Thursday, October 29, 2015
Catcher in the Rye Reflection
For this post, describe how you felt about Catcher in the Rye as you were reading it and how you feel about it now that you are done. Did your feelings change as you read the book? Can you tie your feelings to any of the major themes of the book? Did the author make choices that affected you in some way? Try to use scenes and examples to anchor your discussion.
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In the beginning of the book, it started off in a way that was unusual compared to other books which made me interested in continuing to read. I liked how Holden was a character who was similar to our age and how it was written in first person so that as a reader, I could grasp Holden’s thought process. As Holden’s character began to unravel, I found myself not fully understanding the situations which Holden was in, but it was interesting because some of my peers may be going through situations that Holden encountered. Although there were times when I did not fully understand as to why Holden did something, I felt a sense of sympathy for Holden because he is just a teen that is confused about life. A theme which I liked would be protecting the innocence, especially in children. An example would be when Holden saw “F**k You” everywhere, he got frustrated and wanted to make sure that children were not able to see it by removing it. As people grow older, innocence is something that is not as prominent due to corruption and poor decisions made by people all around you, but it something that can be held off until later. I understand how Holden feels in this situation, because it is devastating to see children exposed to profanity and others, such as violence. Towards the end of the novel when being “a catcher in the rye” is mentioned, Holden begins to realize that children and other people need that opportunity to take chances, even if it could be dangerous. Mentioning the part when Holden cried and told Phoebe how he felt was a heartwarming moment. It shows Holden being vulnerable and allowing himself to express how he truly feels which did not occur a lot throughout the novel. Overall, the Catcher in the Rye was a novel that showed the developments and realizations of a teenage boy and to be honest, I loved the way the novel ended. ^-^
ReplyDelete“The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger evoked many of my emotions. The novel took me into the mind of a troubled adolescent struggling to leave his innocence behind to join the adult world. Although Holden clearly had some psychological problems rooting back to the death of his brother Allie, I was surprised how much I could relate with him. For example, in the opening scene when Holden is by himself, overlooking the football game at Pencey Prep, I felt the growing loneliness Holden faced. He was isolated from the world because of his refusal to transition from child to adult. As a teenager myself I can understand what he was going through. Adolescence is an awkward time in which one must take on new responsibilities. Holden melted under the increasing pressures that adults posed on him. When I read the book I tended to sympathize with Holden when he made mistakes. He blamed the world for his problems, like when he would not accept ownership for leaving the fencing equipment on the subway, or how he failed out of numerous schools. Instead of acknowledging his failures he claimed that he left those schools because he did not want to be around phonies. Although Holden’s argument as to why he did not apply himself were poor, I started to accept his excuses. In the back of my mind I knew Holden’s story was not reliable but I wanted so badly to believe him. As the novel progressed and J.D. Salinger strengthened the relationship between the reader and Holden, I felt tempted to accept Holden’s perspective of the world. It is easy to get sucked up into his negativity when we are only hearing his opinions. However several scenes reminded me that Holden’s mind set was not typical. For instance, when Holden visits his sister Phoebe, she acts more mature than Holden. Although she is six years younger than him, she has a much greater understanding of responsibilities and the importance of directing one’s own path in life. When Phoebe realized that Holden had been expelled, she questioned whether he had any plans for his future. Also, when Phoebe asked Holden for one thing that he liked, he could only think of was Allie, who was no longer alive. When Holden said all he wanted to be when he grew up was the catcher in the rye, I realized that we are more different than I thought. Although maturing into an adult is a scary process, unlike Holden, I will not try to be a child forever. I enjoyed reading the book, but it was troubling to watch Holden slowly decay mentally and physically. The ending was disappointing but not surprising. I would not expect Holden to put any more effort into the ending than he did for anything else in his life.
