Towards the beginning of the novel, Holden Caulfield mentions that he is quite tall and has gray hair. Holden believes that his height and hair color make people think that he is older than he actually is. Several times throughout the novel, Holden attempts to purchase alcoholic drinks and is denied. Holden's distorted view of himself is evident from various server's reactions to his requests to buy alcoholic beverages. In Holden's mind, he thinks he looks much older than twenty-one, which is clearly not the case. Being the unreliable narrator that he is, Holden mentions that he can be "pretty sexy" sometimes, but offers several significant pieces of information that suggest otherwise. Holden recalls a time when he made advances towards Jane Gallagher, which portrays his inexperience and awkwardness around females. Holden says,
Then she really started to cry, and the next thing I knew, I was kissing her all over—anywhere—her eyes, her nose, her forehead, her eyebrows and all, her ears—her whole face except her mouth and all. She sort of wouldn't let me get to her mouth. Anyway, it was the closest we ever got to necking.
In addition to Holden's awkward moment with Jane Gallagher, he also freezes up after requesting a prostitute.
Thursday, January 4, 2018
In Catcher in the Rye, what are some good examples of Holden having a distorted view of himself?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Why is the fact that the Americans are helping the Russians important?
In the late author Tom Clancy’s first novel, The Hunt for Red October, the assistance rendered to the Russians by the United States is impor...
-
Friar Lawrence plays a significant role in Romeo and Juliet's fate and is responsible not only for secretly marrying the two lovers but ...
-
Resourceful: Phileas Fogg doesn't let unexpected obstacles deter him. For example, when the railroad tracks all of a sudden end in India...
-
Pablo Neruda's "Ode to My Socks" is full of figurative language, including similes and metaphors. Similes are figurative compa...
-
In the late author Tom Clancy’s first novel, The Hunt for Red October, the assistance rendered to the Russians by the United States is impor...
-
At the beginning of the Victorian period, science was generally in accord with religion, and the study of nature was conducted in such a way...
-
Evaluate $\displaystyle \int x^2 \cos mx dx$ by using Integration by parts. If we let $u = x^2$ and $dv = \cos mx dx$, then $d...
-
Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen is a coming-of-age story about a young man named Cole who undergoes a healing treatment on a deserted ...
No comments:
Post a Comment