For this post, choose one of your signpost observations which caused to gain some insight into the book or has some meaning for you. Use your signpost observation to explain your insight into the book.
For instance, in the "Again and Again" section, you may have noted that Holden keeps mentioning that Jane keeps her kings in the back row of her checker board. This observation then prompted you to think about a possible theme in the book. For this blog post, write about your thematic idea and discuss how you see it affecting other parts of the book.
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ReplyDeleteThroughout the novel, the red hunting hat which Holden had bought in New York is mentioned several times. "I put on this hat that I’d bought in New York that morning. It was this red hunting hat..." This red hunting hat symbolizes Holden's aspirations in wanting to be different from the people around him and his desires of wanting to have his own identity. When Holden takes out the red hunting hat and wears it, it is always mentioned, which tells the reader that there is more significance to this red hunting hat, than it just being a hat. Especially during times when people that he knows are not around him, this hat comes out, which suggests that Holden is able to be himself when people he knows are not around. Not only is his hat red, but Phoebe's hair as well as Allie's also happen to be red. Phoebe and Allie are two important people throughout the novel that Holden admires, suggesting that the color red is important in Holden trying to figure himself out as a person. Although Holden seems like a character that prefers to be isolated from people, in reality he wants to be around people and to be more social. Even then, he doesn't make the effort to do so, because he is worried what people may think of him and that stops him from being able to build that confidence inside of him. As the novel progresses, readers are able to depict the fact that Holden is a typical adolescent who is trying to figure out his own identity and is starting to do so by being different, even if the only difference is his hat. The red hunting hat shows Holden making an effort to stand out and to be himself, but also the fact that he struggles to exhibit who he really is and to show the people around him that he craves to be with people and to have companions as well.
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ReplyDeleteI chose to focus on the “Contrasts and Contradictions” part of the signpost notes. In “the Catcher and the Rye” by J.D Salinger there are many times that Holden says he is one thing, when he really isn’t. For example, Holden awkwardly comforts Jane by kissing her all over her face, “I was kissing her all over anywhere, her eyes, her nose, her forehead, her eyebrows and all, her ears- her whole face except her mouth and all.” (Salinger, 79) Holden claims to be a “Sex Maniac” and says has much experience in that field yet when his good friend Jane, a girl he is really comfortable around is crying he has no clue what to do. Holden’s contrasting views on himself can lead you to believe that he might be insecure because he isn’t the “Sex Maniac” or ladies man he wants to be. His lies and fake identities can only be mechanism to cover his true feelings. He does this a lot throughout the book like when he accidentally “missed” Stradlater's face to punch him. Holden always says he is going to do something but always makes up excuses for not following his plans out. You can sense a trend in which he can't face people directly and do what he wants to do, it is almost like he is too scared to. Holden acts like a sarcastic, nonchalant kind of person, yet on the inside he has many doubts about himself. He is scared of his own feelings and doesn’t know how to confront people who are able to show their feelings, like when Jane started crying. It makes you wonder what is really wrong with Holden on the inside.
ReplyDeleteIn “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger, Holden repeatedly mentions that Jane keeps her kings in the back row of her checkerboard. Keeping the kings in the back row of the board symbolized that Jane was hesitant about moving forward with her life. She was afraid of taking risks and allowing herself to be vulnerable. Jane was scared of the world and had been damaged by physical or sexual abuse from her stepfather. It is obvious that her stepfather’s actions having threatened her emotional state because when he came onto the porch she started bawling her eyes out. Jane’s stepfather jeopardized her ability to open up to people. “Then she really started to cry, and the next thing I knew, I was kissing her all over-anywhere-her eyes, her nose, her forehead, her eyebrows and all, her ears-her whole face except her mouth and all. She sort of wouldn’t let me get to her mouth” (Salinger, 79). When Holden tries to comfort Jane she does not let him kiss her on the lips, which shows her desire to remain an innocent child. Holden admires Jane because he experiences similar feelings as her. Holden also struggles with maturing and he does not want to let go of anything from his childhood. Like Jane, Holden tends to keep his kings in the back row. He does not form strong relationships with many people because he does not want to lose them like he lost his brother Allie. The conservative playing styles of Jane and Holden express their refusal to join the adult world.