ReplyDeleteThroughout reading “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger I was always engaged and interested in the book. The thing that kept me so interested in the novel was the first person narration in which the narrator had a unique thought process. This helped to keep me engaged because he moved so quickly from one thought to the next that you had to pay attention in order to follow his thoughts the best that you could. Now that I am done with the book I find it just as interesting as I did while I was reading it because it is filled with so many scenes where you have to think in order to understand it or develop an opinion on it. As I read the book my feelings for the most part didn’t change aside from becoming more and more concerned for him and feeling sympathetic towards him. At the beginning his whole personality has a negative vibe about it but once you discover his close encounters with death such as Allie and James Castle’s death you begin to understand why he is how he is and feel sympathy for him. Through the reading you experience Holden’s downfall which allows you to understand one of the major themes of the book which is the inability to let go and hold onto innocence. For example, when Holden goes to visit his sister Phoebe she asks him to name one thing that he likes and he tells her that he likes his deceased brother Allie. The only thing he can think of that he likes a lot in the world is someone who technically isn't in Holden’s world anymore. Also, when Holden is walking down the street and feels as if he is “disappearing” he talks to his dead brother which in his mind saves him. Both of these scenes are examples of many of him holding onto the past which prevents him growing up and being happy. The last few chapters is where you see Holden at his very worst where his physical state is as bad as his mental state. Then in the last chapter the story ends with him summing up his recollection of events that he told in the previous chapters in the same careless tone that the story began in. At the very end he says, “Don't ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody” (Salinger 214). This gives me hope for Holden because if he is missing people that is a sign that he is letting go and by now being able to let go I believe he may be able to lead a normal life.
ReplyDeleteReading Catcher in the Rye was really interesting. I think I was so intrigued by the main character, Holden because I realized Holden was telling the story of part of his childhood in a mental hospital. Reading the book and knowing that he had a mental issue but no one else knew about it made it very interesting. Holden as a character is very complex and it is difficult to follow his ideas sometimes, but trying to keep up with his ideas and learning more and more about what Holden thinks made me really get into the book. Also many things that happened in the book I couldn’t relate to because there were so many different things in his life that happened to him that would most likely never happen to me. An example of that is Holden’s brother, Allie dying or going around New York City going to different bars and clubs and getting drunk at the age of 16 or 17. He lived a strange life that not many people live which is one reason I was very interested in the book. As the book went on I kept thinking of possible things for why Holden is a mental hospital, wondering what could have happened in his like to make him go crazy. What caused Holden to end up in a mental hospital? Was it that his brother died? Maybe he was abused by his parents or since he changed private schools all the time and never was home. Another reason for why I liked the book was because this was in the 1960’s and during that time period that had different laws and different rules about drinking and smoking. Reading about a different time period really gets me interested in the book because you start to learn about all the different things they did back then than we do now. I started to get tired of Holden complaining after a while, he complained about everything. After hearing someone complain about different things over and over again makes you bored because all you think he is ever going to do is complain. Holden is a very complex character and I think Holden was very interesting and made the book really good. I really liked this book throughout reading the whole thing.
ReplyDeleteTo me, the “Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger is a very complex book. When I first began to read it, my feelings toward the main character Holden were that he was a normal teenager with mixed emotions and identity confusion. Then, as the book progressed I changed my thoughts and came to the conclusion that he was an unusual and hateful teenager that obviously had some kind of physiological problem. Although this was what came to mind, the book really annoyed me because throughout the beginning and middle of it, all Holden did was complain. Towards the end, although, the book got better because it started to get pieced together and became much more easier to read. This is when my feelings switched gears and I felt sorry for Holden. The occurrence of issues in his life made my feelings for him soften and gave me a different perspective on his character and the book as a whole. The perception that was raised while first beginning the novel was that it was going to be a boring read that I was going to absolutely loathe. Then, with the help of the important scenes in the novel such as the museum scene, where Holden is so attached to things staying the same, the scenes where Holden is hanging out with his little sister Phoebe and the Mr. Antolini scene, they tied the significance of the book together. In turn of reading these scenes, my original perception was replaced with the feeling of a good book that had a good plot and meaning. I feel that the novel kept you holding on for answers that never came, but in a well developed way. The author used language and slang words that teenagers can relate to and wrote a very strong book that made me feel exactly how the main character was feeling and how the book was meant to be portrayed. The novel may have been very monotonous at some points but the most significant points, like the scenes mentioned before, shone over those. To conclude, the “Catcher in the Rye” was an enjoyable book.
