Catcher In The Rye

The Catcher In The Rye is a significant title because that's what Holden says he would like to do with his life. He wants to be the person who catches the people when they fall so he can protect them and save their lives. This is significant because of Allie and Phoebe. Holden always wanted to protect Allie and couldn't after he died. So now he wants to protect Phoebe any way he can and then he realized that he just wants to do that for everyone. He feels kids need to be protected and sheltered in their lives and someone needs to be there to catch them when they fall. It sounds to me like Holden wants to be a doctor or a guidance counselor.

Dead Poet's Society vs. Holden

Neil, in "Dead Poet's Society" felt that he never belonged and when he found something that made him happy, his parents took it away from him and he was never pleased anymore and eventually committed suicide. He relates to Holden quite a bit. Holden throughout the entire book hides from people and really feels out of place and away from home and the one thing he liked was taking away from him when Allie died and he was never the same. Neil and Holden are very similar when it comes to feeling out of place.

Holden is close to Todd because they are both awkward. They both don't really understand how to talk to people. They are both quick to judge and after they judge they stay very quiet.

Holden is close to Knox because both Holden and Knox are "erotically charged." They are both chasing after women because they are consumed with lust. Knox is chasing after a girl who is already dating someone else and Holden still likes Allie who is dead but he can't let go so he tries to consume his life with girls.

Holden didn't live at home, got kicked out of school, and is always doing something rebellious like drinking to young. In "Dead Poet's Society" that character is Charlie. Charlie is always doing something illegal and he seems to be the outcast of the group which is convenient because Holden is always the outcast no matter where he goes.

Keating and Spencer

Mr. Keating in "Dead Poet's Society" was a lot different with his teaching methods then Mr. Spencer in "The Catcher In The Rye." Mr. Spencer would tell his kids that life is a game and you need to play by the rules. Basically, what he's saying is that you have to obey the rules no matter how much you disagree with them or how unhappy they make you. Mr. Keating would teach his kids "Carpe Diem" or "Seize the Day." He taught his kids to do what makes him happy and do what excites them and don't let anything you want to do be left undone. They taught their kids different messages.

Is Life A Game?

Mr. Spencer tells Holden that life is a game in "The Catcher In The Rye" and that you have to play by the rules. I would agree with that. In life you do need to play by the rules. If you follow the laws and do good things with your life, you will succeed just like a game. If you break the laws and all the rules, you will fail and not succeed. Therefore, life is pretty much a game.

Bananafish Post

Seymour was talking to a girl and told her about a bananafish which ate to many bananas and would eventually die by eating so much. The bananafish is made up. It's actually a metaphor. The banana fish eats to many bananas and dies. The bananafish is himself. He is the bananafish and he is talking about himself in the war. The bananafish eats to many bananas and dies. The soldier kills to many people and eventually dies. He is the bananafish and later in the story he does kill to many people, goes crazy, and dies.