Hi Everyone:
In the comment section below, identify a
short passage in Catcher in the Rye to discuss, and then write a
response in which you explain the significance of the passage both on
its own and as it relates to the book as a whole. Remember the
guidelines for annotation:
** Do you notice any repeating patterns of language / imagery / ideas?
** Can you make any connections within the passage and to other parts of the book outside the passage?
** Does something seem significant (even if you do not know exactly why)?
** Does the passage reveal something about a character or the book as a whole?
You do not need to copy the passage; just indicate a page range. Thank you.
On pages 119-121 of the book Holden visits the Museum of Natural History. This passage seemed very peculiar and important to me. This gave me a better sense of meaning about certain things you encounter throughout the story. The part of the passage where Holden says that the only thing that ever changes in the museum is you. He expresses how he likes this part about the museum. I think that this shows how he is afraid of change in his life and that he doesn't know how to accept differences. His liking of the lack of change shows me that he likes how it will always be the same and he will always be comfortable in the museum, he will not have to adapt to a new situation which makes him comfortable. Also in this passage there is something that confuses me, Holden made such a big deal about the ducks and where they went. But then he outright says he knows that they are flying south in the museum. If he knew where they went then why was it such a big deal? This shows the symbolic meaning and lack of expression skills that Holden encounters throughout the story.
ReplyDeleteThere is a part in the book where Holden orders a hooker to the room. Immediately he notices her character. He studies people inside and out before judging who they are. He pointed out all the bad things about her. He said she wasn’t pleasant. He also noticed that she was young. He thought she was about his age. Clearly he invited her to the room for some “sweet company” but when he saw all these things about her. He wasn’t all for it. He asked her to just talk to him. He wanted company. He always is saying how he is lonesome and wanted people to talk to. He only got that idea when he realized how young she was. I feel like he wanted to talk to with her for him. So he feels less lonely, but then I feel like he wanted to talk to her for her. He figured she must’ve had a rough life if already she is a prostitute. He secretly had some sympathy for her because in a way they probably had the same feelings. Of assuming everyone has something bad about them. She probably feels lonely in a way that no one actually cares about her. Like how Holden feels lonely like he has no connection with people. He thought he could relate by talking to her, but she just think everyone’s looking for something more than what really is asked.
ReplyDeleteOn page s 135-136, there is a passage in which Holden goes on and on about the two types of personalities girls will categorize guys as. One category is being conceited and the other is having an inferiority complex. Holden explains how if a girl likes a guy who is full of himself, she will just explain him as having an inferiority complex, On the other hand, if a girl didn’t like a guy who was even the least bit confident with himself, he’d be considered conceited. During this passage, Holden was constantly referring to a truly conceited guy as a “bastard.” I also noticed that throughout the entire book, Holden refers to people using their full name—being their first and last, no matter how many times he mentions them. I think the reason Holden brings this up is that he is trying to get the point across that girls tend to defend the guys they like and put down the ones they don’t like. Also, Holden was calling Jane’s ex-boyfriend conceited although Jane considered him to have an inferiority complex, which shows how Holden may have been jealous of her boyfriend at the time. What Holden did throughout most of the book was thinking about calling Jane again though he would always come up with a reason not to. This shows how Holden wanted to be with Jane but had a reason why he couldn’t ever “be” with her. This passage reveals things about both Holden and Jane. It shows how Holden understands the way girls think even though he doesn’t quite agree with them. What is revealed about Jane is that she went out with guys who didn’t really have much respect for anyone but themselves, but she would defend them anyways. This actually connects with the ideas in this book about how people were so into themselves that they would block out the rest of the world around them , which is what Holden tries so hard not to do.
ReplyDeleteIn The Catcher in the Rye, Holden talks about the Museum of History and reminisces of when we would go on felid trips there when he was a kid. Remembering the museum makes him happy and he goes into great details of what he remembers and recalls how it made him feel. I believe that this is significant because not a lot makes Holden happy and it shows that he really valued his childhood for the most part. One of the most significant parts of the passage is when Holden is talking about the artifacts in the glass cases, “Boy, that museum was full of glass cases.” (Page 121)Holden looking through class is a reoccurring image in the novel which symbolizes how he feels in life. The reason why he likes looking at the objects in the glass cases is because they never move and are always as amazing as the last time he saw them. I think Holden values how simple the world was back then and how everyone is moving now, which is causing him distress. What seems like Holden talking about his past days at the museum shows more about his character and is views on the changing world around him.