ReplyDeleteThroughout reading “Catcher in the Rye” by J.D Salinger many emotions and feelings were brought to the surface. While reading the book you have one feeling one page and another feeling for the next page and so on, the tone and topics change quickly. As soon as I picked up the book I already didn't like the main character Holden. I thought he was overly obsessed with things and hated everything.. which is true but as a reader I learned to accept it and come to terms with it towards the end of the book. Instead of hating Holden I started to feel bad for him. All of the readers can tell he has a mental illness except for himself. Holden is stuck in the age of adolescence not knowing how to get out of it. I think part of the reason this book is so interesting to read is because new topics, ideas and opinions are being brought up with the swipe of a new page. The book doesn't have one distinctive story or plot, it is kinda all over the place but that’s the beauty of it, it never leaves the readers bored. I think the author wanted to describe Holden as to having a mental illness, in which he did so. It was very clear to tell, as soon as the Jane scene happened, you could tell that no mentally stable person would keep thinking and obsessing over something. Overall, “Catcher in the Rye” bursts many new emotions and concepts to wrap your head around.
ReplyDeleteAs I was reading “The Catcher in the Rye”, by JD Salinger, I had mixed feelings on the book. I was not entirely sure about what was happening the whole way through. Salinger’s tone of writing influenced how I perceived the novel. Holden, the main character, had a twisted way of looking at things and reacting to situations. I was not a big fan of this book until I tried looking at things through Holden’s lense and tried to understand his points. Although this was not easy, it gave me a better outlook on not just specific parts, but the book as a whole. After I had finished reading it, I seemed to reflect back on Holden and tie it all together. Everything he did and said, in a way, made a difference and shaped who he was as a character. I thought that he was mentally unstable and, in some ways, insane, but that’s just the way he was. Holden did things differently and oddly, but he was really just a normal teenager that was stressed and had responsibilities. One thing that confused me was the title. I did not know what it meant or what it had to do with the book until the scene when Holden is speaking with Phoebe about it. This ties into the theme of protecting innocence because he wants to catch the children falling off the cliff and shield them from the real world. This scene opened my eyes to Holden's true want of betterment for children. I believe this has something to do with his childhood when he had to mature quicker than most children did because of the death of Allie. He more than likely fears that this will happen to Phoebe. When Salinger was writing this novel, I realized Holden would be recalling what someone was saying to him, and stop what they were saying to almost explain it in his own words. He would pause between their ideas to let you know his input on the situation. It made it a lot simpler for me to compare the differing views and opinions of the characters. Also, it revealed Holden’s “craziness” compared to some of the other characters. For me, I find it hard to classify someone as “crazy” or “insane” when we do not even know how to define it. Why is someone considered crazy? Are there guidelines for it? I was left asking myself these two big questions by the end of “The Catcher in the Rye”.
ReplyDeleteThroughout reading “Catcher in the Rye” by J.D Salinger My feeling and emotions toward Holden changed many times. In the beginning of the book while Holden was still being introduced to us I could relate to him in some ways but as I continued to read and learn more about Holden as a character the more I learned about him the less I could relate. In the beginning I could relate to how Holden felt towards the concept of growing up and living in the real world he feared it and I think that's something many kids can relate to. But as Holden's character developed there began to be a reoccurring theme of Holden finding people Phony. This is where I began to not be able to relate to him as much because he was constantly taking conflicts to the extreme and jumping to conclusions. As I continued reading Holden found himself in more and more situations I could never imagine myself in. Holden roamed about New York city and lived on his own for quite a while before returning home and personally I do not believe many could live on their own at that age. Toward the end of the book my feelings about Holden once again changed because some of the scenes described his behavior more clearly and I could then understand why Holden acted the way he did throughout the book. In the scene where Holden describes how he wanted to be a catcher in the rye protecting the children from falling and also the scene where he explains how he is upset by the writings of “f u” on the wall and how he does not want the children to see it give insight to Holden and how he doesn't want the children to loose their innocence as he feels he is loosing it. Holden is growing up but still acts as an adolescent in much of his actions. I could understand Holden and his actions more towards the end of the book but still did not feel as though I could relate to him that much.
