Too quick to judge

Throughout the book, Holden gives off a very negative vibe. He seems to be a huge pessimist and has a really negative outlook on life. He seems really uneasy and anxious all the time. On page 40-42, Holden wants to go see Jane Gallagher but he only repeats her name multiple times and decides not to go say hello to her. Another thing I noticed about Holden is extremely judgmental about almost everyone and everything. He criticizes his "friends" Ackley and Stradlater and call them slobs. He describes almost everyone he knows as "bastards" and also calls himself "the most terrific liar". On top of all these names, he also describes people as "phony". He labels people who are superficial as being "phony". I believe that people/characters who are always judging others are actually very insecure of themselves, which is why they like to put the attention on others by calling them names. I think Holden has a lot of insecurites which is why he is always criticizing everyone and sadly, himself.

Hat

Holden's red hunting hat is mentioned a few times throughout the book. I think his hat symbolizes his need to be isolated from the society. I think his hat allows him to alienate himself from others. However, I also think his hat symbolizes his desire to be unique and to stick out from the rest. The hat symbolizes his urge to be different from everyone around him. But at the same time, he mentions he is somewhat self-conscious when he is wearing the hat which goes back to his desire to isolate from the society. I think Holden wanted to be left alone but also wanted people to pay attention to him. Holden was a very confused character who really didn't know what he wanted from the world. I think the hat was a symbol of self-protection against the things and people of the world.

Predictions from the past

I was somewhat right with my predictions. It's not too clear where Holden ended up at the very end of the book but he seems really isolated from the world. He is left by himself and is alone. I really think Holden brought this on to himself because he chose to be pessimistic and cynical throughout the book. And also Holden was already isolating himself from the society but I think in the end, he really did end up all by himself. I think Holden's isolation at the end was somewhat a result of what he experienced as a child. I think his brother's (Allie) death played a huge role in his life and impacted him to become the person he was during the book.

Isolated

Throughout the book, Holden seems very isolated and distant from the rest of the society. I think that his red hunting hat is a big part of his way to almost hide himself from the world. I think because Holden is such an unstable character, by him not interacting with others, he can have somewhat of a control of his life by "controlling" who he talks to and how much he decides to interact with others. Holden's "wall" he has up against everyone is a huge barrier for him and the other characters. He doesn't allow him to fully express his emotions and almost make him a very mysterious character. He seems tense all the time and never wants to stick around the same group of people.

... Why?

In chapter 20, Holden wanders around in a park and starts to worry about catching pneumonia. He starts thinking about his own funeral and then goes on to talking about his brother, Allie's funeral. Holden recalls his visits to Allie's grave and mentions that he didn't like going to the grave. He becomes disturbed at the fact that people place flowers at people's graves and questions why people would do such a thing for someone who is dead.

This "scene" doesn't necessarily confuse me but it makes me question Holden as a character. Why is he almost bitter about "putting flowers at people's graves" and why is he so disturbed by it? I'm just really confused at why Holden acts and thinks the way he does. I don't think he thinks rationally which causes him to not act sensibly.

Weird...

In chapter 17, Holden takes Sally to watch a play and then take her to an ice skating rink after. When they take a break, Holden ends up telling Sally about how much he hates his school and the New York society. He calls a bunch of guys "phonies" because they "worry if they get a little scratch on them" (cars) and goes on to talking about other school boys. He goes a little crazy and tells Sally that they should run away together and escape from society. After listening to Holden, Sally tells him that he is crazy for thinking of such ideas. When Holden hears this, he becomes more agitated. This scene was not so much surprising but it convinced me that Holden is not "normal". I think he has a lot of internal struggles and this is why he has such a hard time interacting with people in society. Holden seems a little "off" from society and is a very strange character.

In the future

I've noticed that Holden is a very unstable character. He mentions his brother's death in chapter 5. I think this event has and will affect Holden greatly. His unsteady emotional state seems to impact the way Holden looks at life. I think Holden is going to end up lonely without anyone by his side because he is so pessimistic and unstable. Even the way he interacts with others, I can definitely tell that he's not someone who is happy. I think people he encounters later in the book will find him very uncomfortable to be around because of the way he talks and the way he criticizes everyone.

I like!

I really enjoyed the first chapter of this book. The narrator, Holden is very secretive about his past and does not share anything about his childhood. It kept me interested and made me want to read more to figure out why Holden did not say anything about his past. I wanted to find out why he did not like discussing his childhood. I was somewhat shocked because many of the books I read with the narrator being the main character, he/she always explained about his past and then went on with the story.

Another thing I really like about this book is the way Holden narrated the story. The first time I heard about this book, I thought it would be very dry and boring but I really like the narrator's tone. It almost seems as if he is a friend of mine telling me his life story.

Holden's Voice

I really J.D. Salinger's style and use of language. By having Holden "tell" the story, I can really connect with the book. It almost seems like someone is telling me their life story and the things they are going through every day. I don't feel like I'm reading a book but rather listening to someone telling me stories. I think it's very effective because it holds my attention and makes me want to read more. Holden seems to be a very interesting character. I can imagine how Holden talks, how he looks like, and how he interacts with others. Holden seems like a regular teenage boy in high school telling his friend what his daily life is like.

"Life is a game."

"Life is a game, boy. Life is a game that one plays according to the rules." (pg 12)

In this chapter, Holden seems very carefree about everything. He doesn't seem to be worried about the fact that he just got kicked out of his school. (Pencey was his fourth school he attended.) Holden seems to be okay with the fact that his parents will probably be upset about him getting kicked out. The quote reminded me of Holden and the way he looks at life in chapter 2. He treats everything as a game but he doesn't necessarily "play according to the rules". He doesn't seem to be worried about his future and what the next step for him is going to be.

Thesis Statement

Although Che wanted to become an icon to the downtrodden masses, his impact on the world was unexceptional.

Che's trip to Peru

Do Now!

Today, I want you to reflect and describe the most significant event that occurred so far in this book.

Label your post Do Now, Che, Peru

As always, you can find an video or an image to make your post come alive!

Che's ambitions

Che was very ambitious and determined to help the lower class people. He wanted to improve the social conditions and eliminate poverty. I think Che always wanted people to remember him and almost be honored for what he did. Che wanted to affect the people all around him and wanted people to see the world the way he did.

Guess the country

Country between Argentina and Pacific Ocean.