Friday, May 17, 2013
A Little Joy Can Go a Long Way
Holden Caulfield throughout The Catcher in the Rye, has tried to explain to people why he thinks everyone is a phony, and what his views on the world really are. Holden gave hints throughout the book of what he really thought about adulthood, but in Chapter 22, Holden spills everything he believes onto his sister. He tells her about how much he hated everyone that went to Pency, and how he hated the old man who visited on Veteran's Day. Phoebe interrupted his rant asked him if he like anything. Holden had nothing to say to that because he couldn't think of anything that he liked. This got me thinking. I realized that Holden actually hates everything in the world, and all he wants to do is avoid adulthood. I wanted to ask Holden why he hates everything and everyone, and why he calls everybody a phony. Then I realized that Holden never understood the point of living life, and the joy and benefits of life in this world. I think that if Holden learned to appreciate this joy, and a reason to live he would be much better off. If he realizes joy, then his crisis of not know what the point of life would end and he would be able to live an enjoyable life. My question for my classmates is why does Holden feel so scared of adulthood, and what needs to happen to him to make him happy to become an adult?
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Jake, great summary and analysis of the chapter! I definitely agree with you that Holden hates everything, except maybe Phoebe. Holden really needs to find some sort of meaning in life, besides wanting to be a deaf mute who lives alone in the woods or the catcher in the rye. Personally I think Holden is so scared of adulthood because he doesn't want to be a phony, his greatest fear and hatred. I'm not really sure how he thinks being an adult will make him a phony but that seems to be his mindset. I think for him to become a happy adult he needs to accept the fact that there are rules in society and he can't just do whatever he feels anymore. Overall great response Jake. ;)
ReplyDeleteGreat song Jake! Anyway to latch on I think the only thing Holden likes are children. With his job as the catcher in the rye, and the two things he said he liked were Allie and talking to Phoebe (a child). I think Holden is afraid of adulthood just like almost all teenagers in the world. The responsibility. It can seem overwhelming to any child especially one with some mental issues. I think for him to be happy in adulthood, he needs to be put into it or see a doctor about his mental health. Great job Jakey!
ReplyDeleteI strongly believe that Holden is afraid to become and adult. I think that Holden sees the adult world as a single idea, in other words, adults don't seem to show much diversity amongst themselves. Throughout the novel, Holden encounters a few adults he seems to admire, however he ends up describing the others as lousy. Taking into mind what he admires about that handful of adults, I think that in order for Holden to be happy in the adult world, he must find an occupation in which he can give to the community. This idea comes from when he meets the nuns and gives them $10 dollars, yet feels he should have given them more. I also think that Holden would be a happy adult if he could have children with a nice wife. Great response Jake.
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