The Catcher in the Rye #8

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

"The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of a mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one" (Salinger, 188).

The entire book of The Catcher in the Rye brought up the topic of growing up. Holden clearly does not want to grow up and does not want anyone else to have to either. Although Holden does not seem to be clear of mind throughout the novel, he seemed to be in a lot of stress for many reasons. All adolescents reach this point in time where they feel alone and feel like they do not fit in. The death of his brother seemed to be right in the middle of the confused phase leading for Holden to feel and be worse than he already was. The note that Mr. Antolini gave Holden seemed to help him understand what he was doing with his life. At this point, he wanted to be noticed for acting out and later noticed for staying young in an adult world. The quote seems to help Holden realize he needs to live for helping people stay young, but that it should not matter if he failed or not as long as he tried to reach it. Also, the ending of the novel might not seem totally clear and straightforward. I think that is because the change was not physical but philosophical for Holden. Holden had a change of mind about his situation as he spoke to many people that made him examine his life and purpose. Through the few days Holden spent roaming, I believe he learned more than he would have if he stayed at school. 

The Catcher in the Rye #7

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

"All the kids kept trying to grab for the gold ring, and so was old Phoebe, and I was sort of afraid she's fall of the goddam horse, but I didn't say anything or do anything. The thing with kids is, if they want to grab for the gold ring, you have to let them do it, and not say anything. If they fall off, they fall off, but it's bad if you say anything to them" (Salinger, 211).

The change in Holden and the realization Holden makes about himself and the world around him comes at the very end of the novel. As he watches Phoebe on the carousel, he knows that despite everything he could do to prevent children from growing up, they still have to grow up eventually. The theme of the novel comes from Holden not wanting to move into having responsibility and worry like an adult has. Overall, Holden does not want to be like his parents or end up in a situation like his parents are. Holden wants to stay young and keep young. The quote deals with Holden's realization that he cannot prevent anyone from growing up, even himself or Phoebe. He has to deal with growing up and that sometimes he can fall, but that if he is not allowed to fall, he will not know how to get back up. I believe that this allows Holden to move on past his brother's death and everything surrounding it to live a life for himself and not for his brother.

The Catcher in the Rye #6

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

"That's all I'd do all day. I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it's crazy, but that's the only thing I'd really like to be" (Salinger, 173).

As the novel comes to an end, it is evident that Holden wants to be a "catcher in the rye." He initially mentions it early in the book as he hears a kid singing a song about it while he was roaming the city. When he speaks to his sister, he finally explains what it means. He wants to catch children before they have to face the adult world and grow up. Holden especially wants to catch his sister and this seems to be his goal once he goes home to see her. He sees her growing up and he wants to ensure that she doesn't do that before he even has the chance to. When Holden goes to her school, he realizes that it is not just Phoebe that he needs to save from growing up, but the children at her school. As he walks the halls to give her the note to meet him, he sees the derogatory words written on the walls and does his best to get rid of them. The idea Holden has of catching children before they grown up changes him and his goal in life. Through the novel, Holden reaches a place where he belongs. He belongs as the catcher in the rye.

The Catcher in the Rye #5

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

"She's very neat, for a child. I mean she doesn't just throw her stuff round, like some kids. She's no slob" (Salinger, 159).

Holden's relationship seems to be complicated based on the information Holden shares with the reader. He mostly complains about his parents and older brother while caring for his sister. The death of his brother has definitley rocked the relationship of his family where they are not comfortable together. I think this is partly why Holden seems to be acting out especially because he is gone away at school. One thought would be that Holden reminds his parents of his brother too much so they sent him away to a variety of boarding schools. Personally, if my family was as nervous and emotionally rattled like his family seems to be, I would want to go away from my family for a while. The other conflict Holden seems to be having with his family is with his sister growing up too fast. Holden quickly notes how Phoebe acts much more grown up when he goes home to see her. She is sleeping and living in D.B.'s room with all of the large furniture, she is neat, and she dresses like an adult. This hurts Holden knowing that she is ready to grow up faster than he is. Also, Holden notes how his mother is usually up in the middle of the night smoking because she is so nervous and can't sleep after his brother died. The reminder of his parent's struggling as adults does not coax Holden any more about being an adult. Overall, the stress and anxiety after Allie's death seems to keep the family from being close. This seems to be a main reason for Holden acting out and wanting to stay an ignorant kid.

The Catcher in the Rye #4

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

"I took my red hunting hat out of my pocket and put it on - I didn't give a damn how I looked" (Salinger, 88).

