Read the article from TIME Magazine about author J.D. Salinger.
http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,1960265,00.html#
Then, respond to the following questions in 2 cohesive, well-organized paragraphs:
1) How is Holden Caulfield similar to J.D. Salinger? Reflect on 3-5 similarities.
2) What is your general impression of Holden so far?
Be original in your thoughts.
Scoring: 15 Points
Depth of Thought (Scale 1-5)
Organization (Scale 1-5)
Grammar / Conventions (Scale 1-5)
Similar to Holden, J.D. Salinger constantly moved from school to school, and ended up dropping out of college, as well. He models Pencey Prep as New York University, which is where he dropped out of. Also like Holden, Salinger was always interested in writing, and was good at it. Holden is somewhat of an introvert, and refuses to socialize with other people at times. When Salinger was disappointed with the acts of some young girls looking for an interview, he isolated himself by building a high wall around his house. Like Holden, Salinger got disappointed when he realized how people can end up doing things you don’t like or expect of them. Holden also constantly contradicts himself, especially with his emotions. Salinger did that as well, because although he enjoyed the fame and recognition that came with his work, he did not want to be proud of himself or have an ego.
ReplyDeleteI quite like Holden, and I think he is very honest despite the fact that he lies to people. I think his inner thoughts are very relatable in the sense that he always has mixed emotions, and gets side tracked easily. He really is the typical, “angsty” and angry teenager because he thinks he knows a lot of things about the real world when in fact he hasn’t even come to face it yet. I think a lot of teenagers like myself face this issue. We think that we know everything, whether we want to admit it or not. And if not everything, then lots of things. We believe that we’ve got everything figured out, and that we know how the “real world” works, but that’s not entirely true. We just think we know, and we only know about the things we’ve been exposed to or told about. I think Holden’s beliefs and ideas are interesting to read, and I can definitely see some of my own thoughts reflected in his, and I think his character is very relatable. Holden is not a perfect teenager, nor is he completely going downhill. He seems like a really smart individual who is just trying to find a way with life being thrown at him from all directions, just like a lot of us are trying to do. Holden feels the need to lie sometimes, and that’s totally understandable. I mean, sometimes you just have to, or feel the need to. But Holden uses that as a coping mechanism so that people can understand him better. I think a part of being a teen is feeling misunderstood and alone some of the time. The idea that Holden feels like this is very relatable because this phase in life is hard for many people to understand, and some people can’t even understand themselves. I find that happening a lot with Holden. He doesn’t understand why he thinks or feels a certain way, and that scares him. I think most teenagers go through this, and this is what really makes him incredibly relatable.
Holden Caulfield is basically Salinger. He aimed it to be such. They get upset over small trifles such as people in general and things happening in Hollywood. I think Salinger made Holden dislike Hollywood just because Salinger wasn’t allowed to play Holden because he was too old (lol). They also just dislike many things around them in general, too. It’s hard for them to strike up a conversation. Salinger doesn’t want to communicate while Holden is just a bit hard to keep up with and please. I think it fits for both, though. They also both dropped out of many schools. That’s where Salinger had the idea for Holden dropping out and exchanging so much. I think Holden is okay. He’s not great, but he’s okay. I honestly don’t think I’d get along with him, but I’ll never know. He just seems like a terrible person to get to know. He’s those types of “you don’t know what I’ve been through” overreacting people. I suppose I can deal with it, but I’d rather much not to. He just has to learn how to accept his feelings and just allow the events that happen happen.
ReplyDeleteNicole Alfonso Period 3
Holden Caulfield and J.D. Salinger are similar because both like to keep their opinions to themselves. They both don't like to talk about how they feel and like to isolate themselves from the society. J.D. Salinger attended Manhattan private school and flunked out which is similar to Holden Caulfield's case at Pencey Prep. Both men also like to run away from schools. The article stated that Caulfield ran away from multiple schools, which ultimately ended him up in a Military Academy. Holden and J.D. Salinger also hate the fake/ Hollywood atmosphere.
ReplyDeleteI think that Holden is not ready to face reality. He always tries to go around his obstacles instead of just facing them. Even though Holden lies, lying is the only way for him to cope within the society. I think that Holden fears that if he acted the way he thinks, then society would judge him. I also feel that Holden just doesn't know his place in this world. He keeps going back and forth from being mature to immature. Since Holden doesn't have a set plan for his life, he is just doing what he knows best, which is reading and writing.
Holden is similar to J.D. Salinger because his personal life has a connection with the fictional character. Holden's personality reflected that of Salinger's and it showed how at that time teens were becoming rebellious. During his young years, Salinger ran away and flunked schools just like Holden.
