Tuesday, July 5, 2016

Post # 12 Radio City Music Hall

AP students:

    Let's talk about Chapters 18 and 19.  In Chapter 18 Holden goes to see the Christmas Radio City Music show. Of course, he expresses his cynicism when he mocks the show, explaining how he wanted to barf after watching the Rockettes, and then the movie about the British guy. Once again, he mocks American traditions/institutions. Today, everyone wants to go see that Christmas show. If you go to NYC during the holiday season, you'd put that on your list of things to do (even if it's very touristy). But Holden doesn't like the show; he makes fun about the little crucifix part.

  He also makes fun of the US Army (and the Boy Scouts). That's nothing new--the military has been made fun of in many novels. As you recall the author was in WWII, so he speaks from experience.  But it wasn't until the 1960's that many authors started to make fun of the military--the anti-Vietnam War sentiment of the 60's only made anti-military books more popular. I find it interesting that Catcher in the Rye preceded that anti-military sentiment by more than ten years.


   Holden also pokes fun at the concept of what baby Boomers called "nuclear dread", which was the fear of nuclear war (since the US and the Soviet Union had all those atomic bmbs/missiles pointed at each other).  The concept of nuclear dread was still new in 1951. The Soviet Union had just exploded their first nuclear weapon in 1948 or 49. Holden actually sees some good coming from the bomb--he says that if there was a war he wouldn't go in the military--he'd just sit on top of one of those bombs. Ironically, the 1964 comedy Dr Stangelove (one of my favorite movies) ends with a scene in which an American air force pilot sits on an atomic bomb and rides it through the air as it reaches its Soviet target. I wonder if the screen writer for that movie was inspired by Holden Caulfield? By the way, I have included a link to see that movie scene in the right hand margin of this site.


35 comments:

  1. I found the Radio City Music Hall scene very amusing, and disappointing at the same time. Earlier in the novel, Holden expresses his animosity towards the theaters when he spontaneously travels with Mal and Ackley to Agerstown (even though they never watched the movie). When Holden goes to the Radio City Music Hall, I knew he was very bored, since he never liked sitting around at a movie anyways. I was amused since Caulfield still sat through the entire picture, but he kept himself occupied by repeatedly noting its “phoniness”. Yet I was disappointed since it was nothing new from Holden as he is consistently degrading just about everything he encounters.
    I found the linked movie scene quite interesting, but I held a different vision of Holden on an atomic bomb. I doubt that Stanley Kubrick was influenced by Catcher in the Rye. The video clip shows the pilot trying to fix or sabotage the equipment, but runs out of time when the bomb bay opens and it drops. When Holden discusses his hatred and sitting on an atomic bomb, I visualized it more as him standing on it with his hands spread, having little care in the world. He talks about hating the army, and rather “facing a firing squad” rather than enlisting.
    I didn’t really make any connections during chapters 18 or 19. The only thing I can draw a connection to is when Holden meets with Carl Luce. It reminded me of when Nick meets with Gatsby in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Gatsby is a wealthy, mysterious man that Nick envies, similarly to how Holden depicts Carl Luce in a special and unique fashion. Since The Great Gatsby was written in 1925, much earlier than The Catcher in the Rye, is it possible the J.D. Salinger was influenced by Fitzgerald or other earlier writers.

