Catcher In the Rye
Describe Holden's challenges as he sees them. What do you think he needs to meet his challenges?
Labels: Chapters 4-6
posted by dr. dalili @ 7:49 AM
This is an online journal to discuss and analyze literature. We also will develop arguments and interpretations, and support our ideas with evidence from the stories we read. We will address our comments to each other in letter form and compose letters of at least 250 words or more and spell them correctly.
Describe Holden's challenges as he sees them. What do you think he needs to meet his challenges?
Labels: Chapters 4-6
posted by dr. dalili @ 7:49 AM
25 Comments:
I have enjoyed the book so far
In chapter 4 Holden and Stradlater got in a fight.
I think Holden should have said Hi to Jane.
Holden doesn't seem to have any good relationships.
Hi
I dont know what challenges are yet because I am just starting to read the story. But, I think he is still upset about his brother dying since he writes about his baseball mitt.
This book is really good
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What's up Doc
Holden really needs to work on building relationships and surrounding himself with people he enjoys because so far he seems very lonely and depressed.
Holden's challenges are that he is failing his classes and has already gone to four schools. His challenge is that he needs to improve his schoolwork skills and he also needs to start caring more about his actions.
Holden’s challenges start with the fact that he has trouble getting along with other boys. He always says things that highlight the person he is talking to’s weakness. And like Claire said, he needs friends that make him happy because he does seem lonely. Also, Holden’s brother Allie’s death seemed to take a hard toll on Holden. I think Holden saw Allie in an understanding way. Like he knew every detail about Allie and still to this day (well Holden’s day actually) remembered them. Holden describes how he acted out after Allie’s death and Holden made it sound like he was truly sad. By writing Stradlater’s composition on Allie’s baseball mitt it shows that Holden still thinks about Allie. Lastly, I agree with Hannah. Another one of Holden’s problems is his school life. He is failing at his fourth school but he doesn’t try. So why is he upset if he lets off the appeal that he doesn’t care? If he actually tried he probably could excel greatly and make everyone happy. In order to meet his challenges, I think he needs to surround himself with people that care about him. Not just people that make innocent small-talk. I think that he also needs to talk to his parents about Allie’s death. I am predicting that Holden’s parents became sad and gave up after Allie’s death. So by talking to his parents he would be gaining closure; although, he would still carry the sadness from Allie’s death around. And if Holden applied himself in school, and in general life, his life would be so much better.
Holden does not feel any real friendship with any of the boys that he has or is going to school with. Holden pays very close to details in everything he sees. He especially looks at the details of other people and judges who they are by his observation. For example, at the club in NYC he judges all the people who are clapping, saying they are "phony" for clapping. He also mentions the piano player's "phony bow".
At school Holden has challenges as well. Like i said before, Holden does not get along very well with other boys at his school such as Stradlater and Ackley. Holden has also just failed out of school. When he is talking to Mr. Spencer, Holden says that he wasn't applying himself(he didn't even open his textbook twice). I realized that Holden had the ability to do well in school and apply himself, but something was holding him back from moving forward in school. I think what is holding him back could possibly be his brother's death. He mentioned he was even psychoanalyzed after he brother's death because he was so traumatized. Holden also makes a lot of references the the ducks in NYC, and always wants to know if they leave by themselves or if someone takes them away. I think this represents Holden trying to move forward from his state at the moment. By asking all of the people he meets "Where do the ducks go?" and if someone takes them away or if they go by themselves, he wants to know if he can wait for someone to help him move on into adulthood or if he can do it himself.
Holden is always saying how bad he feels for poeple. For example, he feels bad for the piano player because people claped for him when they really shouldn't because he is bad according to Holden. Also he said he felt bad for the prostitute. Holden is always finding ways to feel depressed.
Holden needs to work on building a good relationship with someone and being more positive. He needs to see the good in people more than the bad. He usually looks at the flaws of people and is very quick to judge.
In the book it seems as though Holden does not keep strong, healthy relationships with people. He trys to avoid caring and I feel as if the only real relationships he has was with Allie, his other sister and Jane. Holden always mentions how hes very lonely yet he doesnt try to create new relationships. He needs to put in the effort.
Holden is facing a lot of challenges with finding out where he wants to go and what he wants to be in his life. Where ever Holden is, he always thinks about being somewhere else. For example, Holden thinks about going to Massachusetts and New Jersey because he is not happy with where he is now. He is also facing the challenges of his brother, Allie, being dead. I think he really misses his brother since he got along with him and is having trouble dealing with it.
I feel like Holden is overwhelmed in with everything and he can't take it longer, I think he has literally snapped.
I think one of Holden's challenges is lying. He impulsively lies to people he doesn't know. His lies lead him to not have any attachments. If he doesn't want people to get to know him, then he won't have any friends. I think lying is one of his root problems.
Holden's challenges is probably cooperating with people because it seems he does not get along with them very well. For instance, he has a hard time dealing with Ackley and even Stradlater. He always finds the imperfections in others yet he never has much to say about his self. If he were to stop thinking negatively about his companions then maybe he would be able to become friends with more people instead of hating them because of their "phoniness".
Holden needs to get over his fear of relationships and friendships because whenever he gets moderately close to someone he pulls away and moves on. I think he is still stuck on the lose of his brother and that is affecting the way he views other people.
Holden should learn to mature. Holden talks to his roommate Stradlater as if he (Holden) were very immature. It shows through the way that Stradlater just brushes off Holden's immature comments. Holden even says himself that he acts like a 13 year old. If Holden ever wants to be a better person, he should try to act his age.
I know this is very late, but I haven't posted to this question.
Holden has tons of challenges, emotionally and physically. He's very depressed and isolated. He doesn't have any friends and he's always upset. Holden is physically mature, although he still acts like a child. This attitude all comes from the death of his brother. Holden needs to have a proper burial of his brother and a true and final goodbye. Holden needs someone to take of him emotionally. He always has the need to call someone or just talk to someone because he's trying to find someone to look after him.
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