ReplyDeleteAs you can see, Holden is a very typical teenager who is rebellious and wants to do things on his own. It may not be obvious but although he doesn't show it, he is quite emotional for a guy like him. He also tends to lie for the most part to get himself out of situations. It's clear that he doesn't like to face his problems but instead finds another way out of them which in this case is not good for his future.
In my opinion, Holden is a J.D. Salinger in the fact that they both flunk out of schools, they both decide to run away and neither one of them wants to be in contact with the outside world. I believe Holden is just Salinger as a kid. Salinger was able to portray himself as a character in his book. Salinger’s struggles are exactly what Holden goes through, excluding different names for characters and places. Salinger and Holden both originate from well off families and are seen as underachievers because they have flunked out of so many schools.
ReplyDeleteI like Holden as a character, but not so much as a person. His personality is very interesting and he makes the story different because he’s so inconsistent in what he says. Holden is a depressed teen, but in another sense he’s not. Holden isn’t sure about what he is which is, but knows what he hates; what he hates is exactly what he is. As to why I don’t like him as a person: he’s a jerk. He’s a flat out jerk, but one can see his point of view as to why he is a jerk- he’s insecure.
Marcos Hernandez
P3
Some of the similarities that Holden and Salinger have is that they both went to several different Prep Schools and eventually droped out. Both were very good writers however they would not compliment oneself as much because of changing egos. Also another similareity they have between eachother, they isolated themselves from other people because they dislike how some people act in doing things or just their personalities or whatever he finds disapproving of them. Yet they both stick with people that'll soon call off away from them.
ReplyDeleteI find Holden very intelligent especially for his talent in writing. However he seems so nihilistc about the rules of the enviroment he lives in for example the people stays with at his prep school. He pretty much dislikes everythig about the school tradition and his fellow school mates critiziing them for being phonies. It's like he is so hopeless because things go in different ways instead of what he thinks, it basically make him a maverick because he does'nt enjoy anything in whats going on around his school and does'nt really have any real frinds and just their, isolating himself.
Dylan Sanchez
P3
Like Holden, J.D. Salinger was very much an anti-conformist; he refused to play “the game”. After The Catcher in the Rye, Salinger began to gain much attention which he hated. His background also served as the basis for Holden Caulfield; his father enrolled him in a Manhattan private school in which he flunked out of after 2 years. Holden’s dissatisfaction about Hollywood is a reflection of Salinger’s opinions after one of his stories was bought and rewritten into a “throbbing melodrama”.
ReplyDeleteSo far my impressions of Holden is that he is a hypocritical and cynical teenager. Although, he does have redeeming qualities such as the fact that he values sincerity and opposes the fact that his brother sells-out his writing talents in order to make it in Hollywood. While I do find his excessive complaints and contradictory actions quite annoying, I can relate to him on certain levels and understand where he is coming from. As teenagers, our thoughts are often like Holden’s: a rambling, angsty, incoherent mess of mixed feelings. Sometimes I feel like I think I know everything like Holden, but I really don’t.
Holden and Salinger are similar in various ways. One way they are similar is that they don't like associating with a lot of people. Holden doesn't like the kids at his school because of their personalities, and Salinger was a shy guy. Holden and Salinger have a very similar childhood because they both got removed from school, whether it was because they left on purpose or because they got kicked out. Both of these too people had some type of breakdown in their life also. Salinger suffered from a nervous breakdown after all the horrific campaigns of world war 2. Holden broke down when Stradlader went out with the girl he likes, Jane. he couldn't get them off his mind, and even when Stradlader came back, Holden was interrogating him about his time out.
ReplyDeleteI believe Holden is a really sensitive man. He may act tough in front of all his friends, but on the inside he is a friendly guy. Holden cares a lot about Jane and can't get her off his mind because he knows how Stradlader is with women. Normally Holden wouldn't care what he does with girls, but apparently if it's someone he cares about he minds a lot. Also, Holden may seem like he doesn't like certain people, like Ackly, but he probably does care for them a lot. The people Holden states mean things about also seems like the people Holden likes. Holden is a very confusing person, but he is very caring.
Salinger created a character named Caulfield who has a few similar characteristics as him. Salinger and Caulfield went to many different schools for they seem to lack the interest in learning. Salinger was sent to Valley Forge Military Academy, which later models Pencey Prep. Salinger never stayed at a school for very long because he would always run away from them. Caulfield attended a few schools, one of them happens to be Pencey Prep. Caulfield however, runs away from the school. Salinger and Caulfield both have a path that they want to follow, but can’t because their parents’ are in the way. Their parents’ already had a path set for them. Salinger and Caulfield do not like rules, but they abide by them anyways. They still follow their parents’ wishes even though they don’t want too.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, I think Holden doesn’t exactly know who he is. He has his opinions on certain things, but then when he executes himself, it’s the complete opposite. He doesn’t fully understand himself even though he’s already 17. But, I would say I know how he feels. I know the feeling of knowing your opinion on something, but then you still have that doubt. Or the feeling that you think you know who you are, but then you’re actually really lost within yourself. Holden is exactly how a teenager is, lost and confused. Even though his actions contradict his words, I think he isn’t that bad of a guy.
