"Among other things, you'll find that you're not the first person who
was ever confused and frightened and even sickened by human behavior.
You're by no means alone on that score, you'll be excited and stimulated
to know. Many, many men have been just as troubled morally and
spiritually as you are right now. Happily, some of them kept records of
their troubles. You'll learn from them - if you want to. Just as
someday, if you have something to offer, someone will learn something
from you. It's a beautiful reciprocal arrangement. And it isn't
education. It's history. It's poetry."
Ch. 24 page 189
I chose this section from the book to be my paraphrase because of how it summed up almost everything Holden Caulfield has thought throughout the book, but never expressed. Caulfield's previous teacher explains to Holden exactly how he is feeling, but he has a positive response to it. He lets him know that he is not alone in this world but also that he is going to learn something amazing from it. Throughout this novel, man vs. society is played out perfectly. Holden is in a constant battle with a phony society, where everyone seems to think and act for themselves. No one truly cares what you are thinking or how you feel. People throughout the story that Holden encounters are fake and show it without possibly knowing or with completely knowing. Holden was always commenting about the people he met or knew and how they acted. For example on page 73, "...because they were too ignorant." He also states on page 28, "...gives me a royal pain in the a**. I mean if somebody yawns right while they're asking you to do them a favor." All in all I see Holden's old teacher Mr. Antolini expressing to Holden that he is not and will not be the only person that is sickened by the phoniness of people in today's society. On a bright note, Mr. Antolini reminds Holden that he can take good from the bad, by reading other people's stories on how they perceive human behavior. Not only can he read, but he can also write and help others who are struggling with the same things as he does. It is overall a perfectly written passage from the book that helps Holden to grasp what is happening and to be able to move on with his life, knowing that there are good things to come.
I like the background! When using direct quotations:
ReplyDelete"Text word for word" (21). Only the page number goes inside of the ( ) and then the period goes on the outside of the ( ).
In reference to the post: it is easy to get frustrated with people and their "phoniness". I worry when frustration turns to disappointment and that turns to resentment...I love the teacher gave avenues for Holden's frustration.