    -Tanner Claudio

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    1. In regards to your question about J.D. Salinger being influenced by Fitzgerald, on the last page of chapter 18 Holden mentions that D.B's favorite book is the Great Gatsby. I would say that Salinger was influenced by Fitzgerald's book even though Holden like with everything else thought it was phony. What struck me about this paragraph though was that Holden contradicted himself and claimed to like the book so he could seem more mature in his brother's eyes.
      Like so many of my peers I was quite surprised to read that Holden went and sat through that Radio City Music Hall Christmas special since he doesn’t like the movies or those people watching it. I think
      I can kind of understand him, for me when I read an awesome book and hear there is a movie being made about it I already know the movie is going to be terrible in comparison to the book but nonetheless I still go and watch it and all the while criticize the movie. Although I do that for my own pleasure maybe Holden does that to make himself feel better, since calling out people’s phoniness is something he often does, doing that at a big event when he is alone on a special holiday might make it all seem like a normal day and help him bear the fact that he is alone.
      Holden is always making fun of the army because of Salinger’s own experience in it. When I was looking up information about him for the ninth post I read that during the war Salinger would write pieces for this book. So then, the book is literally a representation of his animosity towards the U.S. army. Holden has made multiple comments like, he would rather be sent to the front lines to be shot right away, but one part in chapter 18 really made me feel the presence of Salinger, “…He once told Allie and I that if he’d had to shoot anybody, he wouldn’t’ve known which direction to shoot in.” I believe I mentioned this quote before in another one of my comments but it really felt like an important one.

      -Vianney Sandoval

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  3. I think that this is not only part of Salinger's anti-war feelings he's accumulated from his time in the Army, but it's also from the character's general dislike for everyone and everything that comes from mainstream society. I think Salinger made this a part of Holden's personality because Salinger most likely felt this way about society after coming back from the war. As for the scene from "Dr. Strangeglove", I believe that the pilot wildly howling on top of the nuclear bomb represents Holden's view on nuclear war, he would just sit, watch, and laugh.

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  4. First of all, I've actually never heard of the Rockettes until I read the book. Maybe it's because I usually only care about my interests? But that's off-topic so I'll go back to Holden. He had already talked about his dislike of Hollywood for being full of phonies before but in this chapter we got to see his commentary on a specific film.

    What really caught my attention more was his opinion. Since Salinger was in WWII, I found multiple moments really ironic. An example being Allie saying it was good that his brother was in the war because it could give him more to write about. My peers have talked about how Salinger's war experience shaped his thoughts and opinions when writing Catcher in the Rye so this part amused me. The movie about the amnesiac British soldier could've also come from Salinger's knowledge and experience on the effect of war on soldiers.
    ~Sofia Alduenda

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  5. I was surprised in chapter 18 how Holden decided to stay through the entire picture. I know that if I hated something with a strong passion like him, I would do my best to avoid that thing. It interests me how Holden is always talking bad about the movies and the actors in them, yet he constantly finds himself at the theater. Whether he is by himself or accompanied by friends like earlier in the story, he always finds himself at the movies. Additionally, he stays through all of them. This got me wondering if he actually hates the movies or not. He even imagined himself in an action movie after getting beat up by the hotel elevator operator. I believe Holden does not like the Christmas show because everyone else does. Holden does not like to be on the side of the majority. He constantly goes against what everyone else is doing, which is why he hates the "popular" Christmas show. When Holden starts making fun of the army, it can be inferred that this is because of Salinger's first-hand experience in WWII. I find it interesting that poking fun at the military became popular over 10 years after Salinger's novel. Some could say that Salinger set this trend in popular writing. I find it a little sad how Holden said he would want to sit on top of an atomic bomb if he was in the military. He communicated to me that he is done with his short life and does not want to live anymore. He does have a lot going on internally and externally at the time, so I believe this could be the case. I believe the screenwriter for Dr. Strangelove was in fact inspired by Holden Caulfield. Although I have not seen the movie, I believe this is so because someone sitting on top of an atomic bomb never existed anywhere else. By that, I mean during this time period, The Catcher in the Rye is the first place where this was ever heard. The movie was also made in 1964, around the same time as this novel.

    -Justin Bleisch

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  6. I think the reason Holden sits through movies and plays he doesn't enjoy goes back the theme if isolation: he has no where else to go. Even though he is with Sally for a play, he admits to "sort of [hating] old Sally" (166), yet still goes to Radio City with her because he doesn't want to be alone.