ReplyDeleteHolden is not only a confused teen, but the epitome of awkwardness. He cannot process certain information as most “normal” people can, and is unaware of himself throughout most of the book. Because of these inabilities, I could not relate to Holden and found the beginning of the book to be as encrypted and confusing as he was. His bizarre metaphors, such as calling his brother a prostitute, left me apprehensive of his sanity. He was abrupt and inconsistent in his thoughts and actions, as well. At the beginning of the book, Holden says “Where I want to start telling is the day I left Pencey Prep. Pencey Prep is this school that's in Agerstown, Pennsylvania... They advertise in about a thousand magazines, always showing some hotshot guy on a horse jumping over a fence. Like as if all you ever did at Pencey was play polo all the time. I never even once saw a horse anywhere near the place...And I didn't know anybody there that was splendid and clear-thinking and all” (Salinger 2). Holden is unable to get to his point and sounds extremely bitter, which is another turnoff in my mind. These behaviors left me less than thrilled to be reading this book, as I first interpreted Holden to be some whiny and ungrateful teenager. However, it was exactly Holden’s bitter and uptight nature that made me connect with him later on. He put society’s ideals into perspective, and made me question what being “normal” really means. I cannot say I relate to his insecurities and desperation to find himself, but I am sympathetic to his struggles. Holden was trapped on a path of self discovery and inner conflict during the story, which terrified him as he could not always make logical decisions for himself. He finds that society’s idea of “normal” is often a mask worn by the most seemingly “normal” and even “phony” people. Holden witnessed a man dressed in female attire walking around the (seemingly) private hotel room across from his. He also discusses how Stradlater’s good looks are maintained by a disgusting razor, which shows that no beauty standard is flawless. Even Holden is a bit “phony” by his standards. He creates elaborate stories to hide his own insecurities, and cannot bring himself to face the truth. This is seen when he tells a classmate’s mother that he is leaving Pencey early because of a tumor, not because he flunked out. These details prove that society’s standard of what is normal is unattainable, and that no one is perfect despite his or her efforts. Even though Holden’s quirks were confusing, they helped show that a man’s self worth and relevance in society should not be based upon his intelligence, beauty, financial state, or interests, but what he chooses to become and how he lives his life. Ultimately, Holden’s encryptions turned out to be crucial in unlocking the door to self discovery and significance. Because of this, I grew to love “The Catcher in the Rye” and its surprisingly sensitive narrator.
ReplyDeleteMy opinion of The Catcher in the Rye, by J. D. Salinger changed multiple times throughout the book. In the beginning, I found the novel to be very intriguing. It started off right away talking about Holden’s opinions on his life, and it indicated that he was going to tell a story about his experiences. This caught my interest, because I generally like books containing a plot that tells an interesting story of the life of the main character. I also appreciate books that have main characters who I can somewhat relate to, and I expected to be able to relate to Holden because he is around the same age as I am and he is living in the same time period. This gave me the hope that maybe the book would be much more interesting than the books I read last year, like Of Mice and Men, which I could not relate to very well. In the beginning of The Catcher in the Rye, Holden said, “I’ll just tell you this madman stuff that happened to me around last Christmas.”(Salinger, 1) This was very captivating, because it suggested that the book was full of crazy adventures and madness. In general, I thought that the beginning of the book was very compelling.
ReplyDeleteIn contrast, I was not very enthusiastic about the majority of the chapters following the first few chapters. Although the rest of the novel was written very well, and Salinger evoked many tough questions and interesting ideas, I did not like the overall mood of the book. The mood was somewhat depressing, and not what I normally enjoy in a book. The book suggested a theme about preserving childhood innocence and preventing humans from being exposed to the reality of the adult world. During the novel, Holden unconsciously keeps this idea in his head, and obsesses over preserving innocence and purity. It was very frustrating having to experience Holden constantly fighting for this goal but never being able to achieve it. For example, Holden talks about how he wants to become a “catcher in the rye,” or a person who stops children from accidentally falling off a cliff. This represents how Holden desperately wants to save children from falling out of their innocence, and how he wants to keep them from going off the terrifying cliff that is adulthood. Watching Holden struggle to reach this impossible goal is very sad, and it prevented me from truly enjoying the majority of the book.
