Hexagon Activity: Symbols

The three symbols in Catcher in the Rye are Holden's red hunting hat, little Shirley Bean and mummies. The red hunting hat represents Holden's unique personality and is a way in which he alienates himself from the society. "My hunting hat really gave me quite a lot of protection, in a way, but I got soaked anyway" (212,213) It really provides Holden a sense of security and comfort. “It was freezing cold, and I took my red hunting hat out of my pocket and put it on- I don't give a damn how I looked” (88). He is trying to get close to Allie who has red hairs, so that he can keep connections with Allie forever. The little Shirley Beans represents the Holden's childhood. Breaking the record can be seen as breaking his childhood innocence. The actually meaning of the song is about the sexuality which Holden thinks phony. Holden doesn't like actors and singings by anyone who is related to Hollywood where Holden thinks full of phoniness. The mummies also show the phoniness. The mummies represent the death and the preservation of life. Holden tells Mr. Spencer that he is not engaged in the ancient Egyptians but he really finds it interesting. "Well you should. It's very interesting. They wrapped their faces up in their cloths that were treated with some secret chemical...Even modern science" (203). The different ways he tells people about himself shows his phoniness. By mentioning the mummies, Holden also thinks about the death. Back to the symbol, red hunting hat, Holden feels so insecure because his brother, Allie's death brings him the sense of disappearing. "Every time I'd get to the end of a block I'd make believe I was talking to Allie [..] 'don't let me disappear. Please, Allie'. And then I'd reach the other side of the street without disappearing" (198). Allie's death has a deadly impact on Holden. He becomes do afraid of disappearing. That's the reason why Holden always wears his hunting hat because it gives him a sense of security. When he recalls Allie, we can see the innocence that is attached to him. Holden breaks the window is like breaking the innocence. Holden feels the inequality in the world. No matter how good a person is, you can not choose your fate. The red hunting represents Holden's inability to change. He imagines himself standing in the edge of the cliff protecting kids from falling off. “Anyways, I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of Rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody's around-nobody big, I meant except me.  And I'm standing on the edge of some crazy cliff...I have to catch everybody if they start to go over”(173). Holden wants to be the catcher in the rye so that he can save the innocent kids from falling into the phony adult world. Holden's hate of the adult world can also be shown by the symbol, little Shirley Bean. “I guess the first store I went into had a copy of Shirley bean.” “I could hardly wait to go to the park to see if old phoebe was around so I could give it to her.” Holden wants to give it to Phoebe as a gift. He thinks it could help save Phoebe's innocence as a little happy girl. Overall, these three symbols are used to represent Holden's personality and emphasize the themes that the author wants to express.

Chapter 25 - 26

Retell:
Holden sleeps on the bench in the station. He, once again, feels like disappearing when he crosses the street. He calls Allie and begs him not to take him to the other side. Holden decides to leave New York and starts a life without talking to anybody. He writes a note to Phoebe to meet at the Museum. As he wanders around the school, he finds the words "F*** you" on the wall and becomes depressed. Holden tells two kids the position of the mummies where he sees another "F*** you" on the wall. He speculates that people will probably write the same words on his gravestone. Phoebe arrives with a suitcase and begs to go with Holden. Phoebe gets angry and returns his hat when Holden asks her to go back to school. Phoebe and Holden then go to the to the zoo. After that, they go to the carousel where Holden watches Phoebe go around and around, he feels so happy. Holden refuses to talk what happened after that day. He goes home and is sent the rest home where he tells his story now. He doesn't want to talk too much about his story because he is going to miss everybody. 

Relate:
I have some similar experiences as Holden has. Middle school students are quite mature compared to elementary school students. They seemed to know more about the dirty words. One day, my little brother came to my school to visit me. When he passed by the school gate, he saw some carvings with simple pictures on the gate. Then he asked me the meaning of them. I went there and had a look at them. Far beyond my imagination, the phony words " F*** you" are written clearly but in Chinese. The pictures were about two people having sex in a bed. All of a sudden, I was shocked and didn't even know how to explain to my little innocent brother. I kind of hated all the seniors at that moment. I understand why Holden is so depressed when he sees the dirty words on the wall of school. "If you had a million years to do it in, you couldn't rub out even half the 'Fuck you' signs in the world. It's impossible" (202). There are so many dirty words carved like this that will affect young kids when they them. The ugliness of the adult world is influencing young children's innocence. 

