Dialectical Journal Quote (page number) Analysis “ I mean I’ve left schools and places I didn't even know I was leaving them. I hate that. 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.” (pg. 7) This is the first of Holden’s deep thoughts that I personally connected to. This excerpt hints at Holden’s need for certainty and closure. This may suggest other issues he may have previously had, or issues to come, that concern closure and acceptance of what ‘is.’ The lack of closure leaves loose ends untied and inhibits the ability to properly move and continue a healthy progression in life. The lack of a “goodbye” seems to be a deeper rooted issue if Holden feels the need to explain leaving his school. Normally, it would be appropriate to desire closure when departing from such an impactful place as a school, but in Holden’s case, this is not the first school, by far, that Holden has parted with. I believe …show more content…
that this thought he has functions on a level much deeper than departing from the school that expelled him, but rather something of his past that would affect the way he views his current situation. “He’s dead now. He got leukemia and died when we were up in Maine, on July 18, 1946. You’d have liked him. [...] He never got mad at anybody. People with red hair are supposed to get mad very easily, but Allie never did. [...] I was only thirteen, and they were going to have me psychoanalyzed and all because I broke all the windows in the garage, I don't blame them, I really don’t. I slept in the garage the night he died, and I broke all the goddam windows with my fist, just for the hell of it.” (pgs. 43-44) Here we have the reason Holden has issues with closure. The nostalgic way he talks about his younger, deceased brother provokes a longing and bitter-sweet feeling. Even though Allie was younger, Holden seemed to look up to him with great pride and love. This traumatic event may be why Holden struggles with closure and “good-bys.” Allie’s death has left an imprint on Holden’s perspective of the world. It has affected the way in which he chooses to respond to things, as well as influence some of tendencies. Holden mentions his red, hunting hat, to which he is very much so attached to. I wonder if there is any correlation to the hat and the fact that Allie’s hair was also red. It is more than apparent that Holden still feels and mourns the loss of his brother and has not quite come to full terms with it. “‘Well, the thing is, I don’t want to stay at any hotels on the East Side where I might run into some acquaintances of mine. I’m traveling incognito,’ I said. I hate saying corny things like “traveling incognito.” But when I’m with somebody that’s corny, I always act corny too.” (pg. 68) Although it was true that Holden is avoiding certain people, he is most certainly spinning lies for the women to believe. He easily glides into this comfortable stance to lie through his teeth as if it was a game. The lies roll off of Holden’s tongue, ironically almost. The lying makes him the things he seems to hate most—a phony. On a similar note, the last sentence or two in this quote are quite “corny” and “phony.” The fact that he blames saying something corny on the fact that he is around corny people is corny, quite frankly. He is just as bad as the “phonies” around him. It is almost hypocritical to witness his cynical judgment of all the phonies around him, and yet the judgment and the manner in which he interacts with them is just as phony, if not more so. Perhaps Holden is projecting his own self disapproval and internal struggle to grasp reality on those around him. Holden is very narrow minded to believe that he is the only person to find humanity phony. “Sex is something I don’t really understand. You never know where the hell you are. I keep making up these sex rules for myself, and then I break them right away. Last year I made a rule that I was going to quit horsing around with girls that, deep down, gave me a pain in the ass. I broke it, though, the same week I made it—the same night, as a matter of fact. I spent the whole night necking with a terrible phony named Anne Louise Sherman. Sex is something that I don’t understand. I swear to God I don’t.” (pg. 70) Holden seems to set himself apart from all other people in society. He isolates himself, as if it was the whole world against him. He seems to be able to read and judge anyone he pleases. It is almost conceited, considering that he is flawed just as much so as everyone else. Yet here, Holden admits that he doesn’t actually know it all. He admits that he is faulted here, without justification or his normal excuses. This is a sincere moment of vulnerability for Holden, as he admits that he doesn’t have it all figured out. He admits that he keeps making mistakes, even though he sees they are illogical. It’s refreshing to see an open, less guarded part of him—it’s one of his less phony