Hammond, 1 Maeve Hammond Mrs.

Rutan AP Literature and Composition 14 October 2013 Holden Caulfield Thinks Youre a PhonyBut Why? Literature is a lot like a recipe card. How so? Any book aficionado, or anyone who has ever read out of a cookbook, might ponder this question. Of course, simmering chicken noodle soup hardly whips-up a readers anticipation like literature does during a pivotal plot twist; however, both literature and recipes have similar aspects. Think of a recipe card that has been passed down in a family for generations: the same essential ingredients are used and the basic process is followed, but each person who recreates the dish makes changes. A different choice of stock may be used to suit the cooks likings, and chicken may be substituted for tofu to accommodate the vegetarian in the familybut the soup is still identifiable. The same goes with literature: main ideas, motifs, and representations have been used throughout the history of literature, but each author puts his or her own spin on them to create a unique story. In How to Read Literature Like a Professor, author Thomas C. Foster highlights common threadslike plot-structures, themes, and certain symbolsrecreated in literature throughout time. Authors do not necessarily copy from other text; however, they do borrow certain wellknown ideas from other works in order to establish a better connection between their book and their audience. An authors common thread inclusions are like adding seasonings to a soup: different measurements of spices are used to enhance the flavor, not overpower it. Sometimes the author subtly adds threadsother times, the author uses certain themes to dictate his or her story. The topics discussed by Foster, which are included in nearly all forms of literature, are communion, seasons, ironic situations, and geography. Fosters key ideas were exemplified by

Hammond, 2 J.D Salinger, who seemingly used the soup method when writing his novel, The Catcher in the Rye, which portrays a cynical teenagers excursion in New York City. Communion between New Yorkers and The Catcher in the Ryes protagonist, Holden, is depicted in nearly every chapter of the novel. As Foster explains, communion is sharing with someone elsebe it opposing or correlating beliefs, feelings towards one another, or even just food and a drink. However, especially in literature, communion doesnt need to be holy. Or even decent (Foster, 9). In Catcher, sharing is between the characters, and between Holden and the audience. We are given an insight into Holdens perceptions of the people with whom he is eating. Each time Holden indulges in communion, he encounters different types of people in society; however, no matter the person, Holden regards them with animosity and accusations of phoniness during the dinner. Holden meets a hoity-toity mother, nave women in their midthirties, virile young men, flippant love interests, and a conceited intellectualand he has a judgment of each of them. In one scene, Holden observes the people around him at a club, which he describes as being surrounded by jerks (Salinger, 85). Specifically, he has a lengthy criticism about a couple on a date: the man was the most boring guy [he] ever listened to and you could tell his date wasnt even interested but she funny-looking so she had to listen (Salinger, 85). His presumptions completely altered, and soiled, the attitude of the date and the personalities of the couple. As each sort of person shares his or her personality and social standing, Holden reacts with hostility towards their perceived pretentiousness. Although Holdens company is seemingly genuine, he is convinced each person he talks to is shrouded in a faade of fakeness. Salinger made communion scenes so pivotal in order to create a foundation of recognizable human beings

Hammond, 3 the audience sees in society; this creates a deep-rooted connection for the audience and allows us to understand why Holden holds such acrimony towards them. Salinger employs wintertime as both an ideal representation of Holdens cold personality and as reasoning for Holdens actions. Foster describes winter in literature with old age and resentment and death (Foster, 178); each trait of Fosters winter is symbolically presented in Holden. Although Holden a teenager, he is old in a sense: physically, he is tall, attractive, and already has grey hairs. Also, he is mentally weary with the bitterness he has accumulated by observing and criticizing humanity. Likewise, Holden mentions death throughout Catcher: his brother Allie passed away, and Holden often thinks about committing suicide. Wintertime also acts resourcefully to bide Holdens time after he learns of his expulsion from school. During Christmas break, Holden escapes Pency Prep and travels to New York City. The leisure of break both allows him to discover himself as a young adult during his unaccompanied voyage and to avoid admitting his premature dismissal to his family. Holden plans to take a room in a hotel in New York till [his parents] thoroughly digested it all (Salinger, 51). Wintertime also allows the audience to become acquainted with Holdens actions regarding the memories of his siblings. The cold weather incites Holden to buy a ridiculouslooking red hunting hat, which he wears with the old peak [swung] way around to the front, very corny (Salinger, 18). Although the hat is silly, Holden transforms into a more confident, self-assured being when he wears it. The red color of the hat is significant: when Holden discusses the intelligence and kindness his late brother Allie possessed, he reasons Allies powerful characteristics were based on the kind of red hair he had (Salinger, 32). When Holden slips on the red hat, he acquires Allies red hairand his power. Additionally, the holiday season provokes Holden to think of his siblings, who are the only people he ever admires

