So, what is your first impression of old Holden Caulfield? Do you like or dislike him? Do you know enough about him to make that decision yet? What do you like or dislike? Are you, in any way, similar to Holden? If so, how?
Please respond to this blog by Sunday, 8 May, by 11:59 PM. Responses should be a minimum of 250 words.
My first impression of Holden Caulfield is that he has had a rough life, he might be troubled in some ways but others may not see that in him because they havent gotten to know him yet.I don't know enough about Holden to make a decision on wether i like him or not, there are a few things that are kinda sketchy about him, and on the other hand he seems like a nice guy that nobody cares about.I like the fact that he hasnt completely dropped out of school yet, it shows that he is still somewhat trying.Holden also seems to get angey at the littleist things such as when he asks his roomate if he mentioned his name to the girl, his roomate said that he did but in Holdens head he called him a phoney. Also the fact that he is nice to people even though they may annoy him or be Phoney like his room mate or his neighbor.When Holden wishes that he would have cracked his skull it makes me think that he dosn't like life and thinks it's a terrible place, but then again when he seen the undisturbed snow on the car and on the fire hydrant he didn't want to throw the snow ball at it....soo im not quite sure what to think about him yet. What i dislike about Holden is that he takes everything too seriously and sometimes can be a bit crazy in the way he acts toward others. I am similar to Holden in which i get mad pretty easy and am nice to people even though i may not like them.
ReplyDeleteMy first impression of Holden Caulfield is that he seems like one of my closest friends. He is a sincere guy when time calls on for him to be serious, but he can also act immaturely at time for what he claims as just horsing around. He has many sarcastic remarks, that he says or thinks, is a trait to which I am able to relate. The stark contrast in what he says and in what he thinks and what he says is refreshing and humanizing. I cannot decide yet if his slight hypocrisy and immaturity is endearing and superficial, or if it really bothers me. I’m similar to Holden in some ways like he can tolerate people that he has problems with, and he also tries to make himself believe that he is tougher than he is, like when he talks something down to rationalize his actions. I have a habit of doing that sometimes.
ReplyDeleteSo far I am confused about my opinion of Holden Caulfield. I think he is a confused person himself. It is still unclear what all of his thoughts mean and sometimes he sounds contradicting. I can appreciate the fact he says he doesn't like phonies because I feel the same way. It is so hard to find someone who doesn't lie to you and I try to stay away from people who are two-faced. I don't like the fact that he has basically given up on himself. He wasn't very upset about getting kicked out of school and did not fully understand the consequences not only for him but also for his family members. I think my overall opinion about Holden will change as the story goes on so I feel like I do not have enough information to make a decision if I like him or not. I do however do not like most of his actions. He might be a good person but he doesn't seem to know what is best for him. Just in the first eight chapters I have found out that he smokes, has had drinks, got kicked out of school and other things like that. I think that there is a reason why he feels the way he does. I believe it has to do with his family however the only time we heard about his family was when he mentioned that his mother has a short fuse, his brother is in Hollywood and his other brother died. I don't think I can judge his actions however not knowing his history even though if there was a reason behind them, there are probably better ways to cope with things. I don't think I am extremely similar to Holden but I do tend to stay away from different things like going to the big game at the beginning of the story. I stay away from that kind of stuff because I don't belong there. I think Holden feels similarly but I could be wrong.
ReplyDeleteMy first impression of Holden Caulfield is that he doesn’t care about his future very much. He got kicked out of three different High Schools in the past few years and he only seems to worry about the consequences to all of those around him after he’s been kicked out of the school and has to deal with his parents. I highly dislike him. He calls a number of the people around him phonies for the certain things that they do but then he doesn’t seem to realize yet that he himself is a phony and in fact he is the biggest phony of them all. What he does is he talks about how much he hates Ackley and calls him old Ackley or Ackley kid to annoy him and also spends awhile trying to kick him out if his room. Then later when he’s going to the movies with someone else, he asks if it’s okay if Ackley comes with them. Yes I do have enough information to make that decision because you’re asking the question now so I can only use the information now. Even if the way he acts changes at the end of the story that’s not now so it has no relevance with this question and therefore I based my answer on what I know. I just highly dislike him for the way he’s a phony and how he kept saying he should go down and talk to Jane yet he never did he just let Stradlater pretend like he was going to actually mention Holden to Jane while they were on there date. I am in no way like Holden Caulfield.
