Literary Analysis #1

 Briefly summarize the plot of the novel you read according to the elements of plot you've learned in past courses (exposition, inciting incident, etc.).  Explain how the narrative fulfills the author's purpose (based on your well-informed interpretation of same).

The one sentence summary of the whole book is how The Catcher In The Rye is about a 17-year-old boy who is kicked out of high school and spends three days aimlessly roaming around New York calling everything phony and yet have a truth to what he is saying. In a more scientifical literary way, the exposition of the book ends when Holden is finally in New York and roaming around to find a hotel. Before that, his characteristics and back story are vaguely described by his interactions with Mr. Spencer and his room mates Stradler and Ackley.  He hits up a few bars before he really settles down though. The rising action of the story can be stated as him entering and kinda of breaking into his own house since he really isn’t supposed to be there until Wednesday when he arrives Monday (or Tuesday one of the two). He meets his sister, one of the only people he doesn’t hate, or kills him. The climax turns out to be when he sleeps over at another teachers house and that freaks him out because he thinks his teacher was being pervish by touching his hair gently. This event leads Holden to suddenly change his mind and move immediately,but before he could do that he had to talk to his sister. Talking to his sister led to the falling action because he suddenly changed his mind to staying. The resolution happens to be when Holden finally finds something he doesn’t hate and has found hope for himself. An optimistic point of view, this happens when he is at the carousel with his sister. The last line of the book, “Don’t ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody.” epitomizes Holden as a character and provides an understanding to Holden. This whole story seemed like a funny satire with a huge amount of truth to it. First off you have a character who literally hates everything but loves anything that is young and full of innocence. He sees the world as phony but at the same time provides a realistic view on the world. I think the author's purpose of the novel was to provide a pessimistic point of view on the world.

2. Succinctly describe the theme of the novel. 

The theme of the novel is that there’s a little truth to every obscure statement. Throughout the whole novel Holden makes comments about how phony the world, the people, and things seem to be. Which at times seem pompous, but also hold a certain truth to it. For example he would say how phony his old principal was by acting different to people depending on how they look, but in the world we live in today, as sad as it seems, the physical features of a person can get them anywhere.
3. Describe the author's tone. Include a minimum of three excerpts that illustrate your point(s).

The author has a very pessimistic and dogmatic tone throughout the entire story. There’s only once or twice when the author’s tone transitions from being melancholy to hopeful. But for the majority of the time he speaks with probity.   

1.)”Then she got on. ‘Sally?’ I said.’Yes-who is this?’ she said. She was quite a little phony. I’d already told her father who it was.”

2.)”They were these very inexpensive-looking suitcases- the ones that aren’t genuine leather or anything. It isn’t important, I know, but I hate it when somebody has cheap suitcases. It sounds terrible to say it, but I can even get to hate somebody, just looking at them, if they have cheap suitcases with them”

3.) “I was sorry anyways, though. Goddam Money. It always ends up making you blue as hell.”

4.)”I felt so damn happy, if you want ot know the truth. I don’t know why. It was just that she looked so damn nice, the way she kept going around and around, in her blue coat and all”

4. Describe a minimum of ten literary elements/techniques you observed that strengthened your understanding of the author's purpose, the text's theme and/or your sense of the tone. For each, please include textual support to help illustrate the point for your readers. (Please include edition and page numbers for easy reference.)

Dialogue: Just like in Catch-22 The dialogue helped move along the story in a flowing manner and characterize Holden well. “I’m the one that’s flunking out of the goddam place, and you’re asking me to write you a goddam composition…I didn’t answer him right away. Suspense is good for some bastards like Stradlater” Pg. 28

Stream of Consciouness: Stream of consciousness helped readers develop a sense of tone of the text. Having a perspective from Holden’s point of view really helped the readers understand his character too. ”I didn’t care much. I was too depressed to care whether I had a good view or not…He was even more depressing than the room was… I’d rather be bald than do that. Anyway, what a gorgeous job for a guy around sixty-five years old.” Pg. 61

Foreshadowing: The first few pages gave a brief summary of what will happen and what the story will be about. “I’ll just tell you about this madman stuff that happened to me around last Christmas just before I got pretty run-down and had to come out here and take it easy.” Pg. 1

Allegory: This is used to show the reader that Holden has reached a point of realization that is different from his usual point of view, providing a contrast to the normal tone. “Anyway, I keep picturing all these little kids playing some gar in this big field…” Pg.  173

Diction: The choice of words that Salinger uses indirectly characterizes Holden as a character and develops a consistent tone through out the whole book.

