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| "The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one." -Wilhelm Stekel |
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
- Why does Holden seem so ambivalent about the adult world?
- Why does Holden fear or resist change?
- Why does Holden struggle to develop meaningful relationships with his family and peers?
SAMPLE POST:
Why does Holden seem so ambivalent about the adult world?
When describing the difference between what ads at Pencey promise and what the school is really like, Holden reveals how suspicious he is of the adult world . He doubts that "they do any more molding at Pencey than they do at any other school." (Salinger 2) Holden implies that schools do not make us who we are and might even give us a false impression of who we could or should become.
When Holden is telling Mr. Antolini about how he sometimes hated Stradlater and Ackley, he says, "After a while, if I didn't see them, if they didn't come in the room, or if I didn't see them in the dining room for a couple of meals, I sort of missed them" (187). Holden misses people like Stradlater and Ackley because he is used to having them around, and when they leave, it's a change. Holden fears and resists change.
ReplyDeleteHolden was at Mr. Antolini's house, sleeping, when Mr. Antolini suddenly started "sort of petting [Holden] on the goddam head." He describes, "I was so damn nervous. I knew more damn perverts, at schools and all, than anybody you ever met, and they're always being perverty when I'm around" (Salinger 192). Holden is ambivalent about the adult world because stuff like this happens, and something similar probably happened before, and that's why he suddenly leaves after this incident. He doesn't know when something will happen to make him not trust the adult.
ReplyDeleteHolden likes putting up a fight about mostly everything. While talking about his Oral Expression class he says "the trouble with me is, I like it when somebody digresses. It's more interesting an all" (183). Holden knows something's up with him and that effects him from building meaningful relationships with his friends and other.
ReplyDeleteWhen Holden says, "When something perverty happens, I start sweating like a bastard. That kind of stuff's happened to me about twenty times since I was a kid. I can't stand it," (Salinger 193). He shows his ambivalence to the adult world because his old teacher almost molested him, and that teacher wasn't the first to try that on him.
ReplyDeleteWhen holden is talking to Mr. Antolini, he says, "I'm very hard to talk to. I realize that." (Salinger 186) Holden even realizes himself that he has trouble communicating with people, making it hard for him to develop relationships
ReplyDeleteHolden struggles to develope meaningful relationships and he shows that he knows it too when he is talking to Mr. Antolini. "I'm very hard to talk to. I realize that" (Salinger 186). He knows that he isn't much of a social person and he struggles to make friends because he doesn't care enough to fix it or to work on it.
ReplyDeleteNot only does Holden have a difficult time developing relationships but he refuses to change. When Holden is talking to Mr.Antolini he says, "I'm very hard to talk to. I realize that"(Salinger 186). Holden sees his own flaws but still doesn't do anything to change them. Later in the conversation, Holden starts paying less attention to what Mr.Antolini is saying and even starts yawning. He doesn't try to fix his mistakes or listen to peoples criticism.
ReplyDeleteWen holden was like "I had this terrific headache all of a sudden." That was after Mr.Antolini gave hime a lot of words. I think he is in confusion and he's not used to be changed himself. So we can see that he fears to change. Because even if someone had given him an advice, he hasn't changed yet.
ReplyDeleteWhen Holden is talking to Mr.Antolini about him skipping classes Holden,"didn't feel at all like discussing it"(Salinger 186). This shows that Holden still doesn't want to open up to people about talking about what really happened to him. Because he still feels this way he can't develop meaningful relationships with people.
ReplyDeleteHolden has done his best not to have a role model or someone he looks up to in the adult world and that may be because he knows no one is perfect and that you make someone out to be a model they will only dissapoint you. " i know more damn perrverts than at school and all than anyone you ever met" Here Mr. Antonoli who Holden admires and sees as a rare truly good adult has shattered Holdens image of him and in Holdens mind tried to do something "perverty" Yet again an adult has failed Holden and lost his trust.
ReplyDeleteWhen Phoebe is riding on the carousel he gets soaked, "I didn't care, though. I felt so damn happy all of a sudden". Holden only feels happy around young children that haven't been tainted by phonies. Holden struggles to have meaningfull connections with older people because they have tainted.
ReplyDeleteAfter Holden falls asleep on Mr. Antolini's couch, he wakes up to find his former teachers hand in his hair. After he jumps out of his slumber, Holden writes, "I know more damn perverts, at schools and all, than anybody you ever met, and they're always being perverty when I'm around" (Salinger 192). Instead of thinking rationally with the knowledge that Mr. Antolini is drunk and taking him to bed, he immediately assumes that someone he actually likes has turned into a pervert over night and he can't handle this. This further damages his views towards the adult world and also gets in his way of forming solid relationships. With this relationship he had, he destroys it because of how he sees people meaning he sees the adult world even worse than before and ruining the relationship he had had with Mr. Antolini.
