Holden Caulfield is sixteen and goes to a private school called Pencey Prep. Or, at least he was since he failed four out of five of his classes that semester so he's not invited back for the second part of the year. It's kind of frustrating that this guy has all of these opportunities but doesn't go after them. His parents have money but really don't seem to care to much what their son does. Also it's not like Holden is incapable of doing the classes he just claims that they don't interest him. He wrote a note at the bottom of a final he failed for his teacher that read, "Dear Mr. Spencer. That is all I know about the Egyptians. I can't seem to get very interested in them although you lectures are very interesting. It is all right with me if you flunk me though as I am flunking everything else except English anyway. Respectfully yours, Holden Caulfield." (page 17). I think this shows that he could easily learn this but isn't quite interested in putting in the work.
I think that Holden has some major family issues. As I said before his parents seem distant and don't really show all that much interest besides getting a new school for him every time he gets kicked out of the last one. Also his younger brother died from cancer. I think that this made him very trusting and faithful to the people who are very close to him and kind of distrusting of anyone he doesn't know well. Almost like he could save his brother Allie by holding in and protecting all the old, safe and known things while pushing away the new, unknown and questionable things. It's easy to see his difference in attitude between his brother Allie and a person in his dorm. He remembers his brother in this way: "You'd have liked him. He was two years younger than I was, but he was about fifty times as intelligent. He was terrifically intelligent. His teachers were always writing letters to my mother, telling her what a pleasure it was having a boy like Allie in their class. And they weren't just shooting the crap. They really meant it." (pages 49-50). He continues on in this loving and fond tone. He also uses the same tone for his neighbor that he really trusts and acts very protective of her. On the other hand when he talks about Robert Ackley he seems annoyed and mad. This is how he talks to Ackley: "He came over and stood right in my light. 'Hey,' I said. 'I've read this same sentence about twenty times since you came in.'
Anybody else except Ackley would've taken the goddam hint. Not him, though. 'Think they'll make you pay for 'em?' he said.
'I don't know, and I don't give a damn. How 'bout sitting down or something, Ackley kid? You're right in my goddam light.' He didn't like it when you called him 'Ackley kid.' He was always telling me I was a goddam kid because I was sixteen and he was eighteen. It drove him mad when I called him 'Ackley kid.'" (page 28).
As you can see he reacts much differently to Ackley than Allie.
I think that since this is a coming of age story part of the process of growing up for Holden will be learning to trust people and let them into his life. Also a side note, I really like the way Salinger uses Italics to show more meaning and make it easier to see the way people are saying something rather than just what they say. It adds a whole new level to the story.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
1984 (Blog Three)
This section of the book shows that there is really no right or wrong side in this fight. Both sides are (hopefully) trying to make society better for the people. At least they are claiming that this is their ultimate goal. Both sides are willing to use horrible tactics to complete meet their ends.
The Party, most likely the more powerful of the two, tries to keep control by using misinformation to control the public opinion of them. They have countless workers dedicated to the single task of editing and rewriting the history. Part of their motto is completely dedicated to this, "Ignorance is Strength" (page 201). This shows that they are outright telling their citizens that 'you don't know the whole story'. This would seem very unsettling to anyone who heard their government say this. The proles seem to swallow it extremely easily since their concerns are far from the government. The government makes it look like they are right and have always been right even though any one who pays an ounce of attention to the information that is actually publicised could easily spot that it is frequently changing and being changed.
The Brotherhood pretty much just wants to tear down the Party. They plan on being incredibly violent, never seeing any results and they don't seem to have much of a plan if they ever get to the point where they could enforce it. Their questioning of Winston and Julia seems to suggest a lot of horrible things they would be asked to do and the only thing they object to is being separated. For example one of the questions was, "If, for example, it would somehow serve our interests to throw sulphuric acid in a child's face- are you prepared to do that?" (page 188). I think that this show that their only interest is defeating the Party and not improving the lives of society.
I have two theories about the Brotherhood. First that everyone is a part of it but everyone is unaware since they are only given the names of a few people to keep them from confessing the names of all the brotherhood members. Second, I think it's possible that the Brotherhood is made up by the Party to have people do the Parties dirty work. Both of these seem possible since the members of the Brotherhood are so poorly informed due to the death grip the Party has on everyone.
The Party, most likely the more powerful of the two, tries to keep control by using misinformation to control the public opinion of them. They have countless workers dedicated to the single task of editing and rewriting the history. Part of their motto is completely dedicated to this, "Ignorance is Strength" (page 201). This shows that they are outright telling their citizens that 'you don't know the whole story'. This would seem very unsettling to anyone who heard their government say this. The proles seem to swallow it extremely easily since their concerns are far from the government. The government makes it look like they are right and have always been right even though any one who pays an ounce of attention to the information that is actually publicised could easily spot that it is frequently changing and being changed.