    Holden mocks movies and plays because of the phoniness they are filled with. Regarding the woman who was crying at the movie in chapter 18, Holden says, "She was about as kind-hearted as a goddamn wold. You take somebody that cries their goddamn eyes out at phony stuff in the movies, and nine times out of ten, the're mean bastards at heart. I'm not kidding" (181). This passage illustrates why Holden views his older brother as a phony: D.B. is a screenwriter who caters to what other phonies in movie theaters want to see. Also, it shows how he tends to side with children instead of adults, since he sympathized with the woman's child instead.

    The woman mentioned cried at a fictional movie, yet in Holden's mind, would not shed a single tear for a real tragedy. This is connected to the tangent Holden goes on soon after about the war. The brutality and devastation caused by World War II has seemingly had little psychological impact on the majority of Americans. The dropping of the atomic bomb was a real tragedy that only recently happened in the novel. Yet most people are indifferent towards it, like the phony woman in the theater, and screenwriters like D.B. who can make a movie about the war with a happy ending.

    I also agree with those who have said that Holden wouldn't really mind dying when he said he's "sort of glad they got the atomic bomb invented. If there's ever another war, I'll sit right the hell on top of it. I'll volunteer for it, I swear to God" (183). It shows how derailed Holden is becoming, and sounds like he cares so little about his life at this point.

    - Amy Lopez

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    1. I completely agree with Amy and her viewpoint of Holden attending the Radio City Music Flow out of loneliness. Based on other events preceding this, we know Holden hates being alone. He seeks companionship with random people, and is willing to go out of his way to call those he hasn’t seen in years just because he has nothing else to do. He even tries to make small talk with an obviously annoyed taxi driver and tends to push the limits of conversations, like the one with Carl Luce about sex. Although Holden expresses how completely disgusted he is towards the show, he stays anyway because he has nowhere else to go. I also feel like he needs to be around people because he needs someone to criticize (the lady crying at the movie); if he is left alone, he has no one to criticize but himself. And we all Holden has too big of an ego to really criticize himself.
      I also agree with Amy’s view on Holden’s opinion towards nuclear war. The phoniness of the lady crying at the fictional movie represents the sappiness and clichés that screenwriters use to distract themselves of the real problems happening. And on the topic of him sitting on top of a nuclear bomb, I think it’s a sign that he has no desire to live a long life and wouldn’t mind dying right then and there.

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    2. I agree with both these views. However while Holden constantly seeks companionship, he also ostracizes them as well. His way of thought seems very complicated, he wants to be with others, yet he seems most of them as phonies. His need for companionship is stronger than his dislike of other people however, it's the reason he decides to stay through the entire show.

      As for the nuclear war part, I agree with Renee. It's an escape from reality, while they may cry in the theater, in reality they couldn't care less. With the part in which Holden mentions me would prefer to sit on the bomb, it demonstrates both Salinger's and Holden's dislike of the military. Rather than sending him out to fight, might as well end the war with him on top.

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  7. I stand in agreement with my peers that the reason the protagonist remained at the Radio City Music Hall watching the Christmas show until its end was slightly unexpected granted that he had previously expressed his distaste for the falsity of cinema and theater, but at the same time sensible considering his lack of any more enjoyable activity with which to occupy his time. I found it ironic that while watching one of New York City's most iconic Holiday Season Broadway productions, Holden was behaving like a scrooge, one of the most frequently touched upon topics in Christmas stories which is often discouraged in favor of joy and gratitude. It was at this point in the book that I began to consider the possibility that perhaps there was no explanation as to why Holden Caulfield acted the way that he did and that maybe he was simply conducting himself in a dishonest manner due to the fact that he could not stand the fallaciousness of society, but could also not resist its deceitful charm. This would explain why his behavior and mentality are so erratic and why he feels that he will never truly be able to achieve happiness due to his hatred of his own personality. Additionally, his continual reference to his own death and the nonchalantness with which he openly discusses it supports the theory suggested by my classmates that his mental state is gradually deteriorating. Nevertheless, as a nonconformist, it appears that the untruthful behavior exhibited by a number of supporting/background characters such as the crying woman watching the show next to Holden amuses the main character in a way that indicates a genuine belief that people in society during that time were so enthralled by popular culture and unaware of the detrimental effects it had on one's character, and leads me to believe that he is simply trying to understand the world that he lives in and find his intended place in it.

