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 talking about Ernie and his applause he said, "...I'd hate it. I wouldn't even want them to clap for me" (Salinger 84). This shows Holden can't maintain relationships because he cannot accept praise. When someone is nice to another he sees them as a phony and unreal not as someone who is genuinely nice.
ReplyDeleteWhen Holden is invited by Lilan to join them, Holden refuses, "'I was just leaving,' I told her.' I have to meet somebody.' You could tell she was just trying to get in good with me. So that I'd tell old D.B. about it" (Salinger 87). Clearly, Holden is making an excuse to escape from this situation because he thinks that Lilan is a phony. He lies because he knows that Lilan is covering up her real intention. If Holden had stayed to talk without lying, he might become meaningful friends with Lilan. This untrustful personality of his prevents him from developing relationships with his peers.
ReplyDeletePg87 holden said "I'm always saying "Glad to've met you" to somebody I'm not at all glad I met. It is a part that he is lying. He is just accepting that he is a liar and even he doesn't feel any guilty. It shows that not only he fears to change himself, he is accepting naturally that it doesn't matter even if he lies.
ReplyDeleteThe prostitute, Sunny, is in Holden's room, and he tells her, "'Look...I don't feel very much like myself tonight. Honest to God. I'll pay you and all, but do you mind very much if we don't do it?...Nothing's the matter...The thing is, I had an operation very recently" (Salinger 96). Holden is making up excuses yet again, saying he had an operation. He's afraid to change, and when he's afraid of doing something, he automatically starts lying. He was the one that invited her over, and now he's trying to get rid of her.
ReplyDeleteWhen Holden runs into Lillian at Ernies, Lillian invites him to join her and Holden makes up an excuse, "'I was just leaving,' I told her. 'I have to meet somebody'"(Salinger 87). Holden makes up an excuse as to why he can't stay and chat with Lillian. He also gives her very blunt answers and is relieved when she finally leaves. This is why Holden has a difficult time developing meaningful relationships.
ReplyDeleteWhen Holden is in the cab, Horwitza aks him if he thinks the fish just die in the winter. Holden says no, and Horwitz says, "'You're goddam right they don't,' Horwitz said, and drove off like a bat out of hell. He was about the touchiest guy I ever met. Everything you said made him sore" (Salinger 83). By calling Horwitz touchy, Holden makes Horwitz seem emotionally unstable, when in reality Holden is pretty touchy and emotionally unstable himself. Having hypocryitcal views, like this, could lead to Holden struggling to devolpe relationships.
ReplyDeleteWhen Holden is leaving Ernie's Bar as an alternative to spending time with Lillian, he says "It made me mad, though, when I was getting my coat. People are always ruining things for you" (87). This shows why Holden is ambivalent towards the adult world: because he finds that people can ruin things for you.
ReplyDeleteWhile Holden is at old Ernie's bathe find himself talking to and older brothers friend, Lillian Simmons. Just struggle to develop relationships because while Lillian is talking she says "Holden,come join us"..."Bring your drink". Immediately Holden says "I was just leaving" (87). If Holden were just to sit and communicate with others he would develop a better relationship and learn to appreciate his pears.
ReplyDelete"...I never care too much when I lose something..." (Salinger 89). This is how Holden acts with a lot of things not just things he loses but his attitude towards life in general. He doesn't care enough to go after something or to make things happen. He's just never really "in the mood" to call his friends or to do much so that is one of the reasons it is hard for him to develop relationships with people.
ReplyDeleteHolden isolates himself from other people. Lillian Simmons asks Holden if he wants to sit with her and her date but he replies, "'I was just leaving', I told her. 'I have to meet somebody'"(87). This shows that Holden is lonely but he wants to be in his own world of isolation. He does this on purpose. But it effects his relationships with others.
ReplyDeleteWhen Holden is at the bar, he encounters Lillian. When Lillian invites Holden to sit with her he quickly replies,"'I was just leaving,' I told her. 'I have to meet somebody.' ... Then she left. The Navy guy and I told each other we were glad to've met each other.... I'm always saying 'Glad to've met you' to somebody I'm not at all glad I met"(87). His impressions of Lillian and her date reflections how Holden ceases to develop relationships with anyone because he never expresses his true feelings making it difficult for others to empathize with others. He also avoids having a conversation with Lillian because he thinks she's a phony. This demonstrates that by isolating himself from others he prevents himself from developing meaningful relationship.
ReplyDeleteWhen Holden is in the cab going to Ernie's, he says "Now and then you just saw a man and a girl crossing a street , with their dates, all of them laughing like hyenas at something you could bet wasn't funny. You can hear it for miles. It makes you feel so lonesome and depressed." (81) He tells how he dislike to see the other couples and how happy they are. He also blames them to be happy, and say that they are faking their happiness. This demonstrates Holden's struggle with relationships and how he is jealous of how easily others can be happy with someone.