moments. “What I really felt like, though, was committing suicide. I felt like jumping out the window. I probably would’ve done it too, if I’d been sure somebody’d cover me up as soon as I landed. I didn’t want a bunch of stupid rubbernecks looking at me when I was all gory.” (pg. 117) Throughout the novel, Holden uses the word “depressed” often. It is painful to watch as he struggles with feeling lonely and depressed, yet he continues to isolate himself and refuses to really connect with anyone. I believe this struggle is born out of not wanting to be hurt, or labeled for a phony like everyone else. The few people he is shown to really trust—D.B., Phoebe, and Allie— aren’t always present to support him. Holden does not like change. He doesn’t want to accept that he is growing up and that major life changes are upon him. His mishandling of reality is causing a sense over overwhelment, his depression, his instability, and so much more. Yet again, his fear of being vulnerable and exposed has stopped him, thankfully in this case. “The best thing, though, in that museum was that everything always stayed right where it was. Nobody’d move. You could go there a hundred thousand time, and that eskimo would still be just finished catching those two fish, the birds would still be on their way south, the deers would still be drinking out of that water hole, with their pretty antlers and their pretty, skinny legs, and that squaw with the naked bosom would still be weaving the same blanket. Nobody’d be different.” (pg. 135) This quote clearly exemplifies Holden’s gravitation towards familiarity.
The reason he likes the museum is because it frozen in time. It doesn’t change. I do recall that change, is something Holden is struggling to grasp and address. Caulfield is stubborn enough to resist responsibility, school, and growing up. He is not fond of the idea that change brings uncertainty and the potentially to be phony, insignificant and average. He appreciates the security and certainty in stagnance, so much so that he believes he can escape the reality that life goes on. The museum in the scene is one that draws out memories in Holden’s past. I don’t believe that Holden has managed to come to terms with Allie’s death yet. It seems as though he left it unaddressed, wishing away the pain and finality of the loss. This partially results in his desire for things to remain the same, familiar, and safe. He isn’t able to move on, and so stagnance is his biggest solace in the face of his
denial. “‘It was written by a psychoanalyst named Wilhelm Stekel, Here’s what he—Are you still with me?’ ‘Yes, sure I am’ ‘Here’s what he said: The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one’.” (pg. 207-208) Mr. Antolini seems to be one of the few influential people in Holden’s life that is getting through to him. Mr. Antolini calls Holden out point blank. He recognizes Holden’s unwillingness to grow up and accept reality. He insightfully registers that Holden is wanting to be anything but average—wanting to find a “noble cause” worth while. Mr. Antolini speaks frankly, in the form of a quote, that Holden needs to realize that it is ignorant to find a “noble reason to die.” What good will being dead do? What kind of mark will that leave? Certainly not the one Holden wants to make. Instead, Holden needs to find something to work for. Without a purpose, there is no reason to live or move on. Holden is struggling with lack of a purpose, of certainty, and belonging.
6. (CC) Since Madame Loisel is the protagonist; I would say the necklace itself is the antagonist. As you can tell from the title of this short story, the necklace is the center of the conflict that is created to the Loisels. It is after Madame loses the necklace that all the trouble begins. Also, the necklace causes them misery and they end up being in debt. Madame and her husband had to work harder than they ever before to pay off the
In chapter one we are introduced to our narrator, Ponyboy. Ponyboy is raised by his two older brothers Darry and Soda. They’re all apart of a gang called the “greasers” which is joined by Dally, Johnny, Two-bit, and Steve. There is another group called “ socs” which stands for socials, and everyone in that group is very wealthy. One day Ponyboy got jumped by a socs group, but luckily Darry was there to help before anything too serious happened. The first element of literature is characterization. Ponyboy is a keen observer, trying to make sense of the complexities of those around him. At the beginning of the story, he stops and spends several pages giving us brief character description on Steve, Two-Bit, Dally, and Johnny. This is also known as direct characterization. He tells us that Steve is "cocky and smart" ( Hinton 9). Two-Bit can 't stop joking around and goes to school for "kicks" (Hinton 10) rather than to learn. Dallas, he says, is "tougher, colder, meaner" ( Hinton 10) than the rest of them.