    As for the possibility of the film Dr. Strangelove purposefully referencing J. D. Salinger's iconic novel; it is very likely considering the numerous appearances the book has made throughout literature, film, and television within the past 65 years.

    -Quentin Cruz-Boyer

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  8. I feel as though the Holden negative connotations toward the military more clearly express the authors own emotions then that of our main character. Through Holden Salinger clearly poses his opposition with the military and it feels as if he id trying to remove his a attachment with it through this scene. As for Holden, an already cynical character, his attitude never surprises me, however as one of my classmates, Tanner as expressed, disappointing me very often. Its as if i want him for once to truly be amerced in something, to believe in something or be a part of anything. However throughout this novel i found that he seems to purposely separate his self. Never staying in one place too long or getting close to anyone, i feel as is Holden almost sets himself up to fail, or in better terms, to quite. Maybe it the military connotation of commitment and brotherly solidarity that Holden is jealous of. Being in a similar environment as boys in the military, in the sense that he saw the same boys everyday, as if they were a platoon, it could be inferred that Holden who years for acceptance and community as he searches for is own identity, is mocking a place which could possibly provide these answers.
    -Janelle Stradford

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  9. I agree with Amy about how Holden sees the woman in the movies as phony because she cried over a fictional picture but would probably not cry over any serious tragedy. I think that this scenario is an example of one of the main reasons why Holden is so against the society he is a part of. People are so occupied with hypothetical situations, but they never seem to be available to actually make a difference in the real world when issues arise. For example, in today's society, young people are excessive caught up in the midst of social media that they do not actually contribute tot he physical world's problems, such as racism and the 2016 election. After doing my Ap Government assignment, I learned from he textbook that the younger population's tendency to vote has decreased over the past decade when compared to the past century. People become so busy with their phones, social media, television, and social lives that they forget about contributing to the real world.

    While reading this section of the book, I too did notice the mocking of the US military. I also found it odd that the novel included the mocking before society really began to mock the military. But I can also understand why, because every situation that crosses paths with Holden undergoes some kind of criticism. So with his brother in the war talking down on the military, Holden finds a reason to also talk down on the army. I found one quote interesting, though. Caulfield mentions his disappointment that D.B. was against the war, but still so phony (pg 156). He judges his brother too much when he says this. I still think that Holden should have been proud of his brother's ability to make money during a time of hardship.

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  10. Once again In the theater Holden displays his cynicism and mocking attitude toward the performance and the false appearances displayed by the actors. I believe that Holden's hatred of theater and movies stems from his overall hatred of false appearances and fake identities in the adult world. Holden even though he hates and depresses him Holden still continually strives for human contact and beauty as evidenced by his desire to meet and frequently socialize with people such as the prostitute and his date and eventual proposition to Sally. The mocking of the military while being ahead of its time in the context before any of the popular anti war sentiment that began with the Vietnam war and continued throughout the 60's however to a degree as the comments by my peers mentioned i foresaw Holden addressing war with a degree of cynicism and the mocking tone that he displays throughout the book. When later discussing his proposal to marry sally and escape all the pressures and complexities of adulthood and maturation Holden states the mundane and deceptive display of appearances he sees with "Regular life" as he states "it wouldn't be the same at all" if he and sally took the standard path of going through college and getting married and getting a job. Holden finds the path as mundane and futile and blending into the very fabric of society he rebels against when facing the prospect of joining the complex world of adulthood and false appearances that Holden despises and he sees far too often in the movies and theater.

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  11. As many of my peers have said before, I believe that Holden goes to the Radio City show because he does not want to feel isolated or alienated from the others. Also, he does not seem to like the show because he believes it to be also fake. He explains how “it was so putrid. I couldn’t take my eyes off of it” (Chapter 18, page 179). Similar to our 2016 election, I believe that Holden attends the Christmas Radio show only be amused by the materialistic and absurd events that go on. For instance, this can be compared to the 2016 election because we all know that Trump running for president was kind of a popularity move rather than political. His ideologies and speech are entertaining to hear yet are very foolish. This is similar to Holden’s experience watching the Radio Show because he is entertained yet he sees the absurd events that occurs. He comes to realize that the radio show is a symbol of American absurdity because of its center on materialistic ventures rather than logical.