After finishing it, my opinion of the novel stayed very similar to what it was towards the middle and end of the it. I believe that the book brought up some tough questions, like how to help a person see good in the future instead of focusing on all of the negative aspects of life that are surrounding people. I also think that it showed how difficult it is for some people to let go of their pasts and learn to move on, and it showed how important it is to learn to be content with doing what is necessary in order to survive in our culture. Overall, I think the book was very well written and essential to our lives, but it was not the most enjoyable book to read because of all the sadness and frustration that befalls the main character.
The novel, “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger was a very complex story. The main character, Holden Caulfield is the narrator of the novel, which is told in first person. The fact that Holden was telling the story from his point of view as a teenager, made me more engaged. It made me think to compare him to myself and my peers. At first I thought Holden was just like an other teenager but you could slowly interpret that he had psychological problems as the story went on, and that he really isn’t very much like everyone else. Holden is a very unique teenage boy and that is another reason why the novel made me want to keep reading more. Although he often did talk and complain about the same thing, I began to feel bad for him. Throughout the book I became more and more concerned about his illness. His actions cause the reader to think deeper into his personality. There is one specific scene in the book that I find very interesting. The scene where Holden sees “F**k you” written all over the place, makes me think off into all different direction. One question that came to mind was, why did this bother him so much? After thinking about it, I came to a conclusion that this scene relates to many other scenes in the book. It goes along the lines of protecting the innocent. Holden’s brain works in a different way than most. The vulgar language bothers Holden because he doesn’t want the young children to be faced with the reality he is stuck in. He doesn’t want the other children to end up like he is so he is trying to prevent that anyway he can. Many things that happen in the story can fall back on how Holden protects the innocent. Holden is a very well developed character whose emotions and actions are unpredictable.
ReplyDeleteWhile reading Catcher in the Rye , Holden makes decisions and acts in a very peculiar way. It is obvious to the reader Holden has more problems then he is leading on. I rarely agreed with Holden throughout the book but I understood why he did the the things. With his state of mind his actions were rational and even though he told the readers why he acted in such a rash and compulsive manner , it never truly made sense. Holden reminds me a lot of some people I know today , but they are just called "stubborn". Many people today like grandparents and parents cannot admit to being wrong. Because they are older and wiser nobody can tell them when they are in the wrong because they will argue until the person gives up. For instance , when Holden was yelling at Sally he had no idea he was even yelling and he would tell the readers the he was not yelling. This book forced the reader to see things from within a mental enigma, making the reader look past so much of Holden to see reality. The theme of this book seems to be Holden's self-awareness and how he lacks it. Reading this book profoundly touched me because now when somebody acts in a way or makes a decision I don't agree with I think about Holden and how everything makes sense to him. I will think about their perspective, their motives and their emotions toward the subject. I really enjoyed this book , it was challenging and frustrating at times , yet over all initiative and exciting.
ReplyDeleteIn the novel, "The Catcher in the Rye", by J.D. Salinger I find myself relating to the narrator, Holden Caulfield, frequently throughout the story. When I first started reading the novel I thought Holden was a moody, typical, teenage boy who had no regard for the rest of the people around him or the people who care about him. As the novel progresses you start to realize that Holden is unable to comprehend the idea of different viewpoints. Holden is the kind boy, he lets James Castle, whom he barely knows borrow a sweater. He often visits Phoebe when he's in the city and loves her deeply. In the novel there are many symbols and references to Holden trying to protect children from growing up and he often tries to shield kids from the harsh reality of the real world. For example, when Holden went to drop the note off at Phoebe's school he saw the inappropriate language written all over the walls. He tried to cover up the witting so the children wouldn't read it and wonder what it meant. I can relate to hold and not wanting to grow up being a kid is easy you have less responsibility and more fun. When you were a child all you wanted to do was grow up. Holden reminded me that some of the best parts of my life is going on around me and I have to stop and savor my youth before it's over. Since Holden had such a twisted view of the world going on around him it made me more aware to always think before I act and try to think of things through another person's perspective because things will be viewed differently for each person.