ReplyDeleteOn pages 119-122, Holden takes a trip to the Museum of Natural History. He walks through and admires the artwork representing how life was before his time. He reminisces about his times visiting their when he was young with his classmates, and how nothing ever changes inside the museum. Holden says that the only thing that really changes is the person visiting the museum, and it may not even be in a significant way, but that they are simply different. The next time they enter the museum they may be wearing different clothes, or you may be going with somebody else, and that makes the experience different from the last one. I think this may be his way of thinking about how everything is constantly changing, and nothing is ever the same. Nothing has ever really been constant in his life, especially when it comes to school. He also talks describes the displays behind the glass cases. I find this to be another barrier he feels between him and the world. He can never truly connect with the rest of the world on a level where he can feel accepted. There is always something separating him from really being able to really engage with the rest of the world. Holden focuses on small details, like the way Gertrude Levine's hand felt and how the birds looked if you turned your head upside down. I think that this passage shows how Holden feels about the world, and while the world itself never really change, its the people that inhabit it that do all the changing.
ReplyDeleteOn pages 108 to 113 Holden meets a pair of nuns waiting at the train station. One thing that constantly happens really whenever Holden talks about something different he is always have small flashbacks that don't really have much to do with what he is talking about beside one thing. The flashbacks he has are usually from when he lived with his parents still or when he was at a different school other than Pencey. He always seems to have a story to back up a point that he has to make. One example is when he said he thought that the nuns were going to try and find out if he was Catholic just because they were. He then thinks back to a time at one of his schools when he was with this boy, Louis Shaney, who was a Catholic. He said that they were having a nice conversation until he tried to find out if he was Catholic. It shows that he has been a lot of places and has had a lot of previous experiences that relate to his present life. One thing that connects together in the passage is at the beginning he notices that the bags the nuns have are not very good and it seems as if he doesn't think very well of them because of it. He acts like he is better then them because he clearly has more money then them. At the end of the passage he continually is trying to give them money and pay for their things. He isn't doing this because he feels bad, he is doing it because he just wants to. I thought this was a little weird because he seems to have a change of heart about the nuns in such a short period of time. One thing that does seem important in the passage is his constant infatuation with money and how much people have. In earlier parts in the book he also is always talking about money. He says that his family has money, but the way he talks about it so much makes it seem like he may not have as much as he thinks he does. What this shows about Holden is that he makes very quick judgments about people when he first sees them. He is always doing this, but he always seems to realize it so he tries to do something to make up for it. It shows that Holden is more emotional and sentimental then he actually tries to make himself out to be.
ReplyDeleteThere is a point in the book where Holden talks about his beliefs in religion and what he thinks about it. In this passage, he explains the fact that he is atheist, though, he still believes in Jesus. In the beginning of the passage he says: "I felt like praying or something, when I was in bed, but I couldn't do it..." It's very strange by the fact that he talks about religion so openly, and doesn't even get stuck in with the answer. I always feel like when Holden is trying to express something, he has difficulty in showing what he means. Reason why his sentences don't seem to end, and he always has to stop in the middle of it. Even with religion, every other subject that takes his attention and "confuses" his mind, he tends to lose control of what he is trying to get across. I guess his way to express certain things, is to be ironic about it. Because of this passage, Holden shows that his thoughts are very different from everybody else's, but he doesn't care about being different. When he talks about the disciples, he has a fixed idea about them, revealing he doesn't let people tell him what to think. Whats interesting is that he can't focus on the topic, without mentioned his every day words. The smoking comes up a lot too, and I feel like that hurts him in trying to express himself. This passage is in the beginning of chapter 14. And the thing is that every time he gets into something deeper, something strange happens. I just wish I could figure out why he never finishes what he is trying to get through. He tends to be okay around awkward situations even when he shouldn't be. He doesn't seem to be able to connect with other important subjects, because he can't seem to be connected with himself. Religion is a tough topic, specially for someone like Holden, who doesn't have a fixed mind of things that actually matter.
