Dear AP students:
Holden Caulfield is such a liar!!! He admits it on
page 16. And then he tells us that he lied to a woman on the train--the
one who was a mother of a kid from Pencey. He tells that lady some
outrageous lies about him and his son.
Ordinarily, we wouldn't trust a character who admits to being a
liar. First, he would be considered an "unreliable
narrator". We wouldn't be able to trust anything he says as
true. Second, he might not be a character we liked.
However, we seem to trust his narration. We
think we are tapped into his most inner thoughts. And so many readers
like him, or find him fascinating to follow.
Related to all this is the important fact
that the story is told from a 1st person Point of View (POV).
So
how does JD Salinger get away with the reader trusting Holden Caulfield?
And liking him well enough to keep reading? What techniques does he use
to allow this to happen? How might this story be different if it was told from
a third person POV?
In response to this post, I understand that readers of Catcher in the Rye are easily convinced and deceived into thinking Holden Caulfield is trustworthy and reliable. JD Salinger reveals Caulfield's personal and inner thoughts about many characters in the story. By doing so, the readers become more familiar with the characters as well as their personalities through Caulfield's words. In the novel, JD Salinger discloses about many of the characters in the story, revealing only how Caulfield perceives them primarily through Caulfield's judgments and past experiences with certain characters. As the narrator reveals his own perspective of people, especially himself, the readers gain more interest and knowledge which helps the story progress. JD Salinger's use of expressive emotions uncovers Caulfield's own persona and character. The way the narrator informs readers about specific characters allows for readers to easily develop trust in the narrator because it proves that the readers have no background knowledge and must trust Caulfield as a narrator. The story would be different if it was told in third person because it would tell the story through an observer's perspective. I assume that it would be more difficult for readers to trust Caulfield in a third person point of view because the narrator is not acknowledging himself personally and is not directly addressing the readers of the novel. If this novel was told from a third person point of view, the relationship between the narrator and readers would not be as intimate. Additionally, if the story was told in third person point of view, I imagine the readers to have less interest in reading the book because readers would have limited knowledge on Holden's outlook of life.
ReplyDelete-Micah Rodriguez
I agree with my peer Micah. I feel like Holden Caulfield describes and narrates JD Salinger with descriptive characteristics as a person in a way where we are able to relate to him, leaving us with no choice but to trust him. The author does not mention much of Holden's past in full detail, which also contributes to the reason on why we trust him. In my opinion, I think this story told from a third person POV would definitely change the audience's view towards the book and Holden overall because there would be a distinguished difference within the two writing skills between the character and the author. Holden would be able to give us a clear and better understanding of the events in his life in full detail in comparison to the author, who would not be able to provide such writing.
DeleteI agree with my peer Micah in the sense that a third-person perspective would not be nearly as intimate compared to a first-person point of view. Though Holden is inherently an unreliable narrator based on the facts that he resides in a mental institution at the time of writing and that he admits to being a great liar, us readers still trust Holden’s retelling of his story because of his outspoken persona that he establishes. Throughout The Catcher in the Rye, Holden does not shy away from detailing his opinions of others: from significant individuals like Allie Caulfield to randomly encountered people like the cab driver Horowitz, our narrator—whether positively or negatively—passes quick judgment on them. In the end, we can feel a close connection to Holden. Author J.D. Salinger shows us a tale from the perspective of an angsty teen that the majority of us can relate to. If the novel was told from a third-person point of view, this aspect of being connected to the narrator would cease to exist. If the novel were to be told omnisciently, there would be much less intimacy with the story.
ReplyDelete-Brenden Gregorio
I agree with Brenden in his statement that the story would not be as intimate if told from a third person point of view. It is the story of a single individual in a hard time in his life, and it would not give us a good understanding of his feelings. Holden wears his heart on his sleeve and keeps very little secret to his readers which is one of the reasons why we can believe him as a storyteller. Also, he would gain little from lying. The majority of the story is his judgements of himself or someone else both of which are typically harsh. He even describes his intimate thoughts of suicide and depression to the readers. There are no crucial statements in the book that would completely change the story in my opinion. Therefore, there is no reason not to trust Holden’s statements. Finally, Holden admits to using lying as a sort of sport. However, he admits to the readers the truth along with an explanation of why he lied. His admiration for the Great Gatsby may derive from Gatsby’s constant but convincing lies. In both cases they lie to people unnecessarily, and they struggle to keep touch with reality becoming pathological liars. It is hard to understand why Holden lies but still calls people phony. If I was to personally know Holden, I would be cautious in believing him. However, as a narrator, he is reliable because he keeps nothing secret to us letting us live his best and worst memories.
DeleteI agree with Brenden I feel as if the story was told in a third-person point of view I wouldn't have been as interested and I would not have trusted Holden at all due to us knowing all these negative things about him from an outside view it would not have caused the connection I found in first-person. Having a first-person point of view has made me feel close to Holden, Holden straight out admits his flaws to us so despite him being a compulsive lier at times he has not done anything for me not to trust him because he told us that he does these things. I believe Holden gets away with us being able to trust him because I personally felt a little bit of a connection of a friend that I have that reminded me a bit like Holden and throughout the story Holden has flaws that many of us may have but not as severe. I believe he got away with us trusting him by him just completely keeping it real with his opinions of everything he speaks about.
DeleteEarlier in the novel, I found myself to be unable to enjoy Holden Caulfield being a narrator because of his negative attitude. However, as the "The Catcher in the Rye" had progressed, I find the narrator to be someone who I can oddly find to be reliable. The thoughts the narrator share are uncommon compared to other novels and I find it very interesting that we are in Holden Caulfield's mind untapped. There are no restrictions here, just a balance of thoughts from negative and positive interpretations of the narrator’s life. We are in the mind of a psychopath and that simply adds another dimension to the text. I believe JD Salinger gets away with the reader trusting the narrator because as readers we are getting to understand his tendencies and characteristics that make Holden Caulfield him. As a result, the recollection given throughout the novel seems to accurately describe what has gone on in Holden's life. If the novel was presented in third person, I cannot say I would be as interested as this specific version of the novel. Third person lacks a true in depth analysis of the character based on inside features and only focuses on outside ones. Imagine if the novel was given in third person. The novel would state, “he went to his little sisters' school to say farewell,"(mentioned later in the novel) and other vague quotations and overviews without insight and understanding of how the main character feels. Overall, readers would lose reason to really trust the recollection of past events as only what is evident to others could be shared rather than the emotion that is shared currently with readers. Point of view is extremely important and I believe JD Salinger hits a home run with a first person point of view.
ReplyDeleteIt is evident that JD Salinger, in a way makes the main character, Holden Caulfield, appear honest though he is a liar. He is able to convince the reader of doing so in that from the beginning Holden is very upfront about his views of the world and those who surround him, he seems to have his surroundings figured out all while remaining completely detached and unaffected by what he thinks is used as propaganda to steer him and anyone else away from what is really reality. The reader develops a like for Caulfield because though he shies away from going into depth with characteristics of himself they always appear. He's big on things being phony and shows a clear distaste for all things associated with the word. In the novel, JD Salinger uses Caulfields perceptions and interactions with different characters to allow us to become acquainted with that specific character as well as allowing us the chance to observe what Holden perceives of them and the feelings he holds in regard of them. In other words, Caulfield is made out to be a relatable figure within the novel. He, like most teens, put up resistance toward authoritive beings and adults as we tend to see their actions as a facade rather than what is real. When writing in the view point of Holden, JD Salinger, remains consistent in his use of diction, allowing the reader to gage that Holden is very much like them in a sense that he speaks like an everyday person, i.e. his use of slang and frequented and unnecessary expletives. I don't think the story would be as interesting when told through third person POV for the simple fact that I think it'd be harder to connect with a character as complex as Holden without being able to see his first hand thoughts and reactions to certain things throughout the novel. Third person POV's lack a sense of intimacy as they are primarily objective and reject any emotional or opinionated influence.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Jayla that the author makes Holden seem that he is trustworthy when he is in fact not. I think that Salinger's choice of making the book narrated through a first person point of view was a good choice because it allowed us to get an actual insight of the character and how he acts and his upfront thoughts.
DeleteI too agree that first person point of view allows the reader to fully indulged into Holden's thoughts and emotions. J.D Salinger has structured the novel in a way that even if Holden is lying, his true feelings are always revealed. We can trust that when Holden says one thing he means another. If this were told in 3rd person, we wouldn't get the full affect of his twisted way of thinking. Also. certain events in his life such as the death of his brother, his lousy parents and him flunking out of Pency Prep, have shaped his perceptions about the world and are the reason for his constant feelings of alienation. A flawed and scarred version of Holden is unveiled, making him relatable and more appealing to the reader. Holden wants a stronger relationship with his family and longs to build friendships, but his own insecurities are keeping him from prospering.
ReplyDeleteI agree with my peer Carlea, a 1st person POV is crucial in Holden's case because it allows the reader to gain insight on the way certain things, ideas, memories or people make Holden feel. With that being said, being able to know the whole TRUTH of how Holden feels, it doesn't bother the reader when he lies to another character in the story because that's just who he is. If anything, the readers understand why he's lying due to his over-bearing personality & is inability to tell the whole truth to someone. From a 3rd person point of view, the story would be wasteful and boring. With Holden's pov he doesn't hold back his feelings or thought process, however from a 3rd person pov (an outsider looking in), you don't get to understand the twisted mindset of Holden Caulfeild. That's another thing, the twisted mindset of Holden & how he plays out certain scenarios in his head is exactly how most teenagers are today. It's very relatable which creates an emotional connection with Holden and the reader, and that's how Salinger keeps the attention of the readers by making Holden a relatable character.
Delete-Breana Barnes
I really enjoy when a Novel is written through a 1st person POV because of the insite you get with the Main character and their values. It really helps me to focus on Holden and figure out what made him such a cynical person in the first place. This is why i agree with Breana over the POV. As for how the reader can keep reading, Salinger has a very clever approach to Holden. From the start i felt very annoyed with the main character. His vulgar diction and cynical opinions he gave would make anyone get tired of holden or even hate him after awhile. But just as you felt like quitting there would suddenly be something in the story that allowed the reader to feel sympathy for holden. FOr example Allie's death came as a huge surprise to me. I believed that he was just discussing another family member that he felt bitter about. This sudden shift in the tone made me stop and reconsider why Holden acts the way he does in then Novel. Along with events like this, there are many moments of humor throughout the book, such as joke from holden, that keep the reader interested.
Delete-Michael Llanos
I believe JD Salinger gets away with the reader trusting Holden Caulfield because his subjective view of the world is easy to read and relate to as teenagers. The reader wants to know what is going on in Holden's mind because although some of it may be true, he often comes into conflict with his own anger and superiority to everything around him. The reader is then able to see his cynical view on life and his perception of just about everyone being a "phony." Holden comes right out on page 16 and claims, "I'm the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life. It's awful." When the reader knows this, how can they trust anything he says? Does he really think of all people as phonies? Putting a spin on everything and deceiving the reader must be a real part of his persona. This conflict adds interest to the reader, letting Salinger get away with the reliability of Holden. I agree with my peers that if the story was written in third person POV, there would be a lack of intimacy with the characters and storyline. I would not be able to find the story as compelling because of the objective third person POV.
ReplyDelete-Justin Bleisch
I can concur with Jayla's thoughts because although we were explicitly told by Holden that he is a liar. However, the colloquial language and attitude towards everything is very relatable to today's teenagers. J.D. Salinger's richness and witty detail keeps the reader intrigued and develops a sense of trust with the narrator. Through that detail, we slowly forget that Holden bluntly stated that he is indeed a liar. But then again, once we read we look at the world in the way Holden would for some time because we teenagers are perceived as rebellious human beings. If J.D. Salinger wrote this in third person it would not be as intriguing as it is. The richness of detail from Holden's mind would be diminished and maybe this book would not have become the bestselling novel it came to be. The style of the book is unlike no other, and the way it is told keeps us reading in order to understand the mind of not only Holden, but of Salinger as well.
ReplyDelete-Brandon Sanchez
I feel that we as readers tend to listen to Holden because of the character he is. For one, my peers and I are also teenagers like Holden. Maybe we sympathize with him and listen to him as a trustworthy narrator as an impulse to being young like us. Just like him, we as seniors are all in that stage of transitioning into adulthood, a stage that Holden can't seem to fully grasp. Having a 1st person POV definitely adds to this idea by putting us into Holden's mind and being able to understand and empathize with a development of psychology, rather than having someone else tell me his emotions. Holden may be a liar and a "phony", but through this book he successfully exposes his true feelings.
ReplyDeleteI agree, I feel the same way. I believe that J.D. Salinger gets away with readers being able to trust Holden, because most everyone has lied, acted strangely, or asked questions that are brilliantly naive. I continue to enjoy Holden as the main character despite his crazy antics, I think those silly parts make him very human and weird like most people. Techniques Salinger uses to keep readers hooked are "you" phrases, when Holden addresses readers directly and makes an extra effort to put readers into his shoes. The constant reminder allows us to see and feel just as Holden does, and laugh throughout Holden's ideas.
Delete-Isabella Wolf
I agree with all of my peers above that Holden's attitude is similar to that of today's teenagers, which is why Salinger was able to get away with our trust. However, I admit that I never fully, deeply, trusted Holden throughout this book. I only trusted him on the surface because his actions were consistently inconsistent. I say this because he is continuously negative and critical throughout the book. He maintains a pattern of being all over the place. Towards the end of the book, I was even able to predict what Caulfield's reaction would be to certain scenarios. Holden also gave us another reason to trust him: Phoebe. When the protagonist makes his secret trip to visit his sister in the middle of the night, she confirms everything that the reader may have had doubts about. She confidently tells him "You don't like anything" if I remember the words correctly. Her analysis of his situation provides a sense of security for the readers towards the main character. However that is just my opinion on the situation.
ReplyDeleteFurthermore, Holden's lying is not a very shocking characteristic. I have come to find that my peers and I are hit with questions at times where we do not know the answers, and this does not only occur in class. So we just say the first thing that pops into our head sometimes. Or, we twist the truth a bit to give someone only the things they want to hear. Nevertheless, I believe his tendency to make up large stories is not an uncommon trait among us teenagers today. However his lying does make it hard for readers to fully believe him. We assume that he is lying to characters and not to us. Once, I even questioned if he was possibly lying to us. But his thoughts seem extremely raw and truthful, therefore I continued to believe him. But once again, I always had my doubts about Holden Caulfield.
Just as my peers have mentioned, Salinger get the readers to trust Holden because he uses colloqiual language and simply stands as a figure that majority of us can relate to. After all, he is the first literary teen. However, I would like to point out one more thing. Though true that Holden has strong feelings about people he describes as "phonies", he is able to reveal his own flaws. For instance, in chapter 4 page 30, before leaving Pencey and fighting Stradlater, he states, "He is a very strong guy. I'm a very weak guy". Another example is when he revealed his thoughts about Phoebe and his other siblings, "I'm the only really dumb one" (Salinger 67). This attitude that Holden has on himself is something that us teens have as well; he is critical towards himself. When reading this, I personally admired Holden even more, because he was able to know his flaws and boundries. In essence, readers trust Holden he carries this kind of honesty and straightforwardness, when being critical towards himself; he is not afraid to acknowledge his weaknesses.
ReplyDeleteThough Holden is a complusive liar, readers are interested in what he thinks, says, and does, because it is entertaining. He is able to remember the slightest details. Especially with people he adores. For example, when describing Phoebe, Holden says, "You never saw a little kid so pretty and smart in your whole life...You'd like her" (Salinger 67). Further reading of the page, reveals Holden's specific recollections of Phoebe. There is a certain passion and genuine care that Holden reveals when remembering the people he loves. It is rare and just as Negin had mentioned, inconsistent. However, this inconsistency keeps the readers interested because this rare side of Holden Caufield is a contradiction to his usual apathetic attitude towards the "phonies" around him. His general bluntness reveals why he dislikes specific characters. Holden does not "sugarcoat" his thoughts and descriptions of the people he is not fond of, thereby giving the reader a clear understanding of his negativity. It is clear that Holden has biases, but whether he likes a character or not, he does not fail to give detailed observations and descriptions.
I agree with my peers, that a third person POV would not be as appealing. It would lack intimacy. First person point of view, provides us with context as to why Holden does certain things and acts certain ways towards other characters and scenarios. His emotions are so complex and have such a wide range, that a third person point of view would not be able to explain it all. Like my peers, I would not be as interested in the novel if it were told in the third person. It would lack the controversial and indepth thoughts of Caufield.
-Daphne Tortoles
In response to the question of whether Holden is a reliable narrator or not, I believe that the reader can’t help but live vicariously through Holden and rely on the perception of his surroundings. Holden’s attitude and thoughts are intriguing enough to make me follow the story, so it’s not really about whether I trust him or not as a narrator, but its more about “Ok, what else is going to happen to him?”, wishing something significant to occur. Right now, I can’t be sure if what Holden has been saying is true, and honestly it’s of no importance to me. I am so fixated on what I want to hear that I don’t really focus on the authenticity of Holden’s story. Through his diction, his attributes, and his thought process, at least for me, Holden has effectively caught my attention and has put in the back of my mind the concern over the authenticity of the narration.
ReplyDeleteIf narrated from a third person point of view, the story would be followed through a panoramic perspective and the narration would be more malleable. Just like many of the other students have said, I also believe that the story entices the audience because it’s given from a first person point of view. The relationship between the audience and Holden seems to be more intimate, and as Daphne said, Holden’s perspective provides context and clarity to the audience. In this case, I compare first person point of view to a primary source. Both provide context and elaborate on account of what they witnessed first hand. I believe the story is effectively being narrated through a first person point of view.
Though Holden Caulfield is admittedly one of the more infamous protagonists regarding American literature, there is a metacognitive quality about him depicted by author J.D Salinger's unique writing style which somehow draws the reader into his innermost thoughts and seemingly functions to prompt audiences to feel empathetic of the main character. The critical honesty exercised throughout the novel serves as a double standard in that it reveals certain unfavorable qualities concerning Holden Caulfield's personality, but also presents a voice perceived by many to be credible.
ReplyDeleteEqually important, as mentioned by several of my peers, is the manner of thinking conveyed in Salinger's narrative technique, for his establishment of the leading figure as a teenager uncertain of his identity and future speaks volumes to the intended audience. In a world that has become extremely competitive both academically and athletically, it is not uncommon for adolescents to reflect negatively upon their own lack of achievement in comparison to others whom they see as accomplished. As a result, despite any doubts that we might have originally maintained regarding the protagonist's character, there remains an overwhelming sense of understanding. Because we as teenagers can comprehend more thoroughly the notion of falsity in persona on a daily basis and the idea of relentless impulsive thoughts accompanied by a fervent drive to escape our problems, we almost subconsciously sympathize with the main character.
A number of my classmates have also stated that the choice to tell the story from a first-person point of view helped greatly to sustain the readers' intrigue considering that this particular perspective provided more detailed context and subsequent clarity regarding supporting characters. However, the method employed by Salinger to randomly and briefly present key information without revealing it in its entirety at intervals of his choosing also played a significant role in peaking and maintaining our interest. For example, in the opening chapters of the book, there are hints made toward the financial situation of the Caulfield family to include the school Holden attends, his complete disregard for the value of money, and even his expensive luggage and clothing. But it is not until some 15 chapters have passed, on page 140 that we are finally given some insight as to the wealth of Holden's family when he mentions that his father is a corporation lawyer who invests substantially in Broadway. This systematized inclusion of specific contextual knowledge works to entice audiences and somewhat force them to continue reading in order to attain a more thorough comprehension of the story and its intended message.