ReplyDeleteIn J.D. Salinger's narration of "The Catcher in the Rye", we see the world through Holden's unique perspective. At times this perspective he possessed definitely seemed out of touch with reality but as the book concluded my opinions began to shift. I began to understand Holden's struggle. Holden always seemed to give off a careless vibe but looking back, he wondered frigid parks, stayed in sketchy hotels and even slept on a train station bench in order to keep from disappointing his parents for as long as possible. Seeing this I began to recognize that Holden was just greatly misunderstood. One of the hardest tasks as an adolescent is finding yourself and where you belong in this vast world. It's so easy for us to say Holden's comprehension of things was delusional as I definitely found myself thinking this way. In retrospect we all have demons we fight within ourselves on a daily basis so is it really fair to say he is absolutely delusional? We got to hear the voice inside someone's head fiction or not, that is an unusual experience that required adjustment. I truly believe after completing this book that Holden may just be like any other teenager hitting speed bumps along the way. This process was just a bit more challenging for him. The Catcher in the Rye, evidently the book title, was meant to illustrate the preservation of one's innocence in which Holden seemed to be deprived.
ReplyDeleteWhen I first started reading “The Catcher in The Rye” I found the the novel very boring. Many characters were being introduced and I thought that they would be around more in the book. However once Holden left Pencey and I realized that characters like Ackley and Stradlater wouldn’t be coming back I was relieved. I found them to be very bland characters only capable of expressing their unique character trait. Throughout the whole book though I grew fond of Holden though. I found him to be quite amusing. He was a refreshing protagonist being unique in every which way. His personality was quirky and he was full of different perspectives on things. I enjoyed watching him interact with the other characters. How he made them out to be strange when in fact he was the diffrent one. However I could not related to Holden that much, since our worlds are very different. Throughout the book he spent a great portion of it drinking and smoking, things which I do not do. But I definitely saw throughout the book points where Holden shows his dislike of change/growing up, such as the museum scene. I think all of us have a little bit of that in us. Because being a kid is great, little to no responsibilities, and living off your parents. After reading the book, it made me realize that my childhood is almost over, and that soon I’ll be an adult. That thought made me shudder, and it helped me understand maybe while Holden doesn’t want to grow up.
ReplyDeleteWhen Holden was first introduced I thought he was a little bland. Then I thought he was crazy, and then I just felt bad for him. I liked how Salinger wrote the book in first person. Being able to watch Holden go around in circles about something in his head was amusing. My thoughts about Holden mirrored his thoughts about the people he met. I thought Holden was crazy when he thought everyone around him was 'phony' and crazy. I started feeling bad for Holden when he started feeling bad for the children in the school seeing the 'Fuc you's.