Reflect:
Holden's mental breakdown reaches the climax. When Holden sees the dirty words on the wall of the school, he is so afraid of young children being affected by the ugliness and phoniness in adult world. Holden's feeling of loneliness grows deeply in his heart when he prays to Allie not let him disappear. His interacting with Phoebe reveals his alienation and inability dealing with the challenges in adult world. His view on the world is critical and cynical, which makes him want to leave. Holden shows the first sign that he is becoming mature when he cares about Phoebe's worries and decides to stay. Holden starts to across the boundary that he builds to protect himself from the world. He starts to concern about his family and is willing to love people around him. Phoebe plays an important role in Holden life by helping him regain his innocence. Holden doesn't want to discuss more about his story,  but he seems to find the direction of his life and is willing to starts over. Holden's cynical voice continues, however, the changing of his personality is clearly viewed by us. The ending is quite ambiguous, but Holden's tone is no longer bitter when he says, "missing everybody".   


Interesting Questions:
1: What does Holden feel when he sees Phoebe go around the carousel, and why?
Holden feels so happy at that moment because all he sees is a little kid trying to grab the gold ring without thinking anything. Grabbing the golding ring represents the innocence of kids. Holden thinks that he is participating in a childhood joy and innocence and that's what Holden is trying to get throughout the novel. 

2: Why does Holden write "missing everybody" to end his novel?
It shows a significant turn in Holden's life. At this time, Holden no longer despises others but starts to love and miss everybody he has mentioned in the novel. Holden leaves a blank, but we can all see that Holden is not bitter anymore and he turns softer and mature as an adult. 


Predict:
Holden starts to open his heart and try to communicate and love people around him. At the end of the novel, Holden writes "missing everybody", which means he in no longer critical about people like Stradlater, Mr. Spencer and Mr. Antolini, etc. He becomes mature and starts to live like an adult. 


Media component: 



Obviously, this picture shows the growth of a plant. I think it also represent Holden's growing throughout the chapters. We are appreciating that Holden finally steps into the adult world, like a plant seed finally grows up to become a plant. The dirty soil represents the cruel adult world that Holden has experienced. The roots have to be deep inside the soil to absorb the water and nutrients in order to grow. Holden's maturity comes from the his pain of growing up.

Chapter 22 -24

Retell:
Holden explains how he hates about the school, but Phoebe responses by blaming him of hating everything. When Holden answers that the only thing he likes is Allie, Phoebe reminds him angrily that Allie is dead. Holden imagines that he wants to be the catcher standing at the edge of the cliff and saving children from falling down. Holden calls Mr. Antolini, Holden's previous English teacher, for a meet. Holden goes back to the room and dances with Phoebe for a while. When their parents come back, Holden snuffs out the cigarette, jumps into a closet and hides until his mother leaves the room. Holden tells Phoebe his plan to move to the west alone. Phoebe loans him her Christmas money, and Holden gives Phoebe his hunting hat. Holden goes to Mr. Antolini's house where they just finish a party. Holden talks about his hates in Pencey and Mr. Antolini mentions his debate class with Holden. They argue the topic of Holden's fall in life may separate himself from the rest of the world. Holden thinks Mr. Antolini makes homosexual advance on him when he strokes Holden's head, so Holden leaves.

Relate:
After experiencing the loneliness and alienation from the rest of the world, Holden finds himself happier when talking to Phoebe. Even though I haven't experienced too much in adult's world, I still find that the little kids are always innocent and pure. As I gradually grow up, I start to meet many new things and issues that bring me worries and sadness. At this time, I find myself really love to talk to my little brother because he doesn't know anything. I talk to him in a childish tone so that I can pretend myself to be a child who doesn't need to worry about anything. Like the way Holden talks with Phoebe, "She always listens when you tell her something. She really does" (167). Young kids are innocent and you don't need to worry about what they will criticize on you when you tell them something. You always have a good impression in their hearts. Young kids have not experienced the pain of growing up, so their minds are full of purity. Therefor, having a little brother could be a fortune for me because he always raises my kindness and innocence hidden deeply inside my heart.

