The Great Gatsby Quotes

While discovering everyday life, we perceive that people open up and grow ideas about their surroundings. Seamus Rafael Goldberg, known as Rafe, in the book Openly Straight realizes that he has to tell the truth, while risking his relationships to his classmates. He can’t be someone that he isn’t, even though he has a hard time being himself with the people around him. Rafe is a new transfer student to an all boy’s school. But there’s one problem, he’s gay. He doesn’t want to be labeled as gay in front of his all boy’s school. Rafe has to adapt to his new environment and has to learn how to be himself. From keeping his secret from all of the other guys at his school, he learns that he has to change. Later on, he discerns that he has to open

up and live his life the way he wants to, he can’t keep his secret for long. By showing his ambivalence, Rafe notices that life is better when you can be yourself. Rafe opened up to the guys at his school and realized that opening up is now better than hiding the truth. Rafe later found out that the people he thought were going to tease him, actually turned out to be his best friends at his new school. Holden and Rafe both realize that your first perspective on a person is not always right. Ambivalence teaches them that who you really think a person is, might not actually be who you think they are.

Holden is struggling to find his way through the real world of life.

Holden learns plenty about the adult world throughout Chapters 8-14 of “Catcher in the Rye.” He was a very impatient-type guy. “How the hell should I know a stupid thing like that?” he said. He was sore about it or something” (91). During the talk with the taxi cab driver on the way to Ernie’s, Holden’s initial reaction to the driver was dismissive. Holden calls him sore, touchy, and impatient. After the talk about the ducks, Holden changes his perspective on the taxi driver. All of a sudden, Holden thinks he is a “pretty nice guy. Quite amusing and all (93). and asks him if he wanted to go get drinks together. As time goes on, Holden learns that people are not always going to be friendly to you. His ambivalence teaches him that you can’t just set your opinion on someone right after you meet them. He learns that you have to get to know them before he judges

them.

While at the bar, Holden switches his outlook on Ernie.

He only came to the bar to see him play his piano. Soon enough, he regrets his decision and didn’t want to see him anymore. “He’s a terrific snob and won’t hardly even talk to you unless you’re a big shot or celebrity or something, but he can really play the piano. He’s so good that he’s almost corny…” (90). Holden seems to dislike the fact that some people are sellouts. He learns that being good at something and having talents also has a downside. Holden discovers that people like Ernie are great at what they do, but they also seem full of themselves and snobbish. Holden realizes that people are not always who you think they are. He furthermore learns that ones with talent, might not be all that great, they could also be very

conceited.

Holden’s feelings for Jane constantly change throughout the book. “I got old Jane Gallagher on the brain again. 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. I still couldn’t get her off my brain” (85). While Holden was sitting in the hotel lobby, he was thinking about Jane and how concerned he was that Stradlater might’ve given her the time. But in the end, Holden still loves and respects Jane for whom she is. Holden realizes that no matter what a person goes through, you can’t let that go in the way of loving them. Even though Holden thought that Jane was a different person because Stradlater might have given her the time, this did not interfere with his love for her. Holden recognizes that even though he has new thoughts on Jane, he comes to a realization that he might be wrong about her, and doesn’t let that get impede his love for Jane.