Brothers,
So, here we are: the last blog of the year (I think). First Huck Finn, now Holden Caulfield of Catcher in the Rye fame.
What'd you think? In at least 400 words, tell us what's up. Be sure to incorporate some aspect of literary analysis into your essay. In other words, is there any literary technique that stands out as meaningful to you in reading and understanding the novel?
Or what do you make of Holden's vocational vision? What do you make of the characters themselves? What do you make of the symbolism, imagery, irony, etc. ?
BRob
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9 comments:
Bob Kelly
ENG 320 Section 2
15 May 2007
The Catcher in the Rye: Reaction Sheet
I thought that J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye was a decent read, but it did not truly live up to my expectations. After hearing so much about the book as a “classic,” I had high hopes for the novel. Overall, I just felt that the book was incomplete without a solid ending. I did not like how Holden decided not to stop tell the whole story, which leaves the reader with some unresolved questions.
Two of the major themes shown throughout the novel are loneliness and isolation. Loneliness is shown during the entire book, while describing Holden’s random meetings with others. While he is in New York City, after he is thrown out of Pencey Prep, he calls girl after girl in an attempt to setup a date. Holden’s constant desire for someone else to be with him shows how lonely he really is. He even goes so far as to start conversation with random people, like the cab drivers and the women at the bar. Another theme portrayed in the novel is isolation. Holden wears his red “people hunting hat” as almost a form of intimidation, forcing people to stay away from him. Once he arranges his date with Sally Hayes, only because he is lonely, Holden pushes her away because he is scared of any type of emotional or physical contact, causing him to remain isolated. Although he seems to isolate himself from the people around him, it is rather clear that he just wants a companion and to be accepted by everyone else.
Personally, I think that Holden’s vocational vision as the “catcher in the rye” is somewhat odd. His vision is of himself standing near the edge of a cliff covered in a rye field with children running around playing in it. As the children come close to the edge, Holden would catch them, saving their life. Although Holden does not do well in school, he seems to be an intellectually bright person. He enjoys English, and if he were to apply himself, he could do great things. Holden sets low expectations for himself by choosing this vocation because he does not want to face the disappointment of more failure into adulthood. As a character, I feel that Holden is very confused. He constantly calls other people “phony,” while he is sometimes just as “phony” as they are. I was also disturbed by how he viewed women like objects. Holden tries repeatedly to flirt with any women that he sees, and when he meets up with Carl Luce, all he wants to talk about is sex. When he has the opportunity to have sex, however, he is “frightened” and isolates himself from Sunny the prostitute.
Some of the symbols that were important to Holden’s character were the ducks in the central park pond and the carousel. Holden asks various taxi drivers numerous times about where the ducks in the pond go during the winter, and each time, the drivers become angry and don’t answer. His curiosity about the ducks shows how youthful and immature Holden still is. The carousel also is a symbol of youth. When Phoebe, Holden’s younger sister, rides the carousel, she is filled with youthful joy.
Although the book may seem like an assortment of different thoughts thrown together, it still strongly portrays one boy’s journey from childhood into adulthood through his personal experiences.
Matt Schluckebier
Brother Peach
5/15/07
The Catcher in the Rye
Or what do you make of Holden's vocational vision? What do you make of the characters themselves? What do you make of the symbolism, imagery, irony, etc. ?
In the novel, the Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger Holden is a teenager, Holden, who is very confused about growing up and does not want to. He thinks that all adults are phonies and don’t realize it. On the other hand he cherishes children and childhood. He loves there innocence and stress-free life. Holden cannot seem to stay in school due to academic failure; he has been kicked out of four other schools. During the novel Holden decides he wants to be the Catcher in the Rye just like the poem he read as a child. To me I think that this is not a good goal to reach for because he is taking it from a poem and it is not something that you have to strive for and work real hard for. When Holden’s sister tells him he has misread the poem, Holden does not listen he still wants to be the Catcher in the Rye.