ReplyDeleteMy first impression of Holden Caulfield is that he felt like a real person. Usually when you read a book the characters are not like real world people, but Holden has made me say hey I've done that. Like when he says the opposite of what he thinks to Mr. Spencer. It also caught my attention that he contradicts himself the way that I do and they way that every other person does. I like Holden, I feel like he is a spot on kid. Just because he swears a lot and is flunking a couple classes doesn't make him a bad person. The way he treated the Spencers so respectfully and how he was nice to Ackley by inviting him to go out with them even though he is not to fond of Ackley. I think that Holden would be a freind of mine if he were a real person. I like how he tells it like it is to Ackley and doesn't beat around the bush. I believe that I am a fan of Holden Caulfield.
ReplyDeleteAt first glance, Holden Caulfield strikes me as an average teenage boy who is unhappy with the life around him. I like how Holden is trying to deal with the world around him with his use of sarcasm. I also like how he makes fun with little things such as calling people Prince and even thinking of things such as the whereabouts of the ducks in Central Park. The way he talks with all the little swear words also makes it more fun to read on. In a way, everybody is like Holden Caulfield, nearly everybody uses sarcasm. Whether using it for jokes, or even ridicule, sarcasm is a very widely used technique in our language and Holden Caulfield uses it very well.
ReplyDeleteI am not entirely sure about Holden Caulfield. as a first impression, he seems like an extremely pessimistic guy. he doesnt seem like the guy you could hang out with very often. also he seems like someone who contradicts themselves often. at one time he'll say one thing, then something would go wrong or someone would do something that contradicts his way, and he would say that he didnt want the thing he said that he wanted not 10 minutes before. i still think that it is a bit too early in the book for me to make any decision on weather i like or dislike Holden. in some ways i am, as well as many others, are a lot like holden. everyone would have used sarcasam at one point of thier lives or have had negetive thoughts on one another. the one thing that i dont like about holden is that he is too much of a coward to talk to certain people. i know how putting your feelings about someone else out there is hard and you can get shot down a lot before someone accepts who you are, but those thing happen. he needs to man up.
ReplyDeleteMy first opinion about Holden is that he seems like an average teenager. He is very sarcastic and it would be hilarious to hear him speak his mind to the other characters. I personally like him and think that he is a good guy at heart and just wants to be left alone for the most part. Mainly because he doesn’t seem to like many people by him standing up on a hill all alone instead of going down to watch the football game and to try and make friends even though he was leaving. I dislike how he thinks everyone else is so fake and phony when everyone does it at some point or another. I would want him to man up and admit that he is at fault for being phony when he said he was the best liar. I also hate how he keeps using the word OLD cause to me it is really getting OLD because he says it when every he is talking to someone or even thinking in his head. I think I am a little like Holden where I my mind drifts away while I am in a boring conversation. I also think that I am like him because I am also a great liar. It is funny because people think I am lying when I am telling the truth because I laugh and then I lie with a straight face and they think it is the truth. So in two ways I am like Holden and I can’t wait to read more about him.