Reflect:
The conversation between Holden and Pheobe was pretty pure, unlike the way he talks to others, Holden loves talking to Pheobe and he never lies to her. In these chapters, Holden's personality becomes to change. He expresses his inner feeling directly to the readers by telling Pheobe that he wants to be the catcher so that he can save little kids from falling off the cliff. Holden begins to see the pain of growing up, so he wants to protect the innocent kids from the cruel adulthood, which also corresponds to the title of the book. His talking with Mr. Antolini make him think more about the problem that if he can handle the environment. The homosexual advance that Mr. Antolini makes on Holden has a deep impact on his thoughts in sexuality. We can see that Holden realizes his mental problem, but we are not sure if he wants to move forward or not. The language keeps sharp, but the tone becomes bitter rather than cynical. The theme is that Holden begins to see the painful loneliness and alienation that he creates for himself and starts to thinking about them.

Interesting Questions:
1: Why does Holden call his teacher Mr. Antolini while refer Mr. Spencer as "Old Spencer"?
Holden respects Mr. Antolini's intelligence and his former thoughts. However he dislikes old Spencer's poor heath condition and his boring lectures. By comparing the two teacher's styles, Holden is definitely attracted by Mr. Anotolini's former minds.

2: If Holden meets an attractive women in the field, what do you think Holden will do?
Holden probably likes her very much, but he wouldn't have any sex with her. In Holden's opinion, having sex with her without even telling the rest of the world is still not appropriate. In Holden's deep heart, he thinks it is wrong to have sex with that girl. 

Predict:
Holden will become a bit mature in later chapters because he already sees the cruelty of the adult world and wants to protect children from falling off the adulthood. Holden starts to think about his transitions from a child to an adult. Even though he hasn't show where he wants to approach, but he is definitely becoming a bit mature. 

Media Component:

This picture shows what Holden wants to do in these chapters. He stands in the edge of the cliff saving children from falling off to the place where he refers as "adult world". Obviously, Holden wants to protect the innocence of the children, which also reflects that he wants to find his innocence back to save his personality and current situation. 

Chapter 12 - 13

Retell: 
On the way to a nightclub, Holden keeps asking the cab driver, Horwitz, about where the ducks in the Central Park lagoon go. The driver gets very angry at his question. In the nightclub, Holden listens to Ernie play the piano where he finds very boring. Holden feels depressed when he listens to the phony conversations around him. He meets a girl, whom D.B used to date with, and he feels annoying and leaves. Holden walks forty-one blocks back to hotel. He imagines a conversation with the thief who stole his gloves in Pency. Holden meets a elevator operator who offers a prostitute for him, Holden accepted. Then, the prostitute, named Sunny, comes into his room and starts seduce Holden by removing her dress and sitting on his lap. Holden feels very nervous and tells her that he can't have sex because he just had an operation on his "clavichord". He pays her money and asks her to leave. Sunny demands more money but Holden refuses her. 

Relate:
I sometime also feel kind of isolated from the rest of the world, because I couldn't understand the way people act around me. For example, my friend and I went to see a speech made by an excellent graduate from our school. That guy was no more than ten years odder than us. He just acted like he was extremely more mature and superior than us. He lectured us like an adult. Even though I admit that he is a genius especially compared to me, he wouldn't miss any chances that he could show off. The audiences were ridiculous and applauding extremely crazy like he had the highest level of achievement that nobody could reach. People are extremely phony and I certainly had the same feeling as Holden has. "people always clap for the wrong things" (84). Holden thinks people are crazy and phony when they are applauding for the piano player who plays terrifically. I can feel how Holden hates those people when they lose their minds. 

Reflect: 
Holden's personality gets developed deeply through his interacting with people. Holden's loneliness and alienation become clear in these two chapters. Holden sits alone in the nightclub and listens to the phony conversation around him. These actions make Holden seem lonely and aliened from the rest of the world. He pretends to be an adult when ordering the drinks, but everybody could recognize that he is just a teenager. Holden tries to get involved and interacts with people, but he thinks people are phony and that makes him uncomfortable. As a narrator, Holden's unreliability continues to grow. He takes many strange actions without any explanation, which shows his unreliable character.  His physical arouse for girls doesn't match his mental emotion when facing a sexual issue. He has a clear problem with handling the issue in the world, which reveals his deep disconnection and isolation. The language he uses keeps criticized and the tone becomes more cynical.The theme is that Holden's loneliness and isolation from the world contributes to his personality and it also reveals his cracked mental health. 

Interesting Questions:
 1: Why does Holden care about the ducks in the Central Park lagoon?
Holden thinks the ducks are lonely and homeless as him. He cares about where the ducks go in winter as if he worries about himself about where he belongs in such a depressing time in his life. 

