MEMORABLE MOMENTS

Bethany:

The most memorable moment within my section, chapters 15-20, of the Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger was when Holden made the decision to call Sally Hayes. This moment/event allowed readers to see a different side of Holden. He was first portrayed as an arrogant, hard-headed teenager who thinks everything is a joke. An example off this behaviour is when he fooled Ernest Morrow's mother by telling her that "he's a funny guy. A strange guy in lots of ways...He's just got this very original personality that takes you a little while to get to know him." (Salinger 73), showing that he is a skilled orator. When he called Sally, he seemed very impulsive about the decision. Holden seemed to be expecting more out of Sally during their time together.

Holden asked Sally on a date. He thought that since they had fooled around earlier in their lives, this encounter would have been comfortable and smooth. Instead, it appeared to be the exact opposite. Sally's mind always appeared to be elsewhere whenever Holden spoke. "She started looking all around the goddam room...she was looking at some girl on the other side of the room" (Salinger 130) demonstrates how unfocused she was on him. Overall, the date ended in a wreck because Holden exploded and told Sally that she was "a royal pain in the ass" (Salinger 133). This is what caused Sally to push Holden away and force him to leave.

This situation provided a lot of character development. This mainly applies to Holden because we now know that he is a fairly spontaneous being. Three of Holden's actions which demonstrate this quality include when he hastily left Pencey, called Sally, and went late night ice skating. It also set a precedent for his future actions, allowing Salinger to portray him as a more decisive person. I am very content with this great amount of plot development within the novel especially because the beginning was very slow.

This is the most memorable moment within my section because I was able to relate and sympathize with Holden's and Sally's feelings. When Holden made an impulsive decision to call up an old friend, it reminded me of how I constantly do that and immediately regret it afterwards. Sally's overall actions and responses accurately represent how I act when I am with others. She is very spontaneous, confusing, and nervous; I can relate. He also tried to apologize immediately after insulting her, which made me pity him a little bit. Salinger's powerful use of language allowed me as a reader to really identify with the characters on an emotional level.

Amarjot:

The most memorable moment for my section of the novel The Catcher in the Rye would definitely have to be the part when Holden Caulfield the protagonist is feeling extremely depressed and was “talking” with his departed brother Allie. Allie was Holden’s younger brother who passed away at an early age from leukemia and to this day we can tell that Holden has a strong bond with his little brother. After rejecting the prostitute in Holden’s hotel room he decides to take a seat by the window and smoke.

While smoking Holden admits to himself that he feels extremely depressed and talks to his brother Allie who is departed. ”What I did, I started talking out loud, to Allie.” (Salinger 129) In Holden’s case this was not anything new, he always talks to his brother when he’s feeling upset or depressed. But as the reader this was definitely a memorable moment because from the beginning of the novel Holden has been depicting himself as this “perfect tough teenage boy” as society calls it. We can tell that’s what Holden is trying to do because he hasn’t been applying himself and is just interested in going out drinking, sex and women. But as this point we realise there is a vulnerable side to Holden which is portrayed through a conversation with his brother who has departed.

Holden seems to be a reserved individual because even at Pencey (his current school) he did not mention anyone he was so close with that he could trust. The amount of times Holden has brought up Allie have usually been in the times of need. For an example when he was forced to do his roommates English assignment and needed inspiration he turned to Allie’s baseball glove. Since Holden is a reserved person although he doesn’t admit it, it was quiet memorable to have him turn to Allie, even though he’s departed for consolation.

We very quickly realize that Holden is attached to Allie because in many of his flashbacks we always hear of Allie and this shows a bond between both characters. Even though we don’t directly meet Allie through the novel we can tell there is a strong bond between Allie and Holden that comes through Holden’s thoughts, flashbacks and memories of Allie. Overall in my opinion the moment when Holden talks to his departed brother would be considered the most memorable moment because we get a very emotional insight on the relationship between the two characters, and the vulnerable side of Holden is revealed which was quiet unexpected since he’s been very reserved and determined to be that “perfect teenage boy” as society calls it.

Bethany's Response:

I definitely agree that this is the most memorable moment in your section. When I read this part of the novel, it really made me sympathize with Holden as a person. Just seeing him struggle with the loss of a loved one really began to chip away his hard exterior that he had built up so high. Your description of the topic was very insightful and eye-opening. It helped me to realize the little references that Holden makes to Allie's life; for example, his reference to the baseball mitt.