1) This quote is an example of an allusion because Holden is referring to the book, David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. Moreover, it doesn't describe it in detail, its just a brief comment.
Not only does he feel alienated from the other kids at school, he also doesn’t get along with people in his family. The only person that Holden gets along with in his family is his sister. Throughout the novel Holden has a relationship with his sister. As shown in this quote from chapter ten. “But I certainly wouldn't have minded shooting the crap with old Phoebe for a while”(). Phoebe is the only person that Holden ever reaches out to in the novel. Holden likes and connects to Phoebe because of her innocence. Holden feels like he doesn’t belong when he gets to Penn Station. When Holden arrives to Penn Station he wants to call a family member or friend but he feel likes he has no one to call. For an example when Holden says “The first thing I did when I got off at Penn Station, I went into this phone booth. I felt like giving somebody a buzz … but as soon as I was inside, I couldn't think of anybody to call up”(). Holden doesn’t feel close to any friends or family members to give them a call. Holden feels this way a lot thought the story. Not belonging is a big theme in Catcher in the
The origins of Holden’s disillusionment and the reason that it all started is the death of his younger brother which he was very fond of and admired, Allie, three years ago. The death of Allie is very significant in Holden’s mind since it is an event which he remembers quite clearly at multiple occasions during the book. For example, when Holden is writing a descriptive composition for his roommate Stradlater, he decides to write about Allie’s baseball mitt since it is the only thing on his mind. “My brother Allie had this left-handed fielder’s mitt. He was
Holden’s childhood was far from ideal, with Allie dying, his dysfunctional parents and the revelation that he had some “perverty” stuff happen to him when he was a kid. Due to this, he isn't ready to step into adulthood and leave his childhood behind. This is why Holden is mostly alienated from adults and connects more to the innocence of children like the girl at the park and his sister, Phoebe. However, Holden is disillusioned with both adulthood and childhood. He already knows how it feels to be an adult; drinking alcohol, being independent, living by himself and caring for Phoebe, but isn’t ready to immerse himself in it.
Early on in the story Holden shows the readers that he is able to analyze people and make an educated judgement of them. Holden blames his departure from Elkton Hills on the people he was surrounded by. He says,“One of the biggest reasons I left Elkton Hills was because I was surrounded by phonies” (Salinger 17). This quote connects to the story because it seems Holden has trouble staying in one particular place if just a few things are not perfect. By understanding others, Holden is quick to decide that where he was at that particular time is not the place for him. This thinking does force him to go to another school, but at the same time, he decided that Elkton Hills is not the place for him. Being able to make a decision and stick to it without having second thoughts is something all high school students should be able to do. In the novel, Holden has come across people he knows like to manipulate others. With this mindset he does not completely avoid them, rather, he learns to deal with them. In chapter 19, there is an interaction where Holden knows his audience and adjusts his actions accordingly. Holden describes his friend, Luce, as an intellectual guy that voices his opinion. He says, “That’s the trouble with these intellectual guys. They never want to discuss anything serious unless they feel like it” (160). With this, it shows Holden knows his friend and knows how to talk without
This demonstrates that Holden has this mindset and believes that he isn't ageing because he occasionally believes that he is thirteen most of the time. He's trying to resist adulthood because that’s when all his issues began. In addition, when Holden took Phoebe to a museum he really enjoyed his time there because of how everything was put. Holden sated “the best thing though in the museum was that everything always stayed right where it is. Nobody´d move. You could go hundred thousand times, and that Eskimo would still be just finished catching those two fish, the birds would be on their way south, the deers would still be drinking out of that water hole … Nobody's be different” (Salinger 121). This conveys that Holden is fond of the museum because it doesn't change unlike other places he is surrounded which relates to the death of his brother Allie, who died of leukemia. He believes that when his brother died, his whole world shifted as a result, his parent isolated themselves from him and connects to the reason Holden is unable to acknowledge that his urge is to never change like a
In the beginning of the book, Holden often craves for his familiar past. During Holden’s visit to the museum he observes the sameness of everything. Holden mentions that “the best