The symbols of the novel help to characterize Holden and provide meaning to Holden's actions and motivation for his actions. First, the red hunting hat. Holden continuously removes and puts on his red hunting hat starting in his room back at Pencey. From what I noted, the hat seems to be a comfort to Holden. Also, his family is noted to have red hair. Maybe there is a meaning that the comfort Holden seeks in his family that he cannot find, is replaced by the red hunting hat he wears. Also, the hat seems to be a barrier between Holden and the real world as the hat can be childish at sometimes. A few times while putting the hat on in public, Holden follows it with "I didn't give a damn how I looked" (Salinger, 88), noting that he needs the comfort of it but also understands that it makes him insecure and secure at the same time. Also, the cigaretts that Holden continuously smokes seem to comfort him when he is distressed. He smokes before and after almost every situation and follows him lighting up with the stress and anxiety that he seems to be feeling about his adventure. On page 98, Holden is then caught speaking to his brother out loud. Holden definitely seems to be missing his brother and his family. The many left out items could mean that Holden is leaving something out about what happened to his family between the time his brother died and when he starting getting kicked out of boarding school. This leads to believing that he has PTSD. He seems to be unsure of how to cope with everything and instead searches for feeling but then resorts back to finding comfort in the hat and in smoking. 

The Catcher in the Rye #3

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

"But I couldn't take a chance on giving her a buzz, because she was only a little kid ad she wouldn't have been up, let alone anywhere near the phone" (Salinger,  66-7).

The effects of first person take a prevalence as Holden enters and becomes apart of the city. Holden seems to be commonly leaving out details of his past such as his sister Phoebe and his brother Allie. Holden does not mention details until he is provoked by something. The glove for Allie and loneliness and confusion for Phoebe. Apart from leaving out details, the first person perspective from Holden's point of view can make issues seem dramatic to Holden. There is no accountability for Holden and what he says and does as there is not one familiar with him around. He countlessly uses the words hate, love, and kill loosely. This also lessens is accountability as a narrator as the words are immature and dramatic for situations that would probably be ordinary for someone else. He says "that killed me" (Salinger, 74) many times throughout for situations that clearly did not kill him or he would not be here to tell the story. Also, knowing from the beginning that Holden is writing this after the fact means that details could have been added or left out but there is again no one to hold Holden accountable for the details of his adventure.  Lastly, the dramatic instances of Holden blaming everyone else for his actions shows that Holden is wanting to convince the reader that he is not at fault for what he does. This also leads to distorted stories where the truth is blurry in the text.

The Catcher in the Rye #2

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

"I didn't know thta the goddam hotel was full of perverts and morons... In my mind, I'm probably the biggest sex maniac you ever saw" (Salinger, 61-2).

As Holden has progressed from being and Pencey to being in the city, he seems to be a character that molds to situations at hand. Early on in the novel, it seemed that Holden was cussing more frequently at Pencey than he does once he reaches the city. It seems as if Holden's actions are influenced by those around him most likely because he is self-conscious. I once believed that Holden was most likely homosexual or having a mental disorder. From the end of the first half of the book, Holden does not seem that way anymore. Instead of having an issue of those sorts, Holden seems to just be lost in his identity in the world and therefore conforms to the situation that he is in. After seeing all of the people that he noted as perverted, Holden then reflects on his views in that way noting how he is like them yet he disapproves of them and their actions. Furthermore, Holden acts and wants to be independent of everyone yet when he is lonely, he caves in his loneliness and wants to have a companion after leaving all of them behind when he left Pencey. Clearly, Holden is having issues with identifying who he is in the world and how he interacts with those around him.

The Catcher in the Rye #1

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

"'May I ask your name, dear?'

'Rudolph Schmidt,' I told her. I didn't feel like giving her my whole life story'" (Salinger, 54-5).

Throughout this entire first half of the novel, Holden has made it clear that he does not appreciate or respect people he believes to be phony. There seems to be an irony in what Holden expects out of other people and what he does. After complaining of phony people, Holden lies himself to the people around him. The phoniness that Holden dislikes is coming from himself as he is phony to the people around him when he lies. To follow up Holden lying about who he is, he lies about having a tumor. Holden's complaints of phonies do not seem reliable as he is doing the same to the people around him and then later to the prostitute. Holden seems to be having an issue with himself in the world he is in. He seems to be in denial that he is growing up and becoming just like everyone else. The irony in what he says shows the battle he is having internally with growing up and externally with dealing with the phony world he lives in.