ReplyDeleteOn pages seventy through seventy-six, Holden is talking about and with the three girls from Washington. During the passage he sets the scene for the club and how he talks about the three girls. He describes the girls physically by describing their appearances and their habits; at one point he even calls them 'witches'. During the interaction with the girls, Holden continually tries to start conversations with the girls but they are either too stupid to carry it out or they are not paying any attention to what Holden is saying. Holden does not seem to care that the girls aren’t really interested in talking to him. Although Holden never says this, I believe that even though people aren’t really interested him (like Ackley and Stradlater early in the book) he still strives to be around people even though he is not interacting with them. I believe this is significant because the way that Holden interacts with people can lead you to believe that Holden is or isn't an honest character.
ReplyDeleteThe Catcher in the Rye has many important passages that are significant or relate to the book as a whole. One passage in particular that exemplifies these qualities is the discussion between Holden and the prostitute. This passage reveals to us more of Holdens softer side. He hires a prostitute in order to keep his rough facade intact, but when she actually gets there all he wants to do is talk. It shows off that he cares deeply for the well being of women, as also seen in the passage about the game of checkers. He doesn't want to hurt or abuse them, he rather treat them like normal human beings. It affects the entire story when we realize that his entire personality that he has built up throughout the story does not reveal his true feelings. He puts on this act of being someone different because he wants be seen as normal. His friends used to talk about sex and girls all the time so he might of thought that he also had to do the same things they did. Hiring the prostitute is just one action he took in order for himself to be seen as a normal boy.
ReplyDeletepg #94-98
one significant part in the catcher in the rye is the passage when he first meets the bellboy pimp. It is significant because it shows Holdens instability and his inclination to make decisions without clearly thinking them through. He orders a prostitute to his room even though he did not want to have sex, showing how we did not clearly think the situation through. This could be a serious problem in his life. "It was against my principles and all, but i was feeling so depressed, i didn't even think." This leads to him being beaten by the pimp later on which shows that if had thought his actions through, he may have ended up in a better situation. Holden reacts to how he thinks he feels without realizing the logic behind the situation, so once it actually happens, he is surprised by the outcome of the situation. The quote that i put in is significant because sometimes Holden realizes that he may have made the wrong decision, but does it anyways because it's already happening. It reveals something else that is a big part of Holden's life. He thinks that sex can make his problems go away and make him happy even when he is so depressed. This passage shows that Holdens first reactions to situations can lead him to more trouble.
ReplyDeleteA connection I have made while reading The Catcher in the Rye so far is how Holden always offers people drinks. He does this on several different occasions and it is usually a failed attempt. Such as on page 57, the women he is offering to a buy a drink for, Mrs Morrow, responds with " dear, are you allowed to order drinks?". In this scene it is clear that everyone is aware of Holden's immaturity except him. He continuously tries to offer people drinks and most of the time they reject him, due to the fact that they are fully aware of his attempt to seem older. This may not seem very significant, because many high school students around Holden' age try to portray themselves as older than they actually are, however, I found it significant for another reason. I feel that Holden wants to prove to not only his acquaintances but also himself that he is able to take care of himself. He uses alcoholic beverages to show the people around him that he can be social and create an interactive environment. Throughout the book Holden is unable to have a real relationship with anyone. Any social interaction he has usually ends with him getting worked up and one of them leaving. My opinion is that he offers people drinks as a way of trying to start not necessarily a friendship but a simple relationship where they can talk and have normal conversations. The topic of him offering people drinks so frequently is most likely a way to interact with people which he clearly has a problem doing.
ReplyDeletei chose the passage where holden hires the prostitute, pages 92-98. In this passage Holden hires a prostitute to come to his hotel room for the night. Before she gets there Holden admits that he is a virgin and always stops when he is with a girl, he also changes his shirt and cleans the place up. When the prostitute gets there all Holden wants to do is talk with her rather than actually having sex. I think this passage is signifigant and relavent to the book because it is part of a reacuuring theme that holden starts to do something but in the end fails to come through or actually finish what he started. I think that this passage reveals how insecure that holden is and it shows that he is confused about many things. Holden also never reveals his real age which is another reacuuring theme that happens throughout the book which shows that holden doesnt know quite who he really is.
