The Catcher in the Rye
by J.D. Salinger
pgs 156-214
Holden's story finally comes to a close. He has told about the last few years of his life up to the current point. By this time, Holden has changed. He no longer is struggling with his parents' and societies requests/requirements. He also is no longer struggling against school and getting an education. His physical and mental conflicts with others will not repeat themselves; Holden admittedly regrets them. Though he may still be confused about himself inside, his external conflicts are becoming much less severe, or have been solved. "If you want to know the truth, I don't know what I think about it...About all I know is, I sort of miss everybody I told about. Even old Stradlater and Ackley, for instance" (Salinger, 214). Holden is going back to school, and he realizes that he can actually make decent relationships with people if he tries.
At the end of the novel, Holden decides to just go home instead of skipping out on his family and living alone. He also decides to go back to school. This shows that Holden is maturing, and how is is gradually falling in line with society's standards of a well-off young man.
Outwardly, Holden appears to be making a positive change. On the inside though, he is still confused and not as mature as he appears. In addition, he might still have a problem with relationships- "Don't ever tall anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody" (Salinger, 214). This shows that Holden is very averse to getting close to people just because he might get hurt, like he was hurt when his brother died. However, this does show a positive change because it exhibits how Holden is showing connections to people and longing for more connections. Therefore, I think Holden has improved drastically since the beginning of the novel and no longer has to deal with as many conflicts as before.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Catcher in the Rye- Theme and Motif
The Catcher in the Rye
by J.D. Salinger
pgs 156-214
Theme is defined as the insight about human life that is revealed in a literary work and motif is defined as recurring image, phrase, idea, or situation used throughout a work, unifying new ideas to a theme. Though they have different definitions, I believe the two are very closely related in this novel.
The motif I got from this novel was Holden's attempts to distance himself from adults and maturity. He was very focused on things in-between (like a pond half-frozen) and on finding ways to relate to children. One thing he says he really likes to spend time with his little sister Phoebe- "Anyway, I like it now...Sitting here and chewing the fat and horsing..." (Salinger, 172). In section 3, he tied a girl's skate and wanted to hang out with her. In section four, he walked two younger boys around the museum- "They stuck close as hell to me, and the one that didn't talk at all practically was holding onto my sleeve" (Salinger, 204).
He refers to many people as "old" as a way to differentiate himself from them and their maturity or age, even though some are the same age as him. He calls his friends old to give the impression that he is younger than them. Even though he may act less mature many times, Holden is in his late teens, the same age as his classmates and roommate. However, he seem to get along much better with those younger than him. He was very close to his little brother Allie, and he is very close to his little sister.
A recurring situation is Holden hanging out with younger children, and having much more fun or being more comfortable than when he spends time with people his age or older. The insight is that not everyone matures steadily or completely. Some people just don't want to grow up.
by J.D. Salinger
pgs 156-214
Theme is defined as the insight about human life that is revealed in a literary work and motif is defined as recurring image, phrase, idea, or situation used throughout a work, unifying new ideas to a theme. Though they have different definitions, I believe the two are very closely related in this novel.
The motif I got from this novel was Holden's attempts to distance himself from adults and maturity. He was very focused on things in-between (like a pond half-frozen) and on finding ways to relate to children. One thing he says he really likes to spend time with his little sister Phoebe- "Anyway, I like it now...Sitting here and chewing the fat and horsing..." (Salinger, 172). In section 3, he tied a girl's skate and wanted to hang out with her. In section four, he walked two younger boys around the museum- "They stuck close as hell to me, and the one that didn't talk at all practically was holding onto my sleeve" (Salinger, 204).
He refers to many people as "old" as a way to differentiate himself from them and their maturity or age, even though some are the same age as him. He calls his friends old to give the impression that he is younger than them. Even though he may act less mature many times, Holden is in his late teens, the same age as his classmates and roommate. However, he seem to get along much better with those younger than him. He was very close to his little brother Allie, and he is very close to his little sister.
A recurring situation is Holden hanging out with younger children, and having much more fun or being more comfortable than when he spends time with people his age or older. The insight is that not everyone matures steadily or completely. Some people just don't want to grow up.