2: Why does Holden pretend himself to be an adult in the nightclub?
Holden pretends to be an adult and to be mature so that he can perceptively see details behind everybody. The more he pretends to be mature, the more he is actually immature. He has trouble understanding the world so he tries to hide himself by pretending he knows a lot. 

Predict: 
I think Holden will keep having trouble interacting with people. His depression and loneliness bring himself severe mental disease. The distinct behavior Holden has will annoy others and it will cause him more isolated from people. 

Media Component: 



This picture shows a strong feeling of depression and alienation. It makes me feel so depressed. Holden's depression and isolating from the rest of the world give readers a strong impression. People with similar emotions can have more communications by this picture. 

Chapter 8-11

Retell: 

Holden catches the late train to New York where he meets the mother of his classmate, Ernest Morrow. Holden tells lies to his mother about his popularity in school even through Holden dislikes him. Holden gives the mother a wrong name and claims he goes New York for a brain tumor operation. After gets off the train, Holden goes through a long list of names that he wants to call but he fails. He shows his strong feeling of calling Jane. On the way to a hotel, Holden tries to make a conversation with the driver about where the duck go in winter, but the driver is uninterested. Holden feels aroused in hotel and calls a girl he meets in a party for a date, but she refuses. Before Holden goes to a nightclub, he thinks about Phoebe, his younger sister, and describes how she is unusually intelligent and mature which is the similar description that he gives to Aliie. In the club, Holden dances with three girls who are from Seattle. The girls seem uninterested in Holden but look around for a movies star.Holden recalls Jane about the summer that they become closer because Jane's stepfather asks her for cigarettes but Jane refuses to answer him. Holden kisses Jane to comfort her from crying. Then, their relationship turns improved. They hold each other's hand and feel happy. Holden then awakes and suddenly feels upset. 

Relate: 

Holden tells a lot of lies in these chapters especially when he makes up the story to the mother of one of his classmate on the train. I seldom lie to people because I'm uncomfortable with lying, but I certainly lied to someone. She is my friend in China. One day, we went out for dinner together and on the way to the restaurant, we started talking about where we wanted to go after graduated from school. Then she started telling me how she ever went to America and experienced lots of fun in her travel. When she asked me where I'd ever been to, I suddenly felt a bit ashamed because I had not been anywhere. What I did to save my vanity was that I told her I'd been to England and it was an amazing travel. I lied because I didn't want to be embarrassed. However, Holden lies because he likes to so just for fun. "Then I started shooting the old crap around a little bit." (55). Holden tells the opposite fact in order to tease or make a good impression for the mother.  Holden doesn't want to have a deep interacting with the mother, so he lies with no pressure and he seems having a lot of fun. 

Reflect: 
Holden leaves school and starts hanging around near the hotel and nightclubs where he pretends himself an adult. He describes how he interacts with all kinds of people. However, his behavior becomes more and more desperate and we can clearly see his trouble mind even he tries to hide it: calling a girl you never know in the middle night, telling lies to the mother of his classmate and flirting with girls who are uninterested in him. Holden admits that he is a bit different from a normal man by showing that he is never in mood of doing anything, "If you're not in the mood, you can't do that stuff right." (63). I think that Holden never gets in the right mood since his brother died and it may explain his strange behavior.
Holden' narrative sends us a signal that the story is more than what he describes. The strong willing of interacting people reveals Holden's loneliness. The recall of Jane also shows us that Holden is not happy currently. He easily gets angry and depressed but he never tells the reason. It gets deeper in Holden's character development. 

Interesting Questions:

1: Why does Holden lie to the mother of his classmate?

Holden lies with no explanations. He gets used to lying because he does not feel secure to talk seriously with strangers and tries to keep a safe distance from them by telling lies.  

2: Holden seems especially wanting to call Jane, but why he does not call her?

Holden wants to see Jane but he thinks he is not ready to see her. Holden is apparently afraid of meeting Jane because he does not want Jane to see his current situation. 

3: What is Holden's inner feeling when he is dancing with the three girls who are not interested in him?

Holden feels lonely and not being respected by the girls' expectations on the movie star. It reveals Holden's loneliness from deep of his heart.

Prediction: 

I think Holden will encourage himself to meet with Jane because from his memories, we can see his deep emotional connection with Jane. Holden feels happy when staying with Jane because Jane maintains a pure position in Holden's deep heart. 

