Representing America - American Literature AP - Blog

The Protruding Nail Gets Hammered- A Reflection on Individuality

Throughout this semesters reading, I (and, evidently, my peers) have noticed a strong theme of individuality in each of the texts.

However, I feel like you can interpret this individuality in two ways, strange as that may seem. Each of the strong characters of our readings, prime examples being MacNolia, Hester, Douglass, and Holden, all seem to both benefit from, and be absolutely destroyed by, their individuality.

Hester, who is able to grow stronger under the weight of the blazing "A" and the scathing eyes of the village, is also worn down by the very existence of Pearl, and by Dimmesdale's untimely end. She retreats back into the edge of the forest, the most distant possible place while still being "inside" the town. Hester is able to assert her individuality, but it leaves her old, weary, and alone.

MacNolia was able to express her originality by being a highly intelligent black child, and an intelligent, strong, and capable black woman. However, by standing out, she draws the fear, disregard, and hate of her racist world. 

Douglass is much like MacNolia, a brilliant black individual with an insatiable thirst to gain a higher education, and to be free. But though he had proven himself to some Northern abolitionists, he still causes fear and anger to strike deep into the hearts of Southern slave owners. No one really knows what to do with a slave, former or otherwise, who can think for himself. He becomes an oddity.

Holden, whose brash and oftentimes irritating personality isolates him from his peers, is certainly a unique individual. His life views are so different from those of everyone around him, and he seems to simply slip through life without a set destination. But this also means that he has virtually no one and nothing he loves, and almost no one or anything to love him in return.

So I wonder- is being an individual such a good thing after all, when it often times seems to be tainted with loneliness and isolation? Should we follow the American ideal that individuality is the thing to strive for?

What about the Asian idea that interdependence is the way to go? That individuals are to be contained is the common way of thinking, and there are two sayings which translate this sentiment well: "The Protruding nail gets hammered", and "The Crying bird gets Shot".

So, which is truly better? A unique lifestyle, no matter how lonely or isolated you are? Or is it best to keep your head down and work with the group to a goal which benefits everyone?

How Catcher In The Rye Changed My Life

We have read several books throughout the semester, but the one that had the greatest impact on me was The Catcher In The Rye. It really made me look at American society in a different way. Through his portrayal of Holden and his description of "Phonies", J.D. Salinger made me appreciate what it means to be an individual. Another important part of this book was that it covered so many issues teens still face today. Overall, it helped me view the people around me in a completely different way. If I hadn't read this book, I probably wouldn't have any idea of what American society really values. After reading it, I can see why it has remained so popular over the years. Although we read several other books this year, I think this one had the greatest impact on me.

 

Criticism... will it ever end?

All of the books weve read this semester have been criticisms of America at some point in history: The Scarlet Letter brought light upon fallacies in Puritan society, The Crucible showed us the flaws in Puritan society and during the Red Scare,  Frederick Douglass exposed us to the reality of slavery and racism before the Civil War, Huckleberry Finn poked fun at the ignorance of uneducated racists, The Catcher in the Rye emphasized the "cheesy-ness" of the 1900s, and MacNolia slapped us in the face with a real look at racism in America through the eyes of a black girl growing older. That's quite a list there, and I'd say weve been taken through a pretty good chunk of American cultural history just through reading all of these novels.

Reading all of this cultural criticism and satire got me thinking about the flaws of today's society. I know we're not perfect - America is full of capitalists, elitists, and racists, just to name a few. We might not be as religiously oppressive as the Puritans, but there are still religious battles fought today, sometimes violent ones. We abolished slavery and experienced the Civil Rights movement, but that doesn't mean that race isn't an issue, and it certainly doesn't mean that other types of oppression don't exist today. While we've been reading about imperfections in American culture of the past, we should also stop to realize all of the imperfections in today's world.

This is why I truly hope that future writers will write about us, that in a hundred years English classes will be reading about the flaws in our culture, just as we are doing right now. Our world is not perfect, and it most likely never will be. Criticism in the form of literature should last as long as this world does to open humanity's eyes to the mistakes of their ancestors and make future generations analyze the flaws in their own lives.

