Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger Blog Directions: You will use the Bloom's Higher Order Thinking Prompts to pose questions to your classmates and then answer your classmates' questions. Questions must be from the analysis, evaluation, or synthesis cues. Steps to follow: 1. Pose your best question--you don't even have to know the answer to it. Because your question will come from the higher order thinking skills, it will require your peers to explain and support their ideas with textual evidence from the novel. 2. Answer two prompts posed by your peers. Your responses must be explained thoroughly, using textual evidence (that means direct quotes cited correctly) to support your ideas. Write at least a paragraph to explain your ideas (5-7 sentences, which does not include the textual support). 3. You are responsible for reading all of your classmates' responses. If you respond to the same question as someone else, you need to read their response so you are
Based on what the text said about Holden and Jane, why do you think Holden got so excited at the mentioning of Jane Gallagher?
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DeleteIt is because he has previous history with her as it states on pg. 31 " Jane Gallagher, You're damn right I know her. . . ." and then on pg. 40 " I'd double-dated with that bastard a couple of times, and I know what I am talking about. He was unscrupulous." This shows he is also worried about Stradlater treating her badly and him making her lose her innocence. In conclusion, He is stuck in his past and is obsessed with this Jane. His obsession with this girl is a common theme in this book that he comes back to again and again.
DeleteHolden got excited by Stradlater mentioning Jane because they used to be close friends. I think Holden even had a crush on her because he showed plenty of emotion towards her name being brought up. For example, "Boy, I nearly dropped dead when he said that. 'Jane Gallagher,' I said. I even got up from the washbowl when he said that. I damn near dropped dead" (31). Holden was very shocked to hear that Stradlater was going out on a date with Jane. He even stated, "Boy, I nearly dropped dead when he said that" (31). Holden's reaction to this situation shows Holden's emotions for Jane.
DeleteWhy do you think Holden's emotions fluctuate so often throughout the book?
ReplyDeleteHolden's emotions fluctuate so often throughout the text because of the current stage of life he is at. Holden is within an immense depression filled pit. Ever since his brother died Holden hasn't been able to cope with the feelings of loss and regret and guilt. They have only piled up and snowballed onto each other. Evidence of depression can be found throughout the book, but a certain passage truly highlights it perfectly. "The whole lobby was empty. It smelled like fifty million dead cigars. It really did.I wasn't sleepy or anything, but I was feeling sort of lousy. Depressed and all. I almost wished I was dead" (49). This quote is right before Holden buys the prostitute, and it shows how he doesn't want to be alive and is truly depressed. This depression is what causes his emotions to fluctuate so frequently throughout the text. One can not truly understand depression unless one has been through it themselves, so we can not truly know how Holden feels, but we can assume and determine from the textual evidence that he is not enjoying life, and wishes he is not a part of it for much longer.
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DeleteBased on the text on pg. 7 " they get a bang out of things-though-in a half-assed way of course." this shows that Spencer wanted to see him so he could feel some closure and they are very close as shown on pg. 6 " She hung up my coat in the hall closet . . . .Fine I said, how's Mr.Spencer? is he over his grippe yet?" Mr.Spencer though is one of the only people in the book who actually believes in Holden. He and Mrs. Spencer also seem to be fairly close as well and she lets him in without a second though. Which if he were a complete stranger she wouldn't have let him in, So this implies he has a close relationship with the Spencer couple.
DeleteWhy is Holden so obsessed with his past?
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion I Believe that Holden is so obsessed wit his past because that is when he was actually happy. Holden is remembering the times when he was with his family and the times before his brother was dead and when he was with his sister Phoebe who he speaks very highly of on pages 36 and 37 of the online book.
DeleteWhat is your opinion on Holden's attempt to drink with Ernest Morrow's mom, even though he is underage and the drink car was closed?
ReplyDeleteMy opinion on Holden's attempt to drink with Ernest Morrow's mother is that he wants to seem mature enough while sitting with her since she is an older women. For example, in the text on the bottom of page 55 and top of 56, Holden takes out cigarettes and offers one to Mrs. Morrow. Later on, when the drink car goes by, Holden's reasoning for being able to get away with having a drink is because of his "heighth" and because he has some gray hair.
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ReplyDeleteWhat details would you use to support how Holden views others compared to himself?
ReplyDeleteHolden views others as phony. Throughout the book he continues to refer to people as phonies. "That killed me. I can just see the big phony bastard shifting into first gear and asking Jesus to send him a few more stiffs" (17). In this quote Holden expresses his hate for phonies by using swears. He obviously isn't a fan of people that lie. Although Holden also said, "I'm the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life. It's awful" (16). So in the text he sees himself as a really good liar but also in the text he doesn't like people who lie.