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There are many signs of the Again and Again section in this novel. One main part to this section is something about Holden that is crucial to the his character, that is, that he is a liar. Throughout the book, Holden is continually a compulsive liar. Holden basically lies about everything. There are times when he knows he lies but the rest of the time he does not acknowledge it. For example, in the scene on the train when he is talking to Ernest Morrow’s mother he lies and starts to tell her that his name is Rudolph Schmidt and that he has a tumor in his brain. This is a time when he knows that he is lying. But there are many times when this is otherwise. In the part of the book when when he is fighting Stradlater he says, “It probably would’ve hurt him a lot, but I did it with my right hand, and I can’t make a good fist with that hand” (Salinger 43). Holden is trying to make himself sound strong and manly but he uses excuses to hide the lie that he could not really beat Stradlater in the first place. Also, in multiple parts in the book he mentions that he is a sex maniac and that he has had experience with girls. Yet, as a reader, you know that this is not true. In all, this could signify that Holden is very unsure of himself. Therefore he makes up things that are untrue to make himself seem like somebody. His compulsive lying shows that he is trying to find who he is in life, faking his way through it.
ReplyDeleteIn the book "the Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger, one of the signpost that I noticed was used a lot in the book was "Again and Again". Throughout the story I have realized Holden is a very repetitive person and often repeats anything he says multiple times, but there are a couple topics that come up over and over again. Holden talks about his red hunting cap, his brother, Allie, and mostly Jane Gallagher repetitively. Ever since Holden's roommate, Stradlater, went on a date with Holden's old childhood friend he has not been able to stop thinking about her. "All of the sudden, on my way out to the lobby, I got old Jane Gallagher on the brain again. I got her on, and I couldn't get her off." (Salinger, 76). Holden can instantly take any situation and make Jane come up somehow. No matter what Holden is doing, Holden thinks about Jane because it could have been one of the closest relationships he had with someone else. Holden's lack in relationships may have cause him to slightly obsess over this one that he had. Holden brings Jane up once again but this time remembers very specific details of her, showing how much Jane meant to him. "She was sort of mucked-mouthed. I mean when she was talking and she got excited about something, her mouth sort of went in about fifty directions, her lips and all." (Salinger, 77). I think that the main reason for Jane coming up in the story over and over again is because Holden is stuck on this relationship that he had with someone in the past. Since it has been so long since Holden has seen Jane as well, it shows may have a problem with letting people go that had once had such a positive impact on his life.
ReplyDeleteAt the very beginning of “The Catcher in the Rye” by J. D. Salinger, we are introduced to the main character Holden Caulfield who we figure out more and more about through his recollection of his life in the recent past. To enhance the understanding of Holden we need to enhance our understanding of his words and memories which can be done through signposts. In the “Contrasts and Contradictions” section I noted a scene where Holden is at Pencey with the knowledge that he is being kicked out. He is watching the football game alone from a nearby hill because he left the fencing equipment on the train so everyone is mad at him. The part that Holden contradicts himself is when he says, “I don’t care if it’s a sad good-by or a bad good-by, but when I leave a place I like to know I’m leaving it. If you don’t, you feel even worse” (Salinger 5). Holden knew a long time before he actually got kicked out that he was failing all his classes but one and he still did nothing to change that yet is now clearly sad about it even if he doesn’t directly admit it. This is because he doesn’t understand his own emotions or how to deal with them as well as other people’s emotions which becomes a reoccurring theme throughout the book. An example of this coming up later in the book is the scene where Jane was upset about her stepdad and started crying so Holden tried to comfort her. He only got it half right though by being able to acknowledge she was upset but not understand how to comfort her. Also, when he is talking to the mom of a kid that goes to Pencey on the train he has a long conversation with her but doesn't actually connect with her because he doesn't understand how to. Instead he just ¨shoots the bull” with her which he does with most people. This isolates him from everyone around him because he does not understand how to emotionally connect with others which occurs frequently throughout the book.