The Brotherhood pretty much just wants to tear down the Party. They plan on being incredibly violent, never seeing any results and they don't seem to have much of a plan if they ever get to the point where they could enforce it. Their questioning of Winston and Julia seems to suggest a lot of horrible things they would be asked to do and the only thing they object to is being separated. For example one of the questions was, "If, for example, it would somehow serve our interests to throw sulphuric acid in a child's face- are you prepared to do that?" (page 188). I think that this show that their only interest is defeating the Party and not improving the lives of society.
I have two theories about the Brotherhood. First that everyone is a part of it but everyone is unaware since they are only given the names of a few people to keep them from confessing the names of all the brotherhood members. Second, I think it's possible that the Brotherhood is made up by the Party to have people do the Parties dirty work. Both of these seem possible since the members of the Brotherhood are so poorly informed due to the death grip the Party has on everyone.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
1984 (blog two)
This part of 1984 certainly has some surprising twists and turns. Winston starts to Sneak away from the power of the party instead of just hiding in his house. We learn some things about other characters and the ideas somehow get more depressing.
Winston starts getting careless as far as being vaporized goes. He's walking around the prole's area when he goes to the same place he found the journal at. He buys something else a paper weight that is apparently useless. "The thing was doubly attractive because of it's apparent uselessness," (page 105). To me This seems to show how Winston's idea of good differs from the party's. Winston just thinks it's cool because it's old and useless while the party would think it odd, a reason for suspicion, and well useless.
When Winston leaves the store he is 'caught' by the dark haired girl mentioned earlier in the book. The one that was potentially a member of the thought police. He thinks of killing her but decides not to. I find it a little disturbing that he so quickly and easily jumps to 'oh man, should I kill her? Will that solve all my problems?' No Winston, no it will not. Luckily for him, he doesn't.
The dark haired girl isn't actually evil. She tells Winston that she loves him and they arrange to meet in a safe place. All in a completely elaborate way of course to escape detection. Although they both hate the party they do it in completely different ways.
Winston hates the government because of the moral wrongness of their power over the people and how it is exercised. This is shown by how concerned he is with the fact that people are being erased, history being rewritten and the endless lies that have the people believing whatever the government wants them to. Julia, the dark haired girl, doesn't really seem to care much for any of that. "Such things did not appear to horrify her." (page168). She seems more interested in the fact that she is absolutely controlled and that she doesn't get to do what she wants to. To me, she seems to be more interested in the actual evading of the party than the reasons for doing it. This shows in the way she is very meticulous and ingenious in planning meetings and hide-outs.
The new depressing idea for this part is the fact that the only way to 'win' against the government is to not believe in it. It doesn't matter what you say or do. Well that doesn't sound like all too much to hope for. First of all if everything you say or do goes against your beliefs (totally disregarding the fact that I think that is your biggest loss) it will only ever help you, it could only possibly mean something to you. In one day, or more specificly one death, everything that was worth is lost. If you know what you believe stand up and say it before you die. In my opinion, it is totally void otherwise.
Winston starts getting careless as far as being vaporized goes. He's walking around the prole's area when he goes to the same place he found the journal at. He buys something else a paper weight that is apparently useless. "The thing was doubly attractive because of it's apparent uselessness," (page 105). To me This seems to show how Winston's idea of good differs from the party's. Winston just thinks it's cool because it's old and useless while the party would think it odd, a reason for suspicion, and well useless.
When Winston leaves the store he is 'caught' by the dark haired girl mentioned earlier in the book. The one that was potentially a member of the thought police. He thinks of killing her but decides not to. I find it a little disturbing that he so quickly and easily jumps to 'oh man, should I kill her? Will that solve all my problems?' No Winston, no it will not. Luckily for him, he doesn't.
The dark haired girl isn't actually evil. She tells Winston that she loves him and they arrange to meet in a safe place. All in a completely elaborate way of course to escape detection. Although they both hate the party they do it in completely different ways.
Winston hates the government because of the moral wrongness of their power over the people and how it is exercised. This is shown by how concerned he is with the fact that people are being erased, history being rewritten and the endless lies that have the people believing whatever the government wants them to. Julia, the dark haired girl, doesn't really seem to care much for any of that. "Such things did not appear to horrify her." (page168). She seems more interested in the fact that she is absolutely controlled and that she doesn't get to do what she wants to. To me, she seems to be more interested in the actual evading of the party than the reasons for doing it. This shows in the way she is very meticulous and ingenious in planning meetings and hide-outs.
The new depressing idea for this part is the fact that the only way to 'win' against the government is to not believe in it. It doesn't matter what you say or do. Well that doesn't sound like all too much to hope for. First of all if everything you say or do goes against your beliefs (totally disregarding the fact that I think that is your biggest loss) it will only ever help you, it could only possibly mean something to you. In one day, or more specificly one death, everything that was worth is lost. If you know what you believe stand up and say it before you die. In my opinion, it is totally void otherwise.
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