Resilience In Catcher In The Rye

Often times, one’s impression of something is based on people or things that ‘stick out,’ or are memorable. People in the spotlight in contemporary popular culture, such as: musicians, writers, actors and other celebrities, are purposely making themselves ‘stick out,’ so that these people are memorable, or become more famous by heightening their national profile with outrageous statements, outfits, and actions. Literature, rather than using outrageous statements or actions, uses different kinds of characters and their corresponding actions to make works more memorable. J.D. Salinger, in his novel The Catcher in the Rye, uses the character of Holden Caulfield, a rebellious adolescent, and his stream of consciousness to captivate and relate

to readers of all ages. In her novel Turtle Moon, Alice Hoffman uses characters like Keith, Julian Cash and Miss Giles, who have every day problems just like the readers of the book, to relate the novel to her audience. Throughout Turtle Moon, Miss Lillian Giles unforgettably displays benevolence in caretaking, resilience, and charisma, maintains readers’ interest in the plot’s progression and adds a lighthearted, warm touch to tense situations.

From the moment the narrator introduces readers to Miss Lillian Giles, he establishes Miss Giles as a benevolent caretaker. The narrator displays Miss Giles’ benevolence in caretaking when the narrator observes that she “has cared for more foster children than anyone in the county” (118). Next, the narrator shares with the readers that Miss Giles’ favorite child, “probably the ugliest, fussiest baby ever born” (119), is none other than Julian Cash, the stiff detective who brings Miss Giles her latest foster children. Miss Giles not only shows benevolence when caring for children, but her benevolence in childcare is carried out into the world as a result of her determination and fulfillment of her task. Keith, referred to throughout Turtle Moon as, “the meanest boy in Verity” (4), displays Miss Giles’ benevolence in his shift of character. While living with his mother, Keith does nothing but wrong, but while living with Miss Giles, Keith, “eats his franks and beans, even though they make him sick to his stomach, lies down next to the baby until she falls asleep for naptime, and even hangs laundry on the line for Miss Giles without being asked” (183). Keith’s shift in character says volumes of Miss Giles’ benevolence in caretaking; before, Keith was a deadbeat delinquent who did nothing but wrong. Now, under the care of Miss Giles, Keith shows the traits of a respectable, mature young man, and has finally broken his patch of deplorable behavior. Miss Giles not only benevolently cares for any child that is thrust upon her, but she instills values of her own benevolence in the children that she raises, like Keith and even Julian, so that they too can be people of goodwill.
Miss Giles emanates a fountain of charisma throughout the plot of Turtle Moon, from saving a child’s life by cooking him like a pot roast, to having tendencies that remind readers of some life’s most endearing people. Hoffman beautifully takes Miss Giles’ vital role in the novel, a role that some novelists would portray as serious and stiff, flawlessly makes a character with great appeal, and gives Miss Giles down-to-earth qualities and tendencies. Though Miss Giles lives independently and faces a difficult task in taking care of a degenerate like Keith and a young baby, she denies most help that Julian offers her, shown when she says things, such as: “Baby, you can leave me with ten more just like him” (126), and “I’ve got everything. Scat” (127). Miss Giles’ readiness to undertake a task that most people would not succeed at or would not be willing to do inspires readers, and shows Miss Giles’ strength of personality. Miss Giles’ single most charismatic action occurs when she saves the life of infant Julian Cash by baking him in the oven until he regains consciousness. When telling the story to Keith, Miss Giles recounts, “(I) lit the woodstove, and I put that baby right inside the oven, because I knew, all of a sudden, that he was dead” (236). While Miss Giles action invokes humor in readers, Miss Giles saves the life of young Julian Cash. Like any great storyteller, Miss Giles over-exaggerates, embellishes and mystifies the details of the story, saying things like: “I saw a circle of light…” (233), “It was the kind of screaming that makes you jump out of bed and not bother with a bathrobe or slippers or anything like that” (234), and “ I was fairly certain it was the devil at my door” (235). These over-exaggerations, embellishments and mystifications bring out Miss Giles’ playfully natured personality, giving her even more charisma. Most of all, Miss Giles’ subtle actions as a homemaker and caregiver are the pinnacle of her charisma. Whether it be the “lemonade without sugar, that nobody can tell her is too sweet” (119), or her “homebaked icebox cookies” (184), Miss Giles reminds the reader of a folksy, charismatic person in his life, whether it is mother, grandmother, or friend. Miss Giles’ charisma acts as one of her most important qualities because her charisma allows readers to connect personally with Miss Giles.
Resilience is Miss Giles’ most overlooked quality, yet resilience serves as Miss Giles’ most telling personal trait in Turtle Moon.

As the narrator begins his description of Miss Giles, he says, “Lillian always had a knack with babies and could put even the most difficult ones down for a nap within minutes” (118). When the narrator shares that Miss Giles’ favorite child is the “ugliest, fussiest baby ever born” (119), the narrator shows the readers Miss Giles’ goodwill and kindly feelings toward the baby, Julian Cash, that everyone else rejects or scorns, and thus displays her resilience to conform to societal norms or be weathered by the judgment of others. Miss Giles, years later, agrees to care for two unknown children, even though Social Services has deemed her too old to be on their official registry of foster families. The willingness of Miss Giles to take on care for the two children, Keith and the baby, exemplifies her unwavering altruism in childcare. Upon the arrival of Keith and the baby, Miss Giles refrains from complaint or doubt, and “goes to make up a crib and a cot with clean sheets” (119). Miss Giles never asks questions or hesitates when faced with taking care of children, she simply performs the job. Miss Giles is tough, and able to overcome the problems of the difficultly of childcare in her age and her hearing problem that she faces. As the narrator continues to introduce Miss Giles to the readers, the narrator observes that, “a long time ago, Lillian was in love with Charles Verity’s great-grandson, but he went to New York and married a rich girl, and Lillian stayed put” (119). Miss Giles does not dwell on the departure of the love of her life across the United States, but instead, channels her loss of love for a spouse into love for taking care of orphaned or foster children. Finally, Miss Giles is resilient in her response to the urgent situation with which she faces when left with the infant, nearly dead body of Julian Cash. When Miss Giles

describes her resilience in saving the life of Julian Cash to Keith, she says, “I sat there and watched the baby…the bees came into my house again, but they weren’t going to scare me…I kept on watching that baby” (237). Miss Giles shows resilience by her readiness to make the ultimate sacrifice of life at the hands of the bees just to save a stranger’s baby, speaking volumes about her values and toughness. Throughout Turtle Moon, Miss Giles displays resilience in raising Julian, Keith and the baby, saving young Julian Cash’s life, and devoting her life to the caring for children, even though she was left by her lover, so she never had her own.
Miss Lillian Giles adds a warm touch to tense situations and maintains readers’ interest in the plot’s progression of Alice Hoffman’s novel, Turtle Moon, with her benevolence in childcare, charisma and resilience. As a benevolent caregiver, Miss Giles ensures that her actions influence Julian, Keith, the baby, and countless other children to be kind and caring, like herself. With charisma, Miss Giles personally connects with readers and characters in the story through her storytelling, caregiving, homemade cooking, and independence. Lastly, Miss Giles uses resilience to overcome obstacles and reach her full potential as a caregiver and as a person. Rather than using outrageous or outlandish phrases or ideas, Hoffman connects readers to characters in Turtle Moon through seemingly real experiences and feelings. The connections that Alice Hoffman makes between character experience and reader reality leave readers with a vivid impression of Turtle Moon, its characters and its themes.