Holden's drunken escapade can tell us a lot about the notorious liar's true thoughts. While Holden is sober, he claims he is "the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life." But I think it's clear that he's not the greatest when he can't even hold onto a record. Therefore most of the things Holden does in this chapter should reveal his truer thoughts. First of all, there's Sally Hayes. Holden loves her like no other, except maybe Jane. Holden calls her up at about one in the morning to tell her that he will be there on Christmas Eve to trim her tree. It's difficult to tell if he's just calling her out of drunken stupidity, or if he's calling her because he feels something special and is "in love with her and wants to marry her" (p.124). Another one of Holden's drunken antics leads him to the pond with the ducks he always talks about in Central Park. When Holden sits down at the bench near the pond and starts thinking about his funeral if he were to die of pneumonia that night. He thinks of all of his relatives and then associates that memory with all of the people at Allie's funeral. He thinks about how his parents would react if he died, as Allie's death still haunts them. He also thinks about Phoebe, who she claims is quite fond of him, and wonders how she would react if he died as well. These thoughts make Holden feel bad and therefore he decides that he should visit Phoebe just in case he died anytime soon.
Do you think Holden's thoughts seem more true to you in this chapter? Do you think Holden loves Sally? Why is Holden so interested in this particular pond? Do you think a traumatic incident occurred there? How do you think Phoebe and Holden's parents would react if he died?
First of all, Culver, this was a great blog post. I like how you added direct quotes from the reading and also made them flow throughout the paragraph. I believe that Holden was drunk for most of the chapter so not everything he said should be believed such as the Christmas Tree cutting or marrying Sally. I think Holden does enjoy Sally's company, however, by the end of their date, he is so drunk that he has no control of his conscious thinking. The reader should not trust Holden in any way because he is already an unreliable narrator plus he is drunk. I do agree with you that Holden does know something about the pond in the park since he always refers back to it. I am not sure if a traumatic incident occurred there but something most have happened because remembering it makes Holden feel less depressed. Lastly, like any sane and loving family would, if Holden did die, his family should feel unexplainable amounts of grief for losing two children. Culver, very well put together and good question.
ReplyDeleteCulver I agree that this chapter gives the reader a glimpse of some of Holden's true thoughts. I especially like that you covered Holden's episode in central park where he ponders on what would happen if he died. The idea of Holden thinking about how others would react to his death emulates the possibility that Holden isn't simply a bitter kid with a lot of problems. Holden temporarily opens up to the reader and lets the reader know that he has empathy for others and thinks about the long term repercussions if he died. Perhaps this shows us that Holden isn't that crazy after all.
ReplyDeleteCulver, I think you did a great job of looking at this chapter from a different angle. I am not sure that we really see Holden's truer thoughts though. Throughout the novel, Holden's actions often speak louder than his words. The fact that he gets so drunk alone does show us the extent of his sadness. One feels sorry for Holden as they read this chapter. I think calling Sally was another attempt of Holden's to obtain company. He feels lonely again, and l think he is just looking for a friend. I do not think he loves her. Your analysis of the pond is quite interesting. I have never thought about the pond in that manner. As I think about it, I suppose that you could be right, since Holden makes several remarks about that pond throughout the book. If Holden did die, his parents, relatives, siblings, and friends (that he might not even know he has) would be devastated. By thinking about this, we can see that Holden really just wants people to care about him. He likes to imagine that people would be upset by his death, proving that he wants people to show their emotions. Overall, Culver, you did a good job on your blog post.
ReplyDeleteC Sted, this was a fantastic blog post about this chapter. I think you are absolutely correct when you say that Holden's actions and thoughts were a little clouded by the alcohol in his system. As for Sally Hayes, I am not sure if Holden loves her. She is a good influence on him, and she also is nice to him but I don't think that Holden is in love with her because I think that he loves Jane. I also am not sure that a traumatic event happened to Holden at the pond, but I do think that the pond comforts him in some way. Lastly and contrary to Holden's belief, I am confident that Holden's sister and parents would be absolutely crushed if Holden died. To finish, Culver, I thought that this post was interesting and brought up very valuable points
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