“She looked so damn nice…God, I wish you could’ve been there” pg. 213

Anecdote: Holden uses many anecdotes through out the story to give his character more of a behinds the scene story and develop other characters who do not appear at all in his story. “Also because it has this big old madman desk in it that D.B bought off some lady alcoholic in Philadelphia, and this big, gigantic bed…” Pg. 159.

Syntax: The syntax of The Catcher in the Ryehelps add character and tone to the story because italicizing words is one of Holden’s main traits. “…she did it so sudden and all. I know you’re supposed to feel… Sexy was about the last thing I was feeling.” Pg 95

Irony: Irony is present in the majority part of the book because it helps depict Holden as a character and add on to the tone. “…When I ordered them so they could see how tall I was and all and not think I was a goddam minor. Then I watched all the phonies for awhile” Pg 142.

Repetition: Holden had a common saying throughout the book, which now defines him as an interesting character. The context in what he says it in makes readers wonder what he is trying to imply. “He killed me… That killed me” pg. 202, 203

Hubris: Salinger developed Holden to be a hubris type of character, which strings the story along very well. The whole story is about this pessimistic realistic kid who is never happy but thinks his perspective on people being phonies is the full truth to make himself seem better than everyone he meets. “The trouble is, I get to feeling sorry for them. I mean most girls are so dumb and all.” Pg. 92

CHARACTERIZATION
1. Describe two examples of direct characterization and two examples of indirect characterization.  Why does the author use both approaches, and to what end (i.e., what is your lasting impression of the character as a result)?

Two examples of direct characterization are when Holden describes himself as being  absent-minded for forgetting stuff and he is talks to one of his old friends about being psycho analyzed. Two examples of indirect characterization are how Holden interacts with random strangers he meets (which leads readers to assume that as much as he doesn’t want to believe it, he’s a people’s person) and how he’s only happy or has hope when he is around kids.  I think the author uses both approaches because Holden is a character is mainly developed by his stream of consciousness but needs other characters to get another perspective of him. Both types of characterization make him a very memorable character I actually wrote him as the most memorable character)  and leave an impression that he is someone who genuinely hates the world but only to escape the truth of reality. 

2. Does the author's syntax and/or diction change when s/he focuses on character?  How?  Example(s)?

I don’t think that the author’s syntax and diction change when they focus on the main character because the whole story is told through Holden’s point of view. So the language of the story doesn’t have a shift at all. The only time Holden’s syntax or diction change is when he converses with the face of innocence.

3. Is the protagonist static or dynamic?  Flat or round?  Explain.

The protagonist is mainly a static character through out the whole story. He doesn’t really do much besides wonder around and create internal problems with himself by making licentious decisions. But don’t let that fool you with him being a round character. Salinger made him a pessimist for a reason, he’s a character made to show the realities of life. Holden is a very complex character, calling everyone phonies yet admiring children and being a phony himself. He struggles to believe the truth, yet is one of the realist characters there are.

 
4. After reading the book did you come away feeling like you'd met a person or read a character?  Analyze one textual example that illustrates your reaction. 

After reading the book I felt like I met a person because I could relate so much to what Holden had to say. Maybe it was because I was at a low point in my life or I was feeling down, but Holden made me change my perspective on things especially with his last line in the book “Don’t ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody”. This quote honestly, as cheesy as it sounds, really puts things in perspective to me. It helped me understand a little bit more about myself. That’s when I finished reading the book, I felt like I parted from a friend. Holden is a character that doesn’t just come and go, he’s one that leaves a lasting impression.