-Quentin Cruz-Boyer
I believe the reason why readers seem to trust Holden, even though he stated a numerous amount of lies, is because Holden is a very sarcastic character. As some students have mentioned before, his lies are not very shocking because of his personality. The detail that Salinger provides makes the reading very intriguing, thus causing readers to want to read some more. I agree with my peers that the reading would not be as interesting if it were in the third person because we don't get to know Holden's inner thoughts as he tells the story. It would not be as intimate, and still not as trustworthy because we do not know the character's feelings, thoughts, motive, etc. I actually trust Holden's perspective more than I would a third person narrator.
ReplyDelete-Maia Magno
Being able to trust Holden may lead the reader to relate to Holden. As Brandon said, the way Holden uses his language is relatable to teenagers today. Maia also introduces a great point by relating today's teenagers to Holden by saying that Holden is a sarcastic character. Salon hers uses he techniques by tapping into Holden's internist thoughts and thoroughly explaining.
ReplyDeleteHolden's honesty towards many things intrigue the reader bea cause it exploits a certain way of speaking that is found common to some people. Most notably teenagers today.
While Holden calls himself a liar and at some point in the novel he calls everyone but Phoebe and Allie, a phony, the reader stays interested in what Holden thinks of people, places and events, which adds to Holden's persona.
-Jose (Tony) Delgado
I believe that J.D. Salinger gets away with the readers trusting Holden although the character clearly reveals that he is such a liar in page 16 is by us giving us descriptive details about how Holden perceives everything and well, how he takes on life. At first, I did not necessarily like Holden and saw him as a "complainer" but I then realized that Holden is just so real. As Daphne has stated, he is a very blunt person who openly expresses his thoughts. By showing us what Holden dislikes and likes as well as using colloquial language to show that the protagonist is indeed just a normal teenager, Salinger makes the story so much more personal. I enjoy the way that Holden states his opinions so honestly on many characters in the book and his relationships with them. From the genuine love he has for his little sister Phoebe, the lust he has for Jane, and the disgust he has for "phonies" throughout the novel makes me feel like I actually know how Holden.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I really could not imagine the book being written in a third person point of view. If "The Catcher in the Rye" was just being told by someone looking in, not only would it lack intimacy and be harder to connect with the main character but it would not be as intriguing to keep on reading and find out what Holden is going to be up to next.
-Atheana Lopez
It was particularly surprising to me that the narrator, Holden blatantly admits himself to be "the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life." (Salinger 16) While many would initially think for this to be concerning, this line in the novel leads me conclude that this novel is intended to be personal, almost like one's own diary or journal. As I have mentioned in a previous blog post, while Holden's critical opinions towards others (presented in a first point of view) would lead others to formulate a dislike to him, I feel that this sort of brutal honesty he expresses reveals a truth about the nature of human behavior. Many of my peers have taken a liking to Holden due to his unfiltered personality and I, personally agree. There is something very captivating about Holden in the sense that, he is unlike any person I would think to meet in my own life. Though Holden considers to himself to be a compulsive liar, his lies seem to work for both the characters in the novel and the readers. Specifically in the scene where Holden lies to the woman on the train about his own identity and her son, she was undoubtably reeled in and genuinely interested to what he was saying. While lies come natural to Holden, his lies seem to be harmless and simply out of his own entertainment almost.
ReplyDeleteSimilar to the popular opinion of my peers, I believe that a first person point of view is the most effective approach in portraying the novel. There are parts of the novel where I felt like I was really in Holden's head, experiencing his own personal views of the world around him. For example, if the novel was told in a third person point of view, I feel that many would think of Holden as just a teenager who hates life and is a jerk to everyone around him. Through the first person point of view we are able to see a vulnerability to Holden that would not be seen through a third person point of view. Holden seems to really put up this tough, carefree attitude in his way of approaching the world. We see that, through the insight of his own personal thoughts that Holden has a weakness for family, specifically his siblings and shows a tendency to miss the past. While there are many layers to Holden, I agree with Daphne and Negin that he continues to be inconsistent throughout the novel. I would think that these inconsistencies are possibly connected to the mental illness he has.
-Allison Baciles
I have to agree with Allison that the main reason that I as a reader feel as though I can trust Holden is due to his immediate presentation as an imperfect character. Allison noted that Holden's personality "reveals a truth about the nature of human behavior". I think this is extremely appropriate, and is a big part of what causes so many readers to identify with Holden. Many of us are used to reading about characters we can aspire to; heroes who, while they may have downfalls, are always victorious in the end, whether literally or figuratively. I, personally, find it refreshing to experience a novel from the point of view of a character who is deeply flawed, and is so poignantly aware of this. Holden's character serves as a message to teenagers saying that, yes, life is hard, and you have a lot to be cynical about- don't let the adults tell you any different. I find it comforting that readers of entirely different backgrounds and opinions can all find something deeply personal to relate to in Holden Caulfield.
DeleteI have to agree that with the first point of view it helps the reader understand more in deep the situation that is happening but with the character been an unreliable narrator the how does JD Salinger get away with the reader trusting Holden Caulfield? In my opinion the reason I trust what Holden is saying is the fact that since he is speaking in first person it gives the idea that we are also reading what he thinks in his mind and not only what he says, also Holden likes to speak his mind out and that makes the reader see what he feels or at least what he wants us to feel. As the novel goes on I still feel that the narrator is reliable even if in page 16 he said that he was a great liar. I have to agree with what Joshua said about if the novel was presented in third person, in my opinion if the novel were to be presented in third person then it would been less appealing to the reader because it would lack of emotion and interaction between the reader and the narrator. Overall, these chapters are for getting to know and understand Holden better and in order to do that we need to know what he’s thinking, having the narrator be in first person makes the book more appealing.
ReplyDelete-Carolina Estrada
I agree with my peers that Holden's attitude is similar to that of todays teenagers, which is why Salinger was able to get away with our trust as teenagers with his colloquial language. I know personally that since it is told by Holden himself we are able to hear all his thoughts and experiences, and yes it is possible that he can change a few parts of his story to makes them seem more interesting, they are still his experiences and we as teenagers are able to relate.
ReplyDeleteI agree with my peers in that Third person point of view would not be appealing because it would be someone else trying to explain Holden's feelings while first person gives us indepth information on his own thoughts, actions, and emotions. I also agree with my peers in that I would not be interested in the novel If It were told in third person because I know I would not relate and would not be able to connect with Holden as well as I can if it was told in first person. Hearing Holden himself makes it more relatable to reliable in my opinion.
-Yvette Macias
I agree with my peers that the first person narration allows the readers to trust Holden's character. Although Holden's actions would normally deem him an "unreliable narrator," our ability to know his thoughts, which often show a person's true intentions, allows us to understand him. Also, I believe that Salinger purposely wrote this novel in first person to allow the reader access to Holden's thoughts which ultimately encourages us to continue reading based on the trust we have for the narrator. If the story was written in third person, many of us would have immediately seen Holden's rebellion as rude and irritating, however, because it is in the first person point of view, the readers are more understanding of Holden's behavior because we know the causes and reasons for his actions. I also believe that simply Holden's character may have been enough to encourage readers to continue reading. Because his personality was so unusual in the 1950s, many readers may have found it interesting and continued to read while nowadays, many of us can relate to Holden which is why we feel encouraged to continue reading.
ReplyDelete-Megan Vu
On page 16, Holden openly reveals that he is a “terrific liar.” Often, one would automatically lose all faith in the narrator and assume him as an unreliable narrator. However, because Salinger presents Holden in a first person point of view, the reader is able to understand Holden and his coming to age struggles. Holden could have simply went along with the novel without revealing this, but the fact that he did highlights his honesty to the reader. The structure of the novel allows for Holden to be up front about his lying, but his true feelings are always revealed. We as readers can trust Holden’s account, even as cynical and pessimistic they are. On top of the fact that Holden was honest about his current mental health, it proves that he is, in fact, reliable.
ReplyDeleteThe first person point of view is what facilitates Holden’s reliability. Had it been written in third person, the reader would have been blind to Holden’s psychology, and seen his actions as impulsive and rebellious. However, a first person perspective enables the reader to understand as well as empathize with Holden’s thoughts.
Like my peer Garrett Wesley stated, it is remarkable that Holden openly admits to being a compulsive, and terrific liar. By doing so, it then leads to a sense of trust between the reader and the narrator. Most would deny all accusations pertaining to being a liar, however Holden admits, and embraces such characteristic. He may be compulsive liar to his peer and all those surrounding, but he is quite honest when it comes to the readers. He admits things which most would shy away from, such as his depression and suicidal thoughts throughout Chapter 14. By revealing such subjects, it leads to the reader developing a sense of trust due to his comfort level with the reader.
DeleteI believe Salinger's use of first person throughout the story leads to it's overall ability for readers to connect with the narrator. Although Holden contains characteristics which most do not, he also may contain thoughts that are common among individuals, whether admitted or not. I find it unique that Holden openly admits such absurd thoughts, such as his fantasy about shooting the elevator man in his "big fat hairy stomach". Like Garrett stated, it facilitates in his reliability. Overall, I feel the story would have lost it's impact if it were written in third person. First person really allows the reader to attempt to connect with the reader by hearing their inner thoughts, which I believe this book does excellently.
-Noah Chavez
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ReplyDeleteAlthough many may see Holden as untrustworthy, I agree with Garrett Wesley that his honesty about his mental health and uprightness proves that Holden is a reliable narrator. I did feel uneasy about Holden as the narrator because of his constant pessimism; I was afraid that his distaste with almost everything existent would influence the way he described certain parts of the book. However, Salinger made a clear distinction between Holden’s opinions and reality through this cynical and bitter tone that remains constant throughout the book; everything else that is not so cynical is what is most believable. For example, Holden is able to easily speak about his younger siblings and Jane, solely because he is very fond of them. The short anecdotes about these characters that he provides the reader is uninfluenced by his negative nature, thus preventing a heavily opinionated description that the reader may find hard to believe. On the other hand, his aversion toward D.B.’s ex girlfriend, Lilian, affected the way he described her to the audience. He states, “You could tel the waiter didn’t like her much, you could tell even the Navy guy didn’t like her much, even though he was dating her” (113). Clearly, many readers may have caught a slight inaccuracy within Holden’s claim, and this proves that his opinions are easily distinguishable from reality in the book.
ReplyDeleteIf the book were written in third person, readers would lack a clear understanding of Holden’s mentality. Initially, I grew bored of Holden’s constant moping and indignation, thus weakening my connection with him and impairing my fondness of the book itself. However, sympathizing with Holden’s firsthand thoughts and experiences (i.e. the death of his brother Allie) mended my connection with him on a personal level, a level that could not be reached if the book were written in third person.
-Julia Vazquez Alo
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ReplyDeleteAfter reading the posts above, I agree with Maia that the reason we trust Holden so much is that he is very sarcastic. Although he does explicitly say that he is a liar and he is telling the story from a mental institution, we still seem to trust him as Holden's personality is relatable to teenagers today. I believe that the audience continues to trust Holden as a narrator as when something bothers him, he gives his honest judgement of the situation. When Holden describes Ackley, he uses really blunt language to describe him, such as "lousy teeth." Touching the topic of POV, I believe that J.D. Salinger told the story from a first person point of view because the author thought it was necessary for the audience to be intimate with the character of Holden. As stated before that Holden told the audience that he is a liar, this first person view provides us with the familiarity of Holden and allows him to be increasingly reliable. As his emotions are present throughout the novel, we can infer that if the novel was written in the third person, that everything that goes through the mind of Holden would not be expressed the way the author wanted it to be. The audience would not be able to connect with Holden and it would be more difficult to grasp an understanding of the many events that occured, such as his brother's death. Overall, the author's use of first person point of view and the personality of Holden himself allows the audience to admire him and trust him enough to keep them pursuing his story.
ReplyDelete-Brian Arlantico
The main reason I believe reader's are able to trust Caulfield is because of how similarly he is portrayed to modern teenagers. Yes, Caulfield states that he is in fact a liar however, since the audience is able to understand his thoughts and gain his perspective his acts of lying are much more understandable. The first person point of view provides a more intimate relationship between the narrator and audience thus allowing for more trust of the narrator. Also, since the book is written in first person it allows for Salinger to express Caulfield's emotions and thought process throughout the novel.
ReplyDeleteHad the novel been written in third person, the narrator would be perceived much differently since the personal anecdotes, thought processes, and emotions of the narrator would not be present. Also, Caulfield would not be nearly as trustworthy because the third person perspective would only provide the audience with his acts of lying. Overall, the novel would be very different if it were written in third person and in my opinion less interesting. The first person point of view that Salinger writes in is a major factor as to why Caulfield is a trustworthy narrator.
-Angel Cortez
I was hooked onto Holden because he is so disturbingly honest and blunt. He isn’t afraid to share the things most people won’t say out loud in regards to other characters in the novel. And he is very unapologetic about it, too. He says he is a liar, and he is, but it is clear that he lies to other people. It’s like we (the reader) are in on his lies and that gains our trust in a kind of messed up way.
ReplyDeleteI like him enough to keep reading despite his never ending whining and cynicism because he’s not like any other narrator out there. And as humans we relate to Holden’s alienation sometimes. Like Holden we have lost someone close to us, we do lie, we do feel lonely, we do get into fights, we do struggle with a mental illness, we do feel like we can’t trust people, we do say things we don’t mean in the long run, we do rebel. We also pity Holden. He seems so genuinely lost and in search of direction. We want to know exactly how he ended up in a mental facility and if he will turn out okay in the end. We always want to know if people turn out okay in the end.
The story won’t have as much depth at all if it was told in the third person. It won’t feel as personal as it does right now. I like knowing Holden’s inner thoughts in every situation. I like the way his train of thought can be all over the place, despite its chaos. First person makes Holden come to life, whereas third person can make a character seem dull. I do agree that first person pov adds to the intimacy between narrator and reader.
-Abegail Caraulia
Just like my peers, I'm caught onto how straightforward Caulfield is. Salinger made the main character so relatable to his targeted audience so no matter what Caulfield's background is, even if he admits to being a liar, makes him all the more of a character we can all stay stuck on. Since we can all relate to Caulfield's personality in one way or another, we all have somewhat trust for him because we can feel or relate to whatever he's feeling. Being someone who loses interest in books fast, I've somehow continued on this book and have not felt uninterested once. I believe the one thing I am so caught up on is how different Caulfield is in his time because he is so blunt with his inner thoughts.
ReplyDeleteI personally think I would not be so interested in this book if it was portrayed in a third person point of view because it wouldn't be so personal to the main character's view on his surroundings. If it was portrayed in a third person's point of view, Caulfield would just be a regular teenager with a bad attitude in his own world. It being told in first person point of view gives the audience a better insight to how Caulfield thinks, what he sees, and why he does what he does.
Holden is like a close friend that gets really real with only a few people, in this case, us. We hear all about the bad things he pulls externally, but the great thing is that we get to see the internal thoughts. We follow Holden and exactly what he feels as well as what he does, making him an extremely relatable person. He goes on and reveals his own flaws to us and makes us trust him by being exposed and revealing his own weakness. Almost as if I get the feeling he trusts me with through his honesty, and thus makes me want to trust him in return.
ReplyDeletePoint of view in this case seems so important. The book would most definitely not be the same. Holden's first person perspective is what makes us understand our main character so well because we hear his life in the most blunt and honest way. Anybody else saying it, even an omniscient perspective, would make it much less convincing and a lot more bland.
-Andrew Son
JD Salinger earns the readers trust with Holden Caulfield in several ways. One of which is that Holden does not have filtered thoughts. He is completely honest with everything within his mind and they show his intentions behind his actions. He is also straightforward with the fact that he's in a mental institution. I think that when someone sinks so low that they accept everything so there would be no reason to lie about anything. Similar to what Caulfield could possibly be doing throughout his narration. There is no reason to lie about what brought him to the low point or the mental institution. I think what attracts him to me most is that he's like most teenagers today. His inner thoughts express how he feels about everything going on around him and show the audience that his thoughts don't always match up with his actions. His inner thoughts show the human side in which he judges people, cares about his appearance, and wishes for the company of special people. Had this been written in third person, then Holden would come off as a respectful,shy, and adventurous kid tat constantly gets kicked out of school. However, his thoughts reveal that Holden is almost desperate for someone else's company and unerstanding
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting how in The Catcher in the Rye Holden Caulfield, the main character of the novel, explicitly states that he is an unreliable source for information based on his mental instability. As a result, people would question if what Holden is saying about his life is true or not. However, J.D. Salinger is able to get readers like myself to trust Holden and what he has been through despite his mental setbacks. Salinger’s ability to create a dishonest character that is trusted by the reader stems from Salinger establishing a unique and likable character. He does so by making Holden appear like a rebellious teenager that is not afraid to speak his mind. This persona evoked by Holden is what catches the readers’ attention and makes them interested to learn more about him. Also, his unruly attitude is an attribute that teenagers can heavily relate to both at the time of the novel’s release and in the twenty-first century. Holden’s strong relatability to teenagers is evident in his use of vulgar language (words such as “goddam” and “crap”) and descriptions of people. Overall, Holden is someone readers can identify with and, as a result, makes readers believe what he says.
ReplyDeleteIf the story were told from the third person point of view, the story would lose the charm of being inside the thoughts of a character that views the word different from others. It is clear that Holden is unique from others based on how he handles certain situations. Also, the commentary he provides about the characters and his surroundings is an entertaining element to the story that would not be as effective if it were told from the third person POV. In conclusion, not being able to be a part of his thought process would make Holden an under-developed character that loses the potential of being a memorable character.
I agree with Kelvin on the idea that the novel would not be as enjoyable if it were told in third person POV. The significance of the novel is found in the thoughts, feelings, and memories by Holden. Third person would have focused more on his actions, and would eventually make the story quite boring. The reader is intrigued and focused on what Holden is thinking, rather than what he is doing.
DeleteSalinger is able to make Holden a reliable narrator by creating a connection between Holden and the reader. Since the novel is loaded with Holden's thoughts, the reader feels as if they are literally inside his mind. Holden desperately wants somebody to understand him, and as a reader, we empathize with Holden and have feelings about him. Also, in parts of the novel, Holden directly talks to the reader when he says "you". An example can be found at the end of the novel, when he recalls Phoebe at the carrousel and stating, "she looked so damn nice, the way she kept going around and around, in her blue coat and all. God, I wish you could've been there". Throughout the book, the reader has a relationship with Holden, thus allowing them to trust him.
In regards to what my peers have concluded in result of the story's overall first person point of view, I would also like to point out how his story telling from a future perspective changes how he describes others from their introduction in the story. It appears as if he speaks of others either crudely or admirably based on how they ended off with him. However, he does seem to ground some ideas through his liking of others' appearance.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I trust Holden because of how I can relate to how he appears on the outside in comparison to how he truly acts within. With this first person point of view, I was able to fall in love with his mind rather than what others see him to be, yet I still feel a sense of doubt when establishing a trust in his narration. Not because of his place in a psychiatric ward, but because of how he lies to himself to cope with the events that occur throughout his life.
