ''The Catcher in the Rye'']
* [http://dir.yahoo.com/Arts/Humanities/Literature/Authors/Literary_Fiction/Salinger__J_D_/Catcher_in_the_Rye__The/ Yahoo!'s Catcher in the Rye Section]
* [http://www.euronet.nl/users/los/censorhistory.html A comprehensive history] of the book's [[censorship]]
* [http://pinkmonkey.com/booknotes/monkeynotes/pmCatcher40.asp Monkey Notes]
* [http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/catcher/ Spark Notes]
[[Category:1951 books|Catcher in the Rye]]
[[Category:Banned books|Catcher in the Rye]]
[[Category:Controversial books|Catcher in the Rye]]
[[Category:Modern Library 100 best novels|Catcher]]
[[Category:American novels|Catcher in the Rye]]
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[[de:Der Fänger im Roggen]]
[[he:התפסן בשדה השיפון]]
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