ReplyDeleteMy first impression of Holden Caulfield is that he seems angry with the world. Holden is extremely pessimistic. He points out flaws in everyone except for in Jane or Allie. From the garage scene after Allie died, Holden shows that he is actually sensitive. After the heartbreak he experienced after his little brother's death, he might actually be trying to protect himself by giving off an attitude of not caring about anything anymore. I think Holden is likable. I like him because he's very real. He demonstrates this by being hypocritical sometimes. Everyone is a hypocrite at some point in their lives, and Holden definitely doesn't try to make himself seem ideal or perfect. He says flat out that he is a "terrific liar". It is probably too soon to judge Holden, but that is my first impression of him. He might change throughout the novel, and I think he will probably change drastically once he gets expelled from Pencey. I dislike his pessimism because there are still good things in the world, and he needs to see that. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. He will decide how his life will be. I think most people are like Holden in some way. Everyone is a hypocrite at some point. One of the most obvious examples is how Holden dislikes phonies, but says he's a terrific liar. Everyone also lies at some point in their lives. Every person has to put on the nice and polite act for people at some point as well, like Holden does with his history teacher. So, yes, I am like Holden in some ways.
ReplyDeleteI don’t think I know enough about Holden Caulfield to make a decision whether I like him or not. I feel like he has two personalities at this point, one of which is his own and the other in which he wants the reader to believe he actually is. I like that the reader is in his mind so we know exactly what he is thinking. I don’t like that he calls people phonies because is seems to me that he himself is a phony. He tells a lot of lies, but then on the other hand always he feels bad after he does. Everyone tells lies, but some of the lies that he tells could potentially lead to conflict, and they usually lead to him telling more lies to cover the first lie up and it just ends up being lie after lie. This makes me not sure that I can trust him. I like that he is straight forward with people, almost always, telling them what is on his mind, but he doesn’t want to hurt people’s feelings. I feel in some ways I am similar to Holden, but not a lot. For example he doesn’t like people who treat certain people differently, people who try to be what they’re not, and people who are two-faced, and I agree. I also feel like we are similar in the way he is concerned about how Jane was treated and how much he admires his brother Allie. It shows how he can care about someone, and I feel that having someone close to you is very important in life.
ReplyDeleteI like old Holden a lot. Not because he’s a person I admire or because he’s a person I’d want to be friends with, but because he’s neither of those things. He’s a real kid, not just some glorified main character with fictional problems. Since when does every protagonist in a book have to be a perfect role model? That’s not the purpose of literature. I actually like the fact that he smokes and that he’s getting kicked out Pencey. We all have flaws, those just happen to be Holden’s – and the fact that he has them makes him human. I’m similar to Holden, sure. We’re all similar to Holden. I think it was John Green who said that he’s the person we all know ourselves to secretly to be, and I agree with that statement a lot. No matter whether someone likes Holden or not, I think everyone can identify with him in some way (even if they might deny it). Holden feels so alone in life, a feeling most everyone has experienced. And I think the reason that the novel is most popular with youth is because most teenagers can relate to the stage of life that he’s in – right in between childhood and adulthood. Holden is a not character to look up to in anyway, but I don’t think he was meant to be. Honestly, I don’t think Holden is a character that was meant to be liked at all – but I think that might have been Salinger’s point.
ReplyDeleteMy first impression of Holden Caulfield was that he was very distant from a lot of people and that he went through a lot of challenges in his life, which caused him to be so secluded from others. He lost a younger brother, Allie, which was very hard on him. In the story he explains how nice Allie was and how he reacted to Allie’s death. This relates to a lot of families who have lost a sibling or a child. I also notice that he isn’t sure on how to react to some things, like the fight with his roommate, Stradlater. He could’ve handled the news a little differently, but he, like, some others, chose to fight it out and that can relate to some of the teens that read this book. I like Holden Caulfield mostly because of his imperfections. He sometimes doesn't know what to say or when to say it, like when he wanted to say hi to Jane, but wasn't sure of himself. Events like that make him seem more human. He also comes off as a phony because he says things that he doesn't believe sometimes, but that’s what makes him and most of us human. I do relate to Holden because, like I said before, we all have those moments when we feel as though we're saying the exact opposite of what we really mean so that we don't annoy, disappoint, or even have to deal with someone or something. I also can relate to Holden because of how he contradicts himself. I know that many people, including myself have said one thing and done the exact opposite of what I believe.