DeleteSome people do not like the way Salinger portrays Holden in this book, if you agree, what changes would you give Salinger to make to Holden’s character? Use text to support your answer. (Example: give a situation and say what you would do differently) Or explain why you like Holden the way he is using the text.
ReplyDeleteI don't like Holden as a person, but as a character I think he works well. He has a lot of depth and detail. He has his problems and acts upon them and he has his ways of seeing the world, like how he doesn't like phonies. He also has a past with depth and detail, like in chapter 4 how he talks about Jane and how she keeps her kings in the back row. In conclusion, I think the character himself is well planned and detailed, and I like how he is used in the text.
DeleteI feel that Holden's character, as it is portrayed, does not need to be changed for a few reasons. First of all, Holden is Salinger's character and should only be portrayed in the way that Salinger, the creator of Holden, sees fit. We may dislike Holden, as we do the real people we meet everyday but, I do not feel it right for us to wish changes upon other people, even fictional characters, because that would fundamentally change who they are. The second, and greatly more important, reason as to why I see no need for change in Holden's character is that he is extraordinarily human. We see Holden experience a specific set of emotions throughout the few days of which we have known him so far. He is angry when talking to Stradlater about Jane, he reminisces in sorrow and joy about Allie, and we see him lying out of boredom to Ernest Morrow's mother. This set of emotions is restricted to mostly negative feelings, with the brief and occasional glimpse of some bit of joy or general happiness. To me this is a brilliant examination of the darker side of our emotions, how grief, loneliness, and boredom can all form into the anger and contempt that Holden holds for the rest of the world. This is such a vital piece of the human condition that Holden embodies so deeply, that to bring any change to his character could destroy what is already a perfect representation.
DeleteWhat is your opinion on Holden's attitude toward "phonies"? Do his experiences through life justify it?
ReplyDeleteMy opinion on Holden's attitude towards phonies is that it is very ironic. Holden cannot stand people who are fake and that lie, but Holden is also one of those kinds of people. He lies so much throughout the book, for example on page 54, he tells Mrs.Morrow that his name is Rudolph Schmidt, who is a school janitor at Pencey. He may have used this lie to help from Mrs.Morrow mentioning his real name to Ernest, but he is still lying to people and acting fake. I think everyone is at least "phony" one time in their life as well, but for Holden to constantly lie in the book is what makes him just like the rest of the "phonies" that he cannot stand.
DeleteMy opinion towards Holden's attitude towards phonies is similar to what Autumn has commented but with a twist. I believe it is very evident that Holden hates phonies which he makes very clear on page 8 were he states " One of the biggest reasons I left Elkton Hills was because I was
Deletesurrounded by phonies". This quote makes it very clear how he feels about these people, but I believe Holden is a phony as well and here is why. Throughout the book it feels like Holden is constantly examining how people act and if they come across as a phony person. This action has turned Holden into a phony because when your mind is constantly seeing this action you start to subconsciously act like the people around you. I believe that Holden has turned himself into a phony because he is constantly thinking about the phony things that people do around him.
Holden's views on the world are based upon his experiences and everything he has gone through in life. He has not had an easy going; almost a cynical view of the world has developed. Within this view is his opinions on phonies. After analyzing the text further, one can see that nearly everything he accuses people of being phony for, he is himself. Holden's attitude towards the phonies of the world is an outward projection and critique of himself. He hates that he is the phoniest of them all, but all he can do about it is point out the same things in other people to make him feel better. An example of his phony-ness can be observed in chapter seven: "I stopped on the way, though, and picked up Ackley's hand, and gave him a big, phony handshake. He pulled it away from me. "What's the idea?" he said" (28). Everyone is fake, no matter how hard we try not to be, but that doesn't mean that just because Holden has experienced a difficult life, that he is justified in his fake qualities. It almost should mean that he should be raised to a higher standard than anyone else.
DeleteWhy do you think Holden has no care in his education or really his future?
ReplyDeleteI feel that Holden has some deeper issues that cause him to feel like he doesn't need to try in life. As we have seen, Holden demonstrates key signs of depression including: agitation, excessive crying, social isolation, lack of concentration, loneliness, or thoughts of suicide, or repeatedly going over thoughts. Possibly the passing of his brother Allie, or the stress that his parents put on him could be the cause of his depression. Regardless, Holden has mentioned the most important sign of depression multiple times: the thought of suicide. Holden directly tells us he wants to commit suicide on page 104, "What I really felt like, though, was committing suicide, I felt like jumping out the window" (104). Aside from mentioning suicide Holden does not try in school, which is another sign of depression. I think that Holden telling us he wants to die is a sure sign that he does not care what happens to him now or in the future.