J.D. Salinger's Not a Recluse

When I hear the word "recluse," I think of someone who is very bitter, lives in an elaborately outfitted cave on top of a snowy mountain, and has a heart two sizes too small.

J.D. Salinger was not recluse or a grinch, to the people of Cornish, New Hampshire, "He was a towns-person." He went to the general store daily, ate lunch at the local diner, voted in elections, and attended town meetings. He was a friendly neighbor, nodding hello and making small talk with children. He and his wife were generous to the town and were respected by everyone. This is all according to an article published in the New York Times one month after Salinger died. 

If Salinger was just quite man desperate for a quite life in the countryside, why do we continue to brand him as a selfish hermit? Is it because we want more of his work? Why can't we just respect the man's privacy, even in death?

Is Max Fischer a "king"?

After reading an article about the movie Rushmore on imdb, I noticed how they refer to Max as the king of the school. Personally I found this to be quite irritating. Max Fischer thinks he is the king of the school yet no one else really believes that besides maybe Dirk. Max is so invested in himself that he honestly believes he can walk on water. I can relate this to one of the many qualities of Holden Caufiled. Holden really thought that he knew the answer to everything and that he has earned the right to judge other people. Although Holden maybe correct on some of his judgments, he thinks that he is the most important person in every ones lives when in reality he is not.

That is one of the many faults people have today, the false sense of superiority and popularity. Although Wes Anderson portrays Max as a comedic character in the movie, it does ring some sort of truth of how many people are today. All in all it is a very well written movie.

Why Can't We Be Friends?

At first, it seems to me that Holden and Max would get along fairly well because of their similar personalities and circumstances. The characters go to an all-boy boarding school, but are failing almost all their classes. Holden and Max both act older than they are; Holden drinks, smokes, and looks older than he is, and Max dresses nice, talks with authority, is very organized, and is the leader of many clubs. Also, both characters are outcasts in society because of their unique personality and different thought process than others their age. Holden and Max are going through the transition into adulthood, except neither teenager is able to correctly progress to an appropriate maturity level. For example, every time Holden meets an adult, he immediately judges them and calls them “phony,” and Max falls in love with a teacher almost twice his age at his school.

However, there are differences between the characters. For instance, Holden criticizes every adult that he has relationships with and judges them by their “phoniness,” while Max worships his bonds with grown ups, especially Herman and Rosemary. Also, Max realizes when he makes a mistake and attempts to fix it, and Holden acts rude towards almost everyone he meets but doesn’t even acknowledge that he is being disrespectful or immature.

Although there are some differences between Holden and Max, the similarities seem to be overwhelming. On the other hand, since both characters are very independent and unique, they might not be able to function with another person that has similar qualities as them, because they rely too much on their individual thoughts. Do you think Holden and Max could be friends?

Max and Holden... Nerds or Not?

Last week we finished th novel Catcher in the Rye by J. D Salinger. This week in class, we are watching the Wes Anderson film;Rushmore while drawing parallels and differences between the 1950s novel and the modern movie. The two most easily comparable people in these stories are the main characters; Holden from Catcher, and Max, from Rushmore. Both boys attend prestigious all-boys boarding schools from which they are about to get kicked out of for failing too many classes. Both characters pretend to be older/ more mature than they actually are. Holden and Max both have a fascination of older women. Both boys have best friends who are younger than they are (Durk for Max and Phoebe for Holden). Both can't seem to find their proper niche in society. Both are captains of their respective fencing teams..... the list of similarities goes on.

However I find myself wondering where both Max and Holden (if they are really so similar) belong on the social and academic food chains in the chaos that is high school. While both Max and Holden adopt sophisticated habits and are interested in a wide variety of subjects, neither of them are academically inclined nor are they overwhelmingly popular. Both main characters strike a balance that proves them to be neither "stupid" or "smart", "lame" nor "popular". Are they nerds, or not? It seems as if both characters are too complex to be designated as one or the other. Neither main character fits a uniform steryotype of a high school student.