ReplyDeleteMy first impression of Holden Caulfield is that he is a really good and legitimate person. I like him because I think that he is real and true to himself. He doesn’t pretend to be someone that he is not, but yet he still stays keeps most of his inappropriate thoughts to himself so that he does not hurt anyone’s feelings. I like how he is straight-up with his friends and did not pretend to be interested in what they have to say when he had no interest whatsoever in his friend. Also, I found it quite admirable how attached he seems to Jane and how he is protective of her even though he hasn’t seen or talked to her in a while. I feel very similar to Holden and I can especially relate with his dislike for phonies. I too cannot stand people who pretend to be kind or caring when they are really only worried about themselves. I also feel similar to him in that I like to be left alone often. I can easily relate to how he felt when his friend would not leave his room when he was trying to read his book. Also, the lies he tells in order to avoid more conversation seem exactly like something I would do to get my parents to stop lecturing me about something. All in all, I find it easy to relate to Holden’s actions and opinions and I am finding him to be an extremely likeable person.
ReplyDeleteMy first impression of Holden Caulfield is that, in general, he's really not that different from your average teen. He's not entirely sure of who he is, what he's going to do with his life, or who he wants to be. To make matters worse he's had to deal with being removed from several schools, and the death of his little brother. Everything that Holden does displays how he has emotionally attempted to compensate for all of this, in addition to his natural teen waywardness. Initially i wasn't really sure as to whether or not i really liked Holden as a character, but now I realize that all of his brazenness, and gratuitious profanity is just his way of dealing with the issues that life has presented him. His true character also has only been glimpsed at so far, but what you can glean at this point is that there is sincere and compassionate human underneath everything he says and wants to be perceived as. As such trutfully there is uc more to learn about Holden, before any real conclusions can be made beyond what have presented here.
ReplyDeleteMy first thing wasn't long enough haha.
ReplyDeleteMy first impression of Holden Caulfield is that, in general, he's really not that different from your average teen. He's not entirely sure of who he is, what he's going to do with his life, or who he wants to be. To make matters worse he's had to deal with being removed from several schools, and the death of his little brother. Everything that Holden does displays how he has emotionally attempted to compensate for all of this, in addition to his natural teen waywardness. Initially i wasn't really sure as to whether or not i really liked Holden as a character, but now I realize that all of his brazenness, and gratuitous profanity is just his way of dealing with the issues that life has presented him. His true character also has only been glimpsed at so far, but what you can glean at this point is that there is sincere and compassionate human underneath everything he says and wants to be perceived as. As such truthfully there is much more to learn about Holden, before any real conclusions can be made beyond what have presented here. In my opnion all youths can identify in some way shape or form with Holden Caulfield. Everyone has experiencd the unpleasant sensation of not belonging, and it is my firm opinion that if you ever do feel completely like “One of the group,” then your doing something wrong. I know that just like Holden I have felt like I couldn’t relate to anyone. Also, it has been a struggle at times to find ways to cope with cards life deals you, but eventually you find a way, and I feel that this is what Holden will do.
Holden strikes me as an average teenage boy. He seems to go though and have the same emotions that most people do. Personally i like Holden. He seems very individualistic and unique. He doesn't seem to care what others think which i admire. Holden is not concerned about the crowd or what everyone else is doing. That trait though, does make him a bit different than most people his age, as most people do care about how others see them. He also seems to be very lost. His future is unclear and uncertain and that doesnt seem to bother him much. He is the type of person that lives in the moment without thought of potential consequences. This will probably get him in trouble. He is a very carefree person and doesnt seem to have that much invested in personal relationships. His attitudes towards people are very distant, with an exception to Jane and Allie. I think his carefree attitude and pronesness do lieing so freely will cause conflict in the story as we continue to read
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion Holden is sort of a strange person. He seems not to like phony people even though I think he is a phony and sort of a hypocrite. He has a temper even though he says a pacifist. I think he struggles with who is and doesn't know what he wants to do with his life. I also think that he doesn't really care what he does. He likes to mess around when he is bored and he likes to lie. My impression is that he is a lying person who doesn't know who he is. In my opinion I dislike Holden because he strikes me as an confused person who doesn't know how to cope with things. I think that there is not enough information about Holden to make a final judgment on him. It think that I am not like Holden in any way because I have a different personality and a different views. The one thing I think that Holden and I have in common is read I read a lot.