    I believe that the film Dr. Strangelove created referenced JD Salinger’s novel in order to show the era of the time period and what life was like. Also, I agree with what Janelle state. She stated how the military may symbolize a form of brotherhood for Holden.
    -Vinnie Widjaja

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  12. Holden's choice to attend The Radio City Christmas special seems to be out of boredom in my opinion. Although he despises movies, he has mixed feelings about theater, which makes it more believable that Holden might attend a live show out of boredom. As mentioned by some of my peers, Holden might also find entertainment in the show because of his hatred of it. As Vinnie suggested, sometimes we find entertainment in things we find ridiculous. Holden watching the Christmas special might be similar to our generation watching cheaply produced thriller movies such as Sharknado. Sometimes people enjoy things that make them cringe.

    The fact that Dr. Strangelove contains a scene where somebody rides a nuclear missile, exactly as Holden describes, seems like a pretty direct reference to The Catcher in the Rye. Considering that the film came out in a similar era, the book may still have been relevant enough to reference, especially considering how iconic the novel has become. Dr. Strangelove is also a satirical film, so it doesn't seem out of place to reference a novel that constantly criticizes established institutions.
    -Zade Younis

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  13. I was very surprised in Chapter 18 that Holden decided to go see a movie at Radio City Music Hall, because he is always saying how much he hates the movies. Of course, he found the Rockettes' Christmas stage show absurd and the movie about the war quite boring. I believe that J.D. Salinger incorporated an anti-military sentiment, even though it wasn't popular to do so until the 1960's, because Salinger was traumatized by World War II. After watching the short clip from the comedy, Dr. Strangelove, about the officer riding an atomic bomb, I strongly believe that it is no coincidence that this scene is similar to how Holden describes sitting on top of one of these bombs. Since Dr. Strangelove is a comedy about war and it came out in the same era as the Catcher in the Rye, the screen writer may have been inspired by the novel due to its popularity.

    -Shalin Nirmal

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  15. I feel that Holden's choice to go see the movie at the Radio City Music Hall was just to kill some time. He really had no interest whatsoever in the show considering his constant acknowledgment in past chapters of his dislike for theatre and people (actors) who he thinks are trying too hard to impress people, therefore making them phony. He also shows a strong front about religion in the scene where the actors were carrying crucifixes. Holden's view on religion seems very distorted and seems to believe that society is also in a way making religion "phony" as well.

    It is understandable that author J.D. Salinger made connections and references to WWII being that he was in the war himself. His thoughts on war I feel is somewhat revealed in Holden, as Holden is very anti-military. Holden also discusses his brother, D.B. experience when he fought in the war even proclaiming that " He said the Army was practically as full of bastards as Nazis were." Holden references to the atomic bomb and him willing to volunteer to sit on top of it greatly shows Holden carelessness for his life.

    -Jasmine Simmons












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  16. Like my peers comments above I agree that I find it funny that Holden critics the movies and the Christmas stage show at Radio City Music Hall, but yet still attends them. He's in a sense a hypocrite, however despite that being said I find that he attends the Christmas show because it reminds him of how he and Allie use to love the kettledrummer player in the Radio City pit orchestra. Being that he was so close with his brother Allie before he died I felt that if Holden was almost embracing a sentimental moment for him. After the movie which was about war, Holden begins to think about the army and decides that he could never join the army, however he says he would much rather be shot by the firing squad or sit on top of an atomic bomb. Considering that the movie clip and the novel came out during the same era I feel as if the screen-writer was influenced by Holden's vision on war and created the movie clip with his concept.
    -Kiyana Tejero