The characters in this book are pretty realistic to me. There are people in the world who are like Holden. I think Holden had very peculiar characteristics to him. It is odd how much he likes children and how when he gets older he wants his occupation to be catching children as they fall. I think his family is also very realistic. I think his sister Phoebe is a very down-to-earth smart girl especially for her age. His parents are both normal parents only wanting the best for their son. His older brother sounds very successful in Hollywood while working on movie sets.
There is a lot of significant imagery and themes in the book. For themes, one major theme is the resentment towards growing up. Holden absolutely does not want to grow up because he thinks that all adults are phony. He would much rather be a child and live a care free life for the rest of his life. Another significant theme is the phoniness of adulthood. In reality adulthood isn’t phony its just that to Holden it is because he uses it as an excuse to be his odd lonely self. A significant symbol in the book is the title “Catcher in the Rye” this is a symbol because it is what Holden wants to do with his life and it represents his character. Another significant symbol are the ducks in the park. This is symbolic because Holden is constantly curious about them which shows the curiosity of a child in Holden.
Overall I think this was a good book to finish off they year with. It shows us that if we don’t work hard in school what we will turn out to be.
What do I Think of The Catcher in the Rye. One word sums it up true. This novel really tells life like it is. The world can be a depressing place and Holden really shows the world at its worst. Holden is very much like us. We are both trying to hold on to our childhood. We both would rather leave work and school and relax. Holden goes against life when he leaves Pencey he goes against the rules of life. Salinger does choose a good setting. In a novel where depression is so relevent New York was a great place for a setting. There is some real depression in New York. There is also alot of irony in this novel much as there is in life. It seems ironic that Holden should be depressed as well as bitching about life in the joyfull season he is in. After all it was christmas time in the novel. There is also good imagery in this novel much like in The Great Gatsby.
The Red Hunting Hat is one of the most colorful images in the novel. I believe it is Holden`s heart its red like a heart. He hides his face in it sometimes much like we hide are true feelings, and he gives the hat to his pheobe much like we can give our hearts to others. So "if a body meet a body coming through the rye"
Brendan Hilsey
Bro. Robert Peach
Eng 320.2
May 16 , 2007
The Catcher in the Rye is a story about a teenager named Holden Caulfield. The story begins with Holden finding out he failed out of Pencey Prep school. Holden is a depressed person who try’s very hard to find things that interest him. However , most instances of happiness remind him of a bad experience in his past and he then hates the activity or person. He is very picky when it comes to people that he hangs out with. He hates the rich snobby kids at his school. The only subject that Holden did not fail was English and his teacher is very disappointed in him. Holden runs away to New York City after fighting with his roommate. While in New York he meets up with people he used to know and soon gets more depressed. Evetually he returns home to find only his sister there. The two of them talk for a while and soon his parents come home. Fearful of what they will do when they find him and that he has failed out , he runs away to an old teachers house. He stays there for a while and then decides to go west. He says goodbye to his sister and watches her as she rides the carousel, here he cries and the story comes to an end.
The story has some hidden features, the ones that we spoke most about was Holden’s growing up. Holden dosen’t know what he wants to do in his life yet and he is always trying to figure out what to do. He is also a very depressed person. In my opinion I believe he is depressed because he wants to act his own way and when it turns out badly people look down upon him and he feels bad. His name also has a hidden meaning. Holden sounds very much like “hold on” which is exactly what Holden wants to do. He wants to hold on to his childhood and not escape the feeling of being a kid. That is why he always thinks into the past and also why he enjoys his little sisters company. He also feels as if he must protect the youth. He recalls a dream he had once of him catching kids that were falling of a cliff. Also he feels like he needs to do something when he sees the language that is graphitized on his sisters schools wall.
In conclusion , Holden is a very upset person but can find joy in the company of his sister and brother. I thought the book had its boring parts and he continually complained or had a random flashback on a small event that was triggered in his memory. The book was a good read and should be kept on the reading list for high school.