ReplyDeleteIn response to emilys comment i agree that Holden is like some of our friends or people that we may know.Just a normal kid who once in a while we all get angry.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Ed, i agree with his comment in which he may be trying to hide somthing that he dosn't want anyone else to know about.
ReplyDeleteIn response to AdamS comment, i agree to disagree that your opening line may or may not be an understatement.
In response to Sarah Foss’s comment: I agree that I think the book seems real. It is enjoyable to read something that I can believe can actually happen and the story being written in Holden’s view as a teenager is much more realistic and understandable.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Alex’s comment: I really liked your statement, “I also hate how he keeps using the word OLD cause to me it is really getting OLD because he says it when every time he is talking to someone or even thinking in his head.” It was funny to read but actually made sense and I feel the same way.
In response to Amanda’s comment: I liked that you talked about Holden’s brother Allie showing that he was sensitive. Most of the class just remarked on how pessimistic Holden can be but you showed the other side of him which was cool.
Sarah F: He didn't invite Ackley out of kindness though, he invited him because of pity.
ReplyDeleteEddy B: I agree with you. Holden is too confused about his identity...
Makiah H: If Holden is an average teenage boy then what am I? I feel like I'm average but I don't feel anything like Holden does. I'm not that confused about my future either. I don't think Holden is average one bit.
In response to Makiah, I don't like it when you snatch my opening line, you totally copied me.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Ed, I agree with the hypocracy of Holden saying he is a pacifist yet he threw the first punch.
In response to Alex, I agree with your statement on Holden;s use of the word 'old' it is quite annoying.
In response to ADAM T...
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with you, especially with how you put it, on how it isn't to early, in a way, to judge Holden Caulfield. He has clearly hown what he thinks and the manner in which he would like to be perceived, and it just so happens that one developes a negative perception of Holden.
In response to SARAH F...
What makes The Catcher in the Rye so easy to read is the definitely the fact that Holden is presented as being extremely human. He has flaws and shortcomings, just like anyone.
In response to Alex J...
I can also find a way to agree with you when you stated that you feel, "Holden is a good guy at heart." I feel the same way because, specifically, when the snowball incident occurred you realize that Holden has an appreciation for beautiful things, in contrast to his unbecoming behavior and thoughts
@Ed- i agree with you on the fact that holden is a strange person and the fact that he has a temper when he calls himself a pacifist.
ReplyDelete@Adam T- i agree with you with the fact that he doesnt care much about his future. he needs to fine some part of his life that he is attached to and try and make a life out of it.
@Alex- i have similar feelings about him hating phonies when he himself is a phony. also i agree with you on the fact that he is a very interesting human being.
My first impression of Holden Gaulfield would have to be that he is very serious and he acts like a phony. He says to people different things than he is thinking in his mind. He lies to people all the time just to be nice, and at the same time he hates phonies. He knows what he wants in life and what makes him happy and sad. I like him so far in the book because he won’t back out of an argument and will stand for what he likes. But my liking for him throughout the book could change. There is still not a whole lot of information about Holden so my like a dislike are still back a forth with him. Personally I think everyone is just like Holden sometimes. Everyone always says things to just be nice but deep in their mind people are thinking of things way different from what they are saying.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Adam Taylor: I liked how you mentioned that Holden would not let the situation go when Stradlater was going to go out with Jane. He had mentioned earlier in the book that sometimes he acts like a kid and that is definately an instance. He may had just been looking for a fight though, because maybe he thought it would make himself feel better or something to annoy someone else so he was not so lonely in his feelings.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Brian Hutchinson: I liked the point you made about Holden contradicting himself. Nevertheless I disagree. I think that he keeps pretty true to what he really thinks even though his words or actions may differ. I think to be truley contradictory, one must think contradictorally.