ReplyDeleteIn the Catcher in the Rye on pages 93-98, there is a passage about Holden and a prostitute. One word that Holden repeats to describe how he feels when he is talking to the prostitute is peculiar. He says, "I certainly felt peculiar" and "I was feeling peculiar." Then again Holden says, "I was feeling so damn peculiar.” Holden did not know what to make of the situation. A piece of imagery that I noticed on page 93 was when Holden was describing the prostitute as he first saw her. I thought that it was strange for him to mention that she was not wearing a hat, rather than only mentioning what he did see her wearing. Holden is a very observant person and this seemed significant to me. I also thought that it was strange of Holden to say that he wanted the prostitute to come to his room, but then he only wanted to talk to her. then when the prostitute told him that if he was going to talk then just do it, but Holden could not think of any words to say. This passage shows that Holden is very observant about people, but that he is confused on how to deal with them and have a conversation with them.
ReplyDeleteIn the Catcher in the Rye, there is one passage that stands out to me that seems to be significant." I took my olod hunting hat out of my pocket while i walked, and put it on. I knew i wouldnt meet any body that knew me, and it was pretty damp out",(Salinger 122). this passage seems significant because i find it a little strange. In the book Holden's hat comes up frequently because it is symbolistic to him in some way. Why tyhis passage is a little odd to me is because it seems that Holden wears this hat to impress people he may know and already know. I believe his hat might be his "comfort zone" and that when he wears it makes him feel confident. Not just in this section but as a book as a whole, Holden's hat, symbolicly, will greatly mean something important at the end of the book.
ReplyDeleteOn pages 108 - 112 Holden meets some nuns and reminisces about an old roommate. He remembers his roommate's suitcases and the actions his roommate did to appear less poor by pretending Holden’s suitcases were his own. Holden felt a little sorry for him and felt he was nice but unfortunate. The Nuns also had relatively cheap suitcases and Holden felt sorry for them as well. As they talked he discussed “Romeo and Juliet” with one of the Nuns. He mentioned Mercutio and liked his character of a smart but unfortunate man. He contemplates the Nuns and their suitcases and how they represent a characteristic of kindness but also pity. But overall Holden is left with a positive outlook after the event and is glad they talked.
ReplyDeleteIn the novel, "The Catcher in the Rye", there are many important passages that have symbolic meaning beyond what is actually happening about throughout the plot. On pages 98-99 Holden talks about a time where he denied Allie, his younger brother, the right to hangout with him and his friend, Bobby Fallon. Holden talks about how he truly regrets telling Allie this and that when he is depressed he sometimes talks to Allie and tells him to meet him out in front of Bobby Fallon's house. I found this to be touching and to also be a key point where Holden shows some deep emotion. Holden feels like a jerk about this because he no longer can hangout with Allie ever again, since Allie passed away. This is one of a few times in the book where Holden brings up memories of Allie. He loved like an older brother should and he idolized him even though Holden was older. Everything Allie was, Holden seems like he wants to be but he just doesn't have the same personality or characteristics that Allie had. Holden has trouble with living what happened in the past and this causes him to suffer from depression and many other psychological problems. It is truly sad to see a character such as Holden go through this mental state of unsustainability.
ReplyDeleteThe passage I chose in The Catcher in the Rye is about the prostitute on pages 94-97. Something I noticed about Holden was how he kept saying how particular he felt. When he said he'd get the prostitute, he said he was too depressed to even think about if he really wanted one. He just said okay when Maurice asked him. When the prostitute showed up, all he wanted to do was talk to her. I thought of how this both connects and contrasts with scenes about Jane. Whenever he has the opportunity to see Jane or call her on the phone, he doesn't. He says he has to be in the right kind of mood to talk to her. He also would think a lot about Jane. I think Holden is afraid to talk to Jane because he doesn't want to deal with his feelings for her. However, he only wanted to talk to the prostitute because he likes to open up deep and meaningful conversations, but also wants to have the ability to be able to close the conversations when he feels they get too personal on his part.
ReplyDeleteOne passage that I find intriguing from J.D. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye is when Holden contemplates suicide. This is an important passage because it signifies the conformation of Holden having deeper issues than just a “teenage phase”. Page 104 reads “It took me quite a while to get to sleep-I wasn’t even tired-but finally I did. What I really felt like doing was committing suicide. I felt like jumping out the window.” This quote shows that Holden has a seriously low self confidence and respect for himself. It appears as if he hates certain aspects to his personality. At this low point Holden also imagines himself killing the pimp/bellboy. This is frightening because it makes Holden seem potentially dangerous to society. This passage reveals to the reader, that Holden does indeed have more serious issues in his life.
ReplyDelete