I decided to use this video to help you get a picture in your minds about what this song may of sounded like in Holden's dorm, when a student was playing it.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Soft Side of Holden: Ch. 16
In Ch. 16 Holden expresses his more nice sensitive side to us. He does this when he is talking about when he saw the nuns collecting money for the church, and he starts to get a little emotional. " I knew it wasn't too important, but it made me sad anyway." (114) This shows us that Holden isn't just a tough guy who say "God Damn" a lot, but he actually has a soft side to him that he doesn't usually show. But as the book goes on, he reveals more and more of who he really is, just like we have talked about in class. I think he shows us his sensitive side because he remembered his past that had some speed bumps, and how the nuns were collecting for people in need and he used to be someone who needed help. Also, he decides to buy a record called Little Shirley Beans, which is a popular kids song, for Phoebe. Holden thinks she is really smart for her age and always talks about how she always understands him. I think that this is another example of how Holden is showing us that he is really a nice guy, and will take the time to buy his little sister a record. I think he does this because when he sees the nuns, he remembers his past and doesn't want something happen to Phoebe like what happened to him. Even though Phoebe was alive then, she probably didn't really understand what was happening. Holden wants to be really nice to her, and give her a happy childhood, unlike his past that had a very hard loss, the loss of Allie. I decided to use this video to help you get a picture in your minds about what this song may of sounded like in Holden's dorm, when a student was playing it.
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I agree with J.B. about Holden having a soft side. This soft side is more and more obvious as we continue reading through the book. We really don't know much about how kind and sensitive Holden is until his meeting with the nuns, but when Holden is looking for Little Shirley Beans it shows that he greatly cares about his sister and is a sharp contradiction to what he feels about most the world. I believe he is really worried that he might lose Phoebe and is trying his best to make her happy.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you John Berdon. Holden tries to put up a guard and makes people think that he is a tough guy. But really he is a sensitive guy and he is also a genuinely nice guy. He does so many nice things for people without asking for anything else back. I agree with Trevin, Holden does care about his sister. I think that when it comes to Holden, if he doesn't like you, then he doesn't care about you. However, if he cares about a person, then he REALLY cares and loves them. He tries to make the people he loves happy.
ReplyDeleteI strongly agree with you Trevin and JB. I think that Holden is afraid of losing Phoebe like he lost Allie. Also, I think that J.D. Salinger is using these small nice things that Holden does to hint toward Holden's real character and personality. I think that this record reminds Holden of his childhood and Allie. Therefore, I think he want to buy the record for Phoebe.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Holden has a soft side. As Julia mentioned in class, he does those little things to show his compassion and kindness. I agree with Annie when she says that he puts a wall up. He shows the kindness in his actions, rather then his words. While he uses terms like "Goddamn," he contradicts himself to tie the shoes of a little girl. We begin to see a different side of Holden, and we begin to understand his personality more. Also, I think he shows most of his compassion for Phoebe, because of the way he talks about her. It shows how he really cares for her, and contradictory to some people's opinion, he is actually a good person.
ReplyDeleteI agree too. But I don't think that Holden was nice to the nuns because they reminded him of his childhood. I think he's trying to make himself fell better by being nice. He definetly does has a soft side and he is a nice person but I think whenever your sad, I've noticed, you feel like doing nice things more often because it makes you feel better about yourself. I think this is what's happening to holden with the nuns. With Pheobe, i think he is probably always nice to her for the reason John Berdon said, he wants her to be happier than he was as a child because he really cares about her.
ReplyDeleteIt does become more clear that Holden has a soft side through events like this. But sometimes it seems like he's not nice because he wants to be, but because he feels like he has some sort of obligation to be so. And I think the reason that he likes Phoebe so much is because he lost his other sibling. He realized how much they meant to him through the pain he felt when Allie died.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you and Annie. Most of the time Holden is using vulgar language in order to present a false allusion of him being tough. I guess that J.D Salinger was trying to show the Holden was really a nice guy, and that the readers should not give up on him. But all in all I agree with the fact that he is beginning to show more and more emotion.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that Holden has a soft side. And as the readers, we see little hints here and there that show us that Holden is not completely a macho manly man but that he also has feelings and is capable and willing to show compassion and kindness towards others. I agree with you Presley that to make yourself feel better, you can make others feel better and happier. I also think he is afraid of loosing Phoebe like he lost Allie so he just wants her to be happy all day everyday.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you J.B. I think that in someways Phoebe reminds Holden of Allie, the way he describes Phoebe and the way he described Allie sound a lot alike. I also think that J.D. Salinger wants to show the reader that Holden has two sides to him, a caring side and a sad/mad side but also i think that these two sides to him merge. For instance Holden will take something that makes him happy and for some reason when he sees it, such as the museum, it somehow makes him sad and depressed.
ReplyDeleteI agree with John David when saying that Holden's personality is definitely two-sided. I really do think that at heart Holden is a very sweet guy that is just confused and sort of mad at the world around him. We get little clues throughout the text to show the sorter side of Holden's personality such as when he helps the little girl tie her skate. Even the way he cares so much about the death of his brother, and he seems invested in his little sister Phoebe as well. He even said that he didn't really care about God; however, he donated money to the nuns. Holden is full of contradictions because he is still confuse about how he thinks he needs to act and how he really fits in to the world. I think that part of what J.D. Salinger is trying to tell us about our world is that sometimes people are not always the way they seem and certain events in people's lives might make them act sad/mad/crazy, but really at heart people are pure.
ReplyDeleteI agree as well that Holden does have a very soft, compassionate side somewhere in him. I also agree with Presley that when he shows his softer side by being kind and honest with others especially many times with Phoebe it makes him feel so much happier and not so alone, which i think he likes that feeling. However, Carly i don't necessarily agree with you about him always trying to make Phoebe happy because he is afraid of losing her like Allie, i think he does have a part of him that just appreciates Phoebe and responds to that appreciation by showing her kindness.
ReplyDeleteI think he is actually soft and showing us his hard side. I believe he is a nice person who is just having a rough spot. He is just trying to make us think he is rough and doesn't like people as an excuse for being lonely. I think he is a kinda hearted person who is sad at the way things have turned out and he is projecting this sadness as sarcasm and distain for people.
ReplyDeleteHIIIIIII EVERYBUDDY
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