Catcher in the Rye question 5 chapter 22

5. Given the context that has been developing, state what is represented by Holden's desire to catch kids so as to prevent them from falling off a clifT while playing in a field of rye. What could Holden mean by this odd reference? Holden means that he wants to catch kids from loosing their innocence. The kids falling off the cliff represents kids going into adult hood and loosing their innocence. Holden wants to save them from that.  The irony between the song and Holden is the song represents two farmers of a different gender having sex and loosing their innocence but Holden think the opposite. When the children run off the cliff and not know where their going represents teenagers being confused on how to handle the ways of growing. Holden doesn't want to grow up but has trouble figuring out if he wants to have sex or not. His immature innocent mind is holding him back from sex. 

  Holdens body is manipulating him to have sex but Holden is holding back and that's why he wants to save kids from sex and adulthood. Holden believes if you save someone you are not a phony. Holden is thinking all these thoughts but can't manage to figure the thoughts out. Holden does not understand how people can loose their innocence and this shows his immaturity. Holden likes talking about sex but doesn't. He is confused. Holden thinks he can save people from this confusion but Holden can't save himself. By catching kids from innocence it will make Holden feel not like a phony.

CITR Chapter 10 question 3

3. What does the blonde's language reveal, and how does she behave on the dance  floor? The Blonde's language reveals that she is uneducated, Holden thinks this.The reader can tell that the blonde is interested in Holden or the dancing because she is looking around everywhere so she can get attention from Holden. The blonde keeps responding to what to Holden questions, she is pretending that she is not paying attention to holden which makes holden think that she doesn't care. But of course Holden judges her without even knowing who she is. When Holden curses she says that she doesn't like how Holden talks to her, she says this in an uneducated way. Holden always judge people before knowing what they are like. Holden's mind switches emotions. He thinks a person is cool and changes his mind. An example of this is when Holden thinks Stradlater is so cool but when Stradlater ticks Holden off he thinks of him differently. Holden thinks at first that the blonde is hot but when she opens her mouth he thinks she is a "moron."

Chapter 9 question 1

1. What is reemphasized about Holden's personality on the first page of this chapter.
    Holden's personality is innocent and childish Holden thinks to much into things. Holden wants to call somebody up because he is lonely but he doesn't want to. This shows his alienation to others. Holden is also procrastinating. It takes Holden twenty minutes in the phone booth just to figure out who he wants to call but calls no one. Holden even says he is so absent minded. Holden can't decide who to call. Holden always repeats "I am not in the mood." this is a statement that pulls Holden back from others. Holden thinks to deeply into what the reactions of the people he will call. Which is an example of Holden's alienation from others. Holden is trying to find connections with other people his personality is taking that away from him. Holden has no direction in life. Holden says that mrs. Hayes said Holden has no direction in life and that is true. Holden makes quick decisions without putting time and effort into them. When Holden says he is going to call someone he makes up what they are going to think. Holden says he wants to call Jane and tell the people that answer the phone that her aunt died in an accident. Holden doesn't even think once of what he is saying he just says it.

Holden is not considerate of others he is selfish.

CITR chapter 7 question 1

1. Why does Holden feel "rotten" and "lonesome" in this chapter?
  Holden feels rotten and lonesome in this chapter because he couldn't stop thinking about Stradlater and Jane having the time in Ed's car. Holden likes Jane and can't stop thinking about her. Holden mentions that Stradlater does a technique with girls and that is to talk in a sincere and very quite voice. When ever he thought about Jane and Stradlater he felt like jumping out of a window or wishing he was dead. Holden cringes when he hears or think of sex this shows that Holden is innocent and doesn't want to grow up. Sex is in Holden's way of not growing up. Holden was also lonesome because he did want to hang around Pencey any more. So he packed his things. Holden was saying that he was going to sleep over at a cheap hotel and have a minnie vacation this made Holden feel better about leaving. He got depressed when he was packing. Holden  packed these brand new ice skates his mom gave home. That made him depressed. The ice skates symbolize childhood. He felt rotten about the skates because his mom gave him the wrong kind of skate. Holden says when every he gets presents he becomes sad. Holden doesn't want to grow older and a sign of that is birthday present showing that Holden is growing up and the presents are a reward for that but Holden doesn't believe that. Holden believes that presents are a depressing thing to receive. Holden feels like he should escape his problems by going on a Minnie vacation to a cheap hotel in new York. The reader can tell that Holden does not want to face his problems but to run away from them.

