I have decided to Put a Hold on "Nine Stories" and Have Begun Reading "Catcher in the Rye" again.
I hope to pick up any interesting quotations, as well as mark up my copy with analysis so I may understand the story and the themes more clearly. I however, have not done any reading this week because I finished readin "The Great Gatsby," so I have no analysis to discuss.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Week #5
I've begun Reading "Nine Stories." The first short story I read was "A Perfect Day for Bananafish."
A Perfect Day for Bananafish is about Seymour Glass, the oldest son of the Glass Family. Almost all of Salimger's writing other than "Catcher" is about this fictional Family. This story talkes place some time after when "Carpenters" Takes place (although "Bananafish" was written first." Seymour and his wife are on their Honeymoon. The wife (named Muriel) Gets a long distance Call from Her mother, who shows deep concern for her, and discrimination against her husband. She thinks Seymour is Dangerous and asks her to call if Seymour does anything questionable.
The story then shifts to The Beach where Seymour is. Seymour Meets a little girl and tells her about an abviously fictional seacreature called a "bananafish." Seymour says that Bananafish are fish who go into bananacaves and eat so many bananas that they sweel up. The Little girl responds by asking what happens after they swell. Seymour tells her they die.
The duo go out to the water to hunt for bananafish. The girl claims to have spot one. Seymour is filled with hapiness and kisses the little girl's ankle. The girl gets annoied by it. They don't capture the bananafish (obviously) and Seymour goes back to the Hotel room where Muriel is sleeping, pulls a gun, seemingly out of nowhere, and kills himself.
This is a singular, yet profound story, that ultamatley portrays a man who cannot cope with the confusing reality of Adult life. The Fictional Bananafish represents Childhood, and the death of the Bananafish represents the loss of innocence and furthermore the death of childhood. Because Seymour could not save the Bananafish, he could not save his longed-for innocence, and thus he killed himself.
A Perfect Day for Bananafish is about Seymour Glass, the oldest son of the Glass Family. Almost all of Salimger's writing other than "Catcher" is about this fictional Family. This story talkes place some time after when "Carpenters" Takes place (although "Bananafish" was written first." Seymour and his wife are on their Honeymoon. The wife (named Muriel) Gets a long distance Call from Her mother, who shows deep concern for her, and discrimination against her husband. She thinks Seymour is Dangerous and asks her to call if Seymour does anything questionable.
The story then shifts to The Beach where Seymour is. Seymour Meets a little girl and tells her about an abviously fictional seacreature called a "bananafish." Seymour says that Bananafish are fish who go into bananacaves and eat so many bananas that they sweel up. The Little girl responds by asking what happens after they swell. Seymour tells her they die.
The duo go out to the water to hunt for bananafish. The girl claims to have spot one. Seymour is filled with hapiness and kisses the little girl's ankle. The girl gets annoied by it. They don't capture the bananafish (obviously) and Seymour goes back to the Hotel room where Muriel is sleeping, pulls a gun, seemingly out of nowhere, and kills himself.
This is a singular, yet profound story, that ultamatley portrays a man who cannot cope with the confusing reality of Adult life. The Fictional Bananafish represents Childhood, and the death of the Bananafish represents the loss of innocence and furthermore the death of childhood. Because Seymour could not save the Bananafish, he could not save his longed-for innocence, and thus he killed himself.
Week #4
I finished Reading, "Raise High the Roof Beam, Capenters."
When the Guests are in the Family room, Buddy finds his brother's Journal. He reads it secretly in his bathroom. He finds that Seymour is slightly disturbed and paranoid (this confirms The Matron of Honer's Accusations.) He is confused. Buddy then slams the book against into the laundry hamper.
When He comes out his guests inform them that the groom has shown up and set everything straight and the wedding will still commence at a later date.
Buddy decides to stay behind, but his guests decide to meet up with the rest of the party. However, when Buddy turns around he is happy and surprized to see the old man didnt leave with the group, because he was unaware of what was going on.
The Most obvious symbol I have noticed so far is the Old deaf man, and how he symolizes comfort within staying consistent or stationary. This idea parallels to the wax museum in "Catcher."
