I feel that the Catcher in the Rye is one of the most unique books I read because it read like a series of thoughts. As Houlden narrated he would give his opinions about things and then go off onto "mental-sidebars" about other topics that related to what he was talking about.
I was easily able to navigate through the book because he went into day-dreams similar to me. I could imagine going off onto a tangent because of one simple thought, and that's exactly what Houlden does throughout the book.
Houlden's constant indulgence in daydreams may have contributed to his mental instability. Houlden was always in la-la land and didn't want to focus on his reality; if he did he wouldn't be flunking out of school. Houlden had an apathetic mind-set and that was apparent throughout the book and at times he was very self- centered. He was only interested in pleasing himself and the feelings of others (such as his parents) was not of much concern to him. But, I believe that everyone has the opportunity to change (good, or bad) and it seems as if Houlden decided to truly change for the better by making himself have optimistic goals for his future
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Friday, April 24, 2009
Friday, April 3, 2009
The Sad Truth
After seeing the the movie/play The Death of a Salesman I saw the sad truth of those times. I'm no doctor but I know that Willy Loman had some type of mental disorder. At one point I observed the Loman family and thought, "Don't they know that he has some type of mental problem?"
But, in the area of metal disabilities, the technology of that time was not advanced. I was looking at the movie as a person of the 21st century, but if I watched the movie during he story's time period I would have a completely different view.
Another key theme that consistently showed itself through the words of Willy Lohman was the issue of being liked. It is human nature to want to be liked, but most people realize that it is impossible to be like by all people. Even more, most people with common sense have come to the realization that sometimes they cannot try to please others and hope that they like you.
Many men have the aspiration to be admired, loved, and have a certain amount of influence and power. Consequently, I can understand Willy's intense desire to be respected and loved. Although, Willy showed extreme selfishness when he cheated on his faithful wife with a common woman. The worst part of the affair was that he gave his mistress gifts that he wouldn't even give to his own wife. His wife stuck with him through richer and poorer. I know that the wife had suspicions that her husband was cheating, but she stuck with him- because of love.
The sons were a direct product of their fathers morals. He often would encourage and delight in the mischief Biff caused because his peers laughed and enjoyed the entertainment. Happy always looked up to his big brother and wanted to please his father. Nevertheless, I believe that Biff probably got some of his strength from his mother. The fact that Biff finally resolved to be brave and decided to try to pursue his dreams, shows his strength.
Willy wanted specific goals for his children, but I believe that he truly loved his sons and wanted the best for them. Similarly, the mother wanted her sons to do great things but she didn't have specific jobs that she wanted her children to do. In other words if her children were happy she would be happy.
The Death of a Salesman is a great story of how life can be a lie when one doesn't pursue one's passion.
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But, in the area of metal disabilities, the technology of that time was not advanced. I was looking at the movie as a person of the 21st century, but if I watched the movie during he story's time period I would have a completely different view.
Another key theme that consistently showed itself through the words of Willy Lohman was the issue of being liked. It is human nature to want to be liked, but most people realize that it is impossible to be like by all people. Even more, most people with common sense have come to the realization that sometimes they cannot try to please others and hope that they like you.
Many men have the aspiration to be admired, loved, and have a certain amount of influence and power. Consequently, I can understand Willy's intense desire to be respected and loved. Although, Willy showed extreme selfishness when he cheated on his faithful wife with a common woman. The worst part of the affair was that he gave his mistress gifts that he wouldn't even give to his own wife. His wife stuck with him through richer and poorer. I know that the wife had suspicions that her husband was cheating, but she stuck with him- because of love.
The sons were a direct product of their fathers morals. He often would encourage and delight in the mischief Biff caused because his peers laughed and enjoyed the entertainment. Happy always looked up to his big brother and wanted to please his father. Nevertheless, I believe that Biff probably got some of his strength from his mother. The fact that Biff finally resolved to be brave and decided to try to pursue his dreams, shows his strength.
Willy wanted specific goals for his children, but I believe that he truly loved his sons and wanted the best for them. Similarly, the mother wanted her sons to do great things but she didn't have specific jobs that she wanted her children to do. In other words if her children were happy she would be happy.
The Death of a Salesman is a great story of how life can be a lie when one doesn't pursue one's passion.
Suggestions for commenting:
Focus on:
syntax
organization
the clearness of the ideas
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