In response to Ed: I agree with your statement that he is confused. I think that he would most likely like life better if he could comprehend it more. He mentioned that only certain people can play the game of life, Holden still needs to learn how and the rules first I think.
My first impression of Holden Caulfield was that he is an average normal teen ager. I thought he faces normal obstacles in life just as every child does. All teen agers go through some sort of “phase” in their teen age years. All teens do it; it’s only a natural part of life. I like Colden Caulfield. He speaks his mind, even if it may seem rude. He’s straight forward. He will be honest about things, which I find common in myself as well. He doesn’t change his use of vulgar language in his book. I don’t believe that I know enough about Holden Caulfield yet to make a decision on whether or not I like or dislike him. I am similar to Holden Caulfield in some aspects. Holden Caulfield in one of the chapters we have all read talked about how he made a snowball, but couldn’t throw it because it he pretty much did not want to disturb the picture of Mother Nature and how it would have looked messed up if he were to have thrown it. We can be similar in this way, because I too do not generally find desire in disrupting the beauty or peace of natural things. Holden Caulfield can come off as a stubborn and miserable boy, but also shy and away from things. Sometimes it is nice to escape from life and just be quite and at a distance from reality and people. Holden Caulfield is a man full of mind and thinking. He is a very unique and complex person.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion Holden is a very nice and unique guy. He is a real out going person how in a way speeks his mind. He has a short fuse witch he goes off on people quite freeqently and shows how he feels. In a way he doesent like phony people but at the same time he is kinda phony himself. He puts this act on to people that he is a sweet boy, but he isnt, but he is. He likes to speak about what he thinks.He really is a nice person. In some ways me and him are like. We bot are the middle child, and we both speek are mind. We also now that holden dont take any crap from now one. He will do a favor for you and if you dont like what he does or even how you did it , he dont care. He will just tell you what is up and tell ya to bad this is how it is. He isnt afraid of people really except maybe one . A girl name jane. She and holden were really good friends when they were younger. Now Holden's roommate stradlder went out on a date with her and Holden isnt really happy about that. He feels like she is beong used. So he ends up going to get into a fight with stradlader about all this. It still maybe to early to tell if holden is the reall deal but for right now i thinks he is. He show alot of character, and class and seems to have his head on straight.
ReplyDeleteCommenting on what Adam Taylor said.... I think that Holden does indeed care about his future, however I think that he feels like if he actually tries in school and he fails, then that is the true let down. Its better to fail without trying then to fail while trying.
ReplyDeleteComment on what Julie said..... I agree with the fact that I like Holden because he does in fact feel real, like a real teenager instead of a built up character.
Commenting on what Eddie said.... I feel like all people contradict themslves at one point or another. Although you do bring up a good point with the fact that he says he is a pacifist and yet he broke all those windows and threw a punch and Stradlater. I think that he just hasn't yet figured out who he is.
In response to sarah foss, i agree that Holden seems like a real person unlike many of the characters in other books. He is straight forward about most things but still can be very respectful like he was with the spencer's .
ReplyDeleteIn response to sarah mye, i agree that that he seems to have two very different sides. One with his friends where he is very unrestrained and open but then the more respectful side of him. It shows his maturity and immaturity.
In response to cindy i agree that Holden's fondness and worry over jane is admirable. It shows that is capable of deeply caring about someone else, also with his brother
Allie.
In response to Adam Taylor's comment: I agree that Holden doesn't seem to worry about consequences very much. As you mentioned, this is shown by him getting expelled from three schools. This trait is also shown when he mentions the garage incident after Allie died. Holden doesn't seem to have thought about what would happen to his hand or what his parents would think while he was smashing all of the windows.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Brian Hutchinson's comment: I agree with your statement that Holden needs to man up. Holden says that he hates phonies. He says very unkind things about people in his head and points out all their flaws, but he doesn't have the guts to say it to their faces. I also agree that he seems like he could be unapproachable.