Sorting Laundry

"Sorting Laundry" by Elisavietta Ritchie

When initially reading this poem, I believed the speaker to be a mistress of man she seemed to be speaking of. The line "left by a former lover..." (Ritchie, line 42), first confused me as I believed the speaker was referencing the man. Once understood, it made sense for it to be about the girl realizing and remembering her own former lover and the remnant she has left from the relationship  Also, the beginning of the poem in the first stanza, it made me believe that the speaker wanted the man to be folded into her life and not that the man was already a major part of her life. The hyperbole in the last stanza of the poem explains and exemplifies the enormous feeling the speaker has for the man. Clearly, the speaker has a large piece of their time, energy, and life in the man she lives with. The piece is so large that she cannot image how empty she would fell and how she would fill the emptiness. Lastly, the shift in line forty comes as if I was to place myself in the folding positon. When I find something with a memory attached around the house, I reminisce and sometimes the feelings come back. The speaker experienced this in the poem and the tone of the poem shifted when she found an object that brought back a swirl of memories that cause her to question and wonder about her current relationship. 

I taste a liquor never brewed

"I taste a liquor never brewed" by Emily Dickinson

"And Saints-to windows run-/ To see the little Tippler"(Dickinson, lines 14-15).

The title of this poem can be misleading from the beginning. The title mentions liquor and the subject may seem to be of liquor. Instead, the poem relishes on the idea of being drunk on the nature given to us. By the speaker stating that the liquor is never brewed, the liquor is known to be just a figurative and metaphorical comparison to something else. As the speaker transitions into making earthy comparisons to being drunk, it becomes understood that the drunkenness experienced is on the nature and surroundings of the world. As the last stanza begins, it can be confused by the Seraphs and Saints. Being Godly beings, the Seraphs and Saints would be out of character to be running to the window to see a drunk person slumping on a lamp post. Also, because the poem is not literal, this cannot be taken literal either. The Seraphs and Saints are running to see the other people who are drunk on the nature and environment around them. It would be especially important as the nature around us was created by God for us. To praise and be drunk on it would be something a Godly person would run and rejoice to see.

Batter my heart, three-personed God

"Batter my heart, three-personed God" by John Donne

"Take me to you, imprison me" (Donne, line 12).

This poem exemplified irony as a way to reach the meaning. The irony of what the speaker requests God to do in this poem is not what would typically be asked of God. The speakers mentions that he is captive by the devil or an evil. In order to get out of prison with the devil, God must release him and imprison him in God. The irony of the contrast between what is expected and what the speaker requests  allows for a meaning to come across. The speaker appears to be blaming God for be wrapped in evil. I would believe that most religions believe that you must come to God. Instead, this speaker wants God to come get him from the evil he is in. Also, this poem can be taken and applied to many things. When we are wrapped in an evil such as fighting with our parents or siblings or being alcoholic  we may want to blame God for letting us leave him for the evil. This poem expresses that attitude. Instead, we can take this poem and see how it does not work that way. We must escape the evil and return to God instead.

The Convergence of the Twain

"The Convergence of the Twain" by Thomas Hardy

"Or sign that they were bent/ By paths coincident/ On being anon twin halves of one august event," (Hardy, lines 28-30).

"The Convergence of the Twain" was the clearest poem to me from all of the poems from this unit. I noticed the boat shape of the stanzas early on in the reading as I was trying to figure out the purpose of the stanzas. The one thing that left me perplexed was the number of stanzas. To my knowledge, there is no importance of the number eleven to the Titanic. The overall comparison of the Titanic to human vanity spanned the entire poem as if it was an extended metaphor. Although it was not necessarily a comparison in a metaphor, the poem conveyed the comparison between human vanity and the Titanic. As the poem progresses to complete the comparison on the fate of the iceberg meeting the Titanic. The quote above exemplifies this. Just like human vanity is to meet its opponent, the Titanic met its opponent, the iceberg. The overall meaning and message of the poem is conveyed through the comparison that spans the entirety of the poem. The meaning is that the human vanity of the Titanic at the time, will collide with something that will cause a disruption. The symbol of human vanity, the Titanic, met its end with the iceberg and the speaker sees this as a continuing issue for the human society. 

To His Coy Mistress

"To His Coy Mistress" by Andrew Marvell

"Had we but world enough, and time,/This coyness, lady, were no crime" (Marvell, 803).