Holden Caulfield possesses many parallels to J.D Salinger. Salinger uses Holden as a medium in his work to represent himself in many different ways. They are not exactly the same, but Salinger's need to express his feelings in his work draws up Holden as a close copy of Salinger. Both Holden and Salinger had trouble with academics, constantly dropping out of schools and going from school to school. They're both good with literature, with Holden's only class that he passes being English, and Salinger being a famous writer. Like Holden, Salinger also appears to be lost and confused. Neither of them really know what they want as a person, and both of them struggle to completely accept their gifts as writers. Both of them refused to accept the praise given to them for their writing abilities. Salinger became a recluse and refused to accept his popularity as a public figure, while Holden refuses to believe he is a gifted writer.
ReplyDeleteMy impression of Holden is ambivalent. I can relate to him, but at the same time question him. Many of his problems and situations are brought up by himself. He blames society for everything, and takes none of the credit to his lack of enthusiasm in life. His values seem genuine though, and of good integrity, but the only problem is that he refuses to uphold these values of his. He hates when people lie, but lies all the time. He's even gotten to the point where he can casually do it and sometimes get a kick off of doing it. I like how he doesn't play by the book, but at the same time he does. His mind is separate from his actions most of the time, which creates an interesting contrast in his life. Many can find him to be putting up a facade, or to be fake, but I think he is just lost as a person. He doesn't know what to do, because the things he wants to believe in aren't always socially acceptable.
Holden Caulfield is very similar to J.D Salinger. Throughout his life, Salinger isolated himself and was known as a kind of hermit. In the book, Holden considers joining a monastery to achieve isolation in his life too. Salinger also disliked fame and hollywood. He rejected the idea of being a famous figure and was disgusted by the fame and status his book Catcher in the Rye achieved. Another similarity between Holden and Salinger is their track records with schools. In the book Catcher in the Rye, Holden is being kicked out of his private school. In his life, Salinger dropped out of New York University and ran away from several schools.
ReplyDeleteMy general impression of Holden so far is that he’s a very confused kid. He sees himself as being completely different and unable to connect to the world around him. He fights with the expectations of society and what he expects of himself. Although he tries so hard to stand out, I think a small part of him wishes he could just fit in because his life would be easier that way. He feels like a constant disappointment to everyone, such as his teachers, his parents or even himself. He doesn’t understand how everyone else fits into the system so well when he just can’t do it. I think he struggles a lot between just expressing how different he is and not caring what people think or forcing himself to fit in and be like everyone else.
Holden is similar to Salinger in many ways like writting, their struggle with acdemics and their refusal to believe in themselves. Holden and Salinger both enjoy expressing themselves through writting. Salinger did not accept his fame and did not believe he was good at writting as well as Holden. Academics were a constant struggle for both boys often droping out of schools. While not exactly the same both have similar qualities in writting and academics.
ReplyDeleteI feel like Holden can be a bit to much some times. I feel like he tries so hard to be this hard person who doesn't need anyone even when he does. Also he is a fairly good writter and it frustates me how he does not see this and even sells his type writter. Time can only tell but I really hope he starts to grow and change into a more well rounded person. He is just so one sided all the time constantly putting down himself and everyone around him.
Holden Caulfield is similar to J.D. Salinger in a couple ways. They both didn't socialize too much. Holden didn't like the people in his school and Salinger was not much of a socializer. Salinger wrote Holden's school, Pencey Prep to be similar to the school, Valley Forge Military Academy, he went to. They both didn't like school. Holden and Salinger both either dropped out of school or were expelled. Another is that they both loved to type. Holden and Salinger both loved to write and they both had a typewriter. While Salinger went through a breakdown after World War 2, Holden went through a breakdown after Stradlater had been together with Jane, the girl he likes.
ReplyDeleteMy general impression of Holden so far is that he is a lost teenager that wants to figure out who he is, but doesn't know how. He is like a typical teenager with all the hormones attached. He tends to contradicts himself all the time. He knows what he distinctly likes and dislikes. He seems like he has a lot to say, but can't find the way to express himself, because even though he hates the people around him, he still wants to be accepted a little into the society, thus continuing his facade. It would be nice to meet him and try to be friends with him.
Diana Xu
Period 4
Holden is similar to J.D by them being dropped out of school, and their academics weren't good, but they were good at writing. They didn't believe in themselves and the things they could do if they tried but they just gave up on everything.