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  17. i would like to focus primarily on the fact that Holden makes fun of the military. i actually found this very surprising. not because of how early in the time period it was, but because the military in the United States seems to be a very sensible topic. Personlly, i really enjoyed Holden's POV on the military. i found it amusing. i am against the war, so, naturally, i am against the military. this is because they start unnecessary wars in other countries or go to other wars they have no business in just because they can benefit from their resources or want to seem like they’re helping in order to gain allies. They also make false and vague promises, like the fact that they will pay for a college education if you join the military. this targets lower class people. they see it as their only option in getting a good college education. in reality, those who join the military and will get the 'benefits' being offered to them are those who are deployed to dangerous zones during the war. joining the military is not something to take lightly. many soldiers are deployed into war zones.you kill, and you see people get killed right before your eyes. after experiences like that, you are definitely not the same person. i think Holden being who he is knew this, and so he wasn't a fan of the military or the war himself.

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  18. As many of my peers have already stated the Radio City Music Hall scene was humorous in a way. But I'd like to focus more on why I believe Holden decided to stay even though he has made his distaste for theatre abundantly clear. Throughout the book we are subject to Holden's pessimistic attitude. It can also be inferred that he is a very lonely individual and because of this never has anything better to do but wonder about the city as he pleases. Therefore, he remained at the Christmas show because he probably had nothing better to do. Even though he tries to act like he's not enjoying himself by overly criticizing everyone and everything he probably enjoyed the festivities in his own way. In mention to the WWII reference it can be concluded that, when Holden stated he could never join the army but would rather be shot by a firing squad or sit on an atomic bomb, he either doesn't like the military (which could be because of Salinger's experiences) or he no longer values his own life.
    -Andrea Pagano

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  20. Apart from the novel’s dominant themes of alienation and coming-of-age, Salinger frequently comments on the sensitive topics of religion, sexism, war, and class division. In my opinion, he utilizes Holden as a surrogate to convey his own sentiments. Holden’s critique of the religious event in Radio City Music Hall reiterates Holden’s admiration for ingenuity. Holden believes that the angels in the show are not pure or holy and are just waiting to “get a cigarette or something” (Pg. 137). In my opinion, Holden dislikes actors because they pretend to be someone they are not which extends his mockery of phony individuals. Holden also notes that he may be a sacrilegious atheist. The phrase is an oxymoron because sacrilegious means that he has a gross irreverence toward a hallowed person, place, or thing and atheists are those who do not believe in God. In other words, how can Holden be sacrilegious towards God and simultaneously deny His existence? J.D Salinger was an adherent of Vedenta Hinduism which is significantly different from Christianity. His viewpoints most likely influenced Holden’s anti-Christian sentiments.

    Salinger also addresses war and the military. Holden explains that his brother was in the Army for “four goddamn years” (Pg. 140) but that it was not as phony as the soldiers themselves. I believe that through D.B’s critiques of the Army, Salinger expresses his own anti-military sentiments. There are multiple instances in the novel where Salinger manifests himself into one of the characters in order to address one of the aforementioned, sensitive topics. Through D.B, Salinger argues that, “the Army was practically as full as bastards as the Nazi’s were” (Pg. 140). Salinger was drafted into World War II in 1942 and was present at Utah Beach on D-Day, in the Battle of the Bulge. Therefore, I conclude that Salinger expressed his own feelings through D.B in an exact manner.

    -Lizeth Estrada

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  21. As I have stated in previous entries, Salinger is using Holden as a persona in order to portray both the vents of his own life as well as any messages he wishes to send to his audience. Perhaps Salinger himself has a distaste for American entertainment, and this is why he chooses to have Holden resent it. Or, he could possibly be enhancing Holden's rebellious personality by having him be misaligned with something so popular and exciting to most Americans. This does not, however, mean in any way that Holden is un-American. Holden attends football games, seeks the companionship of his peers, drinks, smokes, and generally embodies the American teenager. If anything, Holden is wholly American.

