Lynn Ciafre 11-2
English III
To me Holden Caulfield was a very complex individual. I believe he didn’t read people well, and most times, completely misunderstood them. He felt that people didn’t like him, expected too much from him, and quite frankly he didn’t care to be around them. This would explain his problems with school and why he was expelled so many times from so many different places. Perhaps if people understood him and why he did what he did the results may have been different.
I believe a lot of Holden’s feelings were the result of his reaction to his brother’s death. We know that, through his actions, this was hard for him to deal with. Because D.B. was not home a lot, I believe Holden and Phoebe became close and depended upon each other for friendship. They both were able to tell each other just about anything.
Holden didn’t know how to react when people did things for him, such as his teachers, neighbors, etc. He always thought somebody wanted something in return; he didn’t believe people did things to be nice. Holden, as a result of this, built a wall around him self and never let anybody in. This was his defense and he never let it down. As a result of this, he hurt a lot of people.
Towards the end of the story, Holden did finally mature, and thought about other people’s feelings. This came through when he told Phoebe that he was leaving and she became upset. Because of their close relationship, Holden didn’t want to hurt her so he changed is mind. This not only showed some maturity on his part, but also that somebody cared for him and didn’t expect something in return.
It’s funny in this day and age when children act as Holden did, parents often take their children for professional help. This usually is followed by the patient (child) being treated with some form of medication. Like the commercial says, how about “talking to your kids.” Communication may be better than medication.
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In grading my work, I would like not only my grammar and spelling to be considered, but also what I have to say should be to greatest percentage of my mark.
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Lynn, I think this is one of the more eloquent and thought provoking posts I've read of yours. I like the focus on communication, and if asked to expand this post for a larger essay (like we will do next year), I would encourage you to follow that theme of the therapeutic values of communication through a close examination of the novel. Holden engages in a number of heated and intense conversations with key characters in the novel. It would be quite interesting, I think, to consider how each of these helps him to come to terms with some of the internal conflicts that he is trying to work out.
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