Rob Gill
English 320.02
Brother Rob Peach
Period 2
Catcher in the Rye is an intriguing novel involving the life of a troubled boy named Holden Caulfield. The book is written as though Holden is telling the reader his life story. The reader will be able to come to the sad conclusion that Holden is in a mental hospital or institution. He tells, detail by detail, the events, which lead to his breakdown. Holden leads the reader through his trying and troubled teen-age years. One will begin to sympathize with him and end up feeling sorry for him since he has had such a difficult time with almost every situation. Having a pessimistic attitude toward life, he never learns how to enjoy life or absorb some of the good that life has to offer.
In the book, we meet Holden Caulfield, a seemingly whiny teenager who has just been kicked out of another fancy-pants prep school full of what he lovingly refers to as "phonies." Weighted down by the wrath of his "touchy as hell" parents, the death of his younger brother, and the shattered image of his older brother, young Holden is the balancing on the tip of a double-edged sword waiting to be cut in half.
The one sure and positive thing in his life is his little sister, Phoebe. Both a beacon and a comfort, Holden finds solace in what he feels is the only genuine person around. And consequently, Phoebe feels the same way. This book explores the human condition in a way that forces the reader to examine what happens when people go crazy and the habit of the American society to turn its head on those who they would consider unfit due to mental anguish. Even though Holden appears to be a self-centered spoiled brat, he is actually a very sad young man dealing with tragedy, loss, and disappointment while figuring out where he fits in an unwelcoming world. Despite the fact that Holden is a teenager, he is nonetheless identifiable with anyone who has dealt, or is dealing, with the awesome complications of life and society's unwillingness to open its arms.
Throughout the novel, several different things stood out as imagery. From the carousel, to the red hunting hat, to the question of the Ducks in the winter, Holden’s language and visuals take the readers to see the true meaning behind his loneliness. The carousel relates tot eh catcher in the rye and Holden’s loneliness. He wants to feel important and be around others with whom he can connect to. They are the children. Children are another important aspect in the novel. I thought that the imaged portrayed by Holden of the different children from the park, to the boy singing, to phoebe let us get a look at the true nature of Holden. They show us that the children have a desirable innocence and Holden wants to return to the time of innocence with his brother and his sister.
The phrases that Holden uses are very necessary to the novel. Anything that Holden likes or that deeply touches him, he says it “kills him”. He often uses that phrase when relating to children because it kills him to know that he will never return to his childhood and his innocence. The children have it great yet they do not realize how great the childhood is until you move past it. As the saying goes, you don’t appreciate anything until it is gone.”
The ducks is another apparent image throughout the Catcher in the Rye. I imagined that the ducks represented something leaving that will return. You can compare the ducks to Holden’s school life in that he leaves home but in winter, whether being expelled or going home for break, he returns home. The Ducks are Holden, traveling to find something that is necessary for salvation, warmth, and that warmth comes from the interaction with children, especially Phoebe. Phoebe is an interesting child in that she is more of an adult in intellect that Holden for certain aspect. She is more organized and excels at many subjects at school. For Holden, Phoebe is a salvation from the “phonies” of Life.
The red hunting hat leaves an image with the reader. When someone says Holden, the bright red hunting hat that may look a bit ridiculous with the ear flaps, comes to mind. The red symbolizes a connection with the other siblings of the family. The other kids, phoebe and Allie, both had red hair and this can be used as a way to connect to them.
Overall, Holden’s desire to become a child is apparent through several images in the novel. The images support Holden’s loneliness and desire to be a simple, innocent person.
J.D. Salinger's novel The Catcher in the Rye was an excellent book. Despite having heard negative opinions of the novel, I found it very engrossing and full of symbolism. The themes of isolation and detachment were very prominent throughout the novel. Holden's life is full of isolation. Attending boarding school, he is isolated from his sister, parents, and a sense of family. To further this isolation, he has attended and been expelled from four other schools before Pencey Prep. Holden does not fully embrace his desire to end this detachment from others. This may lead to his ultimate fate, admittance to a mental institution. Holden is becoming detached from his childhood, something he desperately wants to hold on to. He sees this in Phoebe, and his realized vocation. Holden wants to protect his innocence and childhood, but ultimately would like to protect the innocence of others as stated in his vocation. He would rather protect their innocence than protect himself from falling deeper into the life he does not want. Holden detaches himself from most things in an effort to protect himself. He finds he cannot do this, and is faced with the dilemma of isolating himself or exposing himself to the real world. This internal turmoil is evident on his date with Sally, in which he seeks time with her and then drives her away. Eventually, Holden was not able to maintain what little stability he had as it is implied he is in a mental hospital. Holden is searching, from school-to-school, for a way to avoid adult life and maintain his innocence.
