Romans 12:2- Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
This verse is the center of my project. I came upon it about a week ago and it clicked with everything I had been thinking about for my project. God is my rock and my strength, so it was very comforting to be my reminded that God wants me to be me. He gave me this life to be me and only me. He has given me this opportunity to do something great with my life not for my benefit, but for others. So here's the plan...
I want to inspire people, because I have been inspired by words, the thoughts, and feelings of someone else. I think that, that in itself is inspiring; the fact that you can be so moved to do something because of the words you read. Reading has generated my words, thoughts, and feelings for not only my project, but my life as well. I want others to feel the same way I felt after reading this book. I know I won't have the power to have everyone read The Catcher in the Rye or connect to it the same way I did, but I do have the power to relate with students. Just as JD Salinger inspired me with Holden Caulfield's story so did the Bible verse that is why I'm incorporating the two. I want to be the catcher in the rye. I want to help those who feel like they've completely lost who they are or feel like they've had to conform to what society thinks is "normal."
I would like to speak to the incoming freshman class about the importance of being yourself. I find it important to speak to everyone about staying true to who you are, but I find it especially important because of the changes you go through as a freshman. Peer pressures seem to rise and people change dramatically. I would like to bring a panel of different students already in the high school to talk about their experiences of being true to who they are. I've thought about having the 8th graders (incoming freshman) write down several things that they enjoy, describes them, or anything that a friend of theirs or someone they're close to doesn't know about them. I've also thought about introducing them to an online diary that I found that would be a great way to express your feelings and who you are with the ability to put pictures and to personalize it to who you are.
I am always up for ideas from anyone who would like to share their thoughts and I might be posting new ideas about my project in the near future!
JD Salinger's novel A Catcher in the Rye has generated a great deal of controversy over the years. Some argue that Salinger's works are not authentic or no longer have relevance for a modern audience.
ReplyDeleteDo you feel that Holden Caulfield represents a believable character? You mention the importance of being true to one's self. Does Holden's character exemplify this trait? What leads you to this conclusion? What are your thoughts on the conclusion?
Those are great questions.. I do believe that Holden Caulfield represents a believable character, because I have some Holden Caulfield in me and I believe that there are many other people in our world that hold true to many of Holden's characteristics. At times I felt that Holden's character portrayed someone who didn't care what others thought, that he was in fact staying true to himself, but I also felt at times that he let society take over and he somewhat 'drowned' in their ways of thinking. Overall, I felt that Holden went mad. He was burnt out by the phoniness of the people he dealt with on a daily basis. It was hard for him to connect to others because of his ways of thinking. Thus, I believe that many people feel this way due to the pressures of having to live up to what society thinks is 'normal.'
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