From the beginning of the poem, the speaker is clear on his dilemma he is facing with his mistress. He is urging his mistress to stop being coy and have sex with him. She is being coy in not having sex with him but he asks her to do so before they die. He says that if they had more time, he would not mind that she was being coy presently. The reality to the speaker is that they are nearing death and therefore they do not have time to jump around her coyness and he urges her to have sex with him while they have the chance. The three stanzas split up the speakers argument into the three parts of his argument. The first being his admittance of knowing of her coyness. He says his love has grown as he has waited for her to have sex with him but that it is time for them to finally have sex. In the next stanza, he says that they do not have time to waste as they are nearing death and death is permeant and they cannot have sex once they are dead. The last stanza is the speakers final plea of his mistress to have sex with him while they can. The progression and set-up of the stanzas organize Marvell's thoughts as he progresses to convince his mistress to have sex with them before they die. 

Barbie Doll

"Barbie Doll" by Marge Piercy

The girl in the poem was definitely not a Barbie Doll. She was a normal girl that was not a perfect Barbie doll that the people around her wanted her to be. She was marked by her big nose and fat legs. She was told that all she was needed to do as a woman was to "exercise, diet, smile, wheedle" (Piercy, 836) much like a Barbie would be characterized to do. The irony of the poem comes in the final three lines. The girl is previously characterized for her big nose and fat legs until she changed them. On her death bed, the people who had previously discounted her beauty because of her fat legs and big nose now found her pretty as she was missing both and a better nose was painted on. Also, the comparison to a fan belt was proper as a fan belt is an essential piece of a car needed to keep the car running properly. The girl was the fan belt and as soon as the fan belt wears out, the car begins to have decreased performance. It was important and relevant as she was wore out from striving to be perfect and eventually gave out on the fight for acceptance. Through this, her demise is brought on only for the people to finally find her acceptable without her big nose and fat legs.

A Jury of Her Peers

"A Jury of Her Peers" by Susan Glaspell

"'Nothing here but kitchen things,' he said, with a little laugh for the insignificance of kitchen things" (Glaspell, 412).

There are many apects to "A Jury of Her Peers" that lead to the conclusion of the story being relevant. First, without reading the story, the title makes the reader believe that a woman has possibly done some sort of crime and a group of her peers, women, are her jury in a trial. The irony of that comes through as the reader quickly learns of Mrs. Wright's crime of killing her husband and the investigation ensues. The relevation comes through that Mrs. Wright's "jury" of investigators is a group of men who look down on women. Furthermore, the attitude the men have against the women end up hurting the impending investigation of the murder as the men are rude to the women that could potentially help them in the investigation. As the story comes to an end, the women decided to not tell the men what they discovered about Mrs. Wright's motive to kill her husband. The bond of the women who are similar from their situation of being oppressed by their husbands provides them a reason to not tell on Mrs. Wright as they understand her situation. At the end of the story, it is clear that the title of the story can be taken from another perspective. That perspective is the jury being of the women in an informal way. The women were the jury that decided whether or not to turn the evidence in to the men and therefore, the women decided whether or not Mrs. Wright is found guilty of the crime.

Hunters In the Snow

"Hunters In the Snow" by Tobias Wolff

"'Frank,' Tub said after a time, 'you know that farmer? He told Kenney to kill the dog'" (Wolff, 201).

The characters in "Hunters In the Snow" progressed through the story to be characterized as two-faced. At the beginning, Tub and Frank initially are characterized to be a fat man and a blunt, honest, of frank man based on their names, respectively. Kenney is characterized as being an unruly character as his introduction is nearly running Tub over in a truck. Through this, the initial idea of each of the characters is made. As the characters progress through the story, each character develops to show their initial schema but also shows another surprising element to each of the characters. At the tail end of the story, Tub admits knowing that the farmer told Kenney to shoot the dog rather than Frank's misconception that Kenney shot the dog on an out of control rage. Through this, both Tub and Kenney are characterized again but in another two-faced way. Tub, being a stock-ish character, withholds information that could have put Tub in the position of being blamed for shooting Kenney rather than being praised by Frank for stopping Kenney from continuing his shooting rage. Also, Kenney is characterized to be more than an out of control man but rather someone that does something civil for another person. Lastly, Frank is characterized again at the end of the story when he admits that he would rather that Kenney got shot by Tub than Tub getting shot by Kenney. In saying this, Frank is changing from being the brutally honest person that makes fun of Tub to siding with Tub and making himself look like he only acts brutal around Kenney to be like Kenney.

Othello - 8

Othello the Moor of Venice by William Shakespeare

"Of one that loved not wisely but too well; Of one not easily jealous, but, being wrought, Perplexed in the extreme; of one whose hand, like the base Indian, threw a pearl away" (Shakespeare, V.ii.343-346).