Teens then and now

In J.D. Salinger's The Catcher In the Rye, teenager Holden, faced several problems teens find themselves facing today. He was unable to find his true identity, and acted differently around different people, something several adolescents still do today. After reading the book, and seeing how Holden interacted with other people, and compared his behavior to teens today, the question arises, "Why do teens feel out of place with certain groups of people, and change their personality while with them?". Teenagers act like chameleons, constantly morphing their identity to fit in with the group they percieve as the "it" group. In a way, it seemed as that was what Holden was doing by drinking and smoking to fit in with the adults and older teens he looked up to. Kids today do the same exact thing; do things they think people they admire would approve of. Now, the next question that comes to mind if this behavior will ever change. I believe the answer is no, and it is all part of growing up.

Why Hasn't Catcher in the Rye Won Any Oscars?

Why is it that nobody has ever seen a film production of The Catcher in the Rye?  Why can't Michael Cera star as Holden Caulfield, Abigail Breslin as Phoebe, and Albus Dumbledore as Mr. Spencer?  

The answer is not that the trip from Hogwarts to Hollywood is too long for an old man like Dumbledore.  In fact, The Catcher in the Rye has never been and never will be made into a major motion picture because cinema is exactly what both J.D. Salinger and Holden despise about American culture.

A movie based on Salinger's book could have made him millions of dollars, seeing as the book is one of the most widely-read novels ever written.  However, Salinger's private lifestyle and his grudge against mainstream America probably prevented him from even considering turning his book into a movie.  It would have been particularly interesting and ironic to watch a movie in which the main character, Holden, loathes the movies.

I think that while Salinger probably would have withheld from adapting Catcher in the Rye to fit the big screen, his message about American culture and his distaste for all phonies in the world could have reached every inch of America, and even the world, had he turned his book into a movie.  Although Catcher in the Rye  seems like a timeless classic, with the rise of the media (and perhaps the decline of reading), making the novel into a movie would have helped Salinger convey his ideas and themes to many more people, and for many more generations. 

I suppose that films similar to Catcher in the Rye, such as Wes Anderson's "Rushmore", will have to be sufficient in conveying some of the themes central to Salinger's classic.  

Anti-Hero? I think not.

Holden Caulfield, J.D. Salinger's main character from Catcher in the Rye is often described as an "anti-hero." He's the protagonist of the story because we're allowed into his thoughts and experiences, but at the same time we're not really supposed to like Holden - because he's whiny, because he's immature, and because he's honestly just frustrating.

Now take one of the most popular, best-selling books worldwide: Harry Potter. Harry is the perfect example of what a real protagonist should look like. He's witty, selfless, generous, kind-hearted, and athletic. He's faced and defeated the bad guy, what, like eight times now? And just to top it off, his parents are dead, and he's a poor, orphan living in an unwelcome home who deserves our deepest sympathies.

So why is it that Harry Potter bothers me so much more than Holden Caulfield?

It's because Holden is the epitome of reality, while Harry Potter is completely unbelievable. Don't get me wrong, I've lost tons of sleep and countless social hours reading the Harry Potter books just like every other kid in this generation, and I certainly enjoyed reading them more than The Catcher in the Rye. But no matter how much I love J.K. Rowling's books, I can't love her main character. There are almost no instances when I could connect with Harry or when I could honestly say I would make the same decisions as he does if I were in his shoes. I can't help getting frustrated with the stupidity of his decisions. Holden, on the other hand, is completely relateable. His honesty and the way that he openly speaks his mind allows me, and probably just about every other reader, to connect with him. And the crudeness of his actions makes him real. He reflects the good and bad in everyone.

So yeah, I would probably hate Holden if I met him, and he's not your conventional "hero." But I'd say he's the best protagonist I've seen yet.

Rushmore Rye?

Did anyone viewing the film Rushmore notice the blatant connection to J.D. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye? While watching the film, I realized how similar the main character Max Fischer was to Holden. For one, Max is a rather insightful, almost inspiring person in how he fails to apply himself in academics, but has another side-his extracurricular activities. Just how Holden fails to apply himself in all of his math, science, and history classes, he also excels in another area, English. They both seem to amaze me in their skills outside of the norm. Also, Max Fischer attempts to hit on a woman. An older one to be more specific. It sounds a lot like Holden looking to dance with the three ladies from the hotel lobby and get a drink with the mother of one of his "phony" classmates. Both Max and Holden seem like anti-heroes; they are not muscular, heroic, or fit any stereotypical protagonist role. I do not know if the movie is meant to cross-reference the book, but it sure is a great example of two related backgrounds and story lines from what I have observed so far. I would be interested to see if anyone had noted any other of these references between these two works.  