-Allan Dizon
Personally, I am glad that J.D. Salinger chose to tell this story by first person point of view because we the readers have a better insight as to how Holden is living his teenage life. Knowing the readers know exactly what is going on in his mind makes it easier for us to understand and reveals his true thoughts. The way Salinger created Holden's character as a rebellious and blunt teenager made it easy for teenagers to relate and truly grasp how he feels. I agree with Abegail Caraulia that Holden seems lost and his train of thought is all over the place. However since this novel is told in first person point of view, it seems as if we are beside Holden experiencing everything along with him. In addition, many teenagers nowadays have experienced a lot just as Holden has. We also react and behave the same way he does when situations occur. On the other hand, I am certain that if Catcher In the Rye was told in third person point of view that it would not be the same and would make it difficult to truly know whats really going on in Holden's mind.
ReplyDelete-Camryn Ferrer
i thoroughly enjoyed the novel narrated by Holden. A lot of my friends told me he was too pessimistic and too cynical for their liking. i, on the other hand, found this to be what i most liked about him. i never took his lying to other people to affect the truth of his story. because he was so cynical and pessimistic, i thought he would be very forward and truthful when telling us his story. i think the reason we like Holden and keep trusting him throughout the narrative is because of how Holden is perceived throughout the novel. he is a rebellious high school dropout, but acts in such a mature way. he is so cynical about everything and everyone and acts weird when interacting with others, whether hes lying or pretending to be someone he is not. the readers have no knowledge pf the truth behind Holden's story, so we are forced to trust him as our narrator. if this novel was told in the third person point of view, the situation would be completely different. the narrator would not be someone involved in the events being told, so their credibility and knowledge would be limited to what the author wants to reveal to the reader. in comparison, Holden being the narrator allows a mutual trust between reader and narrator to be established throughout the novel.
ReplyDeleteDue to the first person point of view, Salinger is able to describe Holden's experiences in such a personal manner. Because the novel is mostly Holden's deepest thoughts, I believe that writing in third person would not have the same effect. If Salinger were to have written in third person point of view, we would not be able to see into Holden's thought process nor his rationalization behind his many opinions. As one continues to read, it is evident that Holden is a very opinionated young man, something that may not have been conveyed very well if the point of view was different.
ReplyDeleteAlthough Holden is a self proclaimed liar, the intimate details he shares with the reader makes him seem more trustworthy. For example, Holden establishes a sense of sincerity when he talks about his younger siblings, such as how smart Phoebe is and talented Allie was. He also builds his trustworthiness by revealing Allie's death, a very personal and heartbreaking event. Although Holden may be lying about certain events he tells the reader, it is hard to think that Holden is lying about something so devastating.
Again, Holden's description of Allie and his death would not be as personal in a third person p.o.v. The littlest of details that Holden discloses would be hard to describe with a different p.o.v. and could ultimately change the mood of the novel.
By having The Catcher in the Rye written in the first person point of view more detail is revealed. As I have been reading through the novel I constantly notice how Holden describes New York, objects, memories, himself, and especially other people. Everything he has to say is said with such vividness that its practically impossible not to be convinced that he is telling the truth. Although, he has mentioned himself as an occasional liar J.D Salinger eliminates that comment by creating Holden Caulfield as character that speaks whatever comes to his mind, and because Holden is so outspoken and rebellious it can add to his likeness. He is the typical teenager cussing and defying the rules and saying whatever comes to his mind, it is a different type of protagonist yet, a more interesting one. However, if the story were to be told in third person point of view then it would be completely different. If written in third person the readers ability to gain trust to Holden's thoughts and observations would be a tougher task because such vividness and clarity will no longer be the same. We would no longer understand how Holden is as a person, and no longer know his inner thoughts which is a big part of Holden as a character. As mentioned by my previous peer the little details that Holden uses in first person point of view are essential to us readers and if altered then the readers judgement on Holden may change as well.
ReplyDelete-Mariana Velasco
I agree with my peers that JD Salinger has made the character of Holden Caulfield very interesting in a way readers can trust him and understand his decisions. He has made this character relatable to most of his audience. Holden gives us a great insight in which we can see into his teenage life. I think that if the story had been written in the third person point of view it wouldn't have been as intriguing as it is. The novel being in a first person point of view gives the reader a better understanding of the main character and what he is feeling throughout his adventures. For example, he clearly gives us details about everything that happens in the lavender room in the hotel. He tells us specifically what he ordered, who he danced with and everything he thought about those girls he was with. If the story hadn't been written from his point of view we wouldn't have known everything that happened that night in the hotel.
ReplyDeleteAlthough Holden is a compulsive liar I feel that he is still trustworthy, he acts very mature even though he has been expelled from school and has gone through many situations alone. I feel that Holden can relate to many teens today and that is the reason that he is trustworthy to his readers. Even though he has some issues with his mental health he is open to telling everyone about that and it makes him a reliable narrator.
JD Salinger gets away with the reader trusting a narrator like Holden Caulfield because of how Holden shares all of his thoughts. Although he may have admitted that he was an incredible liar, he proves that he’s telling the audience the truth by how he shares what he’s lying about. Having the story be told from his point of view, it’s fascinating because we know what he’s thinking about, unlike those he encounters.
ReplyDeleteHad the story been told from a third person POV, the book wouldn’t have had the same effect. The Catcher in the Rye became popular because of Holden’s thoughts. So, if JD Salinger happened to write the novel in third person, Holden would’ve just come across as some average prep school drop out with a friendly approach towards people, had we not known he was lying about what he’d said. The audience probably wouldn’t have been able to pick up that he was depressed and if you think about it, the story would’ve started off in a completely different way, it not being a framed narrative, thus not beginning when Holden is in a hospital.
To me Holden is not a reliable narrator but readers seem to be trusting him because it is written in first person point of view. As my peers have stated that if the story was written in third person the novel would not have been we’ll understood since we would not be able to connect with Holden as well. Even if Holden is a lair it sets up his personality by allowing the readers to know that he is childish and immature for not telling the truth. In the scene where he is lying to the women he is doing it in order to prevent humiliation to himself by saying the truth which is that he got kicked out of Pencey and got in a fight with his roommate. By lying it allows him to give others and himself hope in his life even though it is all a lie.
ReplyDeleteHolden characteristics are similar to teens today because sometimes we tend to lie to prevent our parents to get mad at us and have further consequences. Throughout the story Holden was constantly complaining which was very annoying since he was basically repeating the same thing over and over and extremely judging everyone. Even if the audience at points seemed to hate Holden , Salinger allowed the readers to understand Holden's character by writing in first person and set up a meaning to the novel.
I was actually irritated by Holden's dishonest character because in reality, in my own life, I would not want to be in a relationship with a habitual liar. But I do agree with Stephanie above, in the sense that many teens today lie in order to protect themselves from trouble. However it was very unique for the narrator to be a liar and to even admit that they are one, and admitting that he is one could somewhat also make him honest to his readers which could be why we kept up with his story. And because of his pessimistic attitude towards everything he is straightforward but he also may be exaggerating a little which is what makes it interesting and it is what keeps readers engaged. And what also might have contributed that kept us seniors engaged in Holden's story is that some of us could relate to his situations. I am glad that this story was told in first person rather than third person because we would not get the full, one-hundred percent perspective and conscious thinking of the main character.
ReplyDelete-Maya Ruane
I have to agree with Holden's habitual lying can easily irritate the reader. I didn't know what to believe, but I quickly developed a connection with Holden making it easy for me to trust him. I thoroughly enjoyed the way Holden chose to narrate his story because he seemed to trust his audience enough to let them know his darkest secrets. He's letting us know he lies to other people, but he seems to trust his audience enough to tell them the truth. His cynicism and pessimism towards situations he told his readers let me know that he's being honest. When people lie, the lies tend to be positive and exaggerated to impress others. I trust Holden, because the way I see it, he's letting me know he lies to OTHERS but he will not lie to me. It's confusing in a way, but we are forced to trust him as he is our narrator. The first person point of view is perceived as Holden narrates through his train of thought, in which if it was narrated through a third person point of view, Holden may not be as trustworthy because he doesn't develop a connection with his audience.
DeleteThe fact that this story is told from Holden's point of view makes it interesting to read because it makes the reader feel that it is more personal and real, personally, I agree with most of my classmates that commented that they were able to connect and trust him well because he is a teenager like us, and even though he is a liar, the book follows a series of anecdotes in Holden's life, and even he expresses throughout the book that he struggles with lying to other people, and is very open about why he makes the decisions he makes or why he says things.
ReplyDeleteIf this story had been written from a third person's point of view is wouldn't have been the same at all, there wouldn't be the direct connection that readers have with Holden, and we wouldn't be able to fully understand Holden's situation as when told from his own perspective and thinking, and it wouldn't allow us to get to know why he lies or decides to run instead of facing his parents, or understand his personality and how much his siblings have influenced him as a person and mean to him in his life.
-Elisa Gonzalez
I strongly agree with how all my other peers describe Holden as blunt and that is how most readers would think he is reliable. His first person point of view is relating to how most teenagers behave since we all struggle searching for where we are in life. The books shows what Holden exactly struggled with in Pencey and going from a small to a big shift in his life. Holden's childhood and his surroundings are what made the person he is today. Readers can understand Holden's perspective more from his first person point of view. As for a third person point of view, this would be much more challenging to understand since Holden's situation would be told by the author's side and readers would not connect with Holden as much. Teenagers who are able to relate with Holden's problems will have a harder time trying to analyze his true personality and especially by the way he speaks and interacts with people. Although the audience saw what Holden does as a bad influence, we can see how he truly feels inside from his feelings and the true words he says.
ReplyDeleteI strongly agree with how all my other peers describe Holden as blunt and that is how most readers would think he is reliable. His first person point of view is relating to how most teenagers behave since we all struggle searching for where we are in life. The books shows what Holden exactly struggled with in Pencey and going from a small to a big shift in his life. Holden's childhood and his surroundings are what made the person he is today. Readers can understand Holden's perspective more from his first person point of view. As for a third person point of view, this would be much more challenging to understand since Holden's situation would be told by the author's side and readers would not connect with Holden as much. Teenagers who are able to relate with Holden's problems will have a harder time trying to analyze his true personality and especially by the way he speaks and interacts with people. Although the audience saw what Holden does as a bad influence, we can see how he truly feels inside from his feelings and the true words he says.
ReplyDeleteAlthough Holden is an “unreliable narrator”, JD Salinger is able to make the readers trust the narrator by how he involves us into the story. What kept me hooked onto wanting to read more is how opinionated Holden is and how strange yet interesting his outlook on certain topics were. Especially because Holden’s outlook on topics changed form time to time. One moment he could love something but in the next absolutely despise it. Holden's character is this complex thing that leaves everyone interested. He is this depressed teen who is immature, but at time can be seen as mature; confused about life, he also seems to want to go out and explore it.
ReplyDeleteIf The Catcher in the Rye would've been written from a 3rd person point of view I agree with my peers that the whole story would change. The readers would lose the connection we feel towards Holden. The reader would no longer know any of his inner most feelings, thus making it extremely difficult to connect to the book and we would see Holden as a liar. Since the most that we would get from him and his opinions is only what he says out loud it could be harder for the reader to be able to trust anything he says.
-Alyssa Ariza
J.D. Salinger is able to get away with the reader trusting Holden Caulfield, because Holden reveals his personal and inside thoughts, therefore, making it seem like he is honest about the truth. Holden does not shy away from letting his readers know what he thinks of the other characters, and also describes them in great detail. The reader can easily tell that Holden has a cynical view of people because he comments things about them in a negative way, but he will also admit some good qualities about the person. For example, Holden says that Stradlater is "at least a pretty friendly guy... It was partly a phony kind of friendly, but at least he always said hello..." (Salinger 34). Like Mr. Rodriguez said, we wouldn't normally trust a character who admits to being a "terrific liar." However, I think that Holden is such a relatable character to teenagers because of his point of view and the way he thinks. You almost instantly forget about him being a liar. Also, the reader knows when Holden is lying, like how he lied to the woman on the train. I concur with my peers that the story would completely change if it was written in third person point of view, because I don't feel I would have as strong of a connection with Holden that I do with him in first person. Holden's thoughts have such deep and intimate meanings that if they were told in third person, I don't think I would be able to capture the true significance of his thoughts.
ReplyDelete-Shalin Nirmal
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ReplyDeleteWith all my other peers, I also enjoy that this story was told in first person POV, and not third person. I feel that we could relate to Holden because he is our age in this story and we basically go through the same things with him as well. Even though he is a liar, it doesn't necessarily mean that he's a bad guy. I'm positive all of us here have lied to people before, and we can't help it because we don't want to get in trouble, even though it's the wrong thing to do. I also think that we all could relate to his personality as well, being a rebellious teenager and all, making him interesting and looking forward to whatever his next step is. Holden is pretty straightforward too, so it is easy for us to follow through his events that he is going through every second. All these traits allow us to have trust in him because he acts as if he is one of us.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, I think this book would
Be less interesting if it were told in third person. I personally wouldn't feel as connected as I am with first person and I would lose interest easily. I tend to like first person books better because I feel as if I am a character in the book. That is how I stay connected into books.
- Ryan Dasmarinas
I think JD Salinger gets away with us the readers trusting Holden because we relate to him in some ways, since he is a lost teenager living in a world that he feels is against him, and many of us teenagers feel like that too because we make everything a big deal and over think everything just like Holden does. Since we relate to him in some ways it makes us forget that he lies about certain things and sometimes his lies are very tiny that it does not affect his character as a whole however, when you look back at him lying it makes him unreliable. Salinger uses the techniques of expressive emotions, this allows us the readers to really get into the details of how a character is feeling which makes us understand why they are doing a certain thing, so then we understand why he is lying and we develop a connection towards him and feel bad for him. If this story was told in third person it would make everything different because we would not be getting the true feelings of Holden instead we would be getting an outside perspective. Another thing is that if it was written in third person the readers would not be able to connect with Holden therefore we would not be able to trust him at all because we would not understand where he is coming from.
ReplyDelete- Briana Rios
I believe that J.D. Salinger gets away with the reader trusting Caulfield because Caulfield will tell you straight forward what he is truly thinking. In other words, Caulfield will not beat around the bush, he will let the reader know whether he loves something or absolutely despises it. For example, when Caulfield entered the lavender room at the hotel, he immediately asserts that the women sitting at the table were completely unattractive to Caulfield. Not only does J.D. Salinger portray Caulfield as straight forward person, he also portrays Caulfield as a relatable teenager. Caulfield has yet to learn who he is as a person much like teenagers today. Also, Caulfield is a rebellious teenager, as Brandon Sanchez stated, which reflects the actions of teenagers today as well. By making Caulfield relatable to the audience, J.D. Salinger successfully earns the trust of the readers.
ReplyDeleteThe effect of the story being told in first person creates an ideal connection between the reader and the narrator as the readers perceive and understand the narrator's feelings, experiences, and perspective throughout the book. Although we know that our protagonist, Holden Caulfield, has proven to be irrational at times, lies, and has some sort of mental illness, his ability to admit to us and narrate his past experiences has allowed JD Salinger to provoke the reader into trusting him. The idea that Holden Caulfield is willingly to tell us his past, including events of where he has acted child-like and a typical teenager of our time, has deemed him worthy enough to have our consideration into trusting what he has to tell us. Through the first person point of view I am constantly intrigued by the experiences and events that our character illustrates to us. As many of us are capable of relating some cases of acting similar to how Holden behaves in his stories, this has allowed me to engage in the story and keep reading as I have found Holden to be an outgoing person. Ideally with the first person point of view, we are able to understand and see Holden’s perspective, his true feelings and true intentions behind each event described to the readers. A third person point of view would diminish this effect created by Salinger. We would not be able to relate on a mental level with Holden as a third person point of view would annihilate all personal thoughts of Holden.
ReplyDeleteAlthough our characters persona is not necessarily intentionally deceiving us, it may be part of his own character, his own conscious mind, to constantly input his own “flavor” or “touch” within the story he describes to us. That also may be just his own personal perspective as Holden is the one telling the readers about his past. Although we have seen Holden to be deceivable and may or may not be reliable, the idea of this novel is that it revolves around him, therefore his thoughts and inputs are in fact important to us as readers.
-Rendell Miguel
I strongly believe that the reason why J.D Salinger gets away with the reader trusting Holden Caulfield is mainly because of the honesty the narrator has with his audience. Even though Holden declares himself to be a terrific liar, he is honest to his audience about it, which makes it seem as if he would lie to anyone but us, as readers. However, I must also admit that I do agree with some of my peers when they say we trust Holden because we can relate. As teenagers we might find ourselves in situations were being a good liar is needed. However, I believe that by admitting that Holden is a liar, the audience gets an insight as to why he does it, and some of his actions seem more logical that way. Also, because this novel is written in a first person point of view, the narrator does have the opportunity to justify is actions. If this novel were to be written in a third person POV, Holden wouldn't seem so trustworthy because the audience wouldn't be able to have that special connection with the reader and also, all his lying would just seem like childish actions.
ReplyDeleteThe way Salinger is able to make the reader trust a character that loves to lie is by letting us go into Holden’s thoughts and feelings when he interacts with other characters and situations that present themselves. By making the story in first person point of view the reader is able to connect to Holden and relate to him much easier than it would in third person. Although Holden chooses to lie and makes him a little difficult to trust as a reliable source he is able to actually hold onto it by relating himself to the audience. If the story had not been told in first person point of view then the reader would not be able to connect to Holden and most likely make the story less relatable and make it harder for the reader to follow the story.
ReplyDelete-Cristian Hernandez
When Holden openly stated that he was a "terrific liar", I myself had to second guess whether I should be able to trust the narrator. Although, like many of my peers have already said, is that Salinger easily helps the audience get hooked is because of how Salinger shows and characterizes Holden. Since it is seen through Holden's point of view, everything is seen to be more personal so it is as if you are experiencing what he is going through with him. I do agree with most of my peers when they state that it is easier for us to be hooked onto this character because he himself is a teen at the time. I can say for myself and possibly some of my peers, that I do lie just to do it, but mainly to protect myself from getting into anymore trouble that I would e originally. I agree with Cristian Hernandez in which he says the if it wasn't told in Holden's point of view then the audience would have a really hard time connecting to the book. I believe this because if it were told outside of his point of view, then we wouldn't be aware of his deeper thoughts, and his stream of consciousness. If it were told from another point of view it probably would be harder to follow through with the story since Holden does mention a various amount of his emotions in the story. To answer your question of how Salinger manages to get away with the reader trusting Holden is that Salinger first presents Holden to be perceived as a variety of characteristic one of which is rebellion. For Salinger to later on state that Holden is a liar just gives more evidence and helps backup the fact that Holden indeed is a rebellious teen.
