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?

Monday, November 23, 2009

THEMES - SECTION 5

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9 comments:

  1. ShanellNovember 24, 2009 at 2:34 PM

    The biggest theme in this book, in my opinion, is trying to find a place where we belong. Most people in the 50's seemed to just give up trying to be an individual, and would just float around with the rest of the crowd. Holden is the complete opposite, he's a completely different person, but is terribly lonely and depressed in the process. Holden just seems to be searching for that person who accepts him. It sounds to me like the only person who does is Jane, and he is too nervous, or just "Doesn't get around to" contacting her.

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  2. Daniel McDonaldNovember 24, 2009 at 2:34 PM

    Holden seems to be in a rush to get to adulthood. Examples are his drinking habits and interest in sex. It seems as if his independant lifestyle is offering too many choices. Anyone else agree?

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  3. chantelNovember 24, 2009 at 2:53 PM

    I agree. I believe to that he feels rushed into being an adult. He cannot stay in one place because he does not feel he is ready to settle down and figure out what he wants in life. He feels a lot of pressure to figure out what he should do, and he is just really confused.

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  4. sarah zaborniakNovember 25, 2009 at 9:20 AM

    I agree with everyone above me. Holden has not yet found a place where he belongs, he gets kicked out of every school and does not know what he wants to do with his life. He really is rushing to be an adult, everywhere he goes he trys to get drinks and talks a lot about sex.

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  5. JakeNovember 25, 2009 at 5:42 PM

    I disagree with Daniel. To me Holden seems relcutant to go into adulthood. He reminisces about his past alot and these seem to be the few times when he is not overly negative. He does not seem overly thrilled with what is happening to him presently or what is to come in his future.

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  6. JasmineNovember 25, 2009 at 8:32 PM

    I agree with Jake and a bit with Daniel. Yes, sometimes Holden seems like he is rushing into adulthood by doing the things cited above but I think he does these things because he really doesn't know any better about how to act like an "adult". We clearly see things that Holden does that shows us he still yearns to be a child. Holden shows he wants to stay young by asking about the ducks in the pond, tap dancing in the can with Stradlater, teasing people/"horsing around", and his overall reminising of childhood. (museum, park, zoo)

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  7. SarahKNovember 27, 2009 at 1:18 PM

    I think Holden is in the 'in between age', he sort of wants to be an adult, he also sort of wants to be a kid. He always says he's in his thirties to buy alcahol and be in bars. He likes the fact that he can get away with being an adult due to his tallness. I think if he didn't want to be an adult he wouldn't take advantage of his tallness, which he does. Then again he has alot of child traits such as goofing around pretending to be shot. I also think his hunting hat is childish, he only puts it on around strangers, but when he sees someone he knows he takes it off, like he's ashamed because people may think it's immature, but he loves it.

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  8. Yi WuNovember 27, 2009 at 1:48 PM

    I think Holden has chosen to act like an adult, but you can see he doesn't have maturity to be one. He doesn't cope well with all that is going on in his life. He pretend to be something that he is not. He just like a lost soul. Seems like he has a hard time trying to fill up his time until he is expected to go home for Chrismas.

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  9. KyraNovember 27, 2009 at 2:30 PM

    I agree with SarahK that Holden is in an "inbetween stage". I think he's trying to grow up too fast, while really he's still a kid and not ready to grow up yet. I can relate to that. Holden's running away and buying drinks and hanging out with prostitutes, while at the same time he's getting into fights over nothing, crying, and faking that he has a brain tumor or got shot. I think that Holden is just really confused. All in all, I agree with Shanell that the theme of this book is finding a place where we belong.

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