I'm A Catcher, but not Necessarily in the Rye.

As I finished the novel, or as my friend Larken likes to say, "memoir", I noticed a few things. Instead of being taken as a writing with little deep truth and little importance, it could possibly be grasped as something way more intense-- in other words, the reader can interoperate this book as an entertainment piece of writing, a piece of literature with no plot and/or point, or, it could be seen as a literary movement that happened to be far ahead of it's time. Holden seems to be the type of character who is the exact opposite of optimistic, he appears to be more of a pessimistic, who, constantly, critiques on everything and everybody and everything about everybody. But perhaps, instead of criticizing Holden because his doom and gloom annoyance with society, we can give him a pat on the back for giving us a mirror look at ourselves. Inside everyone, or at least, every adolescent or teenager, is a bit of Holden. His mellow temper, his calm intellect, his nonchalant approach on life, his curiosity for the world (along with his disinterest in the world,) are all traits that cross our mind every now and then, am I right? There is always that one time in our lives, or one subject that we all think we know everything about-- or at least, seem to be a bit stubborn about, with Holden, it was phonies & Allie, with me, ballet and art, and with you? Who knows. While I was reading, I found that Holden was, indeed, quite annoying, considering that he was a hypocrite and tending to complain about every aspect of modern America. The way Holden talked to the reader, he expressed a form casualness, making the reader feel as if they were inside and personal with the main character, creating not only strong opinions but great imagery, which, I think Salinger brought across perfectly-- that no matter how uptight Caulfield happened to be, he was, in fact, normal. Another observation I've made, well, not really an observation, because it's quite explicit...he repeatedly calls the people that surround him "phonies"... but what exactly is a phony? Are we phonies? Common traits are shared amongst those labelled as phonies in the novel (people like Stradlater, Ernie, the prostitute's 'manager' (a.k.a, PIMP), etc.), and shared in us in well. This book is revolutionary! But in what form? 

Should We Believe Holden?

In class we've been assessing Holden's sanity. We diagnosed Holden with various mental disorders, like bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and depression. But I think Holden's got something different going on - I think that he made most of the story up.

I'm not saying Holden is a liar, because I don't think that he is. But have you ever seen the movie Shutter Island? The main character, scarred by a traumatic past, creates a fictional identity and life story that correspond with the events that occur. His disturbed mind creates these illusions as a defense mechanism. I personally think that Holden has done the same thing - he is obviously traumatized by his brother Allie's death years ago, and he shows us through his daydreams of being in an action movie that his mind is capable of inventing things.

The reason for my theory is that the end of the book subtly mirrors the beginning in several ways. At the beginning of the book when Holden is on the way to Old Spencer's house, he feels like he is going to disappear when he crosses the street, and he has the same eerie feeling at the end, as he's walking down the street in Manhattan. Holden also mentions that the ladies at Phoebe's school shout, "Good luck!" to him as he is leaving - one of the same things that irritates him about Old Spencer at the beginning. Phoebe ostracizes Holden as they walk to the zoo at the end because she is angry at him, just like the fencing team osrtacized Holden for leaving their equipment on the train. And when Holden sees the two boys in the museum, doesn't his explanation of  the mummies seem strangely similar to his essay that Old Spencer read back to him?

To me, these similarities make Holden less credible as a narrator, because it seems like the corresponding events came from the same train of thought rather than an experience, if that makes sense. This might not be Salinger's intent, but I definitely don't think that he did this on accident.

Does anyone else have ideas about this?

Holden the Brave

After reading Catcher in the Rye, not many people think of Holden as a brave character, however that may be exactly what he was. He lost a sibling at a young age and was kicked out of school, but still he never backed down in the face of danger.

A good example of this bravery was when Holden was in a hotel and a pimp named Maurice comes and tells him to give him ten dollars. Holden firmly believes he only owes the pimp five, and instead of giving him ten like any other person, he takes a stand. In the end the pimp gets his ten dollars but not without Holden standing up to him.