ReplyDelete-Angel Villareal
Ever since the beginning of the novel readers can see Holden constantly judging, criticizing and terming people as “phonies”. He gives us his personal thoughts on almost everyone in the novel. With this readers become familiar with characters through the eyes and opinions of Holden. We mostly only get Holden’s perspective on these characters, disclosing other opinions on these characters from readers. JD Salinger gives readers a filter into the way readers meet characters, they meet them through Holden’s eyes and his view of them. The way that Holden is open about his feelings and emotions towards characters establishes a sense of trust between the narrator and the reader, because the reader is open to all of Holden’s thoughts and can begin to understand little by little who he is as a character and as a narrator. With this the story would be completely different if it was told in third person, because we would be able to see Holden’s actions and what he says, but not his thoughts, which give the reader a lot of information on the type of teenage boy he is during the time and what his relationships with other characters mean to him. One of the main important elements of this book that makes this book what it is and give out the message that it does is the reader being able to know Holden’s thoughts and being able to go through Holden’s journey with him.
ReplyDelete-Camila Lautz
One might have immediately labeled Holden as an unreliable narrator when he stated he was a huge liar. The fact that he lied about little incidents tells the audience he finds it easy to be dishonest with others. But through the use of JD Salinger's vivid imagery and concrete details, one could easily believe everything Holden is saying. The author allows the narrator to tell the audience some of his deepest thoughts, developing a trustworthy relationship with the reader. The reader understands why Holden acts the way he does or says the things he says as the novel progresses. Chapter by chapter Holden reveals more dark incidents he's experienced in his past, which not only makes the reader trust the narrator but understand him and his situation. This story of course would be completely different if it were to be told in a third person point of view, all because that relationship with the main character would not occur. Sure JD Salinger's techniques might convince the audience to believe Holden, but a first person point of view truly makes the reader be more intrigued with the novel.
ReplyDelete-Roberto Sevilla
Salinger instills trust between Holden and the reader in placing the focus in certain aspects of the novel rather than others. For example, the actual events that occurred are not important to the themes of the book rather the way Holden responded and how they psychologically affected his state of mind. The first person point of view is best for this book because it allows the readers to hear first hand accounts to what was going through Holden's mind. For example, Holden's over and under exaggerations allow us to see why he has so much hate toward the world around him. If the story was told in the third person view, the frequent use of "he" in terms of Holden's stream of consciousness would decrease the narrators credibility in accounting for feelings, especially considering how twisted we know Holden to be.
ReplyDelete-Sarah Schumacher
Salinger develops the feeling of trust towards the speaker, Holden Caulfield, despite his continuous drinking and unstable mind, by providing detailed descriptions of what Holden is thinking and his emotions. People tend to trust those who speak honestly of what they feel and what they experience, thus the readers, who have a clear understanding of what Holden is going through, can comprehend and sympathize with him. Although the readers acknowledge the fact that Holden may be a bit abnormal in his behaviors, as exemplified by his breaking of windows following his brother's death, the depiction of his raw thoughts and emotions draws the readers to trust Holden and his memories.
ReplyDeleteHolden's repetitive mocking of the society and its failures are also an aspect that causes the readers to believe in him. His ideas, although sometimes radically different from the norm, are reasonable majority of the time, and his resentments are usually justified. Holden dislikes the way society labels people based on their monetary prosperity, and he also mocks the, "phony," behaviors of people when they want to appear as a part of the higher class. These thoughts are not a uncommon, and many social activists can agree with him. Because his thoughts are not absurd, the readers can see that he may not be a total madman. Thus, we begin to trust him and his words.
I feel as though I trust the narrator in this story because it is easy to relate to him. For instance, his rebellious behavior is seen throughout most of us teenagers and it is a major reason why I can trust Hoden as the narrator. I also trust him by how he openly admits that he is a "terrific liar" because he is telling the reader the truth of the type of person he really is. Salinger was able to do this type of writing through his ability to have Holden relate with the reader. I feel that if this story was told from a third person point of view I would find it harder to believe because it would be someone else telling us about someone else's life, in which they didn't live and they could be completely making stuff up.
ReplyDeleteHolden's character can easily be interpreted as somewhat mischievous and clearly unflattering, but the situations that he finds himself in are often quite unfortunate or disappointing that as a reader I continuously look forward to where he will go and what he will do next. Yes, Holden's character does not always seem completely trustworthy but this contributes to his condescending personality and inflated sense of self worth. Many readers are familiar with people that have similar attitudes and I am certain that I am not the only one that is interested in how their stories end. I believe that Salinger is able to keep readers interested in Holden's story by establishing him as such an unfavorable character; one whose misfortunes and difficulties may prove satisfactory to some readers who have grown distaste of such characters. There are actually times throughout the story when I feel sorry for Holden for all the trouble he faces, such as his being kicked from Pencey and determination of facing his parents before they receive the news, or his run in with the pimp who beat him up for his money. There are also times when I frequently feel frustrated or objectionable towards Holden for getting himself in these situations and the ways he goes upon them. To me, the mix of feelings towards Holden as a character to hate and at the same time feel sorry for seems to serve as a potent way of keeping readers so grasped on the story.
ReplyDeleteFrom the very beginning of the novel, Holden Caulfield admits that he is a liar. In fact, he says he is a "terrific liar". Although he may be considered an unreliable narrator due to all the events occurring with his teacher and the woman on the train, I like him. He is much like us, teenagers. Holden Caulfield is a teenage boy in high school who has failed all of his classes besides English, not a 23 year old professional male that writes books for a living. He is nor authoritative nor credible because of the fact that he is a teenage boy. This novel is told by Holden and merely discusses his interpretation of his surroundings. Simply speaking his mind. They way his brain works is very much like today's high school students. As post number one mentioned, Holden Caulfield was the "first literary teen to articulate that sense of rebellion/cynicism, that eventually became a national phenomenon in years to come. And this is accurate. Since the novel is told by a high school student, he obviously will have the thoughts of a sixteen year old boy. Holden is much like today's high school students because he is constantly trying to make himself seem older than what he actually is and is not true to himself. Therefore, I completely trust Holden because he solely speaks of his inner thoughts and instantly points his view on things. If the story was told in third person, it would be much different. The audience would not know what exactly is going on in Holden's life. Because it is written in first person point of view we can easily determine the reasoning behind Holden's actions. If it was told in a third person point of view, it is impossible to establish the rationale of his behavior.
ReplyDeleteEven when Holden admitted to be a liar, I think that the reader still got to like him because of how honest he was. I think that if the story was written in a different style it would not be as interesting and it would be much longer. I personally like better the stories that are written in first point of view because we know what the character thinks amd feels, which is also another reason we liked Holden. The story did not really have any exciting events but it was still interesting wanting to know what would happen to him next.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteSalinger’s use of a first person point of view allows the reader to immerse themselves in Holden’s inner thoughts and evaluate his underlying motives. I agree with Rendell Miguel that the perspective of the novel creates a deeper connection between the narrator and the reader. In my opinion, if the novel was written in a third person point of view it would be difficult for the reader to analyze Holden thoroughly. Holden constantly acts in ways that do not reflect who he is as an individual in order to feel included and at times superior. Therefore, we cannot analyze him solely on his actions. Although as the narrator, Holden has the power to choose what he wants to display about himself and what he wants to keep hidden. However, the actions and thoughts that make the reader wonder if he is truly honest transform the reader into a paranoid analyst. I found myself seeking for an underlying meaning of everything he says or does which may be Salinger’s sole purpose.
ReplyDeleteI developed a liking to Holden not only because of his apparent bluntness but for his relatability as well. In response to Mr. Rodriguez’s question, I believe that Salinger transformed himself into a cynical, confused teenager in order to create common ground with readers that have similar feelings. Although Holden’s characteristics may have been taboo in the 1950s, in this generation there a millions of American teenagers that feel confused, depressed, and isolated. For example, the theme of suicide in the novel may have shocked millions of readers in the 50s contributing to its ban. However, with increasing levels of depression and youth suicides in the U.S, many teenagers can find a part of themselves in Holden’s character.
-Lizeth Estrada
Just as my peers mentioned, readers are able to trust Holden Caulfield because he openly shares his inner thoughts and feelings. As he is a teenager, the reader can imagine the limits Holden must’ve faced whilst on his own. However, he behaves very much like a full grown adult, going to bars drinking, smoking, and staying outside all night. This, accompanied by his fairly genuine personality, is what keeps readers interested in his story. Caulfield simply thinks and acts very differently from today’s youth. Furthermore, this story would be less humorous if it had been told from a third person POV. Without the constant inner dialogue coming from Holden’s thoughts, we wouldn’t have become as familiarized with the characters, nor would we be as entertained to keep reading. First person provides the reader a deeper insight on the speaker’s character. Our perspective on Caulfield would’ve been completely different had he not told us he was a notorious liar.
ReplyDeleteI say that the readers are able to trust Holden because just as Ahren Aguinaldo states, he openly shares his inner thoughts. Something a third person POV would not able to provide. In a way, although he is a liar, we have no choice but to trust or accept what he has to say. I mean, he is the only person who knows exactly how he feels and what is going on in his head at that moment. Also, I realize people actually sympathize for others who accept and realize who and how they are. Holden demonstrates this by admitting he is a liar, so we know from the get go that even if we continue to hear what he has to saw, that they may not even be true.
ReplyDeleteAs for me, Holden caught my liking because he seemed to be very straight forward. Also, in some of his views on things, I could relate to, like his hatred for phoniness or his indecisiveness. Not only could I relate to him, but as well as the world itself. Just as Holden has this growing depression, confusion, and fear of growing older, so do a lot of teens in the US.
-Mariah Brown
I think readers are aware of Holden's biased opinions due to his first person point of view, but also trust him because he shares his thought process, allowing Holden's thoughts ultimately become the reader's thoughts. Also, Holden's casual language reveals his bias and makes the reader lean towards Holden's opinions. If The Catcher In the Rye were to be told in a third person perspective, I do not think we would be so deep into Holden's mind. The narrator would be neutral and readers would be unable to side with Holden. Readers would probably dislike Holden or view him as just another delinquent.
ReplyDeleteFurthermore, I took a liking to Holden because of his immaturity. Holden was always sort of a rebel, dropping out of school and such, which interested me because I felt that he was also adventurous. I also admired Holden's thought process, especially when he sidetracks off the topic, and jumps back into it. It makes him seem more realistic because I often do the same thing.
-Jered Relopez
JD Salinger gets away with the reader trusting Holden due to his use of the point of view being first person. The use of the first person point of view in this novel was very interesting for me because as most of my peers above have stated, Holden shares his inner thoughts and thought processes. For me, it was like a maze where I follow Holden's thoughts until somewhere it branched off away from the exit and went into another maze. In other words, I would see how his thought process worked, but sometimes I did not agree with his choices. Even though some of his choices were very irrational to me, I still trusted Holden due to his inner teenager. From my own observations, teenagers are very impulsive and can be influenced a large amount by their emotions at that moment, without considering future consequences. I thought about it like this, and it let me justify the decisions that Holden made throughout the novel and trust that he will keep narrating in the same way. The story would be extremely different if it were told from a third person point of view. The reason it would be very different is because from a third person point of view, the readers would not be able to understand Holden's thought process and dislike him as a character. Moreover, a third person point of view would not be the optimal point of view for this novel. This is because without knowing Holden's view of his world around him, I believe that this book would just be a novel about a rebellious teenager just being impulsive and doing what he wants with nothing really deeper than that plot-wise.
ReplyDelete-Rejiryc Perez
In a real world situation, if a person were to sit down across from an alleged 'madman' who was currently admitted in a mental hospital, that person would most likely shun almost everything that the 'madman' is saying. So, realistically speaking, readers should have a similar reaction to Holden Caulfield telling readers his personal story. Yet, this is where the beauty of how JD Salinger constructs Holden as a characters plays a huge role.
ReplyDeleteIt is uncommon to see such a classic novel to begin in a first person point of view, let alone one that automatically connects with the reader. By establishing this instant connection, I believe that Salinger successfully accomplishes building a bond, almost like a friendship, between the reader and Holden. In addition, by admitting to his insufficient recollection of past memories, and openly sharing with the reader his 'real-time' thought process of a given situation, Holden manages to win readers' hearts over, along with their trust that Holden's story is in fact true because of how blunt he is about his bad memory and habit of lying. And of course, it is only natural human instinct to trust those who are honest about their actions.
If this story were to have been told in third person point of view, the intimacy that Salinger builds through Holden's first person accounts would be nonexistent. So, it would be much more difficult for readers to build to the same level of trust. Without having the 'personal connection' aspect with Holden, he is simply seen as a delinquent that has dropped out of several prep schools, and became a madman. As Rejiryc Perez points out, a story that is told from the character himself provides much more insight into the situation, rather than a narrator telling Holden Caulfield's life story.
-Jennifer Ma
In comparison to Jennifer’s response, I agree that the first person point of view in the book is extremely essential in building a connection between the protagonist and the reader. This might sound weird but from Holden’s ill-mannered words and judgmental tone, I developed a liking towards him. It was a humorous technique J.D. Salinger employed. I believe it really connected Holden’s personality to the teens of the present, today.
DeleteEven though Caulfield admits to being a liar, J.D. Salinger’s use of first person helps the reader understand Holden and his insights about others. Holden shares mostly all his thoughts about society and what is occurring, no matter if it is good or not. For me, Holden’s immediate response to things were appealing because most teenagers act out without thinking, which Holden seems to do a lot.
Like many of my peers have stated, third person point of view would not have a full effect as first person does. I completely agree with Rejiryc when he explains that the book would only be “a novel about a rebellious teenager just being impulsive and doing what he wants”. Without first person, readers would not be able to know Holden’s inner thoughts and would not be able to establish a connection with him. Without the connection built between Caulfield and the readers, it would be difficult for readers to form a liking towards him and they would automatically just identify him as an impetuous teen.
-Jocelynn Padilla
Holden's introduction in the novel is certainly a bad one. He begins seemingly uninterested in retelling his story, and begins with himself about to be kicked out of Pencey. Holden indeed is not only a liar, but immature, foul mouthed, and brazen. However, what makes us, the audience, continue to trust Holden's account of the story is the openness in his description of events. Although Holden certainly likes to tell lies for his advancement, Holden is not afraid to get deep or personal with the reader, and all in all that's what makes us trust him and seem interested in his tale.
ReplyDeleteWhile he is very well indeed a manipulative liar, I must say that Holden's youth and twisted, cynical view of the world kept me interested in his next event of decision. I felt compelled to continue reading page from page to see what luck or misfortune he'd find himself in after every chapter.
Another big factor in the novel is the use of a first-person perspective. While a third-person perspective can give us insight on everything that's happening around Holden, I believe that the use of first-person in this case gives us a much clearer understanding of the world surrounding Holden. His personal insight gives us a clearer picture of the true nature of upper-class private schools, the groggy nature of New York, the expectations and duties of the upper-class, all important factors in understanding Salinger's novel.
Although I agree with you that the introduction of the story may make it seem like Holden is uninterested in retelling his story, I have to disagree with you when it comes to the subject of Holden being a manipulative liar.
DeleteI am not sure if this post was geared towards a first impression of the book, but a read deeper into the novel shows you why Holden’s personality is how it is.
Holden distrusts most adults and most of all, Hollywood, because of the pressure he sees put on his generation. The pressure to be rich and successful, the pressure to learn for the wrong reasons. Holden is also a teenager who is quite frankly, trying to adjust to the life and enigma that is an urban city filled with adults. Not to say that he hasn’t lived in New York long, but as a youth, he is trying to take in the reality of life and society.
I believe that Holden “lied” to the mother of the Pencey student on the train as a bit of mischief. As you may recall, Holden also messed around with the taxi driver while asking what happens to the fish in the frozen lake. It’s all just a bit of fun for Holden, a little bit of brightness in his dark days (having just been kicked out of yet another school). Holden is also trying to use humor as a way to bring a bit of humor to the world that he sees around him, the society he sees as riddled with problems.
So while I agree that Holden may be somewhat immature and foul mouthed at times, we must remember that Holden is a teenager who is confused by his surrounding environment and the problems presented to his generation by society. I also respectfully disagree with your claim that Holden is a manipulative liar, seeing as most of the times he lies are out of mischief.
-Xavier Sanchez
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteTo begin with I would like to respond to Kyle's post. The reason as to why I liked Holden is similar to what hooked you into reading this book. Holden's brutal honesty ,although repetitive at times, gave me a sense of how he is willing to disclose his true thoughts. It's exactly the mind of a teenager; brash,brazen, as well as being cynical. These characteristics of Holden's thoughts is what made me able to relate to him.
DeleteAs others have already mentioned regarding the point of view, a third person POV does not achieve the same effect as a first person POV does. If the novel had been told from a third person POV, we would not have been able to hear Holden's true thoughts and feelings.I would have been bored by the story if that was the case. His cynical views is what makes him lovable in my opinion.As a quick note on Xavier's argument, Holden's lies, while being mischievous as you said, is what makes the character even more likeable. To Holden, lying became a defense mechanism so that he is able to escape the cruel reality he faces. So even if he is a depressing guy, you can't help but feel sorry for him and wish him the best.
-Josef Urrete
I agree with my peers that a first person point of view allows for the readers to understand Holden’s thoughts and his emotions. Although, it is stated throughout the novel that Holden is a liar, J.D Salinger paints him as an honest individual, and because of that, the readers want to know more about what he is thinking. If this novel was told in a third person point of view, the readers will feel like they can not connect to Holden on a personal level. They will not be able to understand how he feels and why he thinks the way he does. They will be unable to see his view on life unless he states it out loud. Even though I did not like Holden throughout the book, I enjoyed seeing his point of view because in some scenes (when he talks about his deceased brother Allie and his relationship with his little sister, Phoebe), it allowed for me to sympathize with him and realize that he is simply a regular teenager. Despite the fact that I did not like Holden for lying continuously, having this novel in his point of view gave me a little insight on why he does such things.
ReplyDelete-Ayauna Cunningham
Many of peers above have acknowledged that third person point of view does not provide the same insight to the character to that first person point of view. We still trust Holden due to the author allowing us to feel like we know Holden’s innermost thoughts. The reader begins to feel comfortable and more trusting of what Holden is telling the audience. It would be very ironic if he was lying about all of these stories and experiences for over 200 pages. The technique the author uses is stream of consciousness. This technique is used to connect the reader to a character’s innermost thoughts. This technique makes me feel like I know Holden better than anyone he interacts with throughout the story. If this story was told in third person, we may not trust everything we are told about Holden since we know he is a compulsive liar. IN a third person POV he could be telling the narrator many different lies or exaggerations of events that happened to him. This is highly likely since Holden has ended up in a mental hospital.
ReplyDelete- Joseph Doumbia
ReplyDeleteI think that one of the reasons people continue to read is because of how unpredictable Caulfield can be. The reader never knows exactly what he's gonna do next, or how he is going to react to a situation. His responses can be funny or even heartwarming at times. An example is when he was talking about his late brother Allie's baseball mitt. He put such an effort into explaining the way it looked and the memories that it brought to mind. His constant use of the word 'damn' is funny, cause sometimes it isn't even needed to emphasize that point or lack of a point that he is trying to make. It could also be the fact that Caulfield himself, doesn't think much of his reliability, which makes the story interesting. He knows he's unreliable, even going to the extent of calling himself the 'most terrific liar you ever saw.' While he does lie a lot there are moments of brutal and blunt honesty. Mostly in his descriptions of people does he showcase that particular trait, only to trade in lies for every other mundane things from his age to his destination. Theses type of attributes mix the story up to give it a different kind of flair from other realistic fiction books, leaving the reader to turn the next page to see what other shenanigans Caulfield will get into.
