After reading the first chapter, I didn't feel either sympathy or empathy for Holden Caulfield. I thought Holden didn't care about getting kicked out of school. He was flunking four subjects at Pencey. And he was warned several times by the school to apply himself and work hard but he refused to do it. He said, "They gave me frequent warning to start applying himself-especially around mid-terms, when my parents came up for a conference with old Thurmer-but I didn't do it." This quote really shows that Holden is an immature person because he doesn't realize that he is very close to getting kicked out of Pencey.
Another thing I noticed that he is very jealous about his brother D.B. Holden says,"The secret Goldfish... It was about this little kid that wouldn't let anybody look at his goldfish because he'd bought it with his own money. It killed me. Now he is out in Hollywood, D.B., being a prostitute. If there's one thing I hate, it's the movies. Don't even mention them to me." This quote depicts how jealous Holden is about his brother D.B. D.B. is rich because of his talents to write great books such as "The Secret Goldfish". And he is pretty much the opposite of Holden.
Great posts, Paul! I agree with your insight on Holden's lack of motivation or drive for success in school, but am a bit more interested in hearing your thoughts on Holden's attitude toward D.B.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading chapter 5 and seeing Holden's reaction to his brother's death, why do you think Holden reacts so differently to Allie than to D.B. Might it not be jealously as much as him pointing out their differences? Do you have any proof that shows that Holden cares about money? Do you think he is jealous because he feels he is incapable of the success D.B. has found?