Some people would say that is just stupidity, but he is taking a stand for what he believes, and that is something admirable.

Forever Young; I Wanna Be Forever Young

When we are younger all we say is “I Can’t Wait To Grow UP”! But as we grow older we start to realize that youth brought so many great things, being playful and it was cool with everyone, having food around your face was funny, and making your own art on the walls and it wouldn’t be considered illegal. We all got asked the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” and we have a long list of what we aspire to be. But really which one us still want to be what we said we wanted to be when we were seven? Growing up from a child to a teenager to an adult is always a time to find a part of us and some take longer than others or we never grow up and mature with our age.

 

Holden Caulfield, the main character in Catcher in the Rye, was a hypocritical teenager going through the pains of growing. Caulfield in the form of a journal tell us his about five days of his life from leaving Pencey Prep School to coming home to see his family. Holden Caulfield criticizes everything and everyone around him, goes on and on about what depresses him in his life. Holden keeps himself secluded from the rest of the world to deal with an unstable time in his life where he has to deal with growing up. Holden tries to hide from the fact that he can’t stay an innocent child for long and has difficulty accepting maturity with age.

 

Leaving Pencey Prep, Holden shields himself from maturity, as you gain more and more education you found out more things about yourself. Americans learn about themselves the most while in high school and in college, gaining more education. Holden talks about “Phoniness” the most in this novel, he expresses to the readers that adults are phony and the world they live in is superficial and childhood consists of innocence and honesty. A scene in the novel where he is at the Museum of Natural History, Holden fears change. He wants everything to be easily understandable and never change, like the statues of Eskimos and Indians in the museum. Even though Holden acts like he is an adult, he still never wants to grow up because then everything would change and would mean he has conformed to society ways of changes and phoniness.

 

“We all have grow older, but who said we had to grow up?”

Holden is Forced to Conform!

In Catcher in the Rye, Holden is constantly an outsider. He believes that everyone else, besides his sister Phoebe, are phonies and he never has any real friends throughout the entire book. Part of the reason he is such an outsider is because he views the world in a different way. Holden see's through people and their intentions and because of this he seperates himself from the rest of the world.

 

At the same time he is rejecting society, society is rejecting him because people view Holden as a weird guy with mental problems. No one realizes that he is really just a normal person that is seeing the world in a way that most people are not able to. Throughout the book people are always trying to change Holden by convincing him to be a better student and telling him to see a psychoanalyst. The book ends with Holden giving in to societies pressures. He listens to his parents and decides that he is going to try in school. This book reflects on how when people stand up against social norms they are outsiders and not excepted in society and because of this they are forced to change how they view the world so they are able to fit in.

Puer aeternus- Eternal Boy: The Peter Pan Syndrome of Holden Caulfield

Holden Caulfield hasn't grown up since the day his brother Allie died. He's constantly preoccupied with the event; whether it's an active reminiscence or a subconcious wisp, Allie is always there. "He got leukemia and died when we were up in Maine..." (38). He was very much affected by his younger brother dying, becoming hysterical and causing  damage to himself and the windows in the family garage. "They were going to have me psychoanalyzed and all, because I broke all the windows in the garage." (39) He was clearly traumatized by the incident ( the grey hairs he boasts about are a high indication- hair loses pigment when one is extremely stressed or involved in a potentially damaging experience), and appears to have been emotionally stunted by it.

Ever since, he has simply been unable to move on. He even says about himself, in his personal introduction, "I was sixteen then, and I'm seventeen now, and sometimes I act like I'm about thirteen". (9) Acts like he's thirteen. He was thirteen years old when when Allie died. Holden keeps referring to how he can often be mature, but no one ever notices that in him. All they see is how childish he is. This is most likely because that's exactly what he is: a child in a body that's growing up without him. Notice how he's constantly saying whatever happens to be on his mind? Being brutally honest is a common trait in young children, as is his constant need to be with people. Though he dislikes Ackley and Stradtlater, he still hangs out and talks with them. He eats lunch with the two nuns, taking the time to discuss literature with them. He revisits Mr. Antolini and his wife (though that ends badly). He talks to Carl, to Sally, even a grumpy taxi-driver. He's constantly moving from person to person, subconciously trying to fill the gap that Allie left. 