DeleteI agree with Jillian when she says that Holden has something more serious going on inside him. I will agree that he has shown signs of depression, we have all seen that in him. Another sign though that I have seen is his eating habits. He even admits in chapter 15 " I'm a very light eater. I really am. That's why I'm so damn skinny" (107). Then on the same page he admits that he had a diet to go by to gain weight, but he didn't follow it. Right when I read this I was alarmed because that is not healthy for someone to do. So back to answering the question, I think Holden might be at that breaking point, where Allie has passed, and just the thought of traveling to different schools really gets to him. I feel as though Holden thinks he is a failure in life and lets his parents down a lot because of all the schools he has been to.
DeleteWhy do you think Holden feels the need to lie so much throughout the book?
ReplyDeleteI feel as if Holden lies so much because he is is trying to cover up his true emotions inside him, anger and depression. Holden is always coming up with new stories about himself whenever he meets someone new to try and cover up his reality so he doesn't have to deal with the reality. He will lie to anyone about the simplest of things, such as heading to the store to buy a magazine. In the book Holden says, " I'm the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life. It's awful. If I'm on my way to the store to buy a magazine, even, and somebody asks me where I'm going, I'm liable to say I'm going to the opera (16)." This quote proves he has a serious lying problem and in my opinion maybe he needs to start going to therapy to help his depression so he no longer feels the need to lie about his "crappy" life.
DeleteI think Holden doesn't have any confident of himself. In the book Holden says, "Rudolf Schmidt," I told her. I didn't feel like giving her my whole life history(54)." Holden lies because he doesn't have confident to let people know about him. And, other reason that I think is he want to protect himself. If people doesn't know real you, they can't hurt you. They won't know too much about you. That's why he keeps lying to other people even he doesn't feel want to .
DeleteI feel that Holden feels the need to lie to people because of two major reasons. I agree with Rylee's opening statement but I feel like there is more reasons to why Holden likes to lie.The first reason that Holden wants people to think highly of him and he wants to have a good reputation. I believe that even though Holden isolates himself from people that peoples input about him has huge value to him. The second reason why Holden likes to lie is he wants to protect the people around him. Holden has no intention to hurt other peoples feelings and it is the easy way out for him. "I'm the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life. It's awful"(9). This quote makes it very obvious that Holden lies and lies very often.
DeleteWhy do you think Holden was so curious to where the ducks went during the winter?
ReplyDeleteI honestly do not think there was any particular reason to Holden wanting to know where the ducks went in the winter other than the fact that Holden is a sorta strange boy who is always thinking about something and is very curious throughout the book. He acts a little sparatic at times and I think this sparatic thinking is just where this curiosity came from. Like how in chapter four when Holden just decided to attack Stradlater and put him into a half nelson just because he felt like horsing around. Holden's thinking and actions seem to be peculiar and different than everybody else along with his view on the world. So I believe Holden being curious about the ducks is nothing more than the author trying to describe more about Holden and how he is different than everybody else.
DeleteSean, I agree and disagree. Holden is different than everyone else but I do think that some of this repetitive thinking is another sign of depression. When I researched the signs of depression one of the key signs was "repeatedly going over thoughts" and "lack of concentration" . When Holden has brought up the ducks on several different occasions, none have been particularly retaliative to the context. He seems to be unfocused with everything and he continues to have wandering thoughts generally about the same things; Like the ducks, Jane Gallagher, and phoniness. Like at the beginning of chapter 11, "All of a sudden, on my way out to the lobby, I got old Jane Gallagher on the brain again. I got her on, and I couldn't get her off" (76). There was nothing to remind him to think about it he just randomly was thinking about her.
DeleteI agree with both Jillian and Sean but I have a little bit of a different take on why Holden is so curious on where the ducks go during the winter. I think the ducks represent Holden travelling from school to school and he doesn't know where he sees himself going. But also the pond is a home to the ducks and it has been frozen over, personally I think Salinger is trying to represent the pond as Holden's family life and how it has been cut off from his life, and he has no where to go. This texts comes from when Holden is talking to the second cab driver, he asks "The ducks. Do you know, by any chance? I mean does somebody come around in a truck or something and take them away, or do they fly away by themselves--go southor something? (Salinger 44). When he talks to the cab drivers and asks them about this question it seems like he is looking for a specific answer, and I don't know if anyone will be able to give it to him
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ReplyDeleteWhat is the relationship between Holden's family life and his attitude towards life?