ReplyDeleteWhen Holden is leaving Ernie's bar, he thinks about how he had to leave because he didn't want to sit with Lillian. "It made me mad, though, when I was getting my coat. People are always ruining things for you" (87). Holden has trouble developing meaningful relationships with his peers because he thinks that they are "always ruining things for you." Holden never sees the good side of people, only the bad part, the part he wants to see.
ReplyDeleteThe reason Holden struggle to develop meaningful relationships with his family and peers because he just hates seeing people happy like it just makes him mad for example when he was at New York and he seeing guys walking with there dates he says " all of them laughing like hyenas at something you could bet wasn't funny".
ReplyDeleteHolden is afraid of change and tries to resist it. For example, on page 94, the prostitue takes her dress off and Holden tells us that he "certainly felt peculiar when she did that". He knows what was going to happen. He was going to change from a virgin to a non virgin, and that meant taking a step away from the person he was then, so he tried to make sure it didn't happen by asking if she would rather sit and chat.
ReplyDeleteWhen Holden is in Ernie's, he tells Lillian Simmons that he has to leave in order to avoid talking with her. Afterwards, upset by the events that transpired, Holden says that "people are always ruining things for you" (Salinger 87). This exemplifies Holden's difficulties in the development of relationships because he pushes away almost anyone who wants to converse with him. He closes himself off socially and because of this it is very difficult to get close to anyone. Additionally, he sees any attempt someone else makes to talk to him as a waste of his time and as being certainly worse than just staying alone.
ReplyDeleteHolden is in a cab with Horwitz, the cab driver, and Holden is wondering where the ducks go in the winter time. He says to Horwitz,"do you happen to know where they go on the wintertime, by any chance?"(Salinger 81) Holden has asked this question once before. He asks it again because he knows that the ducks have to go somewhere else or change in order to survive. Holden fears change and avoids it at times. This is why he is wondering how the ducks deal with this change.
ReplyDeleteWhen Lillian invites Holden to join her and her boyfriend at Ernie's, Holden replies "I was just leaving" (Salinger 87). Even when people offer friendship to him he says no. He sees it as phony and fake and doesn't let people be friendly and nice to him. He makes it seem like he'd rather be alone, but when he is, he feels depressed. These things make it difficult for him to develop relationships with people.
ReplyDeleteWhen Holden is in the cab going to Ernie's, he says "Now and then you just saw a man and a girl crossing a street , with their dates, all of them laughing like hyenas at something you could bet wasn't funny. You can hear it for miles. It makes you feel so lonesome and depressed." (81) this shows Holden is struggling with his relationships because he pointing out how he doesn't like to see all these people happy and he is basically mocking and laughing at here happiness
ReplyDeleteIn his mind holden has a vision of who he wants to be. He wants to be someone tough and assertive who does not just take everything. "what id do, id walk down a few floors hold onto my guts, blood leaking all over- the place...As soon as old Maruice opened the doors hed see me with the automatic in my hand" This passage shows what Holden wishes he could do and whats to do but knows he does not have the will or toughness to do. Holdens wanting to be tough was touched on earlier in the back after his fight with strahdlader. I think Holden is dissapointed in himself for being soft and not standing up for himself.
ReplyDeleteHolden is afraid of his change from a child to an adult and he tries to resist it. For example on page 94, the prostitute takes her dress off and Holden tells us that he "certainly felt peculiar when she did that". He knows what is going to happen and he tries to stop it and get in its way. He was going to become a non-virgin, and that meant walking away from the person he is, so he tried to make sure it didn't happen by asking if she would rather sit and chat. Later, he simply pays her the money required and she just leaves
ReplyDeleteAfter Holden talks to Lillian and tells her he was leaving he thinks about how he, "certainly wasn't going to sit down at a table with old Lillian Simmons and that Navy guy and be board to death." (Salinger 87). Holden struggles to develop meaningful relationships with people because instead of staying with them and talking and trying to have fun with them he just cannot be bothered. He doesn't have to be board if he makes the best of it and tries to be friends with them, but no he cannot do that and this is one of the reasons he struggles to make meaningful relationships.
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ReplyDeleteWhile in the cab, Holden says, "Now and then you just saw a man and a girl crossing a street, with their arms around each others waists and all...when somebody laughs on the street...you can hear it for miles. It makes you feel so lonesome and depressed(Salinger 81). This shows how Holden could have trouble developing meaningful relationships because he points out how he hates seeing these happy people, and is making fun of their happiness.
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