Holden is uncertain, and scared to grow up. He hasn't been able to fully let go of Allie, but he's still reaching for higher things. He tries to go places, but has to keep up a mantra to his brother to keep him safe.

Holden still needs a hand to hold. He's lost himself in losing his brother, and he's too young mentally to find his way alone. He needs to get over the loss of Allie, and take the path of the young man that's been waiting for him since he deviated from it three years prior.

Double Agent Holden Caulfield

Most teenagers live a double life, meaning they have one life at home, and one at school. Although Holden has two different lives, they do not involve school and his personal life. To the public, meaning his peers and teachers, he is the sarcastic, care- free, teenager who makes it a routine to fail out of schools. To the readers, or people he is actually talking to, Holden reveals his true feelings. He makes it a point to be honest about his feelings and show that at times, he is weak. An example of this is shown when Holden begins to sob in front of Phoebe after she gives him her Christmas dough. By the end of his story, he even says that if you begin to reminisce about people you once knew, you beging to miss them. Although he said this as if it is a bad thing to miss people, by recognizing that he is in fact, thinking about those in his past proves not only to the reader, but Holden himself, that he has a heart, and has a right to feel emotion.

The fact that Holden shields his "true" identity to the rest of the world proves that Holden is not as secure of himself as he, and other characters, think he is.

Walking in Holden's Footsteps

After J.D. Salinger died earlier this year, the New York Times created an interactive map of Holden's Manhattan.  It's a pretty cool way to place the text.

You can also read David L. Ulin of the Los Angeles Times as he literally walks Holden's path through Manhattan and comments on how much has changed and how much stayed the same.

Also, by popular demand, here is The Onion's satirical obituary for J.D. Salinger.

Enjoy!

A Reflection After Finishing Catcher In the Rye

I find that I really enjoyed Catcher In the Rye.I think that the book should not be considered a novel as it says on the front cover, but it should be more like a memoir. Holden isn't telling us really, a story, but more, he's sharing his past few days with us before he was put in the institution, or wherever he may be. This story had no plot. The book was 214 pages over around a 5 day span of Holden just rambling his mouth. Though, I completely enjoyed it.

Holden Caulfield is a very alive character for me. Salinger did a good job with his diction in this story. I think it stands out to me more than most books I've read. When Mr. Heidkamp read us that Onion article, I immediately felt as if Holden was telling me the story of how his creator had died. Holden's a great character, and there is so many interesting levels and ideas we can pull away from him.

 

A Secret Message?

I feel as if the story is just a secret message of how the author, Salinger, views the world and our faults currently in culture. Holden comments on the faults of people and the culture, while he aquires most of these traits as a person; making him a hypocrite. This can lead to one thinking Salinger believes that the world is becoming full of hypocrites. 

Salinger may be using Holden as a cover of his own views. Just how Brave New World was Aldous Huxley's opinion of how the world would turn out to be. Usually everyone thinks in some what of the degree that Holden does, but not in such a vocalized way. Salinger may have wanted to voice his opinion because no one else of that time period even considered doing so.

Is Holden the Definition of Immaturity?

Holden initially describes himself as a tall and balding man with gray hair, implying that he appears older than his actual age of 17 years. In addition, throughout the novel, Holden drinks at shady bars, stays awake until early hours of the morning, and spends a night in a hotel room after wandering around the city of New York for quite some time. Despite his actions and appearances that create an image of Holden as mature for his age, it is apparent that Holden is a kid at heart.

One example of Holden’s childish behavior was when Stradlater was shaving for his date with Jane. During their conversation, Holden had a sudden impulse to “jump off the washbowl and get old Stradlater in a half nelson” (30). Stradlater’s was immediately annoyed and frustrated with Holden’s rash and immature behavior, but Holden didn’t realize he was acting childish.

Another example of a time that Holden was acting immature was during his conversation with Luce. Luce was an extremely intelligent and respectable man, according to Holden; Holden specifically called him up to have a drink on the basis that Holden wanted to have a deep conversation with somebody. However, the instant Luce arrived, Holden bombarded him with childish questions, such as “How’s your sex life?” (144). Luce continued to tell Holden to grow up and stop asking stupid and juvenile questions, but Holden did not take the advice. Instead, he asked more questions that eventually led Luce to leave the bar.