ReplyDeleteThe signpost observation that I’ve chosen falls under the category “Again and Again”. Throughout the novel, “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger, Holden continuously doesn’t do things directly. He always avoids direct contact, you could say. For example, Holden says he was “kissing her all over anywhere, her eyes, her nose, her forehead, her eyebrows and all, her ears- her whole face except her mouth and all” (Salinger 79). Holden avoids directly kissing her on the lips. This leads me to think that he is hesitant to do things and is insecure about himself. Also, earlier in the novel, Holden went to punch Strangler in the face but he “just missed”. Once again, he avoids to punch him directly in the face. He never does things clearly or to the point in actions and explanations. It always makes me think into his personality deeper and deeper every time something like this comes up in the novel. Holden acting in such way, continuously, makes me think it could possibly affect future events in the novel. As he grows older he will have to learn to be confident with his decisions and stand up for them with a strong and clear voice. This could also lean towards another possible theme of “The Catcher in the Rye”. The theme being that avoiding direct thoughts and actions causes lack of success. This has been in the back of my mind throughout the novel and leads to other events along the way.
ReplyDeleteIn the book, The Catcher in the Rye, in the "Again and Again" section of the signpost, Holden continuously brings up Jane Gallagher, and talks about the things he likes about her, or certain traits of Jane’s that stand out to him. For example he talks about how Jane likes to keep her kings in the back row of her checker board. In the book, Holden said, “She was a funny girl, old Jane. I wouldn’t exactly describe her as strictly beautiful. She knocked me out, though.” (77) Holden then goes on to talk about Jane’s little quirks and hobbies, like the way her mouth moved when she talked, how she loved to read, how she was great to hold hands with, and how she would always listen to him when he talked. This showed how Holden really did care about Jane. He talks about how he did not really think that she was that beautiful, but then he goes on talking about how she had such amazing qualities, and how he absolutely loved being around her. This showed how Holden cared more about her personality than he did her appearance. Also, in the book, Holden says, “You never worried with Jane... All you knew was, you were happy. You really were.” (79) Holden absolutely adored Jane and cared a lot about her. This shows how, although he seems so blasé and doesn't seem to care about anything, Holden really does care about certain people and things, like Jane. Holden constantly talking about Jane also shows how he can get obsessive over people and things. Holden can not stop obsessing over Jane, and the thought of her drives Holden to do things that he would not normally do, like get in a violent fight with Stradlater. Holden obsessing over Jane, and caring so much about her seems to be an important factor in the theme of the book. His obsessive behavior and his habit of always worrying about Jane shows how a major theme of the book could be protecting beautiful things, like Jane's personality. Jane is a very important part of the book and, so far, Holden's attachment to her and desire to protect her is an essential theme of the book.
ReplyDeleteIn, The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, the narrator, Holden Caulfield, questions a cab driver about where the ducks that occupy the Central Park pond go in the winter. In this “Again & Again” moment, Holden seems so infatuated with the whereabouts of the ducks it could be implied he was obsessed. Although this scene could be written off as odd I believe it symbolizes the innocence of Holden. As a boy, his younger brother Allie, died of leukemia. In the beginning of the novel the readers are told of Holden’s older brother, D.B. , who lives in Hollywood. Both of his Holden’s brothers left him. Willingly or not, Holden’s brothers left him. His parent’s shipped him off to boarding schools to avoid seeing him and in relation, reminding them of the loss of their sons. “You know those ducks in that lagoon right near Central Park South? That little lake? By any chance, do you happen to know where they go, the ducks, when it gets all frozen over? Do you know, by any chance?” (60) This is an important moment because Holden paints himself as a cynical and sarcastic teenager, but this scene reveals his true nature, his childish curiosity and cheerful eagerness to solve and confront the mysteries in his life. The winter, which causes the pond to somewhat freeze over, symbolizes change in world. Also, the “partly frozen and partly not frozen” represents the adolescent period Holden is stuck in. The mentioning of the ducks is not only curiosity but a symbol of his youth pushing its way out of his seemingly adult personality.