-Anayah Carpio
I understand that some people may find Holden to be an unreliable narrator because of his frequent lies, especially when he was on the train with the woman, telling her outrageous lies about himself. It makes the reader question if Holden is actually being truthful or not. In addition, Holden fails out of four prep schools, which also makes readers question how and why he got kicked out. It would only make sense to mark Holden as an unreliable narrator.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I also know that some people, including my peers, find Holden to be trustworthy and relateable because he is telling the story in first person point of view, which allows readers to be able to understand Holden's deepest thoughts and feelings. We are able to see the world through Holden's eyes, and how he perceives experiences throughout his life. I concur with Xavier Sanchez's disagreement with Kyle Mapanao in that Holden is not manipulating anyone with his lies. Yes, he does lie quite often, but due to his rebellious nature and mental instability, we should note that he only does this out of fun or mischief. These little white lies hold no dark intentions and inflict no harm on anyone. Furthermore, Salinger uses the technique of colloquial language in order to add realism to the story and allow the reader to be able to identify with the narrator. If the story was told in a different point of view, readers would be unable to fully understand the thought process of the narrator, and we would never be able to tell if he was telling the truth or not. We would also not be able to see Holden's unique and distinctive perspective on the world. Therefore, the author's intention to write this story in first person can make some believe Holden to be reliable and likable.
-Meagan Phillips
The author, in my opinion, gets away with the readers trusting Holden by throwing multiple situations where Holden had to explain why he did this and that. Those events show his personality and way of thinking. If the story were told in third person, I believe that the connections between the reader and Holden would be confusing. In third person, it seems as if the readers are spectating Holden, not knowing how he thinks of the situation, encountering numerous events that cause him to react. In third person, we would not be able to understand why to the fullest extent. Taking advantage of the first-person point of view, us as readers can see his thought processes when handling a situation, thus making it easier to trust the lying Holden Caulfield. I trust Holden especially because of his reasoning for his actions.
ReplyDeleteI want say that it is not that I like Holden, but I'm curious to know what he will do next. I am aware that he is a liar and it is like I am anticipating when he will lie next. In my case, that is why I still keep reading. It is also quite intriguing to start a novel with a character that was created not to be instantly admired. Maybe it is because I do not like Holden, as much as a character that was made to immediately appeal to me, and that being the reason why I kept reading.
-Carla Alipit Francisco
I believe that J.D. Salinger uses the technique of revealing the reader what Holdens thoughts are in a current situation. I think that if it was in third person the reader and the author would be confused about Holdens personality. What keeps me reading are not only his thoughts but his actions as well. Yes he does lie quite often but the outcomes of his lies are really interesting and fun to read. I am glad that the Catcher in the Rye is not in third person because if it was,I would feel as I'd be judging Holden without even knowing him and why he did something without listening to his explanation. I feel that another technique that J.D. used was using a teenager as a main character. Me myself as a teenager can relate to some of the things he has done such as lying. I believe that us as teenagers are full of surprises. - Lithzy Alvarado
ReplyDeleteI trust Holden Caulfied, because he gave us a reason to trust him. He shares his dark thoughts and secrets with the readers. He does not lie to us about what he really feels.He is blunt about how he feels about the world, and to me that is the realest a person can be. He lies and deceives people around him, but he does not hide the truth from us.
ReplyDeleteThe readers are like close friends to Holden while the people in his world are mostly enemies. We know Holden's thoughts and the way he works, however we can not predict his next move. I trust him, but I never knew what he was going to do next. Holden is unpredictable but a trustworthy narrator.
-Risvi Tareq
JD Salinger gets away with the reader getting fooled into trusting Holden Caulfield because he characterized Holden to be straightforward and blunt. The whole novel is based on Holden’s memories and his inner thoughts about everything he went through. Holden even admits that he’s “the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life” (19)! Reading that made me question whether he’s a reliable narrator or not, however he was very straightforward about it. Salinger convinces the reader to like Holden well enough to keep reading by keeping him interesting. Holden is not just any teenager, he wants to stay a kid and he’s very judgmental about everything. Usually teens today want to grow up already so they can drive by themselves, live on their own, and make their own decisions. Salinger also introduces many characters that aid Holden’s character to become more interesting. The technique that Salinger uses that allows him to do this is the way that Holden is telling the story to the reader, it’s like he’s talking to the reader as friends. It creates some type of relationship which eases you to trust him. If the story was told from a third person point of view, everything would be different. The reader wouldn’t even question whether Holden is a reliable narrator, they would automatically not trust him at all because it doesn’t create that bond between the reader and the narrator to earn that trust. Also, the readers would probably lose interest in the story quickly since the story wouldn’t reveal Holden’s thoughts and feelings, which are very significant to the story.
ReplyDelete-Paola Priela
Like my classmates above, I believe the main reason Holden remains a solid narrator albeit being a chronic liar is his brutally honest, first-person inward behavior. Although the book feels like a diary, Holden has never felt like a deceptive, or untrustworthy narrator. The way he chooses to portray his thoughts is without restraint; you feel as if he is just a confused young adult with strong opinions.
ReplyDeleteIn a way, the journal is one-hundred percent him, so the book feels more like a "this is me, take it or leave it" feel rather than a deceptive narrator feel. Personally, many of Holden's thoughts came off a bit extreme (in particular, his questionable judgment of people he meets, like how he said Maurice was a nice guy), yet I am not completely in disagreement after reading. There is a unique quality/comfort to reading this book that lets you sit back, knowing that he is purely Holden Caulfield, representing himself practically thought for thought.
-Andre Yee
J.D. Salinger gets away with the reader trusting Holden Caulfield because he is relatable to the readers. It is easy to trust a character, since we can understand how he is feeling.
ReplyDeleteAlso, it is hard for me to continue reading a book if I find it uninteresting. However, Salinger keeps me interested in the book because Caulfield is a rebellious and blunt person that stands out among other protagonists.
He uses techniques such as a first person point of view, which allows the readers to completely understand Caulfield’s thoughts and feelings. This is the best technique to keep a reader interested because they feel as if they are the protagonist.
If this story was told from a third person point of view, the readers would not understand how Caulfield feels, and why he acts the way he does. Also, I would have seen him as another teenager with a bad mouth. Any other point of view besides first person would confuse the readers, since they would perceive him the wrong way.
- Janelle Douglas
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIt’s ironic how Holden hates the phoniness he is surrounded by throughout the novel, yet we can see the biggest phony out of all of them is Holden himself. His life and the people he surrounds himself with force him to be a phony; he cannot open up to anyone because he feels as if no one would understand him. Because he feels as if people will not understand him, he is forced to put on a façade to blend in, even though he claims to despise phonies. Even though us readers are conscious of hypocritical Holden, we can trust him because he comes off as realistic. He goes through what we as adolescents go through in our everyday lives: academics, love problems, self-confidence, and misunderstandings. We feel familiar with what Holden goes through because it has happened once in our life. His way of confronting his problems is something we’ve all been guilty of doing; avoiding the problem. Even though Salinger characterizes Holden to be very peculiar in the way he views society, we can trust Holden well enough in his narration because we all have been there one way or the other. As adolescents, we can be very misunderstood and rebel against what other people want us to pursue or be. Although extremely hypocritical, Holden is trusted for his misunderstood character making him very relatable to all readers.
ReplyDelete-Celeste Lettieri
In the very beginning of The Catcher in the Rye, I felt that Holden was an irritating character since he complained about everything around him. It made me think that the novel had a negative and depressing tone. In spite of that first impression, as I kept reading I grew to like Holden. He began to share things he enjoyed as the story progressed and I felt that he was a relatable character. Holden is nothing like any characters I have read about since he has no filter and says anything he wants whenever he wants. JD Salinger gets away with Holden being an “unreliable narrator” since he created a character that would just share how he feels with what is happening in the novel. I would have to agree with Joshua C’s comment on how Catcher will lack an in depth analysis of Holden if the novel was told with a third person point of view. The audience would miss out on the commentary Holden states, which makes the novel less interesting and the experiences Holden encounters to be more simple and basic. I believe Holden’s cynical view completes the novel.
ReplyDeleteHolden informs his audience multiple times that he is a liar, yet a lot of his readers have fallen in love with him because of the emotional attachment that we develop for him. Holden acts in a way that is very similar to teens nowadays. For example, he turns to drugs and alcohol when in a stressful situation and a lot of teens right now do the exact same. Although Holden straight up lies to people, it is not hard to believe him. The pathos appeal that J.D. Salinger incorporates in this novel help the reader to feel more sympathetic towards Holden which in turn causes the reader to trust Holden more. The author also provides a lot of detail and insight on all of the characters, which allow us to get close to all of them. If the novel were to be written in third person, it would not be as personal and the story would have been harder to believe because a character other than Holden does not know exactly what Holden is thinking at every second of the day. Also, Holden barely acts out his true feelings and tends do only show anger towards others, so if someone were to only tell the story from outside of Holden, the audience would have a harder time connecting with someone that only comes off as rude. First person was definitely the best option for “Catcher in the Rye.”
ReplyDelete-Caroline Beel
Like my peers have said, the book would be very different if it was told from a third person POV. Salinger's use of first person allows us, the readers, to being fully indulged in Holden's innermost thoughts and ideas, providing a better understanding of why he reacts in certain ways or does certain things. When young people read this book they can relate to Holden's constant struggle with alienation in a world where no one understands them and they are expected to be someone they do not wish to be. He can also be trusted as a narrator because he is telling us all the aspects of his story, even the parts that are embarrassing or might make us dislike who Holden is and what he does. However, their are some things that Holden does not describe in so much detail, such as Allie's death or how exactly he ended up at the rest home. I believe this represents how most teenagers and people in general prefer not to openly discuss events in their life that have caused them emotional pain or discomfort, and would like to keep those particular events to themselves.
ReplyDelete-Daniela Nolasco
In my opinion, why we trust Holden is because of his personality and his background. He is really straight-forward and even though people take advantage of him, like when his roommate asked him to make a composition for him, just to not like it at the end, Holden doesn’t look at himself as a victim. Also, Salinger makes a good job at making the reader understand Caulfield and his depression. It is pretty obvious by now that he suffers from this mental illness, whether he is aware of it or not, it is unknown to me. I think throughout the novel, I have been feeling empathy towards Holden, put myself in his place and trying to understand why he acts that way. As a fellow teenager, we share some of his characteristics, like sometimes acting younger than our age, and sometimes in a more adult manner.
ReplyDeleteIf the story was told from a third person’s perspective, most likely, the reader will see Caulfield like a young delinquent that smokes, gets kicked out of schools, and doesn’t care about anything or anyone in life. This is why the story is told from Holden’s point of view, so the reader can notice and see the struggles and hardships he has gone through his life that has shaped the person he is today.
- Paulina Quesada
Salinger gets away with the reader trusting Holden because he makes Holden's unreliable characteristic a normality throughout the book. Moreover, Salinger spends a lot of time not on the actions of Holden but on his profound thoughts, in which he sets a standard that makes it clear to the reader that he is a conflicted teen. Since the reader knows that Holden is a teen going through a tough phase, it seems apt for Holden to carry on his story as an unreliable narrator. The enjoyable part of this relationship between the conflicted teen and his unreliable trait is its ability to relate with the modern teen. The modern teen, which is all students reading this book, can identify themselves with Holden because most of us are unaware of our future. We, like Holden, have created a world in which we decide if we are rebellious and disagree with the social norm or simply accept the way things are. This feeling is portrayed by Holden as he assigns the word "phony" to the things in life that he does not agree with. A troubled teen who is unreliable and does not have a set future is someone who many of us can relate with, hence making Holden's unreliable characteristic a normality and something that makes the book more enjoyable.
ReplyDeleteIf this story was told in third person, it would eliminate the connection between the modern teen and Holden. The essence of this book is within the mind as everyone's perspective is different at that point. Third person would have eliminated its uniqueness and we would only regard Holden as that troubled teen. The beauty comes from the unique perspective that Holden has on the world where he assigns things as phony or not, which is something different that each of us has and facilitates our connection with Holden. Henceforth, first person allows Salinger to expose the reader to Holden's perspective while third person only shows the superficial facts, which is not enough to express the message of this book.
Though Holden openly admits to being a compulsive liar, and a terrific one at that, I found it was easy to develop a sense of liking to his character. As many of my peers have stated, there is a sort of straightforwardness in his narration. He seems tells the reader exactly how he feels and we are able to see, through his eyes, how the world he lives in works. Holden's lying seems to be directed at those he comes into contact with, not really at himself, so when he is thinking about something, there is a sense of honesty there.
ReplyDeleteThough his mind is very scattered and chaotic at times, as Abegail Caraulia has mentioned, I like the way he thinks because it reminds me of the way how our thinking works sometimes. I have had instances where my mind goes from one thing to another and another in a matter of seconds, and that is exactly what happens to him constantly throughout the novel. Through his thoughts, we are able to connect with him and really relate to more of how he acts, reacts, and feels.
There is also the issue of intimacy. I agree with many of what has been said about the narration forming a greater connection between the reader and Holden. Without his commentary and his thoughts, the novel would have honestly been really boring to me. I found entertainment in the way he thinks about things because it adds depth to his character and provides us with an understanding of Holden that the rest of his world does not have. Without the first person POV, we would have been just like everyone else in the novel: seeing only what Holden would like us to see.
-Sophia Dugan
To be completely honest. I did not like Holden. I did not like his way of being with such a negative vibe and pessimistic point of views, but past this, I cannot hate him. In a way I understand him. There are times where we complain as well. Maybe not as much as him or about the same things, but nevertheless the act is enough. I noticed this about Holden many times, had he not admitted it, I would have pieced together that he was a compulsive/pathological liar. And although I, and I'm sure many others, would usually disdain or distrust these types of people, I do trust Holden and I do not disdain him. I do not trust Holden as a person, but I trust his actions; he is intentional. Every lie has a purpose and it is only for what he believes is his own good. Salinger is swell at writing cleverly enough so we could interact with Holden's thoughts and see his every action and its purpose so clearly. If this were a second point of view or third person point of view narrated story, I would question Holden for why he said he was who he was or why he said he was as old as he did. But because we are able to directly read Holden's thoughts and be inside his head, I can thus empathize with him and understand him.He only ever told lies to attempt to fit in to the environment surrounding him. He lied about his age not only so he could drink but so he would not be patronized for being so young, he lied about his name because he is not happy with who he is at the moment so is ashamed of sharing his real name, little lies like this that add up to him wishing he lived differently. No need to lie if you were proud and comfortable with the persona you are.
ReplyDeleteJD Salinger makes Holden Caulfield very easy to trust even early on in the book. While Holden himself admits he's a liar, he's being open about it and admits his fault to the reader. Due to this, readers of the book would feel more inclined to listen to what Holden has to say, although he's a liar, he's making himself trustworthy by opening up about himself. As for liking him throughout the book, Salinger helps the reader identify with Holden. Whether this is with his trouble at school, or the way Holden just seems like a teenager trying to find his place in this world. Salinger does this by using Holdens POV to show us his deepest thoughts. This point of view also helps the reader connect with Holden more than we would have had it been written in another POV.
ReplyDeleteHad the book been told from another point of view, the readers would only see Holden as a troublemaker. Especially in that time, people would see him as a delinquent who drinks, doesn't try hard enough in school and doesn't try to fit in with society. The readers would see Holden as an untrustworthy character who may be acting out to gain attention.
It is very significant that the story is being told in first person point of view because it allows the reader access to Holden's thoughts and feelings. Because we have access to Holden's thoughts his lie is not a big deal. We know how he is really feeling which makes him a reliable narrator. The story being told in first person also makes it more relatable for teenagers. Him lying is something that many teens can connect with. For example when he lies to the woman on the train that her son is a wonderful boy when in reality is “the biggest jerk.” No parent wants to hear that their child is everything but kind which is why Holden lied to the woman. Changing the narration to third person point of view would definitely change the reader's perception of Holden. We wouldn't know Holden's inner thoughts which in my opinion would be quite intriguing.
ReplyDelete-Alexis Gaskin
JD Salinger makes Holden Caulfield very easy to trust even early on in the book. While Holden himself admits he's a liar, he's being open about it and admits his fault to the reader. Due to this, readers of the book would feel more inclined to listen to what Holden has to say, although he's a liar, he's making himself trustworthy by opening up about himself. As for liking him throughout the book, Salinger helps the reader identify with Holden. Whether this is with his trouble at school, or the way Holden just seems like a teenager trying to find his place in this world. Salinger does this by using Holdens POV to show us his deepest thoughts. This point of view also helps the reader connect with Holden more than we would have had it been written in another POV.
ReplyDeleteHad the book been told from another point of view, the readers would only see Holden as a troublemaker. Especially in that time, people would see him as a delinquent who drinks, doesn't try hard enough in school and doesn't try to fit in with society. The readers would see Holden as an untrustworthy character who may be acting out to gain attention.
ReplyDeleteJust like a vast amount of my peers, I also believe that J.D Salinger was able to get away with portraying Holden Caulfield as an unreliable narrator due to the archetypal vocabulary that us teenagers utilize nowadays.For example, every time that Caulfield
talks about lying, he does it in such a straight up and original way and I feel like that is part of the reason why us teenagers do not feel too impacted about the narrator lying. Not only that, but I truly believe that the author, J.D Salinger made Holden Caulfield a very judgmental and sarcastic narrator from a start to gasp the audience attention, that way we would connect with Caulfield from the start and not really mind him lying throughout the novel.
The novel in fact, would have a totally different perspective if it were told from a third persons point of view. The novel would be told from an observer and this in my opinion would make it not only more challenging for the audience to connect with the characters, but also harder for us to trust Holden Caulfield. We would not get the specific details from occurring events and most importantly we would not receive specific details on characters personalities and this would truly impact the relationship between the reader and the narrator.
-Yaressy Garcia
J.D. Salinger introduces Holden with a very negative attitude and way of thinking. We learned early on that he is in a mental hospital, got kicked out of another school, and does not seem to care much. For some others, they will turn away and just throw all credibility away for this. I believe there is always a root cause to any type of behavior, both positive and negative. After I learned that he was not over the death of his brother, I understood why he was acting out. Although some of his lies were not necessary, which he admitted to after his encounter with the lady on the train, the personal insight from the point of view allowed me to realize that he just wanted to talk to someone without feeling judged.
ReplyDeleteIf this story was told from third person point of view, the readers would get step by step action on what he did but not why he did it. First person point of view allows the readers to really understand him and the way he looks at life. Readers are kept interested because he is different. He stands out from the usual New Yorkers and traditional family lifestyle. He sees people and life in a way that very few people do and for that cause, we continue reading.
At the very beginning of "The Catcher in The Rye" we meet Holden. A 16 year old whom seems to never be understood. although many of my peers write about Holden in a negative manner he actually resembles us in many ways. All Holden wants is to be understood and be listened to, many of us can relate to such simple things. Throughout the book our narrator and protagonist puts on a very negative appearance... specifically towards adulthood. for example Holden is only 16 but has grown 6 inches and half his head is covered in grey hairs, making him uneasy with the thought of age as the ultimate inevitability.