Is Iago the greatest villain of all? I would not be able to say he is the greatest villain of all but he has to be up there in the ranks. The cunning Iago resulted in the death of the hero! The resolution of Othello was going to be his imprisonment for aiding with the planning of murdering Cassio. Personally, I would believe that Othello was a victim to Iago and is therefore innocent of being an accomplice as he only knew false knowledge. Before Othello is taken away, though, he commits suicide. Through this, Iago is villainous as the great Othello that was so noble and peaceful, is committing suicide for the actions he took under false suppositions. Also, the one man Iago wanted to rid of from the beginning of the play was Cassio and he lived. Overall, Iago is a great villain in his failures. His plan from the start of the play was to be in Cassio's position as he felt he deserved the position instead of Cassio. At the end though, Iago does not even achieve that. He only achieves destroying the lives of everyone around him for his greed. The irony of what Iago wants and what he achieves creates Iago to be a great villain. 

Othello - 7

Othello the Moor of Venice by William Shakespeare

"Good gentlemen, let me have leave to speak. 'Tis proper I obey him, but not now" (Shakespeare, V.ii.194-195).

A dynamic character is one who changes in some important way as a result of the story's action. Emilia, like Othello, changes from the events of the play. In the first half of the play, Emilia is characterized to be a passive wife that wants to please Iago. Iago is nearly impossible to please and Emilia falls a victim to that throughout the first half of the play. By the time Emilia seems to be fed up with Iago's temperament  Desdemona is found dead. This is the first time in the play where Emilia's change is noticed. Emilia went from being afraid to stand up for herself to yelling at Othello for believing Desdemona was unfaithful to him. When Emilia is brought to this rage, she begins to confess what she knows about the events of the play. Othello mentions he heard of his wife's unfaithfulness from Iago. Emilia is able to come from being a partner in innocently aiding Iago to being honest about what she has done. In this sense, Emilia and Iago have become each other with Iago being a lier and Emilia reveling herself to be honest. Also, this can characterize Emilia and Iago as somewhat of foil characters to one another throughout the play as Emilia finds herself changing. 

Othello - 6

Othello the Moor of Venice by William Shakespeare

"An old thing 'twas, but it expressed her fortune, And she died singing it. That song tonight Will not go from my mind" (Shakespeare, IV.iii.28-30).

Foreshadowing is the use of hints and clues to suggest what will happen later in a plot. Foreshadowing is used with the placement of the song "Willow" at the end of Act IV. The song is said to be stuck in Desdemona's head at the end of the act. She says her mother's maid died while singing it after her husband left her. The husband of the maid turned out to be mad and left her. Through this, a connection to Othello can be made comparing Desdemona to the wife and Othello to the husband. Desdemona even admits the song stuck in her head is like an omen of her to be crying soon in the future. Based on the context and lyrics of the song, it is clear to be an apparent foreshadowing of events as some of the events mentioned in the context and lyrics line up with past events of the play. Also, Desdemona admits that she would never cheat on her husband especially because of what could happen to her if she did. This opens up to a view at both Emilia and Desdemona through their conversation about cheating. In total, the entire scene seems to be a foreshadow of Act V. The possibilities seem to be that Desdemona will die and probably soon. The maid died while singing the song and Desdemona says she has the song stuck in her head. Also, Desdemona has admitted her view on being unfaithful and I believe it will play into the action of Act V. 

Othello - 5

Othello the Moor of Venice by William Shakespeare

"Aye, let her rot, and perish, and be damned tonight, for she shall not live. No, my heart is turned to stone, I stike it and it hurts my hand" (Shakespeare, IV.i.169-171).

A dynamic character is one who changes in some important way as a result of the story's action. Othello exemplifies this in his transformation from Act I to Act IV. In the beginning of play, Othello stands up and ignores the harsh racial slurs directed toward him. He is characterized to be someone who does not easily react emotionally. When being called an animal, instead of getting mad, Othello disregarded the comment and was firm in his belief and love of Desdemona. As the actions unfold with Iago telling Othello the lie of Desdemona being unfaithful, Othello begins to change. By the middle of the play, Othello has began to respond with epileptic tendencies from Othello being told of Desdemona being unfaithful to him. In Act IV, Othello has nearly gone mad with anger for Desdemona being unfaithful to him. Instead of being a calm man, he is a man who wants revenge for his wife's unfaithfulness. Also, Othello has another seizure or epileptic episode because of the rage from inside. By this point, Othello wants blood specifically from Cassio.