One of the only people Holden can have an ongoing conversation with is his younger sister, Phoebe. It seems as if Holden respects Phoebe, and even his deceased younger brother, Allie, to such an extent in which he relates to younger children more than teenagers his own age. In addition, Holden finds a negative characteristic of everyone and everything he comes into contact with, so he doesn't form complex and sophisticated thoughts that would otherwise prove that some things in life are good. Although Holden is actually 17 years old, his overall actions and thoughts portray his age to be much closer to a younger child's age. 

 

The Need To Say Good-Bye

I recently saw a movie released last year entitled "The Greatest." The film centers around a family's experience coping with the loss of a teenage son, named Bennett, in a car crash. A few months after his death, Rose, the girl who was in the car with Bennett, comes to their house and announces that she is pregnant with his child.

I see some parallels between the experience of Bennett's younger brother, Ryan, and Holden's experience loosing a sibling in The Catcher in the Rye. These characters did not get the chance to say good-bye to their brothers. Ryan was a drug addict and was too stoned to even move when time came to view the body at the morgue. Holden missed his brother Allie's funeral because he was in a hospital for psychiatric care. Both boys were powerfully affected by this and were not able to come to terms with death. Ryan turns back to drugs and Holden develops a zealous rebel attitude, both doing so with the goal to "drop out" of the world and of society.

The experiences of Holden and Ryan show us that humans have a desperate need to say good-bye to lost loved ones.

Salinger's Toilet (POoP Culture?)

J.D. Salinger's toilet was recently posted on eBay for one million dollars.  Many people would be blessed to be able to sell their toilet for a million dollars, but not Salinger.  

After a very brief writing career, Salinger led an extremely private life in New Hampshire, where few people bothered him about being a world-famous author.  Due to his seclusive behavior, I think that Salinger may share many of Holden Caulfield's view on the world.  Caulfield is extraordinarily cynical and skeptical of the world, and more specifically, people he calls "phonies".  It seems as though Salinger also viewed many Americans as being phonies (hence the reason he lived his life in total privacy).  

I believe that Holden Caulfield is a more extreme reflection of the author Salinger.  The Catcher in the Rye is a novel that portrays an insane teenager.  However, Holden is not meant to be a case study for psychoanalysts; he is simply an exaggeration of Salinger's views on American culture and the behavior of young adults in society.  

Selling Salinger's toilet for a million bucks is tremendously ironic due to his obsession with privacy and American culture.  Salinger would be furious that his toilet is being sold for a millions dollars because both Salinger and Caulfield would argue that anyone who would buy a toilet for a million dollars is a phony.  They have no real use for the toilet anyways...hopefully.

Here is an audio clip about Salinger's toilet sale:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129535000

Here is a news report about the toilet sale:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129326524

And here is a fascinating account of Salinger's death and life:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/29/books/29salinger.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=j.d.%20salinger%20obituary&st=cse

In Defense of Holden Caufield

For starters, I would like to establish that I identify with Holden quite a bit. I somehow miss how people think he is terrible or psycho. Sure, Holden didn't hit the middle of the normal bulls-eye, but would is Ackley or Stradlater more normal? Likable?

Holden is not crazy: he's not schizophrenic, he's not manic-depressive, he's not a sociopath. It concerned me to see so many people thought this. Sschizophrenics and sociopaths hear voices and lack a conscious. Holden is neither of these things. I felt like this reflected something in our culture: we want to diagnose everything.

It reminds me of a South Park episode I saw. One kid goes on Adderall, then all of the sudden every child in the class who ever day dreams is on medication. This, of course, it satire and exaggeration, but what does it show of our culture?

Even if you don't like Holden, you can't say he's crazy. He's angst-ridden. He's hurt and grieving. The problem that Holden has is seeing too much - he's too in tune with the fact that are many phonies in the world. There are too many 'fuck you's written on walls. And too many kids fall out of their childhood before it is time.