ReplyDeleteHolden has an interesting innocence to him, although he was obviously no angel, his inner child had a big presence throughout the book. This can be seen by the way he spoke to us the readers, examples of this could be "He had poems written all over the fingers and the pocket and everywhere. In green ink. He wrote them on it so that he'd have something to read when He was in the field and nobody was up to bat. He"s dead now." The way he makes thing seem like everything which is fine have an abrupt ending is a very interesting quirk about him. It is very reminiscent of a child not comprehending the severity of orderly ideas or consequences.
- Christian Viscontti
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteJ.D. Salinger cleverly creates a character that readers can relate to and view as reliable despite his mental state. He offers depth and personal thoughts of Holden that readers are eager to understand. The use of first person point of view exemplifies the themes of the book and the complexities of reality. Holden views the world very subjectively and his narration of reality displays his character. Salinger introduces Holden as a boy who has no cares and clearly has issues, but readers later learn the causes to his behaviors and subsequent reason(s) for entering a mental facility. Though his lies and carefree nature, this book in first person allowed readers to understand Holden and his view of the world.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Vanessa that if this book was written in third person, it would have a different understanding or impact. First person point of view keeps readers wanting more as it reveals Holden's deepest thoughts.
-Hannah McElmoyl
I think that readers become engaged with the book because Holden is telling his own story. Despite being a dishonest character, as a narrator he is open about the events he describes. As most of my peers have expressed, readers are able to trust Holden because he reveals, or so we think, every single thought that comes to his mind. Readers are presented with his forthright opinions of the other characters as well as what he thinks of himself. Although he bluntly states that he is liar, he can easily be perceived as honest because readers feel as if his thoughts are unfiltered. As Daphne stated, he is also upfront about his own flaws which requires honesty. By acknowledging his weaknesses, he boosts his credibility. If the book were to be told in 3rd person POV, the story would lack clear depictions of his thoughts and motives behind his actions. I personally was hooked onto his character because of his straightforward nature and the clarity of his thoughts, without 1st person POV I do not think that I would have liked Holden as much as I do.
ReplyDelete-Mariza Zaratan
In agreement with my peers, I believe J.D. Salinger inputs intrigue and intimacy in the novel that distracts readers from Holden Caulfield's controversial/untrustworthy personality. His consistent lying is evident from the start however, as he himself states out. This trait within Holden bring out a sense of something readers, especially teenagers, can relate to. Although his lying is something that I immediately recognized from the start, I eventually came to realize his true character and the way he acts out and expresses his emotions, even if they are through lying. Lying for Holden's character sensibly gives him difference, as well as something readers can analyze and look out for later in the novel. While this trait can also be perceived as untrustworthy or deceptive, interpretation into his character of why he does these things can easily be accomplished after further reading.
ReplyDeletePoint of view is something that is very crucial in this novel, as Holden himself gives detail to his own experiences. We are given his innermost thoughts, feelings, emotions, and overall who he is as a person from the first point of view perspective. If changed to a third person point of view, the novel would wholly be changed, his character becoming more unrecognizable, as well as harder to interpret and fully understand the things he feels behind the actions he chooses.
The reason why JD Stalin gets away with the reader trusting Holden Caulfield even though Caulfiled admits he is a liar is because of the first person point of view that is establish in the story. The reader trusts Holden Caulfield because the readers are the only ones that are aware of the problems and feelings that Caulfield has. By Caulfield admitting that he is a liar on page 22 by saying "I'm the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life" actually benefits his character in the story and makes the reader perceive him as being honest to them. The reason why the reader likes Holden Caulfield so much to keep on reading is because of his unexpected actions and adventure that appear much interesting by adding a first person point of view for example his interactions with the disgusting guy next to his room; Ackley at the beginning of the story. The narrator manages to connect with the reader with every action he commits.
ReplyDeleteIf the novel were told from a third person point of view the reader will not feel the connection with the main character as much due to the lack of details coming from the main character as opposed to the first person point of view, and therefore in my opinion wouldn't be as exciting. Plus the main character would just be looked as a liar without any conclusion of why he lies so often.
A previously mentioned by my peers, first person point of view gives the story a personal feel because the reader can capture Holden’s values and emotions in the novel. The reader is given insight to his thoughts as well, which is much more intimate and intriguing than third person point of view. We as readers are able to grow with his character and understand him better. If readers were not able to understand these things, the story would be less appealing in my opinion. Also, I believe that J.D. Salinger wrote this book in first person point of view because many teenagers can relate to Holden while knowing his thoughts and his attitude throughout the book. In the novel, Holden is stated to be a liar. Although, I think that Holden’s character is looked upon as a trustworthy narrator due to his informal language and his attitude that is very relatable because many teenagers have gone through similar experiences to his. His emotions of isolation and depression are depicted with much more intimacy and I think it makes it easier for readers to interpret.
ReplyDelete-Sarah Solis
The reason why the author J.D. Salinger gets away with us believing and trusting Holden although he is a liar, is because he makes him very relatable to us. I am not saying lying is good nor it I am an advocate for it, however every time he has lied it was for a justified cause. For example when he lied to Mrs. Morrow in chapter 8 in the train about who he really was and about his fake surgery, that was in order to preserve the embarrassment of him being kicked out of a prestigious school that her son goes to. In addition later on in the book in chapter 21 when he lies yet again about his identity to the bell boy in order to sneak into his house and good bye to Phoebe, he was doing it to again preserve the embarrassment of his family knowing he got kicked out again from another great school. Even when Phoebe knew he did get kicked out and kept yelling that their dad was going to kill him, Holden tried to lie one more time to his sister for her to not know the truth. The reason why this works so well is because if we were to put ourselves in the shoes of Holden, we wouldn't want others to really know we got kicked out of a great prep school, and would prefer to save the embarrassment. The technique the author delivers is great due to his sense of appeal to our common human nature. We can forgive Holden for his actions because it is a great reminder that we are all human and we all make mistakes as well. If the story were told in a different point of view the story would change dramatically. It would change so much that we would lose entirely all of Holden's inner thoughts and his constant judgmental remarks he makes towards others. Furthermore everything that Holden does not care about, like his appearance, thoughts, attitude, we would soon start to care about and begin to wonder why he does not care.
ReplyDelete-Dennis O'Brien (DJ) for the post above.
DeletePrior to reading this book, I have read books where the narrator was unreliable. Due to this I assumed that Holden was untrustworthy to begin with. However I feel sympathy towards his character. Ever since the first blog post and learning that Holden was telling the beginning from a mental institute I began looking for clues as to what had led him there. One thing I assume about Holden is that he has a very bi-polar personality. The reason as to why I assume this was because Holden's view on things changes rather quickly. The first time I realized this was the change in praise towards Stradlater. Holden had gone from praising Stradlater to announcing that he hated him multiple times.
ReplyDeleteWhat entices me to continue reading is to figure out why he ends up in a mental institute. If told from a third person point of view, I believe the varying views on Holden would change due to the fact that it isn't being told from Holden directly.
-Devin Wong-Magusara
By the second chapter or is clear that almost everything bothers Holden and there are many things. The story is told through his own trouble thoughts. Salinger demonstrates the reason behind Holden's adolescence be revealing his untrustworthy qualities. There are many times in the novel where Holden's views contradict themselves.
ReplyDeleteThis is partly the fault of Holden's own confusion of himself. In my opinion, Salinger reveals Holden's observations are unreliable through these contradictions.
Holden's character inhibits readers from comprehending the reality of his life. If the story was told in another point of view, readers would not have the same connection with Holden. By him telling the story it allows a reader to dive further into his mind and understand what he is going through. This relationship would not be reached in another point of view.
-Carola Cabral
First I would like to mention how I never really thought of our narrator as being unreliable but I feel naive given I know that he is a compulsive liar. I feel that the author does this most effectively by giving us a deep perspective into his own thoughts. He is always giving us his opinion and letting us know almost every little thing about him like we are close friends. Given that he discloses so much information it is only right for me to assume that he is trustworthy since he trusts the reader with so much personal information. If the story was even told in a third person perspective then I feel as if readers would have little to no trust regarding Holden since on the surface. he seems like an delinquent. As to how the author gets us to like Holden, I believe that he is able to do this be creating a cloud of mystery around Holden. At the beginning of the story we immediately learn that we are hearing a story from the past. That makes us begin to question the current whereabouts of Holden and how the story he is telling us leads to his present conditions. At the same time we are unaware of what his present conditions even are. All of this makes Holden more intriguing and like-able as a character.
ReplyDelete-Eric Solorio
Knowing that i, as well as my peers are not particularly fond toward Holden's character, i have had many doubts as to if Holden is a narrator to ever be trusted. However, what makes me so interested to keep reading is the way JD Salinger uses a first person point of view to give me a deeper look at Holden's thoughts and feelings. I may not have known much about Holden in the beginning of the story, but by analyzing his actions, i can assume the characteristics he possesses. Because the story is told in first person, readers know every thought going through Holden's mind. And as my peers have said, even as Holden tells a lie, we can see his true feelings toward a situation, which is very helpful to understand why he lies. When he lies to the woman about who he is and who her son is, i assumed it was to avoid disclosing any personal information, and to do so, he lied. If the story were told in third person, im sure Holden would come off as a very untrustworthy person through out the whole story. This is because readers wouldn't know what Holden is thinking or feeling.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI considered Holden to be an unreliable narrator since the first chapter, so I personally was not able to trust his word throughout the novel. I will, however, confess that there were moments in the book where his honesty and thoughts fascinated, and even appealed to me, especially in chapter two when he described his previous headmaster to be a phony. I believe this is Salinger's strategy to get the readers to trust and like the narrator. Holden speaks what many people can only think, he brings voice to unspoken words. Many people loathe the arrogant, but they fear the consequences sharing their thoughts would bring. Holden possesses no such restrictions, and this seems to gain an amount of respect and trust from the audience, as well as spark their desire to hear more from the narrator.
ReplyDeleteThe first person perspective establishes a sense of intimacy between Holden and the reader. It is the fact that the reader can fully understand his thoughts and feelings that they are eager to read more. This is the basis of what brings such a unique experience to the reader. It is for this reason that if the story were to be retold in third person, the experience would lack a connection. If told in a perspective other than first person, this novel would become much more dull.
-Kiara Mendaros
Like most of my peers mentioned above, Salinger gets away with the reader trusting Holden because his thoughts are so abstract and odd. They keep the reader intrigued and wanting to keep reading more and more. And I feel like readers, especially at our age where there’s a certain expectation of how one should think, we crave the exotic thoughts that infest Holden’s mind. We are programmed to have certain attitudes and responses to events, actions and people due to what elders and the media have taught us. Holden’s inner most thoughts provide us with the quirkiness and cynicism that I believe everyone holds deep down inside. And while we read, we receive some sort of pleasure and excitement out of it. We find that person deep inside that we would never reveal to others and somehow relate to Holden. He tells background stories of the relationships he holds with people and some of them are so completely unrelated to the present situation (for ex. how Jane always keeps her kings in the back row) but they reveal more about Holden than the actual person he is talking about. He likes to dwell in the past and many people relate to that. I, personally, admire Holden because he is so aware of how fake (or should I say “phony”) the world is and he doesn’t attempt to live that life.
ReplyDeleteThe book would be completely different if it were told from a third person POV. It would lack emotion and be filled with empty dialogue. Getting to know how Holden thinks, through first person POV, is probably one of the only reasons readers would keep going and actually build a connection to Holden.
-Renee Navarro
DeleteWhile I was reading this novel, I found that I had to often force myself to continue reading, simply because I found Holden's character in the beginning of the novel so whiny and hypocritical. He often accused others of phoniness when he himself was in the same social class or did the same things that he hated others doing. I never trusted his depiction of events of those he didn't like, because he said such negative things about them or accused them of being fake. I'm sure that the events he describes really happened, but the details that Holden uses to describe the events are not accurate. To me it seems kind of like the "based on a true story" movies; the events happened, but the portrayal we're given is not a hundred percent accurate. Now that I think about it, that is a rather ironic analogy, because Holden has such an extreme hatred of the movies.
ReplyDeleteThe second half of the novel I found Holden's character a little more bearable, because he spent more time around people he really liked and more of his flaws drawn to light. It made him seem less like some sort misanthropist and more like a normal teenager, with self-doubts and fear of the unknown future. His conversation with the nuns and his little sister made him more relatable. By the time he met up with his sister though, he was already in the beginning stages of his sickness (likely tuberculosis). That's the interesting thing about illness; it lowers inhibitions and makes a person more honest. That obvious illness made me trust Holden a little more, because it was obvious he was being more genuine and not trying to hide so much of himself from the people he trusted.
-Mackenzie Spence
Holden does not lie with malicious intentions, which is why he retains his credibility. For the most part, Holden lies in order to hide his real identity, in a humorous way. I believe this novel is about Holden finding his true self and sanity, which is why he adopts a wide range of identities when dealing with strangers.
ReplyDeleteFurthermore, the story is told from a first person point of view so that Holden can establish a personal connection with the reader. Throughout the novel I felt like I was having a friendly conversation with Holden or reading his journal. That due to the fact that he is very colloquial and does not filter his thoughts. Therefore if this story were told from a third person point of view, it would lose that special connection. Holden would not be able to express his thoughts without restriction, and there would be another bias at play. For example, the events Holden goes through would not be explained so vividly and thoroughly.
-Ingid Reyes
One of the most consistent qualities that the narrator has in Salinger’s novel is his unfiltered speech. While it may be an unappealing trait to have in real life, Holden’s tendencies to be extremely frank and casual establish a sense of connection between himself and his reader, as the way that he converses is quite similar to the way that one would speak to a close friend. Mr. Rodriguez also mentioned the importance of the usage of a first-person perspective. I believe that this contributes to the “blunt” characteristic of Holden’s language as it gives the reader a glimpse into the narrator’s inner and external struggles. Although it is no question that Salinger molded many of the novel’s events in order to steer our opinions to certain directions, the exposure that we are given to Holden’s thoughts and personal encounters serve as a link between his mind and ours in order to help us understand the reasons behind his behavior. Plus, the narrator’s inclination to do things that are morally or socially questionable are also very appealing as it triggers the reader’s mind to relate and apply the situation at hand to their own life. To give an example of such instances, when he encountered Ernest Morrow’s mother on the subway and “started chucking the old crap around” (as he described in page 73) by giving Mrs. Morrow a fake name and describing her son untruthfully, my first reaction was to feel guilty on Holden’s behalf. The fact that he was taking advantage of being strangers with his schoolmate’s mother made me feel rather shocked, as many people would not usually go as far as lying about their own identity. I felt that it was quite deceiving of him to completely mislead her about her son; however, I also experienced an urge to read more as I wanted to know what it would be like to go as far as making up stories when society today is used to a mild form of polite speech, as opposed to “polite speech” that crosses the line between politeness and lying. I took this situation into consideration: if a peer’s parent asked me how their child’s performance in school was, and they were not the most reputable student in school, the right answer would typically be to say “He’s doing fine”. However, Holden’s rather extreme reaction was really intriguing as it made me consider how an exchange like that would turn out in the real world.
ReplyDeleteIf this story were to be told in a third-person POV, however, I believe that the sense of familiarity that the reader will have toward Holden would not be the same. In fact, it will probably weaken the reader’s relationship with the narrator because Holden will seem too guarded, disrespectful, and manipulative. Despite the notion that Holden’s thoughts can still be shared from the aforementioned perspective, I think that it will feel rather different to have someone else share Holden’s story instead of Holden himself, as it may be harder to communicate justifications behind his decisions. If Holden’s personal commentary were to be removed from the narration of this novel, then the audience will have more room to see the whole picture and evaluate him; which, because of Holden’s tendency to make bad choices, will greatly damage the reader’s likelihood to favor him.
Even though Holden does admit to be a compulsive liar, he does admit to when he is lying throughout the book. Just like my peers, I believe that Holden’s manner of speaking and feelings are also very similar to teenagers today. Even though it is clear that Holden lies to others, I believe his book is somewhat of a personal memoir of his experience before he entered the mental hospital. JD Salinger also makes Holden’s personality very visibly clear, and his interpretation to society is able to define his character. I consider since Holden and his natural tendencies are so unique that the reader is able to differentiate his standpoints and come to trust him regardless of his different perspective. For example, Holden seems to be very untrustworthy of the world and negative towards those who have a higher and more powerful social standing. This I noticed was a distinct character trait that he displayed throughout the novel. I also agree that a third person point of view would of tarnished the genuine and personal feelings coming from Holden. Without recognizing the narrator through first point of view I believe the opinions and balance of trust between the readers would of differentiated vastly.
ReplyDelete-Caitlin Jensen
J.D Salinger had the option to write The Catcher in the Rye in third person but he didn't. Instead he wrote the book in first person but why? Well I find that the author choose rather first person since it would allow readers to connect with Holden and at the same time actually develop certain feelings towards the character. At first one can feel that Holden is a hypocrite and is untrustworthy since he lies about everything. It leads the reader to think that anything that he says is a complete lie. Still, Salinger does something quite impressive; he keeps the reader hooked, although they have an understanding that Holden might be lying, maybe even throughout the whole book. In the first chapters, I found myself hating Holden as a character since he lies so much. Although I knew that most of the time Holden keeps lying about most things, I was interested of understanding who Holden truly is. In the end, I found that Holden doesn't even know who he is. I believe that Salinger's purpose was to let the reader find themselves develop a love-hate relationship with Holden and be eager to find the truth behind Holden’s character, which ironically ends with Holden not being able to answer that himself.
ReplyDeleteIf the author did decide on changing the story into third person, then the reader’s feelings towards Holden would be quite different. For example we identify Holden as a hypocrite when he repeatedly explains that he hates phonies and well he lies for almost everything, which that would make a phony. In third person, we can still dislike Holden for these reasons but it would be different since Holden is not speaking to us directly, instead we would learn to identify him as a liar or a hypocrite due to his actions.
Salinger was wise not to write in third person. Holden covers his most sly comments and ugly dispositions by saying he delivered a line "smoothly" or "suave-like". If we had an outside viewpoint, an omniscient narrator, as it were, then we would know what his facial expressions were like, and his tone and we would see it. Caulfield admits to being a frequent liar, and has to hold himself back from spinning a tangled web of deceit with Morrow's mother. So how is it that we trust him?
ReplyDeleteHolden Caulfield is a teenager. That is the answer plain and simple. Salinger introducing Holden as a prep-school boy automatically calls to attention his young age. Whether he is fourteen or eighteen in reality is irrelevant, all the reader knows for a fact is that he is young. His lies and mistakes can all be chalked up to the "folly of youth", and he narrates now as a mature adult. Truly, this part of the book is what allows me to see Salinger as a literary genius. I can honestly say I have never been more agitated by a narrator, not even in The Great Gatsby and Nick's obvious infatuation. No, Holden annoys me for how easily I can emphasize with him. I can be a Holden, my friends can be Holdens, every person knows someone with Holden like characteristics. So then, how can we, in good conscious, be suspicious of him?