ReplyDeleteWhen Holden goes to Mr. Antolini's apartment, they end up talking about Holden getting kicked out of Pencey. Mr. Antolini gives Holden some life advice, though Holden doesn't really feel like talking. When called out on his lack of desire to carry on a conversation, Holden replies by saying "I know. I'm very hard to talk to. I realize that" (Salinger 186). Even though Holden knows how hard it is for people to talk to him, he doesn't fix it. He continues to be rude and careless when he's talking to people. It has been pointed out to him multiple times that he's difficult to talk to, but he just won't do anything about fixing the problem.
ReplyDeleteAs Holden is leaving Mr. Antolini's home, he says, "when something perverty like that happens, I start sweating like a bastard. That kind of stuff's happened to me about twenty times since I was a kid. I can't stand it" (Salinger 193). This venture into Holden's past with sexual abuse could explain why Holden takes sex so much more seriously than his peers and avoids engaging in it. This ambivalence toward sex is a part of why Holden is so ambivalent toward the adult world.
ReplyDeleteAs Mr. Antolini is trying to give Holden advice, Holden reflects," The coffee made my stomach feel a little better, but I still had this awful headache. Mr. Antolini lit another cigarette....'I know. I'm hard to talk to. I realize that'" (Salinger 186). This quote demonstrates how Holden is against change because despite realizing that this conversation is very important for his future. Instead he comes up with an excuse to ignore the advice as a way to motivate himself to change.
ReplyDeleteWhen Holden wakes up to find Mr. Antolini's hand patting his head Holden thinks that, "I know more damn perverts, at schools and all, than anybody you ever met, and they're always being perverty when I'm around" (Salinger 192). Holden is ambivalent about the adult world because whenever he starts to trust an adult in his life, this happens and he doesn't understand why. He automatically assumes he has turned into a pervert before stopping to think we he wound be doing this. Holden ambivalence about the adult world becomes deeper because of stuff like this that happens to him with some adult that he actually trusts.
ReplyDeleteHolden's ambivalence towards to adult world is partially caused by his childhood. After Mr. Antonlini touches Holden's head, Holden thinks that Mr. Antonlini is perverted. Holden recalls, "That kind of stuff's happened to me about twenty times since I was a kid" (Salinger 193). Although Mr. Antonlini might only be petting Holden as a "good night" wish, Holden instantaneously assumes that he is a pervert. As shown in the example, Holden has been through disturbing childhood experiences. This causes him to falsely assume the adult world and to believe that everyone is dark and perverted.
ReplyDeleteWhen Holden is speaking with Mr. Antolini he says, "I'm very hard to talk to. I realize that" (Salinger 186). This quote shows that Holden sees his flaws, but makes no attempt to fix the. He most likleh does this because he resiss change, so he obviously wouldn't want to change himslef, even if it is for the better. This could also lead to Holden struggling to develope meaningful relationships.
ReplyDeleteWhen Holden goes to Mr. Antolini's apartment, they end up talking about Holden getting kicked out of Pencey. Mr. Antolini gives Holden some life advice, though Holden doesn't really feel like talking. When called out on his lack of desire to carry on a conversation, Holden replies by saying "I know. I'm very hard to talk to. I realize that" (Salinger 186). Even though Holden realizes he's not good at talking to people he doesn't try and change. He acts rude and seems like he doesn't care when he is talking to someone and isn't making an effort to change.
ReplyDeleteWhile Holden and Mr Antolini are talking, the subject of him skipping classes comes up and Holden swiftly avoids any talk about it and thinks to himself that he "didn't feel at all like discussing it" (p 186). This shows that Holden still has issues connecting and developing meaningful bonds with people. He has trouble because he has a hard time opening up and truly discussing his faults with people, or seriously talking about anything that makes him seem in the wrong.
ReplyDeleteWhen Holden is speaking with Mr. Antolini he says, "I'm very hard to talk to. I realize that" (Salinger 186). This shows how even though Holden sees his flaws, he makes absolutely no attempt to fix them. This is most likely because he resists change, and wouldn't want to change himself.
ReplyDeleteHolden is at the Antolini's and talking to Mr. Antolini about him getting kicked out of Pency and what happened. Mr. Antolini asks Holden if he still smokes and offers his a cigarette. "Have a cigarette. Are you smoking now?" He asks. Holden responds, '"Thanks, Just once in a while. I'm a moderate smoker." (182). This is another incident of Holden lying. To people who have known him forever. He can't share one truthful thing with anyone. This effects his relationships.
ReplyDelete