In response to Sarah Foss: I also think that Holden seems like a real person, unlike other characters in novels. You can see him struggling with what he thinks he should do when he has the opportunity to see Jane, which is what a lot of other teenagers with a crush would do. He is a character that many teenagers can relate with in some way.
In response to Jordan, Cindy, and Makiah:
ReplyDeleteI completely agree that Holden comes off as and average teen. He does seem very legitament and not fake. He's very straight froward and an individual that may stand out of the crowd.
In response to Julie F.
ReplyDeleteI agree that not every main character in a story has to be a good person. I think its refreshing that he isn't like every other protagonist because it seperates him from other stories and makes him unique.
Comment on Cindy's post: i like the how you related yourself to Holden. I found it interesting the fact that you to do not like phonies.
ReplyDeleteComment on what Jordan said: In my opinion I agree that Holden does not know were he wants to be in life, but I disagree to the compassionate side underneath. This is because remember when he got into that fight with stradlater even though he was a pacifist. Holden continued to mock Stradlater. Also that Holden thought that he didn't really care weather Stradlater broke his head in.
Commenting on Makiah H: I liked the fact that you describe Holden's future as being unclear and that he is a carefree person. I agree that his carefree way of life will get him into trouble later. In my opinion his lying habits or 'shooting the bull' habit will also get him into trouble later in life.
My first impression of Holden was that he was really like most teens act. He is a kid that acts tough towards people but then there are situations where you can see that he is very kind and cares. He is also very respectful toward adults. Holden is the type of kid that at first you might think he is a bad kid or a punk but once you got to know him you see he is actually a good kid. He also has the thought in his mind that he is just going through a phase and will snap out of it soon. I think so far I dont dislike him. He obviously has made some mistakes but everyone does so there is nothing wrong with making them as long as you learn from them. Even though I say I like him right now I still dont think there is enough information in the story yet to completely make this decision. So far I like how the character shows the anger and other emotions that he feels. I think that in some stories they dont explain how characters feel as well as they do with Holden. They also show how sometimes when someone is talking to him, Holden will zone out and think about something else. This is because it happens to me sometimes. I also like how he says all the time how he hates phonies who act one way towards one person and another way towards someone else.
ReplyDeleteresponse to ed: i agree with yours in that he is a hypocrite
ReplyDeleteresponse to cindy: i agree that he is straight up with his friends and tell them straight out what is wrong.
response to lewis: i agree that he points out flaws of people that he dose not like but says good things to people he loves
In response to Brian Hutch's comment: I have to agree with you on the part about everyone using sarcasm at sometime in their life. And yes Holden does seem like a bit of a coward after he doesn't go and talk to Jane, and it seems like at he didn't want to talk to Mrs.Morrow, but once he started he just couldn't stop.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Ed's comment: I have to agree with you on the fact that he is a phony and that he doesn't really seem to know what he wants to do with his life from there on out. He has been kicked out of three high schools. Also he does seem to lie a lot.
IN response to Amanda Lewis's comment: It does make sense that after his brother Allie died that he would try to protect himself by not caring about his life anymore. And yes it is true that he is a hypocrite for calling people phonies yet he is one himself and for lying.
In response to Sarah Mye's comment:
ReplyDeleteI liked that you brought up the point that "he has two personalities at this point, one of which is his own and the other in which he wants the reader to believe he actually is." The tricky thing about first person is that the reader doesn't know the whole story. I'm sure it'd be a totally different book if it was told in third person!
In response to Cindy's comment:
"Also, the lies he tells in order to avoid more conversation seem exactly like something I would do to get my parents to stop lecturing me about something." Haha! Don't we all? Sometimes we don't want to be mean, but we just want whoever is talking to be quiet! I can relate to you and Holden in this way.
In response to Amber's comment:
I like Holden's imperfections as well! Sure, he's not the greatest role model, but I don't think he's meant to be. His flaws make him human, and a more interesting character.
In response to Adam S.
ReplyDeleteI agree about the fact that he uses sarcasm and it makes people want to read on. It definitly relates to a lot of students that are reading this book.