ReplyDeleteAt the beginning of Catcher in the Rye I enjoyed the book and could see where Holden was coming from in some of his opinions. For instance, when he said he needed to feel a goodbye when leaving Pencey. I know what he means, I like to actually say a real goodbye, not just leave. Holden is the same way, only he was more extreme when he talked about it and when he was saying goodbyes. But as the book went on, I started to disagree with him more and more. He was very irrational in his ways. One way my feelings about the book tied into the major themes was that I thought Holden was sort of a ‘phony’. He is very opinionated in his own head, but never truly expresses what he is thinking. He lives the way that is expected of him by his parents and without doing anything he actually likes. He went to schools he hated, played a sport he didn't care for, and didn't have real friends. He lives without a purpose, he goes about life how his parents want him to. He doesn't know what he is doing with life, but he calls everyone else a phony for small imperfections or if they have things he does not. Although now that I am finished with the book, I have more respect for Holden because of the ending. Throughout the whole book it seems as if he has completely given up and that he is far past any point of return. But at the end he seems hopeful for the new school year and is recovering in a hospital. He wants to apply himself but still isn't fully committing to it, which is still a lot more than he would have done in any other part of the book. He says “A lot of people... keeps asking me if I'm going to apply myself when I go back to school next September... I think I am, but how do I know?” (Salinger, 213) Now that he seems to be getting better I respect him more than while reading the book and all he did was complain and have no hopes for himself. I didn't exactly like listening to him be so negative and complain the whole book and repeat himself multiple times. Overall, looking back I did enjoy the book, especially the ending, which changed my whole view of Holden.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, “The Catcher in the Rye” was an intriguing book written by J.D. Salinger which illustrates Holden Caulfield’s self conflict. It was Holden’s struggle that made the book feel interesting because of how unique he was as a person. The story itself is sad due to the fact that Holden never really gets out of this struggle and is in a sort of loop of going to schools to get kicked out. Holden’s character does not grow that much throughout the story and leaves him in a similar place as to where the story started. This depressing feeling does not really ever change because unlike many stories this one does not have a special happy ending for Holden, but leaves him off as he was. Most of the themes relates to this feeling of depression because of how they all represent Holden and his resentment towards the world. One theme that connects really well with the feeling or mood that the book gives off is the theme about Holden not wanting to grow up or be a phony. He is getting older, but unlike the people around him he is not maturing to their level which leaves him like a child which is seen throughout the story which makes you feel sort of bad for Holden and his somewhat sad life. The main point of it feeling sad here is because you never get to see Holden grow up even if you wanted him to, but instead he just stayed the same with little development at all. If anything Holden made a decline in his life during parts of the story where he made a new low for himself, but eventually went back to his life in the beginning. The author also made a choice in his writing at the end that affected the way I thought about the book as a whole. After reading a good portion of the book you will realize how Holden acts in certain situations and you can predict his near future actions, but at the end of the book the author’s writing changes this up little bit. The writing in particular that affected my views was, “ Don’t ever tell anyone anything. If you do, you start missing everybody”(Salinger 214). It was not until the end of the book that Holden began to understand his own emotions like when he begins to miss people or even when he cried while Phoebe was on the carousel. It is not the happy ending that people would want because it only shows you that he is starting to go down the right path, but leaves you with the question of if he can really assimilate with normal people? It does not change the way I felt about the story, but instead it can make you think about what could happen after the events of “The Catcher in the Rye.” In conclusion, the book has a fantastic story that does not really build up to anything, but is still good because of the way it is told and give you a view into the life of Holden Caulfield.
ReplyDeleteMy perspective of “The Catcher in the Rye” changed greatly throughout the book. When I first started reading it i was not really fond of it, “The Catcher in the Rye” was confusing, and did not interest me much. The scene that really lost me was the scene with Mr.Spencer, Holden described Mr.Spencer in the same way over and over again, but at that time I did not know that Holden’s state of mind was the way it was. Holden was confusing and did not interest me mostly because I had no idea what he was talking about, the scene with the cab driver and Holden talking about the ducks really confused me, I could not understand what the importance of the ducks were, but after talking about it in class I understood. The whole time Holden was a Pencey I liked the book because it made sense to me, even the part where Holden said that he needed to feel a goodby I understood because sometimes just saying goodbye is not enough. Towards the end of the book the tone started to change, Holden turned into a more complex and interesting character. The scene that changed my opinion of the book was the scene with Holden out in the cold when he was drunk, it was sad, but it showed his true internal sadness and helped me better understand what Holden is going through. Holden is so sad when he looks for the ducks and they aren’t there, it shows that he continues to search for things that are gone, Holden wants things to stay the same which is why he likes the museum so much, because nothing changes everything that’s in the museum stays the same. Holden is a hard character to understand, it's hard to understand why he acts the way he does, but once you get kind of an idea of Holden he's great. Holden makes me think things through deeper to have a better understanding. Holden hints at an idea that is huge by using smaller ideas that are a bit confusing but in the end go together and once you get that “The Catcher in the Rye” is an amazing story. The way Holden describes things is interesting and pulled me into the book even after I decided that I didn't like it. My view and feelings of “The Catcher in the Rye” definitely changed greatly from the start to the end.