Throughout the book Holden admits he doesn't like change. Holden fear of growing up , becoming an adult and thinking of of it disgust him. For example the museum, Holden like it because the exterior of it did not change and says the only thing that would change would be you.In the text Luce says “Same old Caulfield.When are you going to grow up already?”(144). Holden wants things to stay how they are and how his life is. Holden considers adults phonies and he doesn’t want to be consider phony as well. When he describes the museum he says the best part about it is that it never changes, only you do.Holden bonds with his sister taking her to the zoo, museum and the carousel.He wants to Phoebe to experience what he did and to get the memories alive. “What I have to do, I would have to catch everyone if they start to go over the cliff- what I have to do, I mean if they are running and they don't look where they are going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That is all I have to do. I would just be the catcher in the rye”(173). This quote show how by holden is catching them from falling down the cliff which symbolizes stopping them from adulthood. “Thousand of little kids and nobody’s around- nobody big , I mean except me”(173). This quotes implies how young innocent kids won't be exerted by adults
Holden has matured in many ways throughout the novel. He had grown from an immature child who only cared about himself to a mature adult who wanted to make something of his life. In the beginning of the story we are introduced to Holden as a forgetful kid who just doesn’t care. He is the manager of the fencing team, yet he forgets to take the supplies off the subway. As the book goes on we find Holden in situations where the reader has realized that he has matured. An example of this is when Holden has a sudden urge to go visit a museum, but when he gets there he decides not to go inside. “Then a funny thing happened. When I got to the Museum, all of a sudden I wouldn’t have gone inside for a million bucks. It just didn’t appeal to me…” (P122) This shows that Holden is maturing and by him not entering the museum his adult side takes over the kid in him.
Ultimately, Holden Caulfield’s decisions were incredibly based on his yearning for innocence in life when it is slowly fading away from the world. The audience feels sympathy towards Holden because they know Holden’s past years have been traumatizing with his brother’s death and his moving of schools. The audience knows now that Holden’s alienation is because he does not want to lose his or anyone’s innocence. Thus, the overall lesson is that one cannot prevent another person to do what they want to do, and if they fall, let them.
Holden tries to preserve his own innocence, and the innocence of others by not letting go of childhood memories and through his desire to suspend time. Holden views the adult world as corrupt and full of phonies. He admires childhood because of how it is free of corruption, and untouched by the adult world. IN order to preserve his own innocence Holden often attaches himself to childhood memories. The Museum of NAtural History is one of Holden’s favourite places . He mentions that his grade one teacher Miss. Aigletinger used to take his class there every saturday. While writing about the museum he says, “The best thing, in that museum was that everything always stayed right where it was” (121). This shows how Holden wants to preserve his innocence because he expresses how he likes how everything stayed the
From the protagonists’ point of view, the adult world Holden and Franny are entering and living in is a very superficial place. Holden who is sixteen years of age is going through a time of crisis where he is almost forced to become an adult. This concept is the very thing that makes Holden afraid, causing him to misbehave at school. His latest school, Pencey Prep, expels Holden due to his failing grades. When asked for the reason of his lack of academic enthusiasm, Holden simply states that he is not interested in anything. In every school he has attended, Holden has managed to find different reasons not to care and possibly even hate the institutions.
In the beginning, Holden says his mother will beat him up if she knows that he gets kicked out of school. So he chooses to stay in the hotel instead of going home, which show he is escaping the truth that his mother is still going to beat him after he is home and he plans to leave the country in consequently. Also, he talks about the attractive girl Jane, who has spent a summer with and, later on Stradlater is dating with her. Holden is still imagined the old memory he had with Jane, As a matter of fact, he just can’t face the truth. He refers that he wants to be “the catcher in the rye” in the novel, it is expressed that his interest of being a catcher to catch a child from growing up and prevent them to find out what the real world is. In other word, he refuses of becoming an adult. Toward the end, he asks Sally to run away with him and lives their own life without anyone knowing them but she rejected. All those events have provided us that Holden is unable to accept the truth of his life and even wanted to refuse to grow