ReplyDeleteMy general impression of Holden is that he doesn't believe in himself and that he gives up way too easily. Holden doesn't make an effort to make his writing famous and put it out there since he is a good writer.
Holden is similar to Salinger in numerous ways. They both like writing and i think this is their way of expressing himself. For some people, in real life they can't really project their true self but behind, say a screen"fb" they completely change. They both struggle at school, and have low moral of themself.
ReplyDeleteI think Holden is just like any other kid. He has to go though everything a normal teen goes though. He's kinda heartbroken that the girl he likes is dating a jerk. He is under lots of stress to succeed. He is failing in school, something every kid goes though....in some form or way. For some...an A- is failing. I also think he thinks hes going to do something but never does. He gives up too soon.
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ReplyDeleteIn a sense, J.D. Salinger is quite similar to Holden Caulfield in many ways and can be portrayed as a representation and image his own self. Similarly, J.D. Salinger wasn’t the most intelligent teenage; he was an underachieving individual who dropped out of his Manhattan private school. Holden Caulfield also didn’t achieve much at Pencey Prep; he would often fail most of his classes and was on the verge of dropping out. In fact, J.D. Salinger’s new school, Valley Forge Military Academy, was a model of Pencey Prep! After graduating from the academy, J.D. Salinger constantly dropped out of school after school, spending his most time at New York University with only 2 semesters. He didn’t enjoy school; he was more fused and concentrated on what he actually enjoys -- writing. Holden, too, was simply fond of writing for his own self rather than writing for the needs or requirement of others; however, they both don’t consider themselves as the most “advanced” or “intelligent” writers, but rather just write solely for enjoyable purposes.. In addition, J.D. Salinger and Holden Caulfield both are considered solitary people in their respective environment. They both isolate themselves from others and don’t perceive other individuals as a necessary part to be happy or content with their lives.
ReplyDeleteMy impression of Holden is mainly of disappointment; however, I praise how he portrays the real nature and mentality of teenagers in society today. Holden, similar to many people among society, constantly criticizes and judges people based on appearance, personality, or even attitude. He continuously forms comments of people within his mind, and calls many individuals “phonies.” I respect his view on people who don’t truly act themselves, mainly because I, as well, am discontent with those type of people. On the other hand, I don’t necessarily appreciate the fact that he lies. It’s ironic how he dislikes phonies, because he lies to hide his true feelings and intentions. My mixed feelings of him so far is quite unexpected, but I somewhat enjoy his character since I can personally relate to him in many ways.
Salinger and Caulfield are similar in many ways. Salinger dropped out of school and flunked just like Caulfield did. They were both unsuccessful in school because of the constant drop outs at different schools. Another similarity that they share is that in the end, Salinger and Caulfield resided in New York after giving up on school. Even though both of them dropped out of school, they share one passion and that is writing. They may not have done well in school, but they excel in their writing. Salinger decided to be a writer after he dropped out while Caulfield’s best subject in school is english because he exceeds in his writing.
ReplyDeleteI think Holden is just a lost teenager. He is still on the journey of finding himself like most teenagers nowadays. He does not know how to control his emotions or words and he often contradicts himself. Although he knows he is wrong, he still pursues the argument and that is what teenagers usually do. Teenagers hate admitting that they are wrong because of a thing called pride. I think Holden has a lot of pride because he still trash talked Stradlauter after he got punched in the face. Holden may be good at english, but he does not know how to handle the situations that are thrown at him. Instead of using his head to solve things, he uses the emotions that he feels at the moment. I also think he lives in his own world and reality hasn’t hit him yet. He drops out of school like nothing and doesn’t care about his future.
Holden Caulfield greatly reflects how J.D. Salinger's life played out. Holden, just like Salinger, was constantly switching between schools during his youth. Both Holden and Salinger lack the motivation to drive themselves through school, but despite that, they both enjoy reading and writing. Also, both of their personalities make them shy away towards other people and they tend to be isolated within their thoughts. Both Holden and Salinger had opportunities though as they come from rich families that can afford to send their children to private schools with high expectations. Holden is a hypocrite while Salinger is contradictory with himself as he doesn't know whether or not to accept his gifts as a writer.
ReplyDeleteHolden gives me mixed feelings because I like how he doesn't conform to society but at the same time I don't like how he doesn't apply himself to his education. I believe he could pass all his classes if he tried but he only cares about English. I also don't like how he has to lie all the time and that he's a hypocrite. One of the only things I like about Holden is that he stands up for himself but at the same time he doesn't know how to control his emotions. Holden gives me the impression of a little kid trapped in an older person's body.