Catcher in the Rye- Allusion and Symbolism
The Catcher in the Rye
by J.D. Salinger
pgs 156-214
Earlier on in the novel, Holden hears a boy singing a little tune, and it gets stuck in his head and he keeps thinking about it. Holden mentions it later to Phoebe when she asks him if he really likes anything a lot. "'You know that song, 'If a body catch a body comin through the rye? ...What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff...'" (Salinger, 173)
This quote alludes to a poem by Robert Burns, and it shows a lot about how Holden feels about himself and the affects of maturation on others. I believe that the cliff Holden refers to is symbolic of the crossing over from youth into adulthood. Holden as the catcher in the rye shows how Holden views himself as fitting in more with younger children, and also how he wants to save them from adulthood. Holden is not having an easy time being grown up, and he wants to save other children from turning out like him- immature and confused in a very grown up and lonely world. The cliff imagery is quite harsh- Holden views the transition from childhood to adulthood is a long and painful one. And as Holden is still present in the rye, Holden himself has not truly grown up yet.
The rye is an innocent and cheerful place, with "all these kids playing some game" (Salinger, 173). The cliff is the scary end to the rye, which is childhood. What would make Holden the happiest is saving other children from the trauma he had to endure from growing old too fast and not fitting in in a mature world.
This points to the primary internal conflict of the story and indicates why the book is named after this poem: Holden grew up to fast and is still partly stuck in childhood; he is an immature boy forced into a mature world.
by J.D. Salinger
pgs 156-214
Earlier on in the novel, Holden hears a boy singing a little tune, and it gets stuck in his head and he keeps thinking about it. Holden mentions it later to Phoebe when she asks him if he really likes anything a lot. "'You know that song, 'If a body catch a body comin through the rye? ...What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff...'" (Salinger, 173)
This quote alludes to a poem by Robert Burns, and it shows a lot about how Holden feels about himself and the affects of maturation on others. I believe that the cliff Holden refers to is symbolic of the crossing over from youth into adulthood. Holden as the catcher in the rye shows how Holden views himself as fitting in more with younger children, and also how he wants to save them from adulthood. Holden is not having an easy time being grown up, and he wants to save other children from turning out like him- immature and confused in a very grown up and lonely world. The cliff imagery is quite harsh- Holden views the transition from childhood to adulthood is a long and painful one. And as Holden is still present in the rye, Holden himself has not truly grown up yet.
The rye is an innocent and cheerful place, with "all these kids playing some game" (Salinger, 173). The cliff is the scary end to the rye, which is childhood. What would make Holden the happiest is saving other children from the trauma he had to endure from growing old too fast and not fitting in in a mature world.
This points to the primary internal conflict of the story and indicates why the book is named after this poem: Holden grew up to fast and is still partly stuck in childhood; he is an immature boy forced into a mature world.
Catcher in the Rye- Motivation
The Catcher in the Rye
by J. D. Salinger
pgs 156-214
Motivation is an interesting topic to discuss in reference to Holden, because at first glance, he has none. In a general view, Holden is completely unmotivated- to make friends, stay in school, or have intelligent conversations. However, as motivation is defined as a characters reasons for doing something, Holden does in fact have motivation for his action, or inaction. Holden always says how he's never "in the mood" to do anything- call people up, go to the movies, engage in a conversation, etc. When he is at Mr. Antolini's house, Mr Antonlini keeps asking Holden to go into detail about what he thinks and feels. Holden says, "'It's hard to explain.' I didn't feel much like trying, either. For one thing, I had this terrible headache all of a sudden" (184).
It seems like the second that anyone wants to get too personal or wants Holden to explain things more fully, Holden has a way or an excuse to avoid it. He blames his impersonal and anti-social behaviors on uncontrollable things, like his mood or a body ache. He refuses to admit that he simply does not want to explain himself or get to personal. This is Holden's way of defending himself and the way he thinks and feels. It also goes back to Holden being confused, insecure, and isolated. He has yet to take responsibility for not being intimately involved with anyone.
When Holden finishes his whole story, he realizes that at the time, he had no motivation to form close relationships; he was pushing people away. He now admits that, "I sort of miss everybody I told about" (214). Holden regrets not being kind or close to people, and with this realization, the reader can hope for a more promising future for Holden.
by J. D. Salinger
pgs 156-214
Motivation is an interesting topic to discuss in reference to Holden, because at first glance, he has none. In a general view, Holden is completely unmotivated- to make friends, stay in school, or have intelligent conversations. However, as motivation is defined as a characters reasons for doing something, Holden does in fact have motivation for his action, or inaction. Holden always says how he's never "in the mood" to do anything- call people up, go to the movies, engage in a conversation, etc. When he is at Mr. Antolini's house, Mr Antonlini keeps asking Holden to go into detail about what he thinks and feels. Holden says, "'It's hard to explain.' I didn't feel much like trying, either. For one thing, I had this terrible headache all of a sudden" (184).