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ReplyDeleteA memory moment in the novel the Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger is when Straddler brings up Jane and Holden remembers the summer he spent with her. How he and Jane used to play checkers and how she’d never move her kings. “Boy I nearly dropped dead when he first said that. “Jane Gallagher” I said. I even got up from the washbowl when he said that. I damn near dropped dead. “You’re damn right I know her she practically lived right next door to me, the summer before last.” Jane is very important to Holden whether he knows it or not. Throughout the book he keeps remembering events that happened involving Jane. An example of this is the flashback of Holden and Jane playing checkers, when her stepdad comes through asking for cigarettes. Holden also tries to call her several times. However how important Jane is to him is the question. Because while throughout the novel he may have a hard time getting Jane out of his head, before Straddler mentions her it appears that he had completely forgot about her. He treats Jane differently from most girls though. Treating her as something precious and not to be tarnished, as he never fools around or kids her. Nevertheless to the adolescent Holden Caulfield, Jane Gallagher is important.
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ReplyDeleteIn the Catcher in the Rye there are many different signposts that can be used from the book because of Holden’s personality and his actions. The signpost I chose is the again and again signpost. Holden keeps saying he tries to do something or says he does stuff but you are not sure if he actually does what he says he does and this happens over and over again in the book. He will say something that makes you think that he actually tried to do something but as a reader you have to realize maybe he is saying he tried but maybe he actually didn’t. He did this many times in the book. An example is when he says he tried kissing Jane on the lips when she was crying but we don’t know if he actually tried or not. He may have said this because he kissed her every where else on her face but her lips and maybe since he didn’t kiss her on the lips he wanted to say at least he tried. This can make you think that Holden wants you to think he tries to do stuff but he doesn’t want you to actual know he doesn’t try to do something. Holden tries to make himself look cool to the reader as if he tries to do all the things that would seem to make him cool, but he actually doesn’t do them. Another example of this is when he says he is a sex maniac he tries to make you think he knows everything about sex and girls but he really doesn’t. While he is talking about being a sex maniac he says crumby over and over again as if he doesn’t know what else to say. That is because he doesn’t know much about it and he doesn’t know what to use for a different word. Holden seems as if he has a complicated mind that he wants to make himself think he did or does something but in reality he doesn’t. This happens throughout the book many times and I would assume it is going to happen more because Holden seems to repeat things he does and says multiple times throughout the book.
ReplyDeleteHolden is a character who is constantly at war with himself. He becomes emotionally attached to situations yet cannot understand how to handle them in the most effective and sensible way. He has created two sides of himself, one of which being his personality while the other is an insecure front he puts up to hide it. He wants society to see him as someone who has simply given up and accepted an insignificant fate. However, he does this to hide his confusion pertaining to himself and others. Instead of the person who has given up, Holden is actually desperate to discover how to make an honest effort in life. After meeting a classmate’s mother on the train home from Pencey, Holden finds out that his perception of her son is much different from hers. She said, ‘ “He’s a very sensitive boy. He’s never really been a terribly good mixer with the other boys. Perhaps he takes things a little more seriously than he should at his age” ’ (Salinger 55). However, Holden goes on to say that her son “was about as sensitive as a goddam toilet seat” (55). The boy, like Holden, has two different sides to him. His mother may have created this false idea of her son because she doesn’t want to believe he is the jerk Holden describes, or Holden may have interpreted his actions as offensive. Holden is known for incorrectly processing actions and emotions, and is possibly somewhat emotionally inept. He does not react appropriately to others’ emotions, such as when Jane begins to sob and he repeatedly kissed her, and is unaware of many of his own feelings. Thus, his perception may cloud his version of the truth. This interaction between Holden and the woman shows that a person’s perception of life and the subject at hand is simply his or her perspective, causing that perspective to be his or her version if the truth. Throughout the book, the contradictions seen in Holden continuously affect his perspective. Therefore, his idea of the truth is not always the same.
