Phoniness..

Holden often talks about people being phony. By nature he is a very judgmental person and we see that whenever he meets someone new or introduces them to the story. I think that Holden calls people phony that act or try to act like everyone else or try to fit in to a certain group or stereotype. I think this shows that Holden writes people off immediately after judging them, not getting to know them enough to form a real opinion of them.

As for phoniness in our society, a lot of kids and young adults think that their lives will be made better, that they'll have more friends, if they fit in to a certain stereotype or have more money, etc.

Personally, I don't think that Holden is phony. He doesn't know how to be. As far as I can tell, he doesn't care at all what people think about him and he isn't trying to project an image of someone he wants to be. He flunked out of a 'prestigious' school and wears a strange-looking hat.

Finally, I think that it is possible to grow up in America and not be phony but it's really hard. It's hard to not project an image of yourself of who you want to be rather than who you really are.

I don't remember what the third post this week was supposed to be :(

Sympathy, Empathy, or Judgement?

After reading the first four chapters of The Catcher In the Rye I decided that I am sympathetic for Holden. Stradlater is doing better in school, more athletic, and better looking than him and is taking the girl he likes on a date and doesn't even know her name. Holden is lonely because he doesn't have any friends; he isn't close with his roomate or Ackley, who he just makes fun of. Even though he makes Ackley seem like a gross person who has nothing to live for, they are both very similar  in the way that neither of them have friends. Also, neither of them went to the football game. My general impression of Holden thus far is that he is lonely because he doesn't try in school or outside of school to make friends or be connected with anybody or anything.

What is the difference between adulthood and childhood? When do you move from one to the other? Are you looking forward to becoming an adult? Why or why not?

Technically, you're not a child anymore once you turn 18. But it's much more than just age that separates children from adults. Children haven't experienced as much and are more naive. We're more carefree and fun and everything that comes with being young. Adults may have more freedom to do what they want but carry the weight of the world on their shoulders. They have much more responsibility and problems to worry about solving. Even with all the benefits of being an adult, I don't think it's worth it to have to worry about everything all the time. Don't get me wrong, I'm looking forward to all the freedom and privileges that come with being an adult, but what I'm not looking forward to is all the worry and responsibility. I know that it's inevitable if I don't want to be a homeless person but it doesn't sound as fun as being a kid. We can get away with a lot without getting more than a slap on the wrist or a small fine. If you do that same stuff when you're an adult you'll probably get fired from whatever job you have and maybe ruin your chances for a better one.