It seems like the second that anyone wants to get too personal or wants Holden to explain things more fully, Holden has a way or an excuse to avoid it. He blames his impersonal and anti-social behaviors on uncontrollable things, like his mood or a body ache. He refuses to admit that he simply does not want to explain himself or get to personal. This is Holden's way of defending himself and the way he thinks and feels. It also goes back to Holden being confused, insecure, and isolated. He has yet to take responsibility for not being intimately involved with anyone.
When Holden finishes his whole story, he realizes that at the time, he had no motivation to form close relationships; he was pushing people away. He now admits that, "I sort of miss everybody I told about" (214). Holden regrets not being kind or close to people, and with this realization, the reader can hope for a more promising future for Holden.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Catcher in the Rye- Narration
The Catcher in the Rye
by J.D. Salinger
pgs 53-105
One thing I'm very curious about, is who Holden is actually talking to. The narration is first person, and he's narrating his current life events like he's telling a friend a story. Sometimes it sounds like Holden is just talking or thinking out loud to himself. But then, there are other cues that suggests he is addressing an outside person. He explains and describes things in detail like the listener is not aware of common knowledge such as Holden's school and family. But the diction and narration are very informal and comfortable. Holden uses a lot of slang and cuss words. When talking about his kid sister Phoebe, he says, "You'd like her" (Salinger, 67). "I don't want you to get the idea she was an icicle or something..." (Salinger, 79). These quotes suggest that Holden knows the listener well enough to know how said person would think.
The listener or the audience of the story may never be totally spelled out, but the informal diction and narration add a different dimension to the story. Even though the narration is first person, things are revealed to the reader that Holden himself doesn't explicitly state. His actions, words, and the actions of others all help reveal his character and personal feelings and beliefs.
by J.D. Salinger
pgs 53-105
One thing I'm very curious about, is who Holden is actually talking to. The narration is first person, and he's narrating his current life events like he's telling a friend a story. Sometimes it sounds like Holden is just talking or thinking out loud to himself. But then, there are other cues that suggests he is addressing an outside person. He explains and describes things in detail like the listener is not aware of common knowledge such as Holden's school and family. But the diction and narration are very informal and comfortable. Holden uses a lot of slang and cuss words. When talking about his kid sister Phoebe, he says, "You'd like her" (Salinger, 67). "I don't want you to get the idea she was an icicle or something..." (Salinger, 79). These quotes suggest that Holden knows the listener well enough to know how said person would think.
The listener or the audience of the story may never be totally spelled out, but the informal diction and narration add a different dimension to the story. Even though the narration is first person, things are revealed to the reader that Holden himself doesn't explicitly state. His actions, words, and the actions of others all help reveal his character and personal feelings and beliefs.
Catcher in the Rye- Metonymy
The Catcher in the Rye
by J.D. Salinger
pgs 53-105
Holden decides to go to a club, called the Lavender room, in the hotel he's staying at. He wants to dance and decides to go over to a table of three women. In describing and referencing them, Holden uses metonymy and other kinds of insulting names and descriptions. When he first mentions them, he says, "I started giving the three witches at the next table the eye again. That is, the blonde one. The other two were strictly from hunger" (Salinger, 70). Then he says, "Finally the blonde one got up to dance with me...the other two grools nearly had hysterics when we did" (70). Later he said, "The other ugly one, Laverne, thought she was a very witty type" (Salinger, 75).
Holden rarely ever calls the women by their names. He calls them "blonde one" and "ugly one." This distances the women from Holden and the reader. It demonstrates how judgment and simple-minded Holden is. He judges many people solely by their outward appearance. He calls people moron, stupid, ugly, etc. This ties back to his insecurities.