Salinger was wise not to write in third person. Holden covers his most sly comments and ugly dispositions by saying he delivered a line "smoothly" or "suave-like". If we had an outside viewpoint, an omniscient narrator, as it were, then we would know what his facial expressions were like, and his tone and we would see it. Caulfield admits to being a frequent liar, and has to hold himself back from spinning a tangled web of deceit with Morrow's mother. So how is it that we trust him?
ReplyDeleteHolden Caulfield is a teenager. That is the answer plain and simple. Salinger introducing Holden as a prep-school boy automatically calls to attention his young age. Whether he is fourteen or eighteen in reality is irrelevant, all the reader knows for a fact is that he is young. His lies and mistakes can all be chalked up to the "folly of youth", and he narrates now as a mature adult. Truly, this part of the book is what allows me to see Salinger as a literary genius. I can honestly say I have never been more agitated by a narrator, not even in The Great Gatsby and Nick's obvious infatuation. No, Holden annoys me for how easily I can emphasize with him. I can be a Holden, my friends can be Holdens, every person knows someone with Holden like characteristics. So then, how can we, in good conscious, be suspicious of him?
JD Salinger, author of Catcher and the Rye, wrote this great novel from the first person point of view surrounded by Holden Claufield. Now we know that Holden is a compulsive liar, however Salinger gets us to trust and rely on Holden's character because the reader knows the deepest thoughts of the main character. On top of that, the way Salinger portrays Holden's character is that of a protagonist, and Holden is the first character were introduced to within the story so it becomes natural to trust him.
ReplyDelete-Isaiah Wilson
Holden's attitude throughout the entire novel, along with his confessional tone causes the reader to believe everything that he says, despite the fact that he admits to being a "terrific liar". As the narrator of the novel, it is from his point of view, and he simply wants to make his point rather than misleading us by lying. When it comes to other characters presented throughout the entire novel, Holden lies merely to avoid confrontation.
ReplyDeleteMoreover, I agree with all of my peers above that Holden's character embodies the spirit of our generation in that he is apprehensive about the future and struggles to figure out where he belongs. Not to mention, he always searches for excuses for not getting things done.
The use of first person narration is essential and allows the reader to gain a better insight and become acquainted with the main characer, Holden Cualfied. It would have been difficult to clearly understand his thoughts and feelings had the book been written in third person.
-Briana Levett
Holden establishing himself as "the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life" (Salinger 16) and the readers awareness of him as an unreliable narrator has not altered our fascination for him. Personally, I believe it intrigues myself to keep following the story as it progresses to see what Holden has in store for his audience. Ironically, the readers have found to trust Holden due to him revealing personal experiences in the past and his feelings of the people around him. He constantly dwells on the past throughout the book, especially relating to his siblings. He is shown to have a special bond and surprising positive attitude towards them. Salinger was able to get away with readers trusting Holden Cualfied and having a liking towards him due to the targeted audience, teenagers, finding themselves in Holden. Most of us find traits and actions done by Caulfied relatable which keeps us entertained enough to keep reading. We are constantly questioning what next Holden has to reveal about another character or what experiences he had in the past to explain his feelings about a certain situation.
ReplyDeleteThe story being seen and told through a first person point of view was the most effective and intriguing approach. With this point of view, we are always aware of what Holden had to think and say about others. We are revealed to his most inner and personal experiences. The readers are able to better understand his complexity and actions, which can not be done through a third person point of view. A third person view would display Holden as an entirely different character. I believe the readers would not enjoy reading a book about an extremely critical and pessimistic character. In addition, it would be hard and not enjoyable to follow the novel without personal emotions, we would not be able to fully interpret the character and their actions.
-Ryan Cayabyab
Salinger creates this sort of superficial trust that is used to veil the fact that Holden is a liar with the relationship Holden has with the readers. The novel is told from the perspective from a teenage boy who is obsessed with analyzing every aspect of the people he sees and meets throughout the novel. In doing so, Holden unleashes all of his inner feelings and opinions to the reader in order to establish a trusting bond with the readers. Thus making the audience forget that Holden shouldn't be trusted for various reasons. One reason being that the story is being told from one's memories. Meaning the story can be manipulated to the liking of the story teller, where we as the readers do not know if Holden is hiding key components of his story, or adding in new ones.
ReplyDeleteAnother way Salinger hides the fact that Holden should not be trusted is the way Holden is telling the story. With all of his emotions and opinions being available to the reader, it feels as if Holden is truly alive and right in front of us as the reader, telling us his story like a friend would. He creates this atmosphere of friendliness and trust through his cynical thoughts that can be outright rude at some times if he were to say these thoughts out loud. Knowing that only the reader has access to these thoughts strengthens the trust that Salinger wishes to establish between Holden and his audience.
Distracting us from the blatant fact that Holden is untrustworthy.
Kyle Maravillas
DeleteI think that the reader is able to trust Holden because he talks about really intimate and personal events. He talks about the death of his younger brother and all of the thoughts he has had about him since he died. When Holden admits that he is lying and says that he is a good liar it confuses me a little, because if he lies about simple things why wouldn't he lie about other things. However, when he admits that he is lying and he says what is really true, this makes me trust him and believe the things he has to say. He tells his experiences very smoothly, as if he has telling his best friend all of his experiences and he was not shy to tell every detail. I have to confess that when he mentions the prostitute I couldn't believe it, he was a kid and someone offered him the services of a prostitute this seemed kind of off. Then again I started to think about who he is, he is a boy with a lot of money who has attended the most prestigious schools, but is exposed the worst things in life due to his easy access to money.
ReplyDeleteOne of the techniques that he uses, is that he is very specific in everything that he mentions, he mentions the place the streets and also other restaurants to prove that he knows of the place she is talking about. If it was from a different point of view maybe the story wouldn't of been so specific and detailed. This could've left out many important parts out. Also, the reader might of received a different message from the story than what the author really would have wanted the message to be.
-Marlenne Velazquez
J.D. Salinger coaxes us into trusting the words of Holden by revealing all of his thoughts outright. Although Holden often does commit untrustworthy actions such as lying, Salinger allows us to continue to follow and trust Holden by revealing Holden’s innermost thoughts and reasoning. Because of the first person narration, it feels as though Holden himself is communicating with the reader and explaining his reasoning of everything he does throughout every action. Because of this, even when Holden does things such as lying, I, as a reader, still follow along ready to learn about Holden’s reasoning and thoughts as the story continues. Even thought Holden does untrustworthy things, Salinger allows the reader to put trust in Holden’s own reasoning of his actions.
ReplyDeleteIn this case, the first person narration works to Salinger’s advantage, causing Holden’s thoughts and reasoning to feel as if they were being written by Holden himself. If the story was written in a third person narration, I believe a certain charm of the story would be lost as it would feel less intriguing and trustworthy to hear about Holden’s thoughts and reasoning from an outside voice rather than from Holden Himself.
-Seth Yves Perez
JD Salinger is able to build the readers trust in Holden Caulfied through the seemingly uncensored and personal thoughts and perceptions Holden share through his narration. Holden’s thoughts and emotions about others and his experiences are very raw and are never sugar coated compared to the times the reader has seen him lie to others. Holden’s lapses in vulnerability and his humorous actions when he is bored help us to develop a relatability and liking towards Holden especially when he reveals his time spent with Jane. If this book was told in the third person there would be a large disconnect between the reader and Holden as well as our understanding of him. Readers would not be able to see the world through Holden’s eyes and explore the meaning behind his thoughts
ReplyDelete-Atlantis Rodriguez
The author brilliantly wrote the book from the narrators perspective because anyone else telling the story would not have been able to capture the atrocities that Holden thinks. If perhaps a care keeper would be telling the story, it would appear boring and ridiculous. The narrator also opens his personal thoughts to the reader and allows them to view his ideas, this is crucial to the story because even though he is a liar and tricks many, it feels as though a personal relationship is established, thus making the reader feel closer to Holden. By being rude and uncivil towards others I did not trust him, his mannerisms were barbaric and he had no respect for others. Even though he expresses himself throughout I did not like Holden or trust anything that he said. Solely when he spoke of his mother and sister, and also Jane did I have some shred of respect for him. J.D. Salinger managed to seduce the reader in the relationship that Holden builds. By entrusting the reader with his story, the reader also trust Holden to correctly reveal his endeavor.
ReplyDeleteBy having the author write this book in a narrative format allows the readers to be informed of all the narrator's thoughts. Holden's thoughts are very straightforward and uncensored. This contributes to the reader's trust in Holden. Since the author created Holden in the image of a regular teenager, it has allowed the reader to relate to the narrator and become intrigued as to why he was thinking or doing that. By having the narrators thoughts clear for the reader to see it establishes this personal relationship and provides an understanding as to what he was thinking when Holden was performing an action. I believe if the novel was written in third person POV, then the novel would have no intense plot, the readers would probably hate the main character and not understand the purpose in Holden's actions. Since Holden Caulfield is a teenager, us teenagers would understand the struggles Holden is going through and understand the reasons as to why he tries to isolate himself or why he criticizes other people. Even though Holden does admit that he is a liar, the fact that the reader can relate to majority of Holden's experiences, diminishes the fact that he is a liar cause majority of teenagers lie most of the time.
ReplyDeleteJ.D Salinger purpose is making the narrator a liar which makes the story more believable, if the author were to change the character to make him perfect there would be no interest in reading it. Holden's imperfections make him more relatable and trustworthy. In revealing he is a liar from the beginning he is already trusted in the audiences perspective. Holden lies constantly in conversations to spare people or hide who he is like his name or age. Being in the first person point of view allows us to see the true side of Holden which is fascinating since his action don't reflect what he is thinking. In different situations he is raw in how he feel for instance when he speaks of suicide, depression, Allie, women, and money. The narrator builds a bond with the reader through out the story. This would no longer exist if Salinger choose to write the book in the third point of view. The trust would no longer exist between narrator and reader since the reader would be unable to see Holden for who he truly is.
ReplyDeleteJ.D Salinger purpose is making the narrator a liar which makes the story more believable, if the author were to change the character to make him perfect there would be no interest in reading it. Holden's imperfections make him more relatable and trustworthy. In revealing he is a liar from the beginning he is already trusted in the audiences perspective. Holden lies constantly in conversations to spare people or hide who he is like his name or age. Being in the first person point of view allows us to see the true side of Holden which is fascinating since his action don't reflect what he is thinking. In different situations he is raw in how he feel for instance when he speaks of suicide, depression, Allie, women, and money. The narrator builds a bond with the reader through out the story. This would no longer exist if Salinger choose to write the book in the third point of view. The trust would no longer exist between narrator and reader since the reader would be unable to see Holden for who he truly is.
ReplyDeleteAlthough Holden establishes that he is in fact a liar, it seems that the reader would lose his/her trust towards him being the narrator. However, J.D. Salinger writes the book through a first person perspective that makes us as the readers completely understand the thoughts and feelings that Holden is experiencing and portraying. On the other hand, if the book was written in third person, one might view the story-telling as untrustworthy due to the lies that he told, for example to his peer's mother and to the ladies at the bar. Holden seems to clearly demonstrate his emotions and state his encounters with people which makes it more believable and the reason why the readers tend to continue to follow his word.
ReplyDelete-Mariana Simmons
The way in which J.D. Salinger presents Holden is very successful because I very much was drawn to this character. I found that the fact that Holden admits he is a liar is actually very admirable because it is a trait that is hard to face especially unto your readers. I believe that Salinger meant for this honesty to cause a bit of confusion in the reader as to whether or not to trust in Holden, forcing the reader to continue reading in order to analyze his behavior more closely. This then only creates a closer connection between the reader and Holden. This is how I think Salinger tries to establish his technique to like the narrator even though he can seem unreliable.
ReplyDelete- Daniela Vargas
Establishing that Holden is a liar from the beginning of the novel did implant some doubts into my mind about the story and the details entailed in it. However, I feel as though the way the author chooses to tell the story of Holden's breakdown is instrumental in the audiences' positive view of Holden as a person. The decision to tell the narrative of Holden in a first person point of view effectively links the reader to Holden, whether they like it or not. His rebellious and cynical character is one that we as teenagers ,of a generation that Holden represents, can relate to. The idea of individualism and independence is one that us teenagers value. Creating such a character who is blunt and highly relatable allows the readers to form a bond as we travel through the protagonist's inner most thoughts. It appears as though Holden is just presenting facts, some more positive than others, and leaving us the readers to be the judge of things.
ReplyDeleteJD Salinger's employment of a first person point of view is unique to the novel's charm. The Catcher in the Rye is identified as an American classic not because of its plot or storyline but because of the realistic superfluity of ideas that flood the protagonist's mind throughout the novel. Holden contrasts the traditional fictional character as his thoughts and life choices have established him as a troubled, but likable protagonist. Though a third person point of view would articulate the protagonist's actions, the first person articulates Holden's thoughts in every experience he has. Such is the case with all the lies he says. Though his intentions may be deceiving to most in his company, the reader gets the satisfaction of delving into the reasoning behind Holden's actions. This includes the appeal of reading about the good or bad experiences that dictate Holden's perspective on life and the nature of the people around him.
ReplyDeleteHolden begins to start off the chapter by telling the readers that he is a “terrific liar” which begins to make people reconsider whether to trust the character. Although, Salinger somehow still keep the audience attached and hooked onto this book. Since it is told from Holdens point of view, it is as if we are inside is thoughts and feelings so we can tell if it is genuine. It also can add character to Holden and show how he really is a rebellious guy. Also like many of my peers have already said, we all can relate to him. Since he is perceived to be a teen, we can relate, as we are also teenagers. Honestly, many of us have lied before more to protect ourselves from the truth if we aren’t ready to deal with consequences. We may not do it to deliberately lie but to actually protect ourselves. Now if this were told in another perspective, it would actually be very difficult to connect to the author, as we have nothing we can relate ourselves to.
ReplyDelete-Mikayla Lubong
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe thing that makes Holden such a likable character and the reason we trust his narration. Is that he does not hide anything from the audience. This can be seen in his unfiltered descriptions of his emotions. For example if he hated the fact that Mr. Spencer made him sit on the bed. He didn't try to pretend to not care instead he made it very clear what his inner thoughts were. This is a trait that resonates profoundly with teens.
ReplyDeleteMost adolescents have been in Holden's situation and have had to suffer in silence and keep their true inner thoughts to themselves. His straight forward nature builds more ethos than admitting that he was a lair could tear down. Instead the reader is able to connect personally with him. Thus making him such a likable character. That is what makes a first person Point of View a powerful tool to connect with the readers.
As many of my peers have already pointed out, the first person point of view allows us to trust Holden despite him being a "terrific liar". The first person allows the reader full access to his thoughts. So, while he lies to anyone we get the truth. It also provides a sense of connection to the reader as we learn all the things Holden has, most likely, not told anyone else. This level of attachment to a character, especially such a dishonest one, cannot be attained via any other point of view. However, Holden is still a tad untrustworthy and not because he is lying to us. It seems, to me, that he might be lying to himself at times. The contradictions and the indecision, especially with Jane, continually make me wonder if he actually knows what he wants. While I trust what he tells us about those around him, what he tells us about himself I take with a grain of salt.
ReplyDeleteIf this were in third person we would not be able to trust Holden at all after claim to be a liar. Without access to his thoughts he is just another lying teenager. Also, there would be no sense connection with him and the book might actually be quite boring: a boy fails out of prep school then spends a couple days in Manhattan. His thoughts are what make the book and make it stand apart from others
-Liam Breakwater
DeleteJD Salinger is able to get away with the reader trusting since the character of Holden seems to be blunt about peoples personality and actions, which leads the readers to think that Holden's thoughts are being blunt about himself. By using a first person point of view it allows the reader to be one of the first to see Holden's thoughts without lying to himself. This appeal support the idea that the narrator should be trusted.
ReplyDeleteWhile other character who do not have access to his thoughts have different views of him, such as lying to the women on the train. If JD Salinger would have decided to use a third person point of view, the readers would have a similar experience. Holden would be able to hide the truth behind his emotions and justifications. As other peers have mentioned Holden admits that he is a "terrific liar" this connection between the reader and the narrator would be effected. The trust in the relationship would be lost.
Salinger is able to establish a connection between the reader and Holden because of the first person point of view. Personally I can establish a connection because I feel that I am given a raw unedited story that Holden is describing and that I have to filter on my own. For example, the little bits where Holden says an obvious short statement that restates the sentences before are ridiculously annoying, but adds to the genuinity of Holden as its as if he's rambling on like a boy would when telling a story. If it would be told in a different point of view so much more different information would be revealed and it would not be in the perspective of Holden.
ReplyDeleteHolden mentions that he is a compulsive liar, it seems that the reader would lose trust for him being the narrator of the story. However, J.D. Salinger wrote the book in first person point of view that makes the readers able to understand the thoughts and feelings of Holden. If the book was written in third person, one might view the story-telling as a lie after Holden admits to being a liar. Holden seems to express his emotions and state his encounters with people that makes it more believable.
ReplyDeleteFor me, it was the fact that Holden was able to admit that he is a liar to the readers- he might have been altering the information he was feeding to the woman on the bus, but to the reader, he gave the entire situation, as he felt it. He even goes so far as to explain that he feels bad for being so dishonest to her because of the way she eats up everything he's telling her. Holden did not tell the readers that he was a liar from the get-go, but instead, takes time to dare his story with such sincerity that its hard to doubt his words, and in this way, builds trust with his audience. There is something so fascinating about hearing someone else's personal experiences, and for many people, it is hard to tell a disingenuous tale the same as a real one, with all emotions involved. JD Salinger gives us a character that explains his life with all the gory details, and who sees all the faults within his peers and within himself. I notice that many people keep saying that Holden is extremely pessimistic, and I agree, but I also propose that this is a reason why many can relate to him so well. It is in human nature to judge others, and to look for negatives- its just one way that we are able to keep a positive outlook on our own life, and in some ways, maintain our sanity. If this story was told from third person, it would be completely different, and for me, would be a rather two-dimensional experience. Holden's character is given life because of the unique dialogue that floats through his head half of the time. I recall his conversation with Spencer, half of the interaction was the way Holden reacted mentally to his teacher, and it turned the boring conversation into something amusing. A scene like this would have been much duller in third person, and would have brought less insight into Holden's character. In a third person "Catcher in the Rye, " I can say for certain that I would not have the same level of trust in his words.
ReplyDelete-Kayla Manness
Holden Caulfield lies constantly throughout the novel, but the reason I believe many true him is because he tells us he is lying therefore, he is telling the reader the truth. I continued to be intrigued and felt like I could trust the protagonist because he admits his flaws and is revealing things that has happened in his life to the reader. Therefore, I believe some begin to feel sympathy for the reader or just curious. I believe that if J.D Salinger would have written this in the third person, the character would have been less trustworthy because it would be from another person point of view and their certain opinion towards Holden, which I believe would have made the readers dislike him. The novel being written in the first person will give the reader a better understanding of Holden's life because it will be more personal.
ReplyDelete-Dariana Nieves
ReplyDeleteHolden Caulfield definitely did not leave the best impression of a narrator especially when considering that he is our eyes and ears of the novel. However, after reading previous comments made by my peers I can now understand why Holden blatantly admits to being a liar and lying to others. Holden admitting to one of his flaws, lying, develops the authors credibility and establishes some sort of trust with us as readers. Holden goes in depth about personal problems that he would not just say to make fun, they are are serious life struggles that most of us as readers can resonate with. As Holden lies to the woman on the train it seems as if he wants to be someone else rather than himself and an identity conflict begins to arise with our narrator. Additionally, the hypocrisy and irony is still in tact in the novel because Holden repeatedly claims everyone is a phony however he is giving this woman on the train a completely different version of himself.