The creation of J.D Salinger's most famous character, Holden, has been almost a spitting image to him. Just like Salinger, Holden does not like to socialize much with other people. The reasons why they don't like to socialize much is different, but they both like to stay in their little bubble. Another similar characteristic of Salinger and Holden is that they did not do very well in school. Both Salinger and Holden failed out of various schools, causing them both to changes schools constantly. Growing up they seem to be confused about who they are and who they want to be, but they are both given the gift of writing. Although Salinger and Holden do not like school they both had a great talent for writing and both liked it very much. Through the character of Holden, Salinger expresses himself and gives many of the characteristics that are similar to his.
ReplyDeleteMy impressions on Holden are that he is young and very confused. Holden does not seem to know who he is as a person. Many of the problems that Holden faces are things that he makes up in his own head. Holden does not like the society he lives in, because it is fulled of two faced people. Ironically Holden is the same and always changes his mind, he does not know exactly what he wants. Holden does not seem like a strong character, because every time he is faces a big problem, he just wants to give up and run away. Holden is the typical teenager that is very confused with what he is doing with his life.
Holden and J.D. Salinger are similar because both of them seemed to believe that being famous was equal to being a fake. Holden showed that through his disdain for films and Hollywood, while J.D. Salinger showed it through the refusal of his own fame. Both Holden and J.D. Salinger do not like lies, they appreciate sincerity and dislike liars. Holden and J.D. Salinger both go to a private school and do so badly that they are kicked out or they sort of run away. Also, a major similarity is that both of them really enjoyed writing, despite never doing well in school. I think that they both also suffered from similar emotional problems because Holden is probably really sad after Allie dies, plus a lot of other things, and J.D. Salinger’s biographer believes Salinger had a nervous breakdown.
ReplyDeleteI think that Holden is sort of depressed, lost and believes that he can't succeed; he thinks very little of himself. He doesn't apply himself because he thinks he knows he'll fail anyway so he kind of wants things but feels he'll never be able to get them. He just gives off a feeling that tells you he thinks nobody will ever understand him, the way he thinks and his way of life as he does.
Holden Caulfield is similar to J.D. Salinger by both of them being rebellious. Holden is also similar to Salinger by having both of them live in the east coast. They also lived during the same time, which allowed Salinger to share certain stories that happened to him in his real life.
ReplyDeleteSo far, Holden seems like a difficult guy to please, because he’s so picky about who he meets. Also, Holden seems like he’s selfish to me, because even though his brother is a successful writer, he hates how his brother sells himself to Hollywood, even though that would that’s what it would take to become and stay successful.
Chris Jao
Period 4
Holden is similar to J.D. Salinger because they both went to very tough schools that had high expectations for their students. Also, J.D. Salinger ran away from many schools. This is very similar to Holden because Holden kept getting kicked out from school. Both J.D. Salinger and Holden also were very talented writers. J.D. Salinger wanted to be writer, so he signed up for a writing class at Columbia University. Just like Holden, J.D. Salinger resented Hollywood. He wanted privacy in his personal life. Salinger built a huge fence around his home and he rarely gave interviews.
ReplyDeleteHolden seems like he is a very smart person, but I think he still doesn’t really know himself yet. He constantly lies because he wants a positive image. I also think is both arrogant and unique. I think he is arrogant because he doesn't really care about school and only what he is good at. That is why he only excels in English. I think he is unique because he does not conform to the system. Holden doesn't like things that everyone else likes. For example, Holden doesn't like Hollywood because he thinks it is too mainstream.
Holden from Catcher In The Rye is J.D Salinger's voice that reflects who Salinger is. "Holden Caulfield says, 'Don't ever tell anybody anything.' That's one time you know it's Salinger talking." This quote shows that Salinger likes to make his life experiences into novels. J.D Salinger flunked out of many schools including a private school which is exactly what Holden did. Both character and author enjoy and are very good writers.
ReplyDeleteI think Holden acts as a pessimist in order to prevent people from expecting too much from him. He is afraid of disappointing others because he is afraid he won't accomplish all that others want him to so therefore he avoids "playing the game" because he feels he will lose.
Amber Pena
Period 4
I believe the character, Holden is influenced by Salinger’s life and experiences. Both Salinger and Holden resided in New York, attended to different private schools, and flunked from these schools. Also after dropping out of school, both wanted to move to an isolated area or away from a system. It seems that both haven’t found their identity because they haven’t found what they wanted. Since Salinger was not able to play as Holden for the movie version of Catcher, he started to despise Hollywood. Salinger and Holden also enjoyed writing. Throughout his life, Salinger would continue to write; he wrote for the New Yorker and during his time as a soldier. Both characters have a difficult time expressing their feelings and communicating with others.
ReplyDeleteSo far, Holden is just your average teenager. I can relate because I don’t exactly know what I want and feel awkward in my environment. He also lies as much as I do. I think we choose to lie because teenagers haven’t found their independence. As teenagers we call others “fake” for their personality and not being true to themselves. I also think Holden is probably the biggest hypocrite because he does exactly what he hates.
