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.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Thursday, March 28, 2013
"Sorting Laundry"- tone
"Sorting Laundry"
by Elisavietta Ritche
This poem is full of figurative language, like the extended metaphor, which helps reveal meaning and the changing tone. The tone in the first three quarters of the poem is relaxed and happy. The speaker talks about folding clothes of herself and her significant other. The laundry descriptions show how the woman is happy and comfortable in her relationship. The relationship is long, balanced, and the man and woman accept each other.
The relaxed and happy tone changes at the end though. There is a discovery of a "strangely tailored shirt left by a former lover" (Ritchie, 842). This prompts the speaker to think about past failed relationships, then she begins to worry about her current relationship ending. "A mountain of unsorted wash could not fill up the empty side of the bed" (Ritchie, 842). This hyperbole shows how lost and lonely the speaker would be without her significant other. The tone at the end is more worried and frantic. After a second look, the reader may even notice that throughout the poem, the speaker talks about smaller and smaller clothes, symbolizing smaller and smaller details of the relationship. She slowly picks apart the relationship until she becomes frantic and thinks of worse-case scenarios.
The diminishing size of the clothing helps with the change in tone that comes along with finding the strange shirt. The tone shows how the speaker truly feels about the relationship- usually comfortable and satisfied, but scared if she thinks too much.
by Elisavietta Ritche
This poem is full of figurative language, like the extended metaphor, which helps reveal meaning and the changing tone. The tone in the first three quarters of the poem is relaxed and happy. The speaker talks about folding clothes of herself and her significant other. The laundry descriptions show how the woman is happy and comfortable in her relationship. The relationship is long, balanced, and the man and woman accept each other.
The relaxed and happy tone changes at the end though. There is a discovery of a "strangely tailored shirt left by a former lover" (Ritchie, 842). This prompts the speaker to think about past failed relationships, then she begins to worry about her current relationship ending. "A mountain of unsorted wash could not fill up the empty side of the bed" (Ritchie, 842). This hyperbole shows how lost and lonely the speaker would be without her significant other. The tone at the end is more worried and frantic. After a second look, the reader may even notice that throughout the poem, the speaker talks about smaller and smaller clothes, symbolizing smaller and smaller details of the relationship. She slowly picks apart the relationship until she becomes frantic and thinks of worse-case scenarios.
The diminishing size of the clothing helps with the change in tone that comes along with finding the strange shirt. The tone shows how the speaker truly feels about the relationship- usually comfortable and satisfied, but scared if she thinks too much.
"Batter my heart, three-personed God"- paradox
"Batter my heart, three-personed God"
by John Donne
This poem is full of paradoxes.
The speaker is a constant sinner, and wants God to make him new, free, and pure. The irony/paradox is that to make him new, the speaker wants God to "break, blow, burn [him]" (Donne, 840). The speaker says that he is "betrothed to you enemy" (Donne, 840). The basically means that the speaker is married to Satan. Yet, the speaker loves God.
The speaker wants to stop sinning, but cannot unless God imprisons and cleanses him. "Except you enthrall me, never shall I be free" (Donne, 840). This paradox is assisted by the double meaning of the word "enthrall." On one hand, enthrall means to enslave. The speaker is saying, 'Unless you enslave me, I will not be free.' On the other hand, enthrall can also mean to capture someone's attention. The speaker wants God to capture his attention. God must make an effort to keep the speaker away from sin, as opposed to the traditional method of the sinner making an effort to come back to God. The truth revealed in the paradox is that God must imprison the speaker and take his attention in order for the speaker to be free from sin.
These drastic paradoxes show the intensity of the emotion felt by the speaker. The author clearly gets the point across that drastic measure must be taken for the speaker to be pure.
by John Donne
This poem is full of paradoxes.
The speaker is a constant sinner, and wants God to make him new, free, and pure. The irony/paradox is that to make him new, the speaker wants God to "break, blow, burn [him]" (Donne, 840). The speaker says that he is "betrothed to you enemy" (Donne, 840). The basically means that the speaker is married to Satan. Yet, the speaker loves God.
The speaker wants to stop sinning, but cannot unless God imprisons and cleanses him. "Except you enthrall me, never shall I be free" (Donne, 840). This paradox is assisted by the double meaning of the word "enthrall." On one hand, enthrall means to enslave. The speaker is saying, 'Unless you enslave me, I will not be free.' On the other hand, enthrall can also mean to capture someone's attention. The speaker wants God to capture his attention. God must make an effort to keep the speaker away from sin, as opposed to the traditional method of the sinner making an effort to come back to God. The truth revealed in the paradox is that God must imprison the speaker and take his attention in order for the speaker to be free from sin.
These drastic paradoxes show the intensity of the emotion felt by the speaker. The author clearly gets the point across that drastic measure must be taken for the speaker to be pure.