Why is it ironic that Holden dislikes Ackley?

"He was one of these very, very tall, round- shouldered guys- he was about six four- with lousy teeth." this is the description that Holden gives Ackley, Holden also says that Ackley is a loner and has a terrible personality. This makes Holden a phony because Holden is just like Ackley but doesn't want to admit it. Holden always complains that Ackley is always up in his business but he also feels sorry for him. Holden feels sorry for Ackley because he is a loner but so is Holden. When I read this I thought, well does Holden feel bad for himself? Ackley is the foil of Holden. Since Holden feels bad for Ackley he invites him to the movies. I later find out the answer to my question, Holden hates himself  but doesn't want to admit it so he says he dislikes Ackley. Holden wants to reach out to himself but pretends he doesn't care. 

"Ackley was a slob in his personal habits."  Holden mentions the habits that Ackley does but Holden does the same but in a different way. Ackley annoys Holden by picking his pimples, touching Holden's personal stuff, and always mentioning how he hates Stradlater. Holden does the same things. He always mentions how Ackley and other people are annoying and phonies. Holden's habit is horsing around and annoying people just like Ackley. I believe that Holden is an Ackley to Stradlater. Holden always mentions Jane and tells stories about him and her to Stradlater, Stradlater gets annoyed when Holden does this. "He's one sonuvabitch I really can't stand." Ackley says this. This qoue reminds me of Holden and Ackley they can't stand each other but are each other.

Aggie:
this is a great-looking blog. Please try to remember the requirement that each post MUST be at least two paragraphs.
Mr. Murphy

The Catcher in the Rye chapter 4 question 1

1 Do the characters Mr. Spencer, Ackley, and Stradlater strike you as reliable people? Do Holden's observations of them seem accurate or inaccurate? What method does Salinger use for Holden's description of people? Mr. Spencer strikes me as reliable because he cares about Holden you can tell by his conversation with Holden, Holden might not think so because Holden doesn't care. Ackley does not strike me as a reliable person because he always talks behind Stradlater's and is just like Holden, he is Holden's foil. Stradlater does not strike me as a reliable person because he wants Holden to do his English homework. Stradlater would be turning in Holden's homework but taking all the credit which is untrustworthy. Holden's observations of Ackley are correct. Ackley is an annoying guy with a bad personality. Holden's observation of Stradlater is incorrect. Stradlater is not an Ackley like person. He is completely opposite. Holden is like an Ackley. They both are annoying and loners. Holden's observation of Mr. Spencer are correct. Holden says Mr. Spencer is only trying to help him succeed but in an annoying way. I believe that, even though Holden's a liar. J.D. Salinger's method of Holden's describing a character is always a person is a phony.

Catcher in the Rye Question 2

2. Holden stops in to say good-bye to old Spencer; and as he sits there, he gets more and more upset. Why?

Holden gets more upset when he is saying good bye to old Spencer because when old Spencer mentions that Holden had trouble at his old school, Elkton Hills it reminded Holden of his headmaster there, Mr. Haas, and the students there. Holden remembers that his headmaster at Elkton Hills was a big phony. His headmaster would always shake hands and talk with parents that would pick up their kids but not to the parents that looked weird. Holden also mentioned that he was surrounded my phonies at Elkton Hills. This is a repeated cycle that Holden does. He always says that the school that he went to was full of phonies. Holden doesn't really pay attention to old Spencer's lecture he was thinking about Mr. Haas. It makes Holden crazy and depressed when he thinks about Elkton Hills. Holden gets more upset because he is remembering all of his bad memories at his old school and thinking that it was his fault.