I think Holden Caulfield is similar to his creator, J.D. Salinger, in many ways. Holden and Salinger both have a passion for writing and english. Even though, Holden hasn’t grasped his love for writing yet, it shows in the book when he writes a paper for his roommate, Stradlater. Salinger has made one novel, The Catcher in the Rye, and three volumes of stories within his lifetime. Another similarity between Holden and Salinger is their dislike for education and their wasted potential. Both have dropped out of school one way or another. Holden has been kicked out of Pencey, while Salinger only lasted two semesters at New York University. Holden and Salinger also had the potential to do well in school, but chose not to. Holden is similar to Salinger in the way that they like to close themselves off from society and others. When Salinger found out his interview was put in a newspaper without his consent, he was furious and stopped giving interviews all together. Lastly, Salinger and Holden both didn’t want to sell themselves out to the real world. When Salinger married Maynard and she got into New York publishing and media, he abruptly called things off between them. In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden thinks his brother, D.B. sold himself out to Hollywood.
ReplyDeleteMy impression of Holden is that I can relate to him in many ways. I can relate to him because I also like writing and english. Holden is also a teenager that doesn’t know exactly who he is and what he wants to do in life. I believe every teenager can relate to that because in one point or another in our lives, we weren’t sure of ourselves and our future. I also think Holden is interesting because he usually contradicts himself and is pretty much a hypocrite. I think all teenagers say things we don’t mean because we are unsure of ourselves and how to express our feelings.
1) I think that Holden is similar to Salinger in the fact that they’re both very lonely, they’re misunderstood, and they both tend to mind their own business. When I say they’re both lonely I mean that they don’t really associate themselves with other people. Not that they are completely alone all the time, but in the sense that they don’t have a circle of close friends, maybe they LIKE to be on their own. They are both misunderstood because they both are running all the time. Whether they are running from personal problems or dilemmas, or they are running away from their settings and surroundings. Holden and Salinger ran away from their schools, but Salinger attempted to go back to school only to sadly drop out again. Lastly, I think they are both similar because they mind their own business and do not associate themselves with too many people. Holden didn’t participate in the big football game that goes on every year, and Salinger bluntly built a castle like wall around his house when he really settled down.
ReplyDelete2) My perception of Holden is that he is a regular kid going through the same problems any other high school kid goes through. All these problems fall under the same category of finding out who your real friends are and in the end finding out who he is as a person. I think Holden just needs to gather himself and tackle every task one at a time instead of looking at things as a whole which tends to be more stressful.
Three similarities I found interesting between Holden Caulfield and J.D. Salinger are that first they both love to write, they enjoy writing more than anything else in the world. They both find freedom in writing where they express themselves without anyone judging them. Just like Holden, Salinger also quit school; he dropped out of New York University whereas Holden Caulfield also gave up on school and was kicked out of Pencey Preparatory. Salinger also ran away from several different just like Holden Caulfield did. Another similarity that they both have is that they both didn’t really know what they wanted to do when they were teenagers. They were rebellious and didn’t really fit in with society, they also didn’t even like the fact that the society back then was absurd.
ReplyDeleteI’ve grown to like Holden Caulfield, he sticks for what he believes in and doesn’t let anyone’s judgments get in the way. The one thing that he loves doing is writing and that’s somewhat a way for him to be free and be able to express himself. At some points, he’s hypocritical because he’s disrespectful with people in his head but when it really comes to him talking to them face to face, he acts like the most respectful person in the world. Other than that, I respect Holden for what he does. Everyone is different in their own way and Holden is just like that. He’s unique and he knows that he doesn’t belong with everybody else in society, and that’s ok.
1)Holden is similar to J.D. Salinger because they both: rejected the glamorous lifestyle, despised society for its structure and rules, and found release in writing. Salinger was very successful with his books. Almost all of the teenagers at the time connected with his books. But even with his newfound fame, he resided in a nice little home in Cornish. After Salinger’s time in the war, he became a sensation in literature circles but he shied away from society. He couldn’t stand the way the world operated. So Salinger instead of trying to fit in, tried to understand life through meditation and reflection. He did a lot of reflection at his own personal Yogi’s retreat. In a way, Holden is a reflection of Salinger’s personality. They were both authors who loved to express through their writing.
ReplyDelete2) My impression of Holden so far is that he’s a teenager that’s lost in the moment. Holden doesn’t know what he wants exactly in life. Most teenagers don’t know what they want to be when they’re his age. He’s trying to find out how society works and how he can find his own place in the world. No adult has ever really taken him under their wing so he’s never had a role model to learn from. The missing role model has held Holden away from life experience. This lack of knowledge lead him to a lack of confidence.