"I taste a liquor never brewed"- metaphor
"I taste a liquor never brewed"
by Emily Dickinson
When I first read this poem, it reminded me of a line from a country song by Luke Bryan. The lyrics say, "I'm a little drunk on you, and high on summertime." Just like in the song, drunkenness is not being taken literally in this poem. The poem is an extended metaphor. Being drunk on liquor symbolizes the pure joy the speaker receives from nature. The title, which is also the first line of the poem, specifically tells the reader that the speaker is note actually drunk on real liquor. The liquor is "never brewed, " "Not all the Vats upon the Rhine yield such an Alcohol" (Dickinson, 797). The liquor has never been made the way all liquors have, the alcohol has never been produced from a vat. This clarifies that the liquor is not actually an intoxicating liquid. The metaphor is continued when the speaker says she is "Inebriate of Air" (Dickinson, 797).
With this extended metaphor, the author vividly displays the pure and vast joy the speaker receives from nature. Nature makes the speaker feel light and elated, like being tipsy or drunk from alcohol.
by Emily Dickinson
When I first read this poem, it reminded me of a line from a country song by Luke Bryan. The lyrics say, "I'm a little drunk on you, and high on summertime." Just like in the song, drunkenness is not being taken literally in this poem. The poem is an extended metaphor. Being drunk on liquor symbolizes the pure joy the speaker receives from nature. The title, which is also the first line of the poem, specifically tells the reader that the speaker is note actually drunk on real liquor. The liquor is "never brewed, " "Not all the Vats upon the Rhine yield such an Alcohol" (Dickinson, 797). The liquor has never been made the way all liquors have, the alcohol has never been produced from a vat. This clarifies that the liquor is not actually an intoxicating liquid. The metaphor is continued when the speaker says she is "Inebriate of Air" (Dickinson, 797).
With this extended metaphor, the author vividly displays the pure and vast joy the speaker receives from nature. Nature makes the speaker feel light and elated, like being tipsy or drunk from alcohol.
'The Convergence of the Twain"- Structure
"The Convergence of the Twain"
by Thomas Hardy
When I read that this poem is about the Titanic, a famous ship, the very first thing I noticed was that the individual stanzas look like little boats on the ocean. The first two lines are short, like a little ship, and the last line of the three-line stanza is long, like the vast waves of the ocean.
Another benefit of the two short lines and one long line deals with the subject matter discussed in the lines. Overall, the first two lines describe the beauty, vanity, and opulence of the Titanic. "...mirrors meant to glass the opulent..." "Jewels in joy designed to ravish the sensuous mind" (Hardy, 778). This rich description helps the reader picture the grandeur of the ship in its prime: A huge ship built to cater to the desires of the wealthy, exhibiting the extremes of human vanity. However, the reader will notice that the first two line are short. This is symbolic of the brief nature of human vanity, and more specifically, the short-lived journey of the Titanic. The Titanic, standing as a representation, even a quintessential example, of human vanity, sank fast. The ship and vanity did not last long. The third line, on the other hand, is long. This third line of the stanza tends to describe the ocean, or underwater life, especially in the first half of the poem. This underwater life does not have the beauty of the life above water. In fact, the scene is described in scary and repulsive terms: "The sea-worm crawls- grotesque, slimed, dumb, indifferent" (Hardy, 778). These lines are longer to symbolize the eternal state of the Titanic. The Titanic sank to the bottom of a dark ocean, where its beauty can no longer be appreciated, and for eternity, there it will stay.
The author uses structure to make a visual point, and also to show the journey of the Titanic: short-lived vanity to eternal darkness.
by Thomas Hardy
When I read that this poem is about the Titanic, a famous ship, the very first thing I noticed was that the individual stanzas look like little boats on the ocean. The first two lines are short, like a little ship, and the last line of the three-line stanza is long, like the vast waves of the ocean.Another benefit of the two short lines and one long line deals with the subject matter discussed in the lines. Overall, the first two lines describe the beauty, vanity, and opulence of the Titanic. "...mirrors meant to glass the opulent..." "Jewels in joy designed to ravish the sensuous mind" (Hardy, 778). This rich description helps the reader picture the grandeur of the ship in its prime: A huge ship built to cater to the desires of the wealthy, exhibiting the extremes of human vanity. However, the reader will notice that the first two line are short. This is symbolic of the brief nature of human vanity, and more specifically, the short-lived journey of the Titanic. The Titanic, standing as a representation, even a quintessential example, of human vanity, sank fast. The ship and vanity did not last long. The third line, on the other hand, is long. This third line of the stanza tends to describe the ocean, or underwater life, especially in the first half of the poem. This underwater life does not have the beauty of the life above water. In fact, the scene is described in scary and repulsive terms: "The sea-worm crawls- grotesque, slimed, dumb, indifferent" (Hardy, 778). These lines are longer to symbolize the eternal state of the Titanic. The Titanic sank to the bottom of a dark ocean, where its beauty can no longer be appreciated, and for eternity, there it will stay.