    Salinger's attack on the military seems to take a different stance on the American culture. Holden does not wish to go to war, the same as many teens of the time. Salinger has first-hand experience of the war and may wish to warn his readers about the danger that is war and growing up too fast. As compared to the previous concept, this sentiment is fundamentally un-American. The American military has created a stigma that young men are at their best when serving in the military, and in order to be respected one must serve. Salinger challenges this by mocking the military and suggesting that one can earn respect in society through other means, rebelling against the common concept of military merit as the highest form of achievement. Yet again, Salinger is conveying through Holden his rebellious desires and the joys of youth.

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  22. During the Radio City Music Hall passage, I was really uninterested. This was mostly because of the way Holden was describing it. He mentioned before in the novel that he hated plays and movies, and that he couldn’t understand how people say there for hours just looking at bad actors. I knew that all Holden was going to do was complain even if he was with Sally, because he truly does not enjoy those kind of things. Which led me to think, why would he go there in the first place? New York is such a big city and there’s a lot of places and things to do, why choose the play?

    I started reading my peers’ comments and I agree that Holden went because he doesn’t like feeling lonely. He must have chosen the play knowing that Old Sally wouldn’t get bored and leave him alone because she didn’t like it. Holden was just trying to not be alone and that’s why he had such a negative outlook throughout the whole passage.

    -Paulina Quesada

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  23. In my opinion I kind of liked the Radio City Music Hall passage. I thought it was funny on he observant he was throughout this whole situation. He talks about how his brother D.B. was in the army. I think that it is funny because he said that he hated the army but anyways made Holden read a book named:"A Farewell to Arms" which was a book about the army. I think it's also funny that Holden was criticizing everything about the play but stayed until it was over. I believ that he didn't want to be alone maybe that was the reason why he stayed. When speaking about WWII he says that if he ever had join it he would just sit in a bomb. I feel that he could care less about his life when he said that. - Lithzy Alvarado

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  24. In my opinion I kind of liked the Radio City Music Hall passage. I thought it was funny on he observant he was throughout this whole situation. He talks about how his brother D.B. was in the army. I think that it is funny because he said that he hated the army but anyways made Holden read a book named:"A Farewell to Arms" which was a book about the army. I think it's also funny that Holden was criticizing everything about the play but stayed until it was over. I believ that he didn't want to be alone maybe that was the reason why he stayed. When speaking about WWII he says that if he ever had join it he would just sit in a bomb. I feel that he could care less about his life when he said that. - Lithzy Alvarado

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  25. Holden did not choose to see the Radio City Music show for entertainment, but because he had nothing else to do. Holden does not like the show because instead of seeing a wonderful, inspiring production like everyone else, his cynicism and negative attitude causes him to see the bad actors and the fake props. He makes fun of this show because he does not understand why everyone else is entertained by it.

    Holden also makes fun of the US Army and the Boy scouts. I think that this is because he does not understand why people would devote their lives to what he thinks is a meaningless cause. He thinks that boy scouts and soldiers are not joining the army to protect their country and save others, but to be recognized for what they have done. Later Holden mocks the concept of ‘nuclear dread’, where the whole country seemed to be scared of nuclear war. Holden does not comprehend this concept, because he is not afraid to die. While everyone else is terrified that they may go to war any minute, Holden would not care.

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  26. Man, what does Holden not find fault in? Almost everything he tells the reader about is mocked, from football to husbands. The Radio City Music Hall is no exception, the actors, the religious side of it and then the movie after. The only thing he liked was the drummer. His disliking of the movies was made clear vary early on but, the disliking of the actors and the singing was new. This really does bring into question what Holden likes and what previous experience could have led him to dislike such festivities. If there was no such event, then this scene truly shows his cynicism.
    The Army, Holden mocks are due to the authors own sentiments towards the two organizations. Salinger fought in World War 2 and was deeply traumatized, thus his disliking of the army is obvious. This can be seen in how Holden holds resentment due to his brother’s involvement in the D-Day invasion. His brother’s stories are most likely why he would rather face a firing squad than enlist, as well as why he would ride a nuclear missile rather than take part in the fighting. That is also why he considers their generation lucky since, instead of facing the horrors of combat, they will get wiped away by one blast.
    -Liam Brewster