In my opinion the book would be less effective if it were to be written in third person. The first person point of view is very helpful as a reader in understanding our protagonist a lot more, Holden is already confusing enough.
-Natalie Aguilar
JD Salinger is getting away with the reader trusting Holden because Holden is describes as a person most students can relate to which leads us to trust him. I feel that since we don't know much about Holden's past is also a factor of us trusting him. Another technique JD Salinger uses is when he lies to other people he tells us the reader that he is lying, I feel that this is a way in order to make the reader believe that Holden is a trustworthy person. I feel that the story would be much less interesting and know less about who Holden is is this book was written in third person POV. Also it would give us less of a view in how Holden thinks and acts if this story was not told infers person. The ability to read a book in first person opens up more information to the reader about who Holden is and why his life is the way it is.
ReplyDelete- Briana Nieves
Holden is indeed seen as a liar in the beginning of the book. Even he admits of having a tendency to lie and saying that he can’t stop once he introduces a lie. One specific occasion is when he is sitting in the bus next to Mrs. Morrow, Ernie’s mother, and he begins by giving her a false name. Not only that, but after she asked about why he already left Pencey, he told her that it was because he had a small tumor in his brain. This demonstrates Holden’s ability to lie, either from will or unintentionally. There was also another occasion where he is in the passenger seat of a taxi and when the driver asks his name, he actually announces his real one. Yet afterwards, he admits that it was a slip and he didn’t intend to do so. Even when he lies, he provides insight on his reasoning, thereby making it more interesting for the reader. If the point of view, however, was third person omniscient, then the reader would not appear to be as connected to Holden and there would be less interaction with his thinking process and ideas.
ReplyDeleteJ.D. Salinger introduces Holden with a very negative attitude and way of thinking. We learned early on that he is in a mental hospital, got kicked out of another school, and does not seem to care much. Although some of his lies were not necessary, which he admitted to after his encounter with the lady on the train, first person point of view allowed me to realize that he just wanted to talk to someone without feeling judged of his past struggles. I believe this is Salinger's strategy to get the readers to trust and like the narrator. He has Holden relate to the reader to have that connection and trust. It is the fact that the reader can fully understand Holden’s thoughts and feelings that they are eager to read more. I feel the story would have lost its touch if it were written in third person point of view because first person really allows the reader to attempt to connect with the reader by hearing their inner thoughts. I think J.D. Salinger captures the emotion and anger, mixed with grief and hatred of Holden wonderfully.
ReplyDeleteSalinger used the first person of the view so that we can tap into what is really going on in Holden's head. Although Holden admits to us that he enjoys lying and it gives him a thrill, we are able to trust him because of the personal thoughts that he shares with us. By Holden sharing his judgemental thoughts, the reader is able to build a relationship with him. Many of us are also able to relate to some of the things he does because he is a teenager. Even though Holden will not hesitate to call someone a phony or lie simply because he is bored, he proves that he has a kid heart for those who share their innocence with him. The first person point of view is also important to the plot of the story because we are able to know how Holden feels. Without Holden's emotions being told from the first person point of view, the novel would be very dry and the setting would lose its mood.
ReplyDelete-Mat Fernandez
DeleteHolden's ethos can become likable to a reader because of his rather frank responses and thought process. Although he may see things for face value, we surely can comprehend that he is as honest it comes. Most people change the persona they present depending on who they are comfortable with, but being a spectator in the mind of Holden has shown that he is the same all around. I admire that he can discern those who choose to want to hide their true personalities as he recognizes them as "phonies." The first person point of view gives readers a close insight to someone who they can identify with and even call a "friend." Having seen the narrator's thoughts, sympathy can be felt for Holden while others only are aware of his apathetic characteristics. If the story was told in a third person point of view, the reader would feel more uncomfortable with his vile language and remarks and we would be less gravitated to want to be able to get to know this character.
ReplyDelete-Camille Taylor
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ReplyDeleteI’m assuming the book was written for our age group and it would make sense that teens our age would be more likely to agree and trust someone of a similar age. Maybe it’s because we think alike ad we know what each other are going through so it may be easier to understand. He keeps us entertained by switching between being arrogant and then finding the humor or light in some situations like the love he has for his siblings, especially Phoebe and Allie. The most important technique would 1st person point-of-view which allows us to see exactly what’s going on in that mentally-ill head of his. It would be very different if it were from the 3rd person point-of-view because we’d probably only see the arrogant things he’s always up to such as paying girls for prostitution, fighting with guys from Pencey, excessive arguing with adults. At least when we’re in his head we can see his motives, the motives of a madman and a liar that is. Then again, I feel as though many of the readers have built enough truth with Holden to believe in what he is saying.
ReplyDelete-Antonio Robledo
J.D. Salinger wrote this novel where Holden seems trustworthy enough to believe because first person point of view allows the readers to get into the main character's thoughts and feelings. Holden may be a liar however, his thoughts are always revealed at one point. In the introduction, it is revealed that he is a very straightforward individual who happens to also be judgemental of the people who surround him. His personality switches between rude, thoughtful, and reckless depending on who he speaks to. Sometimes all he does is think about consequences and other times he'll keep up with lies being absolutely rude and reckless to the person he speaks to. If the book was in third person, the readers would have to assume Holden's thoughts and the reason for his reckless actions which would be even more unreliable.
ReplyDelete-Alessandra Gatchalian
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ReplyDeleteJ.D. Salinger cleverly stringed together a near perfect combination of literary aspects that keep us drawn to the pages because he makes it so relatable to our struggles and beliefs. Yes, Holden Caulfield is a liar, and yes, he has issues which are reason enough to deem him unreliable. But even so, we still trust him because in spite of us knowing that he's a liar, we feel that we are hearing the story from Holden's innermost thoughts in which he admits everything to. We all experience a variety of cognitive dissonance that sometimes makes it difficult to find the silver lining between what we believe, what we think we should believe, and what we actually do. And in regards to Holden's institutional admittance (which we can infer to be partially due to his depression) and the question of whether it is this makes him an unreliable narrator, studies show that mildly depressed individuals actually perceive the world more acurrately than people without depression. I think that we can all admit that Holden's got some crazy ideas, but I still don't think that he's an unreliable source to his story -I mean, it is HIS story right?? If Cather in the Rye had been written in third person I don't think the audience would have connected to Holden as well because we would no longer see things from his view. I also think that as readers, we would probably be far less understanding of Holden's behavior, and way more judgmental and annoyed with him.
ReplyDeleteJ.D. Salinger is clever in the way he reveals the narrator to us. We are made to beleive that we have a special connection to Holden because he seems to be two-faced, but he allows us to see both faces. We see what he appears to be to others, but we also get a glimpse of what his true intentions and thoughts are. He is a liar, but only we are aware of that. He is cynical and troubled but he is sincere to his readers about it. We are intrigued in a similar way that a friend is interested in another friend's gossip. This is how Salinger established Holden's credibility. We trust him because we see him as a close friend, knowing what and who he likes and dislikes. Had the author introduced a narrator in the third person, that connection between the reader and narrator would have been lost. The issue with his mental health would have posed a problem with his reliability and the fact that he is a liar would have led us to distrust him. Overall, it was crucial for J.D Salinger to present the novel in the first-person in order to engage the readers and win their trust.
ReplyDeleteI believe that J.D. Salinger has a way with words. You see, in high school we read lots of books, but the one thing that separates Catcher in the Rye from the rest of them is that Holden, the narrator, is easy to relate to. I think it's natural for humans to want to be assured that they aren't alone in their way of thinking and how they view life. So naturally,as a teenager that has experienced being the liar and being lied to, we understand Holden. We have this connection to Holden as we would a friend. So when Holden is acting arrogant and lying about his age to get a girl, we get why. And when he is blaming his problems on the world, ruthlessly calling those he despises "phony", we remember the time when we ourselves have wanted to call it quits. This is why we are still captivated by the narrator, because we have this hope that although Holden seems like a troubled kid, there's some good still in him, like there is in us. Salinger has this first person point of view so we can go on this journey with this kid who's trying to find himself. Say this book was in third person: we wouldn't be as interested because when you read a book in third person, we only imagine what the character feels, we only get half the story. But Salinger allowed the book to be in first person so we can understand everything Holden was feeling. This made the narrator vulnerable and easier to understand, therefore more interesting. That's why we keep turning the page.
ReplyDeleteWhile I personally still find Holden to be unreliable, I can see why the intimacy of the first person point of view can convince my peers to trust him and his narration. I believe that this trust is invoked by the authors seemingly honest nature with his internal thoughts. While the actual words spoken are untruthful and tricky, his innermost thoughts seem to be clear and open to the readers curiosity. Additionally, the narrator admits to his flaws and does not attempt to shield them from the readers. JD Salinger makes Holden dishonest towards the people within the novel but seemingly honest towards the audience who reads the novel.
ReplyDeleteThis contrast is only possible due to the point of view being first person. Because the readers are intimate and know Holden's thoughts, he cannot lie to them. Adversely, if this novel was written in the third person, Holden would be illustrated as a liar. His actions would be seen negatively. Readers would have to look very carefully to see his redeeming qualities. But, as it it first person, the reader is easily able to see Holden's true thoughts and therefore can trust him more easily. However, this does not prevent me from distrusting his narration. The knowledge that he resides in a mental ward in the future combined with his current rebellious actions do not convince me to trust Holden's character or narration.
-Bisheshata Basnet
While reading I began to trust and understand Holden. Even though Holden says he is a liar, and has been shown many time lying to people, it is because he admits to lying and the fact that we know through his inner dialogue when he is lying to someone that I can trust Holden. With the story being told in first person we get to see inside of Holden head when he is lying. If the story were told in a third person point of view we would not have known when Holden was lying. For example when Holden was talking to Ms. Marrow on train we would not have known if what Holden said about Ernst was true or not as we have not introduced to him.
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ReplyDeleteWhat makes this novel not your typical "Mark Twain" sort of classic is the way this book taps into the mental state of the protagonist. JD Salinger writes the Catcher in the Rye in such a way as if we are reading Holden Caulfield's diary, where his thoughts and emotions are amplified through every interaction. Every scene of the book, we not only get a narration of what's happening but also the thought process of Holden himself and what is going on in his head as he goes about trying to connect with the outside world. Even though it is true Holden admits that he is a liar, this proves to be sort of an ironic point as he reveals a fault of his own making the reader sort of comfortable with the fact that the narrator is imperfect like ourselves. Holden Caulfield is actually very transparent with his thoughts and emotions which actually helps to connect with an audience no book has ever attempted to do. Throughout the strange situations we find Holden come across on his adventure through New York, his reactions often bring humor as I find myself often saying, "I would do the same thing." This voice Salinger uses is a voice that has not been heard in literature before making the Catcher in the Rye still an all-time classic.
ReplyDelete-Nathan Malicdem
There is a sense of intimacy when a person speaks of personal details and thoughts to you. By revealing Holden's inner thoughts and blunt opinions on others, JD Salinger creates this illusion that Holden is trustworthy for he is revealing the most personal things about himself which creates an intimate relationship between the reader and Holden. Also, Holden admits that he is a liar which ironically makes the reader trust him for he has admits his own flaws just like what my peers have stated before. All of us are built with flaws and by admitting and accepting them, it can build a sense of trustworthiness.
ReplyDeleteI personally think that by painting out Holden's flaws and good qualities, his credibility builds up since Salinger does not only portray the good side of him but his overall personality.
Marie Manipud
I believe the reader keeps trusting Holden because we go inside his mind and thoughts to see what he truly thinks . Even though he did say he was a liar, that is what makes him even more trustworthy. By him admitting to what he lied about we then get to know what he truly believes. By him admitting he is a liar we, the reader, keep reading because of what he does next and how he expresses himself. By him being so different from the others, he is like breath of fresh air and keeps us interested of how he thinks of the situation. By Holden using certain words that to us in colloquial language keeps us interested. It is interesting because not only is he speaking in a way that we completely understand how he feels but in that time people may not speak like that and would be more respectful. By Holden speaking in this way it is clear that it is in the mind of a teenager that at times can be unstable in certain situations. If this book was written in a third person point of view we would perceive Holden in a completely different way. He would be seen as a liar because we would not know what was truly going through his mind when he said the lies. It would completely change Holden and would for sure make him seem as an unstable suicidal teenager that does not fit in and is not happy in life. -Eileen Gutierrez
ReplyDeleteI view Holden from two aspects mainly the first is that he seems to be a very open character telling you his open and out bursting mind of what he feels might be right or wrong however what could easily fascinate me is his pure ability to be a likeable person too. The second part and form in which I view Holden is that he mainly personifies his characters form and everything else. Holden's perception of his surrounding makes it really even confusing of what this character might want to achieve in life.it could be easily detected that the way Salinger portrayed this character it helps us to realize and know when this character is lying because it could be easily picked from his tone.in some sense the "Cather in rye" and made my judgment to seem fickle because as alienated and negative as Holden is portrayed I still find out that most teenagers of this age are still abstractly relatable to his character because Salinger helps to portray him o be someone who was to judgmental and because of this led him astray from the way he viewed people to him coming back to sense to try to uncover like a union with the rest of his family he has and has made me to realize that just like Holden we need people to guide if not we all become failures. this story is best expressed in the first person point of view because he explores his mid and shares the truth from a real perspective while the third person point of view doesn't let you view and understand the twisted mindset of the events occurring.
ReplyDeleteI think the reason I believe that Holden isn’t lying is because Salinger creates the persona of Holden to be relatable. And even though this was written more than twenty years ago, and he seemed to remind me of myself which I found to be quite curious.
ReplyDeleteAnother fact is that we are able to see what he is thinking. When he criticizes or mocks we are able to see how his thought process works and how he does everything. We were also able to obtain fragments of background information of such as Allie’s death, his brother D.B. and his parents.
Salinger is able to make this novel relatable by his use of colloquialism. By using everyday words he is able to connect with a broader audience and present his message across. Also in the beginning he establishes himself as a sixteen year old, so he presents the situation in the beginning of the novel and we are able to see why his thought process might be like that, which in this case would make Holden a reliable source.
-Barbara Ramirez
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ReplyDeleteI'll be the first to admit that I am very fickle when it comes to first person narrators. I feel that the whole novel becomes biased, and that the narrator therefore is unreliable throughout. One of the reasons that I never was able to completely commit myself to Great Gatsby, was because I knew that Nick wouldn't be a reliable source in that we only saw his side of things. In the same way, Holden holds that same notion for me. He can call himself a liar, and tell us that everyone who has money should be considered a "phony", but the real phony is him in his hypocritical nature. The reasoning behind why many could consider him a trustworthy narrator simply stems from the idea that we see his innermost, or seemingly innermost thoughts, and the way he thinks and speaks isn't so different from how we portray ourselves. He is made out to be relatable and understandable, which makes him the most unreliable of all.
ReplyDeleteLike many of my peers, I have to agree that first person was the best way the novel could have been portrayed. It allows the reader to exactly know what is going on the narrators head. This helps readers to know the thought process of the narrator. By know the narrators thoughts readers can start to see the personality of Holden. Many readers will start to trust Holden by his openness about everything from people, places and things, although it is pessimistic. If this novel was told in third person, many things would be different. For example, his actions will be more unexplained, making the reader to make inferences on why he does certain things. Second, it would make the story less intimate and the readers will not have formed the same relationship with the main character. Even though he was suppose to depict a lost teen trying to find his way, he can be seen as liar and bitter which make make him seem an unreliable source.
ReplyDeleteIn response to this post, Salinger is able to get the reader to trust Holden because he is presented as a relatable teenager struggling with pressures imposed by society. Holden's character exemplifies various struggles I have faced throughout my teenage years such as developing maturity and possessing fears of growing up. Salinger's decision to reveal Holden's thoughts to the reader make his stories seem more trustworthy.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Holden would appear less credible if the novel was presented in third person. As Kyle has stated, presentation of this novel in a third person perspective would make it more difficult for readers to develop a relationship with Holden. Being oblivious to the thoughts and feelings of Holden would severely damage his credibility with the reader when one considers the various instances of dishonesty associated with him throughout the course of the novel.
I believe Salinger is getting away with this because we can relate to young adolescent like Holden. Holden at this point open up to the reader and becomes more trustable because he admits he is a liar. Salinger brings the reader and Caulfield together by being brutally honest even though, ironically, Holden is a liar. I believe he does this to get him out of trouble because he is witty and also for his own amusement, just like when he was speaking towards the three women in the lavender room.
ReplyDeleteIf this story were told in the third person, then we would be presented with little information regarding who Holden Caulfield really is. We would never know the little details or his own person thoughts while dealing with situations. This would damage the credibility of this book if it were written in the third person.
I agree with many of my peers in saying that Holden is an agreeable character, especially with the mind-set of most adolescents. Holden's way is speaking is also a non-stop train of thought which gives us insight into what he really feels, although he may be expressing it some other way, on the exterior.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, Holden is dealing with depression and perhaps post traumatic stress disorder as a result of Allie's death. This may result in small or large alterations of the story that he is telling.
Well in my opinion the way that Salinger gets us to trust the narrator for me personally is his relatability as a teenager myself. We act very similarly which is very enjoyable and intriguing to me seeing my actions done and spectating it through the eyes of another for it is a first person view. However for other readers who are not of my age and may find it harder to relate to they might be brought in to trust Holden for even though he is dishonest towards others he seems to be very honest towards the audience. This in turn makes us feel we are very close to him and trustworthy for he gives us his uncensored versions of all his thoughts and opinions despite anything else. However if this story would be told in a third person point of view it would be very difficult to trust the protagonist or even like him for on the outside he is a rebellious teen who deceives others however he is just simply one who is trying to set himself apart from the pack, something we wouldn't have seen in a third person point of view.
ReplyDeleteHolden says he is the "most terrific liar you've ever seen in your life" (Chapter 3) and although, he admits to being a liar we do have to trust what he says because that's what is grabbing our attention; what Holden thinks about the events he is bringing up! Also, throughout the book Holden refers to a lot of people as phonies, yet here he is constantly lying to try and deceive us by putting a spin to make it seem real to both him and the reader.
ReplyDeleteI feel like Salinger is able to give off a certain trust towards the audience about Holden because in some ways, we are able to relate and agree with the situations Holden due to the fact that we all are teenagers. Not knowing most of Holden's past also gives us no choice but to trust him. Holden in a way is a hypocrite because he addresses phones repeatedly throughout the novel, yet he does the exact same thing with trying to to lie and and fool other people.
ReplyDeleteJ.D Salinger masterfully employs the use of empathy to keep us from disliking Holden throughout the story. Salinger frequently uses small moments where Holden gives off genuinely nice thoughts or actions, and sometimes very deep emotional feelings, to get his readers to still like Holden and to believe they can trust his narration. The use of first person is important as well because third person narration prevents the readers from knowing the emotions behind Holden's actions, and the emotions are what keeps readers from disliking Holden as a person.
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