ReplyDeleteOne of my signpost observations that gave me the most insight into the book and Holden as a character was one of my “Memory Moments”. Holden describes a time during the summer when he was in Maine and Jane was there too with her family. As he is describing this memory moment he explains how this was when he first began to like Jane. “ I was kissing her all over-anywhere-her eyes, her nose, her forehead, her eyebrows and all, her whole face except her mouth and all”(the Catcher in the Rye). He explained how during this time together he attempted to kiss her and kissed her all over her face. For me this memory moment explained where his obsession with Jane rooted from. This gives insight into why Holden was so bothered when Stradlater went on a date with Jane. I think Holden still has feelings for Jane and he held onto these feelings so much that it began to form an obsession with her. He focused on all of the little things about her like how she places all of her kings in the back row, and how she always has her mouth slightly open. This memory moment described one of their first times together and how Holden’s obsession with Jane began.
ReplyDeleteIn The Catcher in the Rye, Holden is always blaming others for things that are his fault or nobody's fault at all. He is in a victim state of mind. When he tries to go on the bus with a snowball, and the driver says no, he turns it into something personal, saying “...he wouldn’t believe me. People never believe you.” (37). When he buys drinks for a couple girls, he becomes upset that they didn’t offer to pay, even though he still would have paid anyways. After thinking about their situation for a little bit, he decides that he shouldn’t be buying them drinks at all because their story made him depressed. “...if only they hadn’t told me that.” (75) Instead of feeling sorry for the girls (which would have made no sense anyways, it wasn’t a sob story), he felt bad for himself and believed that the girls had wronged him for answering the question he asked. This state of mind will surely get Holden into trouble in the future.
ReplyDeleteThe “again and again” moments that are really sticking out in the story are the times where he will call someone a “phony” or call them a “bastard.” It is almost a casual thing for him to be thinking about someone in this way, but there is a pattern among most of these people. They tend to be in some ways better than he is whether it is socially, intellectually, physically, etc. One of the many examples of this is Al Pike or Jane’s old boyfriend when Holden says “...I asked her how come she could date a show off bastard like Al Pike.”(135) Prior to saying this he listed off some of the good things about him like his school, how he dives off the high board when swimming, and how he is all muscle. In reality Holden was most likely jealous of him because he was going out with Jane. Holden not really being able to express how he really feels, even to himself, he just rationalizes it by saying that he is a “bastard.” On other occasions he will call someone a phony for similar reasons. This “again and again” moment correlates with the theme by representing Holden’s general character and what he stands for. He essentially represses his feelings to a very high extent to the point that he may be subconsciously reflecting on himself using other people’s accomplishments over him to express it. This could all be foreshadowing of future events where Holden has a revelation where he realizes that he is the real phony for not being true to himself and those around him. It could also mean the opposite where he will always stay this way because a psychological problem that he may have could be shown meaning that he can not help but thinking in this way. In conclusion, Holden continuously saying that people are “phonies” or “bastards” could just be representing his true opinion of himself in such a way that he can not realize showing that an overall theme of the story could be his view on himself in comparison to others.
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ReplyDeleteThe theme that I chose to talk about was Again & Again. Throughout the course of this book there are various different scenarios in which Holden Caulfield is repeating himself. In the book "The Catcher and The Rye" by J.D. Salinger, the main character, Holden Caulfield, displays many odd behaviors. In particular, I observed Holden's repetitive language and his repeated use of the word "really". Within this word, “really”, and its continuous reappearance lies a deeper meaning. For Example on page 42, Holden says "I ignored him. I really did" he says this when describing his conceited roommate. Not only does he tell us that he ignored him but he must reiterate what he just said with the phrase “I really did”. Holden says this word often after stating something as if to try to reassure you as a reader but in turn leaves you with a sense of doubt as to if he is actually stating fact. From this I believe Holden has issues with other believing in him and his word. As well as exemplifying his insecurities of being heard and finding his own truth, as he is “the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life”.
ReplyDeleteIn “The Catcher in the Rye”, by J.D. Salinger, Holden Caulfield experiences a flashback, that relates to the “Memory Moment” signpost. He recalls a particular scene in his life when he was with Jane at her house. Mr. Cudahy, Jane's step father, was being rude towards her and it finally pushed her over the edge. Holden experienced Jane crying and did not seem to know what to do about it or how to comfort her. Within this scene, he also tells us that he kissed Jane everywhere except her mouth in an attempt to comfort her. Holden said, "I was kissing her all over-anywhere...her whole face except her mouth and all. She wouldn't let me get to her mouth." (Salinger 79). Most things with him seem to relate back to almost doing something. Holden seem paranoid about what others are thinking about him. He went from speaking about Jane, her personality, her appearance, and ended up on the subject of when he and Jane came close to “necking”. This was an important detail that he needed to include in our knowledge of him and Jane’s history. Holden Caulfield opens up the door and lets us into one of his confusing, but important memories of Jane.