Sean Gillespie
Brother Peach
English 302.02
May 16, 2007
After my reading of The Catcher in the Rye, I like others who have posted, desired something more from the ending. The novel's ending did leave me with many unresolved and unexplained occurences for which I had formualted questions. However, after a second thought back through my reading of the novel, I feel that its ending truly fits in with the overall writing style and plot throughout. The author truly attmepts to convey a feeling of rambling and senselessness in his protangonist, Holden Caulfield.
The entire novel and its plot story are told through the emotions, experiences and vantage points of Holden. Because of the lack of direction and order in Holden's life, he conveys much of his story in the same way. Many of the events he speaks of have little to no significance to anything that he stands for, but he tells them simply because he finds them interesting or important. In this way the author can validify his ending and its relavance to the novel because throughout the plot unexpected and unnecessary events and confrontations take place. While an abrupt ending may leave the reader guessing, wondering and wishing, in this particular case an abrupt ending is necessary and fits in with the rest of the novel.
Another major event in the book that can be related to the novel's "random" element, is the scene in which Holden explains to Phoebe that he is going to become a Catcher in the Rye for children. Up until that point the only mentions of "catchers" or a rye is from a little boy whom Holden hears singing while he is walking down the street. At the point in the plot at which Holden decides that this is his life vision, there was no previous indication that this was going to happen. This conversation further solidifies Holden's wandering imagination and proves that he has no train of thought or reason for saying what he says. In this way, Holden description of himself as a catcher in the rye relates back to the type of ending that the story has and why it is fitting. In a novel that contains no true plot direction or central idea, an ending that is abrupt and provides no clarity is acceptable. Not only is such a conclusion acceptable, but it is almost called for to blend with the rest of the novel's driving twisted and random story of a day as Holden Caulfield.
In "The Catcher and the Rye" i enjoyed Holden's character very much. Out of this character i got a gruff kid who seems to always be depressed. Throughout the novel, though, i kind of felt bad for Holden. Even though he seemed like a kid who could hold his own against the toughest of competitions, namely: Maurice, the elevator guy who takes his money, or drinking himself silly, or getting home, his true competitor was actually himself. I also felt, though, that all the characters around him molded him a little in some way. I think that Stradlater and Maurice make him think about his actions more, although at the same time makes him more depressed and angry and wanting to get away. I think, at the same rate, he gets softer in a way. It seems like the times he does get he crap beat out of him he gets more childlike. This than leads to a character, but not really a character. This being the "Fuck You"'s that he sees in the halls of Phoebe's gradeschool(Holden's old one). When he sees it he gets angry and even says that he wouldnt want his sister seeing such vulgarity and the fact that he does this shows that he wouldnt want his sister to be like him and I think here he begins to realize that he's kind of wrong in thinking about running trying to run away.
In terms of Holden's vocational vision, it does seem just like that of many people living today other than the "not going to college" part of the equation. Most of us all strive for a great job, a good living space, and a loving wife by their sides. Obviously the thing that bothers me and probably most people who read this, wonder why would he want to just throw his life away. i do believe in the back of his mind he knows that without school theres really nothing you can do. You'd probably be able to get an ok job with an ok pay but in reality you wont be able to live off of a small salary. With this being said I enjoyed how Phoebe interferred with him leaving because I think if she dindt, Holden might have been found on the streets dead with alcohol in him later down the line, and I'm saying this, of course, in reality, it's what I believe. Overall, I really enjoyed the book and all of the interlying characters.
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