The author uses structure to make a visual point, and also to show the journey of the Titanic: short-lived vanity to eternal darkness.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
"To His Coy Mistress"- Motif
"To His Coy Mistress"
by Andrew Marvell
The speaker of the poem is a young man who loves a young woman and is speaking about how much time they have. Time is the motif in this poem, as it referenced many times and the change in mood/tone of the poem is based on a different perception of time. The first half of the poem talks about what the speaker would do if he had, basically, all the time in the world. He exaggerates, saying than a "hundred years should go to praise thine eyes...two hundred to adore each breast" (Marvell, 803). The speaker says that if he and the women were immortal, and youth was eternal, he could spend centuries admiring her beauty and waiting for her to return his love. As romantic as this sounds, the tone soon changes when the speaker is honest and bluntly says that, unfortunately, the lovers do not have all the time in the world. "But at my back I always hear time's winged chariot hurrying near" (804). Because they do not have much time, and both beauty and youth dwindle quickly, the speaker suggests that the lovers enjoy the moment, and enjoy each other now, before they are too old. He uses the fear of time, or time running out, to possibly convince the woman that they should, "like amorous birds of prey...at once our time devour" (804).
by Andrew Marvell
The speaker of the poem is a young man who loves a young woman and is speaking about how much time they have. Time is the motif in this poem, as it referenced many times and the change in mood/tone of the poem is based on a different perception of time. The first half of the poem talks about what the speaker would do if he had, basically, all the time in the world. He exaggerates, saying than a "hundred years should go to praise thine eyes...two hundred to adore each breast" (Marvell, 803). The speaker says that if he and the women were immortal, and youth was eternal, he could spend centuries admiring her beauty and waiting for her to return his love. As romantic as this sounds, the tone soon changes when the speaker is honest and bluntly says that, unfortunately, the lovers do not have all the time in the world. "But at my back I always hear time's winged chariot hurrying near" (804). Because they do not have much time, and both beauty and youth dwindle quickly, the speaker suggests that the lovers enjoy the moment, and enjoy each other now, before they are too old. He uses the fear of time, or time running out, to possibly convince the woman that they should, "like amorous birds of prey...at once our time devour" (804).
"Barbie Doll"- irony and satire
"Barbie Doll"
by Marge Piercy
The poem focuses on a young girl, healthy, smart, and strong, who faced criticism from her peers. This is something many people relate to, and like many girls, the subject of the poem tried desperately to change her imperfections. "She went to and fro apologizing" (Piercy, 835). "She was advised to..exercise, diet, smile, and wheedle" (836). Now the last stanza is where the girl in the poem takes the teasing farther than a normal person would. It takes the reader by total surprise: "So she cut off her nose and her legs and offered them up" (836). The girl honestly killed herself to be perfect. Not figuratively, literally. And the most ironic part is the last three lines, the ones that stood out to me the most. When the girl was lying in her coffin- "Doesn't she look pretty? everyone said. Consummation at last. To every woman a happy ending" (836). Are you kidding me!? A happy ending? Apparently the only thing that makes women happy is being seen as beautiful. This girl thought that beauty was worth death, or at least extreme pain. Consummation means perfect ending. The irony is that she killed herself for the perfect ending. The perfect/happy ending wasn't to live, it was to be beautiful, which is outrageous.
I think this poem is also a little satire of our idealized culture and the kind of teasing that people, especially teens endure. Today, we are all just compared to unrealistic images and some people become obsessed with acceptance or perfection, leading to negative results.
by Marge Piercy
The poem focuses on a young girl, healthy, smart, and strong, who faced criticism from her peers. This is something many people relate to, and like many girls, the subject of the poem tried desperately to change her imperfections. "She went to and fro apologizing" (Piercy, 835). "She was advised to..exercise, diet, smile, and wheedle" (836). Now the last stanza is where the girl in the poem takes the teasing farther than a normal person would. It takes the reader by total surprise: "So she cut off her nose and her legs and offered them up" (836). The girl honestly killed herself to be perfect. Not figuratively, literally. And the most ironic part is the last three lines, the ones that stood out to me the most. When the girl was lying in her coffin- "Doesn't she look pretty? everyone said. Consummation at last. To every woman a happy ending" (836). Are you kidding me!? A happy ending? Apparently the only thing that makes women happy is being seen as beautiful. This girl thought that beauty was worth death, or at least extreme pain. Consummation means perfect ending. The irony is that she killed herself for the perfect ending. The perfect/happy ending wasn't to live, it was to be beautiful, which is outrageous.
I think this poem is also a little satire of our idealized culture and the kind of teasing that people, especially teens endure. Today, we are all just compared to unrealistic images and some people become obsessed with acceptance or perfection, leading to negative results.
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