Eric Nguyen
P.4
Holden Caulfield and J.D. Salinger have many same similarities of their life. J.D. Salinger was born in New York to an upper class family and at the same time, Holden is the son of a wealthy family in New York. In the book, Holden was sent to Pencey Preparatory by his parents and had an annoying neighbor named Ackley. In comparison to Salinger, he was sent to Valley Forge Military School by his parents, who had a neighbor that would always interrupt him which symbolizes Holden’s relationship with Ackley. Holden’s personality of being isolated from the society is similar to J.D. Salinger’s childhood of being excluded because of his belief in Judaism.
ReplyDeleteI think that Holden’s life is really interesting, i like how he disagrees with the society and doesn’t follow the trend of the society. I believe that Holden is still confused and hasn’t found his true identity which is why he often lies a lot. I can relate to Holden in which i often lie a lot to my parents to get away from the truth and to not get in trouble. Holden’s situation is similar to many of the teenagers today. Us teenagers don’t know what exactly we want to do in the future.
Period 4
One similarity between Holden Caulfield and JD Salinger is how they are both quite reserved and like to be isolated from society. Holden does not like how the people are him are very fake. He constantly lies in order to reduce interactions with other people as much as possible. JD Salinger was known as a hermit that turned his back to the world. Another similarity between the two is how they both went to some sort of private school and flunked out. They both went to multiple schools, because they would either kicked out or run away. A third similarity between Salinger and Caulfield is the fact that they both enjoy writing. Holden does not have interest in any of his other classes and is failing all of them. However, since he enjoys reading and writing, he is doing good in his English class. Similarly, Salinger went to multiple schools and never enjoyed it. After all of his failed attempts at an educations, Salinger decides that he wants to become a writer. Possibly, these two reserved individuals enjoy writing because it does not involve any interaction with anyone else. Writing is very expressive and people can write whatever they want, not having to think about conforming to the ideas of others.
ReplyDeleteI think that Holden has a really interesting personality. His personality and actions are all very contradicting. Although he hates fake people that are not being genuine, he admits to being a great liar. However, I like the fact that he seeks genuine people. Although he respects his brother a lot, that does not cloud his perception of his brother. He understands that his brother has become a sell out in hollywood. At the same time, Holden somewhat frustrates me. He seems like an intelligent individual that just does not apply himself. What is he looking for in life? I question his approach to a world that he does not exactly like. I can understand that he does not like people that conform to other and just go with the system. I do not understand what he is doing with his life though. He is not making a difference in anyone else’s life, and he is not applying himself to anything either. At this point, he is lost and is just wandering around.
Harpreet Mahi
Period 04
J.D. Salinger's characters, especially Holden Caulfield, portrays the feelings and reflected the attitudes that Salinger possesses. Both Salinger and Holden went through many different schools. They were both capable of excelling, but they had trouble accepting their potential. Not only did they choose not to do well in school, they are both great writers. As stated in the article, Holden was a character very near and dear to Salinger's heart. Holden's thoughts seem to reflect the confusion and thoughts that even Salinger faced when he was a teen. Salinger's disinterest and irritation caused him to shut out the world, and in a sense Holden is heading in that direction as well. Salinger gave up on the world, and Holden shows early signs of that type of attitude.
ReplyDeleteSo far, I admire Holden for his efforts of being different and trying not to conform to "the system" or the "game." On the other hand, since the death of Allie, he becomes trapped in this bubble of innocence that clouds his judgement. Holden has good intentions, but his lack of self identity causes him to have contradicting ideas. The problems Holden face make him a very relatable character, and being able to relate to the things he faces makes him a likable character. Overall, I want to read more about Holden's character to make a better judgement. I am also excited to see how he grows as a character, because there are probably even more things that I could relate to.
J.D. Salinger and Holden Caulfield are remarkably similar. Both Salinger and Caulfield were privileged yet underachieving. Caulfield dropped out of many private schools. Salinger also dropped out of many schools and colleges. Both Holden and Salinger were uninterested in school but were very avid and well writers. Both Caulfield and Salinger preferred keeping to themselves. Another similarity between Salinger and Caulfield was their hatred towards the mainstream especially Hollywood. Salinger expressed his hatred of Hollywood through Holden in Catcher in the Rye. He constantly says that Hollywood is full of “phonies.” Holden respects his brother but hates the fact that he writes for Hollywood. This may be Salinger’s opinion of other writers.
ReplyDeleteI think that Holden is struggling to find out what he wants to do with his life. I think this is why he is constantly contradicting himself. One instance of him contradicting himself was when he called himself a pacifist right after he started a fight with Stradlater. Holden doesn’t like to conform to society. I do not have a problem with this because it is his choice. However, the fact that he is so privileged yet doesn’t even make an effort to succeed is slightly disturbing. I think that he could make something of himself if he wasn’t so apathetic.
