SECTION 6 POSTS

Section 6 Posts are now available. You may go to "Older Posts" to reach Sections 4 and 5 and can continue to post there until Sunday, Nov. 29. Be sure to catch up if you are behind in your posting. I will be assessing the posts AFTER the 29th.

Catcher has been banned from many schools for its language and content. What's your opinion?

Friday, November 13, 2009

POINT OF VIEW & LANGUAGE USE - SECTION 2

Discuss the reliability of Holden as a narrator. As well, comment here on the narrative voice and the style of writing J.S. Salinger uses. Don't be afraid to use quotations to back up your ideas.

12 comments:

  1. The reliability of Holden as the narrator is, while entertaining, probably not entirely accurate. It is only from one side of the story while most books tell the story from a 3rd person view point. It seems that from Holden's point of view his opinion is the only one that matters, and anyone who is in the mainstream is a "phony". In my opinion he shouldnt judge someone so harshly just from how he saw them act at one point in time. Just because he sees it as wrong doesnt mean it is.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I agree. Holden does seem to judge others if they're different. He is quite critical about Ackley and Stradlater even though he himself isn't perfect.

    ReplyDelete
  3. The story is told in a 1st person point of view. By doing this, the author will write as if he is Holden and will only explain Holden's view and thoughts on life instead of including what other characters think and how they feel.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I find that Holden's view on things also change with how other people treat him. If a character is being nice to him, he often describes them in a nicer tone. However, if they are rude or doing something he doesn't like, he starts to note all their flaws as he is narrating. At one moment he's practically complimenting about Stradlater, the next, he's insulting him because he's going out with this girl from his passed that he has some sort of an interest in.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I find him blunt and hilarious. His thoughts are the honest thoughts that every person thinks once in a while. But i would agree with Rity when he feels threatened by a person he'll tend to point out the negative in the person.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Holden is the protagonist in the story, who attends to have some type of smart remark for every situation. I find that holden has emotional problems because he has mood swings.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I agree with D.S. Holden does have a lot of mood swings and definately judges people just by their mood and not really on who they are. But i also think that that's what makes his point of view interesting in the novel with him being so blunt he just straight out tells you what he thinks and i think with him being so open with telling us how he feels it is the reason why he judges others on their moods. I don't know if any of this makes sense to others or not.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I understand that the story, coming solely from Holden's point of view, is not completely accurate in regards of opinion. But based on what we have read to this point, I have to say I would not be able to read this story in a 3rd person view point because Holden's narration method is the only entertainment. I surely would not want to read this story based on Stradlater's or Ackley's point of view because I would lose interest very quickly.

    ReplyDelete
  9. This book is in the 1st person which Holden is narrating, therefore it is his point of view. He is somewhat bitter to everything and everyone. If he likes someone he will talk about them in a nicer way, but if he doesnt, then he talks rude about them. I agree that Holden does have mood swings and judges people very easily, it's what makes this book intresting and less boring as if it was someone else narrating. If Stradlater was narrating it, it would be all about him, and hardly anyone else, that wouldnt be intresting. I think Holden makes the book exciting, and makes you want to read it. I agree with Daniel, I wouldnt want to read a book that was based on any of the other characters point of view.

    ReplyDelete
  10. The fact that the story is narrated in first person makes you question whether or not what is coming out of Holden's mind is in fact what happened. Though he does use the line "to tell you the truth" numerously throughout the book, it does not mean that it is entirely the truth at all, it could simply be something Holden conjured up in his own mind.
    Personally, having the book written in the first person makes the book more personal and interesting, because you witness and imagine how Holden is reacting to his surroundings and certain situations. It also gives you an insight as to what he thinks about certain people, but also makes you question what other characters think of him.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I agree with Milena with this one. Like we don't know what is actually happening its more first person then normal how do we know that he is talking about his idealogy then what everyone is doing he can easily be annoyed and change them for what the really aren't. Except for him getting decked that was real as it gets. but he certainly makes the people who talk him and are really nice to him sound more attractive and the ones that aren't sound like the worst people in the world to him. so it might be more of the personal thing that Milena was talking about.

    ReplyDelete
  12. This story is set in a first person point of view, Holden Caulfield's, actually.
    The language used in the novel is kind of difficult to digest, but it is quite interesting. He uses the same words over and over again, like boy. And finds many words, 'funny' if I remember correctly. Like the word 'Grand'.

    ReplyDelete