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  27. Holden's mocking of the Radio City Music Hall show is very ironic, considering that he still decides to go, even though its one other thing he dislikes. However, Holden show a hate for the actors is pretty comical. He mocks the way the couple with the English man and the woman fall in love with each other and says "He could've puke." when the couple find they have multiple similarities including their favorite author, Charles Dickens. With Holden also mocking the Army, the reader almost feels that he is right in mocking the military. His brother D.B. was deployed and stormed the beaches of Normandy on D-Day. Holden may not have seen the horrors of war, but surely D.B. would have shared his experiences as a soldier. D.B. may or may not have been diagnosed with P.T.S.D but the trauma of war would surely scare a younger Holden when his brother returned from the army.

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  28. I found a great connection with chapter 18 on behalf when Holden arrives at the Radio City Music Hall. Although Holden makes it clear that he dislikes going to the theatre especially around the holidays, he buys himself a ticket and sees the show. Throughout the entire picture he constantly criticizes it and calls most of a "phony". He particularly makes fun when the actors come on stage carrying crucifixes and angels start coming out of boxes. Once again, he is mocking religion and how for some people it might be beautiful to see a performance that showcases based on their religion, for Holden, it's a just a chance throw in some blasphemy towards the show. In a case, I find myself in a certain situation like Holden. For example, I dislike the entire concept of Valentine’s Day. I feel that it very materialistic “holiday” where businesses have the opportunity to make more money by selling cards, candy, flowers, etc. Still, I always end up buying something for my friends, peers, family and teachers. I keep calling Valentine’s Day a phony itself but somehow I keep celebrating it year after year, just like Holden stating he didn’t want to go see the show at first and ends up buying a ticket to only sit through the entire picture pointing out the “phonies” in it.

    On the other hand, dealing with Holden making fun of the US Army, that was just the author speaking. We know that Salinger took part during WWII and he did end being deeply affected by the war. I feel as if Salinger took the opportunity in this passage to criticize the US Army and point out his own feelings about the war.


    -Paulina Martinez

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  29. I found the interactions at Radio City Music Hall interesting in that even if Holden hated plays and movies he still chooses to go because he knew Sally would love it. The whole descriptions of what happened at Radio City Music Hall was ironic with Holden going even if he hates plays and him smoking with all the Phonies during the intermission. I also found it interesting that Holden stayed throughout the whole play even if he hated it. I agree with my peers that the reason that he did chose to go to Radio City Music Hall and stay throughout the whole play was to avoid being alone.

    In regards to Holden's view on the Army I also believe it comes form the authors personal experience in the army. In Holden's implications that he would rather be in front of a firing squad the join the army.

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  30. I found this chapter amusing at how Holden could truly criticize every single part about the Radio City Music Show. I thought it was especially interesting when he went in to watch a movie while he has a strong passion against them. He ends up at the theatre many times throughout book and still has the same rage against them. His mentality is extremely interesting and seems to like the difficult lifestyle. When he also mentioned that he wanted to barf after the Rockettes performance came as a shock to me. That is usually not the response they get from the public, this response however makes sense that it comes from him because he is cynical and mocks everything he sees. He is one that is not mainstream and likes to be his own person which is why he always feels that he is alienated from the others. For the movie, he may have been inspired by Holden because it somewhat sounds like what Holden would do. It has the suicidal mentality that Holden contemplates and has a mockery feel to it that is sure to be Holden. -Eileen Gutierrez

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  31. When Holden goes to see a movie at Radio City Music Hall, and watching the Rockettes' he criticized the whole show by thinking it was ridiculous and superficial. But, even though he had negative thoughts of the show it had reminded him about his brother Allie and him on how they loved the Radio City pit orchestra. Later, the movie which was about war, Holden did indeed decide he could never enlist himself in the military-- later stating how he would rather "be shot by a firing squad or sit on top of an atom bomb."

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