Media Component (Theme Song):

https://youtu.be/91fcg5X0278

This video is about a song, Alien, by Britney Spears. The reason why I choose it is that the lyrics reveals Holden's inner emotion of loneliness and isolation. When she sings, "There was a time I was one of a kind lost in the world of me, myself and I was lonely then, like an alien", Holden also feels himself disappear when across the road, " After I got across the road, I felt like I was sort of disappearing, ... and you felt like you were disappearing every time you cross a road" (5). The singer and Holden are all kind of lonely and sort of not existing in the world, like an alien. The song is pretty sad and depressing which has the similar feeling as Holden has. 

Chapter 2 - 7

Retell:

Holden goes in to Mr. Spencer's sickroom to say goodbye. Mr. Spencer tries to lecture Holden by reminding his academic failures and forcing him to listen to Holden's terrible essay. Mr. Spencer convinces Holden to think about his future. Holden interrupts Spencer and leaves. Holden sits and reads the book with his hunting hat. Ackley barges in and starts to annoy him by cutting fingernails and squeezing pimples. Ackley lives next door and has disgusting personal habits. Holden contrasts Stradlater and Ackley on their personal habits, showing Stradlater is a "secret slob". Stradlater asks Holden to write a English composition for him. They talk about Jane, the girl Stradlater dates with. Holden and his friends go to Agerstown to see movie. Holden writes Allie into his composition, mentioning that Allie, his brother, is nicest but dead from leukemia two years ago. Holden describes how he breaks the window on the night Allie died. Stradlater is angry at Holden's composition and refuses to talk about his date. Holden insults him and they fight. Holden talks with Ackley and sleeps in the bed of Ackley's roommate. He cannot stop imagining Jane dating with Stradlater, so he packs up and leaves the school in the midnight. He yells to the boys on his floor before leaving. 

Relate:
I think life is a game that people have to play by the rules. Everywhere around the world have its own rules. Playing by rules will keep me on track of my pathway to a better life. There might be some moments that I feel bitter about my life. I'm not good at dealing with family relationships. I remembered once I quarreled fiercely with my mom on the issue of what time should we go to bed. For me, as a young teenager, I demanded to go to bed later around eleven o'clock, but my mom considered more about my health by forcing me to go to bed at nine o'clock. I wouldn't even finish my homework at that time, so I argued and yelled loudly to her and even threw the cups to the ground. However, I was defeated by her stronger personality. I was so depressed like Holden, "I'd only been in about two fights in my life, and I lost both of them" (45). Holden lost the fight with his roommate while I lost on the debate with my mom. It's a kind of feeling that I can't put into words. Only at that time, I can feel the life bitter like Holden's feeling. 

Reflect:

Holden's interacting with peers and teachers does not seem very comfortable. Holden always criticize on the people around him. Holden describes Pency as full of "phonies", including the headmaster. He doesn't want to live in this kind of environment. Holden narrates the story in a cynical voice to shows his strong negative feeling on his surroundings. His language keeps uncivilized by speaking rudely. Obviously, his language shows that he is immature and not ready to get into the cruel adult world. It is the hypocrisies and ugliness of the external world that drags him into the realistic adult world. He dreams that everybody in the world would be innocent and nice as his brother, Allie. However, his ideal world disappears as he gradually loses his innocence when facing the "phonies" around him. Holden tries to create a boundary that could keep him on the safe side when he interacts with people, and that boundary is Holden's lies. As a result, Holden becomes more lonely and depressed. The theme is that Holden's depression and loneliness are not only caused by Allie's death and but also caused by the phonies around him. 

Interesting Questions:
1: Why does Holden become so angry when Stradlater refuses to talk about his date with Jane?
Jane is one of the few people that Holden treats with his true heart. Holden cannot think about Stradlater having sex with Jane because it ruined his feeling on Jane. 

2: Why does Holden yell an insult to the boys in the hallway on his way out?
Holden feels good escaping from this phony environment and his yell is considered as an irony to the boys that are still surrounded by phonies. He is kind of laughing at those boys and tries to hide his loneliness. 


Prediction: 
Holden will probably indulge himself for a while because he is being so depressed and needs to release himself from the phonies arounded. Holden may experience something that will bring him either further breakdown or back to normal.

Media Component:


This is a picture about a person's loneliness and I think it has some sort of connections with Holden. As we can see, Holden is a lonely guy and his peers are not considered as him true friends. Allie's death and the phony external environment causes him to hide himself from others.  Loneliness is a main part of Holden's personality.