Holden is characterized by his demeaning actions and words because the reader can see that Holden is judgmental, crude, and insecure.
by J.D. Salinger
pgs 53-105
Holden decides to go to a club, called the Lavender room, in the hotel he's staying at. He wants to dance and decides to go over to a table of three women. In describing and referencing them, Holden uses metonymy and other kinds of insulting names and descriptions. When he first mentions them, he says, "I started giving the three witches at the next table the eye again. That is, the blonde one. The other two were strictly from hunger" (Salinger, 70). Then he says, "Finally the blonde one got up to dance with me...the other two grools nearly had hysterics when we did" (70). Later he said, "The other ugly one, Laverne, thought she was a very witty type" (Salinger, 75).
Holden rarely ever calls the women by their names. He calls them "blonde one" and "ugly one." This distances the women from Holden and the reader. It demonstrates how judgment and simple-minded Holden is. He judges many people solely by their outward appearance. He calls people moron, stupid, ugly, etc. This ties back to his insecurities.
Holden is characterized by his demeaning actions and words because the reader can see that Holden is judgmental, crude, and insecure.
Catcher in the Rye- Hyperbole
The Catcher in the Rye
by J.D. Salinger
pgs 53-105
When Holden got off the train in New York, he was looking for someone to call. He though of calling Jane, but his reasoning was a humorous and memorably characteristic quote:
He said he wouldn't call Jane because "Her mother knew my mothers and I could picture her breaking a goddam leg to get to the phone and tell my mother I was in New York" (Salinger, 59).
This exaggeration is a great example of how Holden feels about teenage problems. He feels confined. What is commonly called "teenage angst" is very apparent.
Holden is kicked out of another private school because he defied authority by not doing his work. Once he has a little bit of freedom, he abuses it. Holden gets his own hotel room, goes to a club, and orders a prostitute.
Holden's restrictive school environment, and possibly restrictive home environment makes him act out. Holden's hyperbole helps show that his perception of adults and authority is a confining image, and causes him to act out.
by J.D. Salinger
pgs 53-105
When Holden got off the train in New York, he was looking for someone to call. He though of calling Jane, but his reasoning was a humorous and memorably characteristic quote:
He said he wouldn't call Jane because "Her mother knew my mothers and I could picture her breaking a goddam leg to get to the phone and tell my mother I was in New York" (Salinger, 59).
This exaggeration is a great example of how Holden feels about teenage problems. He feels confined. What is commonly called "teenage angst" is very apparent.
Holden is kicked out of another private school because he defied authority by not doing his work. Once he has a little bit of freedom, he abuses it. Holden gets his own hotel room, goes to a club, and orders a prostitute.
Holden's restrictive school environment, and possibly restrictive home environment makes him act out. Holden's hyperbole helps show that his perception of adults and authority is a confining image, and causes him to act out.
Catcher in the Rye- Characterization
The Catcher in the Rye
by J.D. Salinger
pgs 53-105
Throughout the novel so far, I got the sense that Holden is very insecure. He likes to act big , tough, and confident, but his subtle word cues and actions tell a different story. For example, he constantly repeats himself, seemingly reassuring himself or trying to get a strong point across:
"They can drive you crazy. They really can" (Salinger, 73).
"I knew her like a book. I really did" (76).
There are countless other examples and it seems to me that Holden is unsure of himself. He is trying to convince the reader (and himself) about the previous statement. Its almost like he thinks the reader didn't believe him the first time he said it.
Another example of his insecurity is how he insults other people. He puts them down to build himself up. When talking about a talented pianist, Holden says, "He was putting all these dumb, show-offy ripples in the high notes, and a lot of other very tricky stuff that gives me a pain in the ass" (Salinger, 84).
I'm not sure exactly why Holden is insecure, but as the novel progresses, his complex character continues to develop.
by J.D. Salinger
pgs 53-105
Throughout the novel so far, I got the sense that Holden is very insecure. He likes to act big , tough, and confident, but his subtle word cues and actions tell a different story. For example, he constantly repeats himself, seemingly reassuring himself or trying to get a strong point across:
"They can drive you crazy. They really can" (Salinger, 73).
"I knew her like a book. I really did" (76).
There are countless other examples and it seems to me that Holden is unsure of himself. He is trying to convince the reader (and himself) about the previous statement. Its almost like he thinks the reader didn't believe him the first time he said it.
Another example of his insecurity is how he insults other people. He puts them down to build himself up. When talking about a talented pianist, Holden says, "He was putting all these dumb, show-offy ripples in the high notes, and a lot of other very tricky stuff that gives me a pain in the ass" (Salinger, 84).
I'm not sure exactly why Holden is insecure, but as the novel progresses, his complex character continues to develop.
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