"The Catcher in the Rye": Motif~ "You"

     Throughout the piece of literature, The Catcher and the Rye by J.D. Salinger, the particular motif of the term "you" is woven through about every incident that Holden encounters.  For example, upon hearing someone laugh while walking through the streets at night, Holden says, " 'New York's terrible at night when somebody laughs.  You can hear it for miles.  It makes you feel so lonesome and depressed' " (Salinger, 70).  Moreover, Holden uses "you" to describe how one may feel in a certain situation.  But, in reality, Holden is depressed and lonesome.  There is no doubt in my mind that Holden uses the term "you" to account for how he actually feels about a particular situation.  I believe, because Holden repeatedly fails to confront and conquer his problems, he also cannot own up to his personal feelings about matters.  Also, when thinking back to his joyful days with Jane Gallagher, Holden says, " 'You never even worried with Jane, whether your hand was sweaty or not.  All you knew was, you were happy.  You really were' "(Salinger, 66).  Because Holden lives a very unstable life, I predict it is not easy to recall himself as being completely happy.  So, Holden uses "you" to tell his story, without having to forget his current gloom and admit he actually was happy.

"The Catcher in the Rye": Analogy

    In the classic novel, The Catcher and the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Holden Caulfield journeys through the streets of New York repeatedly asking his taxi cab drivers the question, " 'What happens to the ducks in the winter?' " (Salinger, 82).  Although this question riles the drivers up, one particular driver discusses the matter more so than others.  The driver eventually makes a statement about the fish living underneath the ducks and says, " 'If you was a fish, Mother Nature'd take care of you, wouldn't she? You don't think them fish just die when it gets to be winter, do ya?' " (Salinger, 83).  I reasoned that this statement could be making a comparison between Holden and the fish, frozen in the pond.  See, Holden feels like no progress is occurring in his life, after being thrown out of four schools.  The ducks on the pond symbolize all the people in Holden Caulfield's life.  Moreover, these people come and go, and Holden, always staying the same, never quite understands where exactly they go.  The icy winter that freezes the fish represents the depression and sadness that seems to consume Holden.  Like the fish, Holden is trapped in a world that keeps changing around him.  This driver, I believe, is foreshadowing that, in the end, Holden will overcome his obstacles and be alright.

"The Catcher and the Rye": Characterization of Holden Caulfield

     Nearing the halfway mark of The Catcher and the Rye by J.D. Salinger, I'm 100% totally and completely befuddled about how exactly I feel concerning the character of Holden Caulfield.  It seems as though J.D. Salinger tries to make Holden one who cannot relate to his surroundings.  Yet, I feel as though many readers can easily identify with this restless and uneasy character.  I can easily imagine the majority of the audience to view Holden as judgmental, a slacker, a compulsive liar, and childish.  Holden realizes his wrongs, but instead of fixing the problem, flees from the situation, and later creates another entanglement for himself.  However, though immature, Holden makes himself relate to others who have ever felt the pains of being alone.  Holden, after being kicked out of his four boarding school, wonders the streets of New York to fill the hole of his loneliness.  Holden describes himself as being "so damn depressed and lonesome", which in the minds of readers, creates Holden to be a sympathetic character (Salinger, 37).  Overall, Holden Caulfield  may appear to an ignorant soul, but in reality, is mentally unstable, lonely, quite depressed, and lives in a world where he is misunderstood, not only by other, but also himself.

"Acquainted With the Night": Symbolism

       After reading Acquainted With the Night by Robert Frost, I sense symbolism when discussing the matter of the night.  Night, most obviously, is affiliated with darkness and unpleasant happenings.  In this case, the speaker associates night with his life's struggles by saying he has "been one acquainted with the night" (Frost).  As the narrator walks on, it is clear that he feels isolated from the joyous world lived by most.  This character feels saddened by some memories at every objects he lays eyes on. The speaker uses night to express that he has dealt with peril and challenges in many aspects. All in all, the speaker is saying that he is no stranger to unfortunate circumstances.  In my opinion, the speaker seems to be extremely worn down by his rough life.  This symbol of night allows the audience to see the gloominess felt by speaker.

"I Taste a Liquor Never Brewed": Imagery

Nature joining the speaker in the mystical state of mind.

     In the brief poem, I Taste a Liquor Never Brewed, Emily Dickinson crafts a work making a comparison between intoxication and a mystical state of mind.  This piece of literature, though diminutive in length, is jammed packed with imagery, furthering the overall meaning of the work.  Firstly, Dickinson begins her work by saying that the speaker tastes "a liquor never brewed" (Dickinson).  This statement, right at the start, implies that the narrator is not, in fact, under alcoholic inebriation.  But, the line does suggest that the speaker is under the same affects.  The speaker seems to have been "inebriate of air..." (Dickinson).  Moreover, this narrator is in this state of mind because of the surrounding nature.  Dickinson throws in imagery of "drunken bees... (and) butterflies..." being the drinking buddies of this speaker (Dickinson).  Overall, I predict Emily Dickinson is recognizing the approval of the heavens when one is overjoyed with the beauty of nature.

"Sorting Laundry": Metaphor

     The poem, Sorting Laundry by Elisavietta Richie, compares the action of folding clothes with folding a lover into her love.  On a side note, since the poem was written in 1932, I predict the work tells of a woman thinking of her daily life and linking it to folding laundry.  I assume Richie chooses the chore of folding laundry because it is an endless happening that really is never finished.  Like laundry in a household, there will always be love between the woman and her husband.  This metaphor goes over the "week over week journey..." of the couple (Richie).  As the woman folds her laundry, she recalls the memories she has engaged in with her lover.  The different articles of clothing remind this woman of the many surprises and adventures that have occurred over the years.  It is made clear that, without her husband, this woman would be incomplete and empty.

"Batter My Heart, Three- Personed God": Tone

      In the poem, Batter My Heart, Three- Personed God, John Donne writes of a person's feelings about and relationship with God.  The speaker begins with a soft, loving tone as he describes God's ability to "batter (his) heart..." as well as "knock, breath, shine, and seek to mend" (Donne).  These thoughts craft the notion that the speaker looks at God as an almighty being, powerful force.  However, the tone gradually hardens.  The speaker recognizes that he must "labor to admit... but oh, to no end" (Donne).  This implies that the narrator dislikes being the "weak or untrue" laborer to God, when he does nothing, but love him.  I interpret this poem to be the thoughts of a man with conflicted feelings.  The speaker feels he "never shall be free" from God, but God, being a powerful force, will always be there for him (Donne).