ReplyDeleteIn “the Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger, Holden Caulfield tends to mention the same things repeatedly throughout the book. For Again and Again, he mentions Jane and Stradlater in Ed Banky’s car very often. Then after that, he mentions how he “knows she wouldn’t let him get to first base with her” (Salinger, 80) He seems so sure that they did not do anything, yet it still makes him very mad when he thinks about it, which he does a lot. Holden says “I sat down in this vomity-looking chair in the lobby and thought about her and Stradlater sitting in that goddam Ed Banky’s car” (76) Holden hadn’t seemed to think of Jane in years, but when his roommate went on a date with her, he started obsessing over her, couldn’t get her off his mind. Holden thinking about Jane and Stradlater shows his obsessive tendencies. He finds one thing and does not let it go, constantly obsesses over it, and for no apparent reason. Holden could be obsessive about these things because he doesn’t actually know how to handle it so all he can do is complain to himself about it. He seems to like Jane, but he doesn’t act on it. He seems to want some type of relationship with her, so he gets mad when someone else is actually able to be with her. He is very socially awkward, he doesn’t know how to act in most situations, and he is unable to admit that to himself. Being so awkward, not self aware, and obsessive could lead him to uncomfortable and bad situations later in the book.
ReplyDeleteWhile reading Catcher in the Rey I came across a vet pay important memory moment for Holden. When Holden finds Alli's baseball glove there seems to be a huge part of why he is the way he is. Realizing hold an cannot understand most situations fully I began to think maybe his brothers death from leukemia caused him to behave like this. Holden was still very young , 13 or 14 when Alli died. The early adolescent years are key to a boys development and with such a tragic loss Holden's mind could be impacted heavily . Holden might not fully understand situations because he never understood why his brother died , causing him to obsess over it, leading him to have unusual obsessions . One of the themes of this book could be how your past effects you . Holden's loss as an early adolescent probably hindered his growth and leave Holden trapped in his mind when trying to feel any sort of emotion. It is so intellectually interesting to read this book from his point of view because you do have to look around his state of mind , however it is a good challenge.
ReplyDeleteIn the story “Catcher in the Rye” by J. D. Salinger, there is a certain memory moment that sticks out. It is when Holden finds his younger brothers Alli’s glove. Holden lost his brother when he was still a developing teenager. I believe losing someone that close to him at a young age affected him a lot. He must have wanted someone else he could hang out with and this is where Jane comes in. Holden wanted a companion and it ended up being Jane. Because of losing his brother, Holden is afraid of losing Jane and this is why he is obsessed with her and calls her to see how she is doing. Holden really cares for Jane as a friend, not as a girlfriend. This may also explain why he really into sex that much. An example is when he turns down the hooker. This is probably because the only girl he ever got close to was Jane and he never did anything sexual with her. It is all a chain reaction starting from when Holden lost his brother Alli. It has permanently messed his up whether he knows it or not.
ReplyDeleteIn the story, “The Catcher and the Rye” by J.D Salinger many signpost pieces are shown that show a lot of meaning towards certain characters. The signpost piece that I chose was “Memory Moments”. This is shown substantially by Holden’s actions and his inner thoughts. For example, he refers back to a lot of memories with Jane especially. He notes to Stradlater as they were arguing that she keeps her kings in the back when they play checkers which is fairly odd because of regardless how the memory sticks in his head it is weird because of how he brought it up. Furthermore, memory moments are shown because of how her refers back to memories and experiences he has had in school. As the reader knows Holden is poor in school but refers back to a lot of things that he remembers in school. Overall, the signpost piece that stands out to me from chapters 1-10 is memory moment for various reasons.
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