Harpreet Singh
Period 4
1. Holden Caulfield is similar to J.D. Salinger because they both like to write. They both don’t like Hollywood because they both believe that once you’re famous, all your works are no longer sincere or genuine. Holden and J.D. also don’t like playing by the rules or conformity, which is why they try to be different because they don’t like anything mainstream. Finally, due to their choice of being rebellious sometimes, they get themselves in trouble and get kicked out of school.
ReplyDelete2. In my opinion, Holden is just a confused teen. I honestly feel like he has not experienced enough to quite distinguish who he is yet. He doesn’t venture out because he decides to almost isolate himself from society. Though some people figure themselves out and know exactly what they want early on life, Holden has two-sided opinions on certain things sometimes. For example, he cares not of what people think of him yet he does at the same time. He wants to be different, but I also feel like he wants to fit in. All his opinions are so inconsistent, but I also think that all his intentions are genuine. He seems to be a very sincere guy, but his expectations of everyone else is almost impossible to fulfill because he wants innocence out of everyone and doesn’t realize that everyone has already outgrown them. His judgements on people are based on how his younger brother was before he passed which is why it makes it so much harder for him to figure himself out because he decides to live and be stuck in the past.
Yeda Marie Donato
Period 4
Both Holden Caulfield and J.D. Salinger attended many schools, for Holden they were preparatory schools while for J.D. they were colleges, to later drop out. The two were also born in the always-busy, never-sleeping state of New York, where they both grew up until they went, or more likely, forced, to go to a school that they did not like. They both had a talent for writing, but only Holden was not as passionate to continue on with his goal rather than J.D. Salinger was as he took classes. Although the two are capable of making relationships, they did not like human interactions because of how complicated the world is. Lastly, they both seem to have an attraction to women that were both taken, but regardless, both were still smitten.
ReplyDeleteSo far, I believe that Holden is just a normal, growing teenage boy that is trying to figure out what to do with his life. Though he may be complicated as he likes to contradict his own beliefs a little frequently, he is just trying to get his life in order. Also, he seems to doubt his skills and fails to challenge himself, but I, too, have those feelings of self-doubt where you feel that your skills are subpar to the world. I do, however, believe that Holden can do better if he is not so persnickety all the time. He has to remember that not everyone errs time to time, but that is only because we are human.
Jerome Manera
Period 3
J.D. Salinger based Holden off of many of his own experiences. Both Holden and Salinger were sent away to some type of school by their parents. Also they both had an annoying neighbor in which Salinger based Ackley after. Also both Holden and Salinger were born in New York to a family that was in the upper class.
ReplyDeleteMy impression of Holden would have to be that he is a good kid. Yet he also has trouble trying to understand people. Most of the time he lies just to fit in with those around him. Holden is smart, but also lacks the motivation to try hard and reach his goals at school.
JD Salinger shaped Holden Caulfield's character with his [Salinger] life and personality. Both of them are non-conformist and isolate themselves with the rest of society.Neither of them really fit with the crowd Holden hates everything in Hollywood because he thinks it's only for sellouts, so does Salinger because he didn't like the fame. However, they both love to write. Holden and Salinger were not fans of school; Holden was kicked out of multiple schools, while Salinger ran away from school. They both really wanted to do what they want, but they can't because of their parents; both born as upper class and in New York, their parents had much high expectations for them.
ReplyDeleteMy impression of Holden is that he's a really conflicted guy. He knows the consequences of things, yet he does it anyway. He thinks no one really understands him. He's sometimes hypocritical and ironic about things. Aside from that, I think Holden is quite lonely and doesn't have anyone by his side to comfort and company him; since of all people, he asked Ackley to play cards with him, so he'd stay comforted. Holden is a pretty depressed guy all together,
Since J.D. Salinger is the author of Cather and the Rye and the "creator" of Holden, he based Holdens traits and aspects off of himself. Holden seems very determined yet lacks the motivation as you hear of him flunking out of multiple schools, just like Salinger. They both carry the same aspects of their surroundings, basically despising anything that seems "Superior" in society. In a sense you can say that to them the rules were portrayed to them as too mainstream. A common trait that they show is their love for writing, and probably see that as their only decent trait.
ReplyDeleteSo far Holden in my impression seems to be stressed in a sense. The fact that he's transferring in and out of all these schools, flunking these classes, and on top of that love gets in the way...it really seems like a heavy load when you think about it. Yet i believe he's the type who can carry all those burdens and learn how to work around them while dealing with his on going life.I recall Salinger stating that Holden will always be a special character to him, and i understand that since he explained his whole being...but through a different voice.