ReplyDeleteI felt that “Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger was a good book. In the beginning of the story I did not quite understand what Holden was talking about and why he was talking about it. It was an unusual opening to a book. As I continued to read, I saw as certain things in the book tied together and character traits of Holden were revealed. My feelings did change as I read the book. At first I was kind of confused and I wasn’t very interested. As the book went on, I started to enjoy it more as the main theme of the story was unraveled. I felt that Holden was kind of like a little kid. He didn’t realize when he was shouting like a lot of little kids don’t. The scene when he met up with Sally shows this. He was yelling at her without even realizing it. He is also like a kid in the aspect that he doesn’t accept responsibility when he repeatedly flunks out of school. The author made some choices that affected me by making me have to stop and think. An example of this is the scene when Holden wakes up and Mr. Antolini is petting his head. I had to stop to think if it was actually a sexual advance on the part of Mr. Antolini or if it was just Holden being paranoid of perverted things. Overall, I enjoyed “Catcher in the Rye” and believe that it is well worth the read.
ReplyDelete“The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger was a novel that started off very great but slowly receded in attention as it went on. At first, the novel was very interesting and grasped me in because of how Holden is a student and acts like that of many of my peers and even parts of myself. His adolescence plays an important role in the novel and creates a constant image in the minds of the reader. In this period of his life he faces many issues within himself and exerts them to the outer world which is very similar to that of someone who is my age. This is a main part that I liked about the novel because of how it was so easy to relate to. Holden had many similar properties shown in myself and many of my peers. In this stage of life it is a constant struggle to find a place to belong to and this seemed to be something Holden could not solve throughout the novel. In addition, I have sympathy for him because he never found a good path to follow or any leadership which soon led to his misfortune within society. As the book went on I then found that many of his issues were too commonly expressed and it seemed that in his life it became very easy to predict what the outcome of certain situations would be. For instance, when Holden got drunk for the first time in the book you did not know what to expect but as the story unfolded you could anticipate that he was going to be in a very poor emotional state while being under the influence of alcohol. This is something that I did not like while reading the novel and really wish that it had a bit more flavor. Something I would have changed would have been the excitement in the novel where I would have increased it by having more pivotal scenes to Holden’s inner psyche. Another part of the story I would have wanted to change would be answering many of the unanswered questions like the ones about Holden’s father. Overall, the novel “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D Salinger became a disappointment as the story unfolded.
ReplyDeleteAs I read the novel “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger I experienced different connections and emotions to the main character Holden Caulfield. I liked how the main character was around the same age as me because it made Holden more relatable. I also liked that the book was written in first person. That way we could really get into Holden's thoughts and understand him better. In the beginning of the book I realized that I wouldn’t be able to relate to Holden very much after all. Holden was a depressed and kept talking about how everyone is just a “phony” and you got the feeling he didn’t like anything in life. As you read the book you find out that Holden has dropped out of several prestigious prep schools because he doesn’t have the motivation to apply himself in school.This is something which I understand but can’t really relate to because I have never failed a class. As the book goes on most of the scenes are just Holden walking around New York city getting drunk and smoking which is another thing I can't really relate to. During his crazy time in New York city Holden learns that he has a couple of qualities that he has to change before he turned into a total maniace. Even though the book has no real plot I like the main idea of it and some scenes are really memorable and special. I like how Holden tries to save the innocent children from the harsh world. For example when Holden finds a F*** you written on the wall of Phoebe's school he tried to rub it off. I would also get mad if I saw the word F*** you written on the wall of an elementary school. I have respect for Holden for trying to rub the word off because I probably wouldn’t have done that myself. As the book draws closer to the end I seem to relate to Holden more and more. The final scene of the book when Holden watches his little sister Phoebe go round and round on the merry-go-round is a really special scene. I think that at that point in the book Holden realized that he needs to grow up and get a hold of his life. Holden realizes being a depressed loner and running away into the woods isn’t going to help anyone especially not himself. In the last chapter Holden states that he will probably go to school and apply himself which is really relieving because the whole story was about Holden finally getting to the point in life which he cared about his future. In the end I thought that “The Catcher in the Rye” was a great novel and pretty relatable in most ways.
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