ReplyDeleteHolden's brother Allie passing had a huge affect on his life and attitude. Allie's death has made Holden hate the world, he has so much anger built up inside him and is showing many signs of depression. Holden shows he had a big connection with Allie and still does with Pheobe. Holden seems to have this connection with the "innocent" so far throughout the book. Holden, talking about Allie, says, " He was also the nicest, in lots of ways. He never got mad at anybody (38)." Holden loves people who are real and show true kindness to others. Holden's parents seem to be caring and affectionate also but they are not mentioned as much in the book as his siblings are. He mentions in the book his mom is insane like all the other moms but he doesn't show a true connection with them because he does not believe his parents are innocent like his siblings.
DeleteI think that Holden attitude towards life connects with his family very strongly, Holden seems to only talk good about his family. Everybody else in his life that come and go Holden hasn't had much nice to say about them. I think that Holden just misses gs family and is still hurt that his brother passed away so he kind of takes it out on everyone that surrounds him. Holden talks about being depressed and just wanting to "shoot the bull" with phoebe on page 44 of the online book.
DeleteWhy do you think Holden is worried about people saving their innocence if he isn't worried about saving his own?
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think Holden's hunting hat symbolizes and what in the text makes you think that?
ReplyDeleteWhy can't Holden seem to have deep relationships with other boys at school like Ackley or Stradlater?
ReplyDeleteI think in many ways Holden is very socially awkward. He never tries to let himself grow a relationship with anyone and always seem to find the negatives in them. Holden always tries to talk himself up by putting the people around him down, when he is the one who displays phoniness the most. He also doesn't have much in common with the regular boys, he isn't into sports, he doesn't get involved with girls, and he even doesn't like school at all. Throughout the book he makes fun of the way Ackley looks and how he always talks about getting with women when he never actually does anything about it. Then he says Stradlater just cares about getting with girls and he gets jealous of Stratlater and Jane. On page 19 of the online book he says" I kept thinking about Jane, and about Stradlater having a date with her and all. It made me so nervous I nearly went crazy. I already told you what a sexy bastard Stradlater was. " This shows his envy of Stradlater and I just don't think he could be friends with a guy who went out with a girl that he liked so much. Holden just isn't like all the other boys his age, he does better by himself, where he can pretend to be a perfect boy and push away everyone that tries to get close to him.
DeleteWhat would you predict as the outcome of Holden's running away, and his constant habit of lying?
ReplyDeleteWhat I could predict from Holden running away and his constant habit of lying is that he could end up living a somewhat phony lifestyle after running away and once lying is almost like telling the truth for him. The whole book is filled with irony with the way Holden acts. For example he simply will lie for no reason and sweet talk people he couldn't give a crap about and that could turn into a normal lifestyle for him, As he runs away he could start a whole new life possible and he could be living a phony one if he really never wanted to be Holden or himself again. I can infer that Holden is depressed with his life and that sometimes pretending to be someone else can be the highlight of his day like when he met a mother of a boy who went to pency and he decided to tell the mother he was the janitors name of his hall in Pency. So why not live the rest of his life like that if he is happy that way? It is certainly a possibility with the hypocritical nature of Holden.
DeleteI will agree with Sean on this. Holden may very well end up living a very phony lifestyle. And we all know that is one of the things he hates the most. Although, to add to this, I think Holden some day will get in a lot of trouble with the whole lying thing. I think he is going to keep digging himself deeper than he can get out of, and I think it will cause him some trouble. Holden is very phony himself like Sean said, and I will agree that if he likes to lie to people, why not pick someone else to be and be that person instead? It is sad though when you think about it that the boy is not happy with his lifestyle so he has to pretend to be someone else to be happy. I think Holden is going to get himself in some trouble with the running away and the constant lying to people. Someday he won't be able to get out of the hole he is digging.
DeleteWhy do you think that Holden pushes every new person in his life away so fast?
ReplyDeleteI believe it is from his depression or anger, most likely anger. Many people who are depressed or have other mental problems tend to push others away. Holden also knows he has depression, and on top of that is angry with the world. "I was surrounded by jerks. I'm not even kidding" (Salinger 85). Holden has not even talked to a single person yet, and assumes everyone to be jerks. Or, if we were to say that since Holden is flash-backing he "knows" they are jerks, he still had not talked to more than ten people there. Strangely, most of the time, when depressed people push others away, it' s to feel isolated or not have other people care about them. But, Holden WANTS to be cared for, so it seems to be more probable that he is just mad at everyone and everything.
DeleteWhy do you think that Holden pretends to be someone that he isn't whenever he talks to someone new? Do you think it is just his way of escaping his "Depressing" life
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