Bringing Literature to Life

On a sunny and mild November day Grade 8 English students visited Central Park to retrace the steps of Holden, the protagonist and narrator of J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye. They visited a few of the book's iconic sites like the steps of the American Museum of Natural History, the duck pond and the carousel. The objective was to expand their understanding of the text by imagining what it is like to be Holden. One student commented, “Maybe Holden was grumpy because it was so cold and rainy.”

This experience also gave students an opportunity to reflect on the timeless reality of what it is like to be a teen in NYC. English teacher Nina Kolman comments, “It’s quite magical to be in nature in the middle of the city. Next year we might spend less time walking and more time observing passers-by, Holden’s favorite occupation.”