Holden notices this stuff; he's a critic of culture. He may do it in a bothersome way, but you can't dismiss him. He's calling out for what's real.

Holden Not Crazy?

Today in class, Mr. Heidkamp mentioned how he thought it was possible that Holden may not be crazy, he may just be a little over emotional. I completely agreed with this statement. First of all, the way Holden is telling the story is through his thoughts and stream of conscious. This means that what ever he thinks of goes on the paper, which would explain why weird and random things always pop up in the story. You cannot say Holden is crazy because of his thoughts because everyone has strange thoughts like Holden every once and awhile. In addition, Holden  may be having some "weird" thoughts due to the fact the loss of his brother Allie has troubled him a lot. There are very few parts in the story that could be actually used to support Holden's alleged craziness. Just because Holden lets certain things like profanity written on the wall get to him does not mean your crazy. This evidence just suggests your mind is a little troubled and that you need to learn to let things go that you cannot control. In conclusion, Holden is going through some tough things that lots of people do, which does not make him crazy, it just means he needs to get help.

Catcher In The Rye: Weak Sauce But A Zestier Finish

Without establishing an obvious plot line or even a likeable character, Catcher in the Rye did not provide a very satisfying read, certainly to begin with. The majority of the book was listening to Holden rant, complain, and transition into every random idea from suitcases to ducks. It felt like a chore to read almost the entire novel, save two parts where i experienced any feelings other than boredom and annoyance. The first situation was when Maurice came back to visit Holden in his hotel room and at that point I felt a bit of fear and pity for the main character, only because i assumed the pimp would beat him to a pulp and leave him for dead. The second instance in which i emotionally connected with the story was when Holden was spending time and interacting with his little sister because I have a little sister and the descriptions of their relationship accurately reminded me of my own.

Although the book did a fantastic job of hiding any personable characteristics of Holden, by the end, a few did manage to leak out. The part where he begins to tell Phoebe what interests him and what he wants to do tell us that Holden maybe had some decency.  His ideas of people were truly convoluted but he did technically want to save them or make them better, as can be pulled from his idea about catching the bodies that would otherwise fall from a cliff. His caring is also hinted at when he is upset by the "f*ck you" signs around New York City, all in all finally adding an enjoyable element to Catcher In The Rye.

Cookie Monster Provokes Nuclear War

In recent day, a report has arisen about the Sesame Street character Cookie Monster. He is currently out of chocolate chip cookies, and he is going through a withdrawal. He has been getting headaches, and he is downfalling into a serious depression. The Cookie Monster currently has nuclear weapons pointed at Russia. If he launches those weapons, the world will start a catastrophic nuclear war that may, in turn, blow up the world.

 

The only solution that will solve his problem other than cookies, is if he has a clean new haircut and shave. He hasn't been maintaining his hair since he has been out of cookies and is depressed. Hopefully, he will not become too impatient before a kind hearted gentleman steps forward to offer him a haircut. Otherwise, he may launch the nuclear weapons to ease his pain.

Holden Caufield, you crazy!

Why is Holden Caufield so crazy? In his crazy mind he honestly believes that he is the most intellecutual teenager on the face of the earth. In reality he has many psychological problems that make him the way he his. He shows obsessive compulsive tendencies, anixety issues, anger issues, and he has major social problems. Holden Caulfield is on a hospital bed as he tells us this story. This contibutes to the fact that holden is actually nutso. As the reader of this epic novel, I am compelled by this story and am not able to put it down. This is just the pure brilliance of J.D. Sallinger. Holden Caufield is definitely one of the most complex literary characters ever. 

Cathcher In The Rye: Holden and Phoebe

In the story Catcher in the Rye, Holden seems unhappy with his life in all aspects other than his family. As the story progresses, it seems as though Holden becomes more and more depressed. Towards the end of the story, the only thing that makes Holden happy is his family. Phoebe (Holden's little sister) asks him if he likes anything in life. While Holden says he is distracted, i think it is a cover-up because he truly knows that he doesn't like anything in life. The one answer that Holden can come up with is "I love Allie." Allie is his little brother who died. Holden seems to love his family more than anything else in the world. I feel like if his parents let him come home and stopped sending him off to school, he would be much happier.