1/2 through The Catcher in the Rye

            Holden is made into a very realistic character throughout the book. The author, J. D. Salinger has created Holden into a very realistic character, which has strong views on things, and most definitive of all, has a very interesting mood. The moods are always described vividly. At every point, Holden is very illustrative about his mood. Holden has a particular mindset, and it is easily disrupted. He feels depressed, or the same feeling I feel at a moment like that, but describe it as sticky, or ‘cold sun’ a cliché moment in which you see yourself, or an other person in Holden’s case as something different than human. As an object that is so pitiful and so typical that a shiver runs down your spine or a lump forms in your throat.

             Holden’s world is easily disturbed. On page 75, Holden thinks to himself, “…about getting up early to see the first show at Radio City Music Hall depressed me. If somebody, some girl in an awful-looking hat, for instance, comes all the way to New York - from Seattle, Washington, for Gods sake – and ends up getting up early in the morning to see the goddam first show at Radio City Music Hall, it makes me so depressed I can’t stand it.”  Holden is ‘depressed’ by any pitiful sight, and any socially grotesque thought. It made me think about humanity and society, and how this feeling is cultivated in the first place. On page 96, “…me feel sort of sad when I hung it up. I thought of her going into the store and buying it, and nobody in the store knowing she was a prostitute.”  Holden feels awkward and saddened by this sense of distinct corruption.    

            I have gained understanding about the feeling that I have come into contact with time and time again, but have yet been able to explain. It is pity, and while I do not know completely how to describe the vibe of it, I have gained some important aspects and vocabulary in my brain.

Note: I wrote this essay specifically on a feeling that is familiar to me, therefore I could be subconsciously adding in references or details that sound like nonsense. In this case, please point this out to me via comment.

The Call of the Wild By Jack London

ANALYISIS:

A recurring theme I noticed in the book was fire. “…Buck lay at the Judge’s feet in front of the fireplace and watched the fire.” Watching the fire was something Buck did throughout the book, and was something closely related to The Call of the Wild. Buck would look into the fire and see images that portrayed the essence of days when dogs and wolves prowled the forests in packs, free of captivity. The next time fire is introduced in the book on page 139-140, Buck is remembering his journey that he had completed so far. Buck then saw visions of a primitive man and a primitive wolf that was referred to as a beast.  In a way, it seems that Buck was able to see his future     *spoiler alert*    as a wild dog.  I think that slowly, as bucks journey starts to draw to a close, he feels The Call of the Wild more deeply than ever. It’s interesting how the last chapter is a sort of epilogue, and Buck is remembered as a legend among the Indian tribe that, while killed his beloved John Thorton, cut him from his ties to captivity and humanity, thus releasing his to his call of the wild.

REVIEW:

I really liked the call of the wild, and even though the writing was below my level, (it was a specially adapted version that I read, I don’t know if that makes any difference,) I really liked the plot, and the ending especially. It was not what I was expecting, and I really like the way the author built a theme slowly, so by the end, everything makes sense.