Buddy also has coughing spells when he is nervous or mispleased. This is a kind of alienation. "I had a coughing spell, Which I had no intention of Shotening." This is somewhat similar to Holden's hunting hat, which keeps himself distanced from undesireables, but at the same time sparks insecurity.
When the Guests are in the Family room, Buddy finds his brother's Journal. He reads it secretly in his bathroom. He finds that Seymour is slightly disturbed and paranoid (this confirms The Matron of Honer's Accusations.) He is confused. Buddy then slams the book against into the laundry hamper.
When He comes out his guests inform them that the groom has shown up and set everything straight and the wedding will still commence at a later date.
Buddy decides to stay behind, but his guests decide to meet up with the rest of the party. However, when Buddy turns around he is happy and surprized to see the old man didnt leave with the group, because he was unaware of what was going on.
The Most obvious symbol I have noticed so far is the Old deaf man, and how he symolizes comfort within staying consistent or stationary. This idea parallels to the wax museum in "Catcher."
Buddy also has coughing spells when he is nervous or mispleased. This is a kind of alienation. "I had a coughing spell, Which I had no intention of Shotening." This is somewhat similar to Holden's hunting hat, which keeps himself distanced from undesireables, but at the same time sparks insecurity.
Week #3
I Have read 69 pages of "Raise High The Roof Beam, Carpenters." I will Begin reading, "Nine Stories" shortly.
After the scene in the Limo (see Blog 2) The party decides to retire to a conveinence store. The Weather is scolding hot, and a marching band is blocking the limo from advancing through the intersection. Upon exiting they realize that one of their own group, the "Elderly man [who was] staring fixedly straight in front of him," is a deaf-mute. Because of his condition he is oblivious to everything that has happened so far in the book. He knows nothing of the Disaterous wedding, the bickering about the groom (Buddy's brother), or the noisy marching band. The convienience store around the corner is closed. Buddy then gets a "sense of Isolation and lonliness more overwhelming than I've felt all day."
The group retires to Buddy's Apartment, where they drink Tom Collins. Buddy gets drunk since he mixed his own drink with some extra shots of gin, however, to avoid being a crummy host, tries his best to hold it in. He Feels better once he is at his apartment.
Alot happens in this part of the book. As the conversation in the limo progresses, The Matron of Honer begins to Turn on him. This change of attitude makes him nervous. However, a number of times Buddy mentions the Old Man, who is stationary the entire time. "No one's indifference has ever been such a confort to me."
This scene is similar to the scene in "Catcher" where Holden Finds himself in an old wax museum he visited on several field trips when he was a kid. Holden Mentions, "The best thing in that museum was that everything always stayed right where it was. Nobody’d move. . . . Nobody’d be different."
This is one of the themes I will Talk about in my Essay; Salinger writes about finding comfort in stationary things amoungst a ever-changing world.
After the scene in the Limo (see Blog 2) The party decides to retire to a conveinence store. The Weather is scolding hot, and a marching band is blocking the limo from advancing through the intersection. Upon exiting they realize that one of their own group, the "Elderly man [who was] staring fixedly straight in front of him," is a deaf-mute. Because of his condition he is oblivious to everything that has happened so far in the book. He knows nothing of the Disaterous wedding, the bickering about the groom (Buddy's brother), or the noisy marching band. The convienience store around the corner is closed. Buddy then gets a "sense of Isolation and lonliness more overwhelming than I've felt all day."
The group retires to Buddy's Apartment, where they drink Tom Collins. Buddy gets drunk since he mixed his own drink with some extra shots of gin, however, to avoid being a crummy host, tries his best to hold it in. He Feels better once he is at his apartment.
Alot happens in this part of the book. As the conversation in the limo progresses, The Matron of Honer begins to Turn on him. This change of attitude makes him nervous. However, a number of times Buddy mentions the Old Man, who is stationary the entire time. "No one's indifference has ever been such a confort to me."
This scene is similar to the scene in "Catcher" where Holden Finds himself in an old wax museum he visited on several field trips when he was a kid. Holden Mentions, "The best thing in that museum was that everything always stayed right where it was. Nobody’d move. . . . Nobody’d be different."