Though your description was great, I do wish that you included some context. For example, you could have said something about his terrible encounter with Sunny and Maurice. About how it was traumatizing for Holden and how he ‘just didn’t want to do it’ with Sunny. I feel like if this had been provided for me, I would have been more moved to accept Holden’s sudden state of dejection. I personally always find it handy to know what is going on during the time at which an important quote was said.

Despite the lack of context, I really enjoyed reading about your most memorable moment. I would also like to comment on your great use of language and sentence flow. I found that the text was fairly easy to follow along with which allowed me to get the full effect of the piece. Next time, I would advise that you read your piece with a critical mind in place. Reading as an objective third party should assist you with finding what is missing from your work. Great job overall.

Melissa:

A moment that stood out to me the most during chapters 3-8 was the night Holden suddenly decides to leave Pencey. It was a rough Saturday night for Holden – he gets punched in the face and has to write a composition for his roommate who leaves for a date. This was my favourite moment because it was such an impulsive decision and I felt like I was able to relate to Holden on an emotional level. Another side of Holden is also displayed. He is portrayed as weak and desperate. At first, Holden thinks about checking in on one of his classmates. However he gets this abrupt need to just pack up and leave.

Holden would have left on the upcoming Wednesday morning anyways because he was kicked out of the school. However his reason to leave early was because the school made him “feel too sad and lonesome” (Salinger 66). As Holden packs, he gets quite emotional as well. He packs the skates that his mother recently got him. Even though they were the wrong skates, Holden says that he gets sad whenever he receives gifts no matter what. I felt sorry for Holden.

This scene struck me the most because I was able to connect to Holden. It revealed how desperate Holden felt to get away from something that made him depressed. The fact that he got so emotional made me support his decision. Despite my sympathy, another part of me is against his actions. Holden had thought of a plan. He had his mind set on getting a hotel room in New York until Wednesday. However he had no alternative options. The fact that he left at such a late hour narrows his chances of going through this plan successfully. It was very late, anything could have happened to him. The scene was suspenseful and has created me an emotional attachment to Holden's well-being. It keeps me attached to the story, making me more eager to know what will happen next.

Anita:

The most memorable moment in my section (section 4, chapters 21-26) of the Catcher in the Rye would have to be the morning after Holden had left Mr. Antolini's house. Holden decides to walk up Fifth Avenue, he mentions how something strange occurs when he starts to walk on the other side of the street; how every time he came to close to the end of the block he felt as if he was never going to make it to the other side of the street, he'd just start going down and disappear. What helps him over come this fear is his brother, Allie.

Allie was Holden's brother who unfortunately passed away due to leukemia about 5 years ago, and it has taken a great impact on Holden's life. Holden often mentions him in times of despair, or in enlightenment such as when Phoebe and Holden are fighting about Holden's future and Phoebe asks him to name one thing he likes, Holden says "I like Allie" (Salinger, 222) Phoebe almost has to remind him that Allie is no longer with him, Holden continues and says "I know he's dead! Don't you think I know that? I can still like him though, can't I? Just because somebody's dead, you don't just stop liking them, for God's sake. -- Especially if they were about a thousand times nicer than the people you know that're alive and all." (Salinger, 222-223)

Allie helps him through this anxious moment because Holden would say to him "Allie, don't let me disappear. Allie don't let me disappear. Allie, don't let me disappear. Please, Allie." (Salinger, 257) This moment spoke out to me the most because it showed a vulnerable state of mind of Holden. Throughout the book we've witnessed Holden think that he is this superior person in a world of phonies, yet when those rare and brief moments he talks about Allie we get to see a different person. I find it truly amazing that something that happened to long ago could still be affecting him. Allie was, and still is one of the most important people in Holden's life. He often talks about Allie as if he were still alive, "I'd thank him. Then it would start all over again as soon as I got to the next corner. But I kept going and all." (Salinger, 257) I believe that besides Phoebe, Holden's other sibling, Allie is the only one that Holden could talk to about anything.

This is also one of my favourite moments in the book because I feel like I can relate to Holden, although fortunately I have never experienced the death of someone close to me and hopefully will not have to soon, I too, will speak to someone in my time of need. Even if they might not physically be there, it's just relieving to express myself and my thoughts instead of keeping it bottled up.