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.
Why does Holden struggle to develop meaningful relationship with his family and peers?
ReplyDeleteOne of Holden's traits is that he's extremely blunt, so when something like the issue of Ackley's oral hygiene come into play, Holden doesn't hold anything back and just comes right out and tells Ackley that he doesn't brush. Forwardness like that can drive some people off, and when it comes to other people's flaws, they will especially not appreciate it then.
Page 24
DeleteHolden starts off chapter 3 saying, "I'm the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life" (Salinger 16). This quotation clearly demonstrates Holden's struggle to develop meaningful relationships with his family and peers. Holden is too prideful and self-centered to even care about others. The people he has experiences with or mentions in the novel might be his "friends," but I don't think he would actually go out of his way o do anything for them like a real friend would.
ReplyDeleteHolden has trouble developing relationships with other people because he just lists out all of other peoples flaws, "... And not only that he had a terrible personality. He was also sort of a nasty guy. I wasn't to crazy about him to tell you the truth" (Salinger 19). He's pointing out everybody else's flaws without realizing all of his flaws at the same time.
ReplyDeleteWhen Holden is talking to Ackley about how he doesn't brush his teeth and suddenly he thinks how "I didn't [mean to] say it nasty, though. I felt sorry for him, in a way" (Holden 24). This shows how even when he doesn't like some people he still understands that some people don't deserve to be treated like that even if they, for example, like Ackley always pick things up and don't put them back in the same place.
ReplyDeleteAfter Ackly tells him that he could be his father Holden describes," he never missed a chance to let you know you were sixteen and he was eighteen" . Holden is ambliviant because he doesn't like older people telling you that they are older. He's unsure about superiority.
ReplyDeleteWhen Holden is talking about Ackley he says, "...And not only that, he had a terrible personality" (Salinger 19). This shows he struggles to develop meaningful relationships with his peers because he sees more bad in people than good. Rather than focus on what's good about people, all he sees in Ackley is the negatives
ReplyDeleteWhen Ackley walks in to the room and greets Holden, Holden does not look up. "With a guy like Ackley, if you looked up from your book you were a goner. You were a goner anyway, but not as quick if you didn't look up right away" (Salinger 20). This examples shows that Holden is very self centered, and is almost afraid to have Ackley talk to him. It also displays that he has no urge to build a relationship with anyone. This is another reason why Holden struggles to build meaningful relationships with anyone.
ReplyDeleteHolden fails to develop much of a relationship with anyone because he only focuses on the negative facts about someone else blinding himself from empathizing with anyone. For instant, when Ackley barges into Holden's room, he points out, "the whole time he roomed next too me, I never once saw him brush his teeth. They always looked mossy and awful ,...with his mouth full of mashed potatoes and peas or something" (Salinger 17). This quote makes evident that Holden has a sadistic view of his dorm mate and even though Ackley is pretty friendly
ReplyDeleteWhen talking to Robert Ackley about Holden losing the foils on the subway coming back from his fencing match, Ackely asks him if the team will make him pay for it. Holden says irritated "I don't know and I don't give a damn... You're right in my goddam light" (Salinger 21). This shows that sometimes, though people will try to friends with him, he just doesn't want to be. He's busy, and doesn't like it when people interrupt him. This just adds to the struggle he has with maintaining relationships because he doesn't let people in.
ReplyDeleteWhen Ackley picks up Holden's picture of Sally Hayes, Holden says that "he always put it back in the wrong place, too, when he was finished. He did it on purpose. You could tell" (Salinger 20). This highlights Holden's resistance to change, because he holds on to the picture of his old friend Sally and when the picture is moved, he is clearly upset because he wants everything (even the placement of a picture) to stay the same.
ReplyDeleteWhile describing Ackly, Holden states, "He was a very peculiar guy...with lousy teeth...they always looked mossy and awful...he was also sort of a nasty guy(Salinger 19). It is clear that Holden would have a difficult time making relationships with others becuase he spends time pointing out everyone's flaws, without realizing his own.
ReplyDeleteWhy does Holden struggle to develop meaningful relationships with his family and peers?
ReplyDeleteI feel like Holden struggles to develop relationships because he at times feels like the people are against him and then in the next minute he feels bad for them and then gets angry again for example on page (12). "I don't think I'll ever forgive him". And then on page (15) he says, "it made me feel sad as hell". Basically he's leaving this guy that he just said he would never forgive and then he gets sad because he's leaving.
Holden describes himself as "the most terrific liar you ever saw in your entire life... I'm on the way to the store to buy a magazine, even, and someone asks me where I'm going, I'm liable to say I'm going to the opera" (Salinger, 16). Due to the behavior of perpetual lying, it is made exceedingly difficult to make meaningful relationships
ReplyDeleteHolden shows he struggles to develop meaningful relationships with his family and peers at the beginning of the chapter when he says, "I'm the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life." (Salinger 16). You can't really develop meaningful relationships with people if you're always lying because people won't know if you're being honest or not.
ReplyDelete"How 'bout sitting down or something, Ackley kid?...He didn't like it when you called him "Ackley kid" (Salinger 21). Calling people names that they don't like isn't going to make people do things, or like you, so this might make it hard for Holden to develop relationships.
ReplyDeleteHolden resists change when he gets annoyed at ackley for moving things around all the time. He hates when things aren't in their normal place and gets aggrivated about it
ReplyDeleteWhen describing his reading Holden states,"I'm quite illiterate but I read a lot. This stated confused me due to the fact it's a contradictiction
ReplyDeleteHolden says "I'm the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life" It shows us that holden is struggling to develop meaningful relationships with his family and peers.
ReplyDelete