This is one of the themes I will Talk about in my Essay; Salinger writes about finding comfort in stationary things amoungst a ever-changing world.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Post #2
I am currently reading, "Raise High the Roof Beam Carpenters." I'm on page 50.
"I had a sudden violent impulse to jump out of the car and break into a sprint, in any direction at all."
This quote depicts Buddy Glass' Impulsive tendincies. Buddy Glass (whom the book is narrated by) is the brother of Seymour Glass, who has just stood up his fiance' on their wedding. Buddy, along with members of the bride's family, cram into a limo to travel back to the reception hall across town to comfort the distressed bride. At first, no one knows Buddy is Seymour's brother. The Matron of Honer (Who is the bride's cousin) says Seymour is a "Schitzoid" and "Latent Homosexual." Buddy, angered at the ridicule, mentions this impulsive thought.
This scene makes Buddy seem childish. However, it paralells the impulsive (and similaraly childish) actions of his brother to skip his own wedding. It reveals that the two characters crack under unwanted pressue because they are confused by the adult-like nature of the situations. This ties in with The "Loss of Innocence" Theme in "Catcher in The Rye."
"I had a sudden violent impulse to jump out of the car and break into a sprint, in any direction at all."
This quote depicts Buddy Glass' Impulsive tendincies. Buddy Glass (whom the book is narrated by) is the brother of Seymour Glass, who has just stood up his fiance' on their wedding. Buddy, along with members of the bride's family, cram into a limo to travel back to the reception hall across town to comfort the distressed bride. At first, no one knows Buddy is Seymour's brother. The Matron of Honer (Who is the bride's cousin) says Seymour is a "Schitzoid" and "Latent Homosexual." Buddy, angered at the ridicule, mentions this impulsive thought.
This scene makes Buddy seem childish. However, it paralells the impulsive (and similaraly childish) actions of his brother to skip his own wedding. It reveals that the two characters crack under unwanted pressue because they are confused by the adult-like nature of the situations. This ties in with The "Loss of Innocence" Theme in "Catcher in The Rye."
Post #1: American Author Proposal
For my American Author paper I am analyzing the books and writing style of JD Salinger. I read The Catcher in the Rye during the summer before my junior year and was captivated by it. I think the thing I liked the most about it at first was its conversationalist tone. I also grew much attached to the Character, Holden Caulfield, who possessed certain characteristics in his personality that I can relate to personally. I just recently re-read Catcher, and I’m am planning to finish Nine Stories and have finished Raise the High Roof Beam, Carpenters.
Salinger is defined as an American Author because not only was he born and raised in Manhattan, New York, but his writing was very influential to American Society. Salinger was influenced by American Author Ernest Hemingway (Whom he incidently met on the beaches of Normandy durring his service in WWII.) Salinger has Influenced other modern authors such as Hunter S. Thomson and Phillip Roth.
The Book Catcher, banned in many schools in the 1950s for its controversy, is also ironically the second most taught book in schools (next to Of Mice and Men.) Critics find his writing to be “Vulgar,” “Full of Amateur Cussing,” and above all, “Fatalistic.” However I believe his writing a dresses a raw, realistic and above all beautiful part of life. Salinger’s writing is also very influential on modern pop culture. Many Bands such as Radiohead and the Beatles reference catcher in the rye. The Blockbuster film “Conspiracy” centers a character that is obsessed with Catcher and must buy a copy whenever he is out in public. Mark David Chapman claimed his reason for assassinating John Lennon of the Beatles was attributed to his influence the character Holden in Catcher in the Rye. Chapman is even cited as acting out certain scenes from the book in New York (The place where Catcer takes place) before committing his assassination.
I have settled on a theme to center my paper around. The most common theme in his writing deals with the confusing and alienating transition between childhood and adulthood. The main character of Raise the high roof beam, Seymour, draws a strong parallel with Holden Caufield. Both Characters find comfort in child-like settings that never change, and both struggle with grasping adult-like concepts. I am excited to write about the mysterious Salinger and his work which I find to be captivating.
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