Hammond, 4 in all of Catcher; the audience is able to see that Holden does have true compassion and love amidst his resentment, although this side of him is often masked with pessimism. Salinger elaborates on Holdens naivety by employing the twisted humor of ironic situations. As the audience becomes accustomed to the thoughts and actions of Holden, we are taken aback when our protagonist does not follow the codes he set-up for himself as a character: the meaning of our characters motives are signifiers to indicate the authors message, and the signifier doesnt have to be used in the planned way [its] meaning can be deflected from the expected meaning (Foster, 239). Holden sees himself as very unpretentious and unique compared the people he adjacently lives life with. It is ironic when Holden says, real ugly girls have it tough I feel so sorry for them sometimes (Salinger, 84). Holden is fixated on beauty and physical appearances, as he both calls himself very attractive and almost always comments on the looks of others; therefore, he does a poor job of maintaining his selfproclaimed veracity of being down-to-earth. Holden only shows admiration towards his three siblings, one of them being his older brother DB; however, he also has some ill will towards DB. Holdens brother is an exceptional writer, yet he is described as out in Hollywood being a prostitute (Salinger, 2). DB isnt a prostitute in a literal sense: Holden uses this word to display the betrayal he feels that his brother is selling-out by writing Hollywood screenplays. Lastly, although Holden prides himself as perceptive, his child sibling Phoebe actually has a better grasp on reality. For example, when Holden visits Phoebe and tells her he was expelled from his school, she responds with, You did get kicked out! You did! Daddyll kill you (Salinger, 165). Unlike ten-year-old Phoebe, Holden is still too immature to understand the repercussions of his dismissal. Clearly, Salinger implemented ironic situations to emphasis Holdens youth and childishness.

Hammond, 5 Salinger specifically chose the geographical setting of New York City to give his audience a better understanding of Holdens character; in effect, geography was a metaphor for the psyche (Foster, 170) in Catcher. Holden escapes Pency to rid himself of both his failed education and the school phonies, and he travels to his home in NYC. Pency is in Pennsylvania, which is considered a more reserved land for safety and intellectuality, as opposed to the chaotic, dangerous NYC. Holdens travel represents his transition from a structured lifestyle to complete freedom in his quest for individuality. Additionally, geographical settings run in parallel to the way people talk and act. Throughout Holdens experience in New York, he uses a certain vernacular to describe his fantasy of the fakeness everyone adapts once they are entered into adulthood. The tone he uses is always negative, which exemplifies his immaturity and his disdain towards perceived bogus adults-like situations. Some of his vocabulary includes offensive swearing, although he also employs less-insulting words like phony, lousy, corny, and crumby. To ensure a dramatic exit from Pency, Holden even shrieked sleep tight, ya morons! (Salinger, 52) before departing to NYC. The use of crude vernacular in large, grimy cities represents the publics brazen, discourteous attitude; this big city brashness is transcended to the pages of Catcher, as Holdens word choice is based on the roughness Holden has experience while living in NYC. It is almost as if Foster wrote a recipe for understanding literary genius. Seemingly, Foster patterned his discussions in How to Read Literature Like a Professor specifically after The Catcher in the Rye. This is probably not the case. By using the soup method of adding sprinkles, dollops, or chunks of common threads into literature concoctions, authors have allowed themes like communion, seasons, ironic situations, and geography to transcend throughout time.

Hammond, 6 Citations for Books:

Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown, 1951. Pages 2-165. Print

Foster, Thomas C. How to Read Literature like a Professor: A Lively and Entertaining Guide to Reading between the Lines. New York: Quill, 2003. Pages 9-239. Print.