Finished my reading of Catcher in the Rye and Nine Stories- I was actually up until 4am this morning reading Nine Stories. I was at the finish line! You can’t just quit when you’re so close to the finish line! You know, unless you’re REALLY sleepy.
Immediately when I started Catcher I started jotting notes on the library “return by...” slip/makeshift bookmark. I didn’t want to dig through my bag to grab my notebook, but I quickly filled up the bookmark and had no choice. That’s what notebooks are for- but when I had a dream that was rather cool I didn’t jot it down because that would have interrupted my run of Catcher and Nine notes. Everything has to be just so.
I’ll try not to just go over every single note I made, mostly it’s just a bunch of quotes for my own benefit- but no promises.
My first little note was noticing “David Copperfield reference first page”
I’d only just read David Copperfield, I guess it was last summer- it’s the life story of a really nice guy trying to make his way in the world. And I do mean life story, it’s a super detailed account- which is just what Holden tells us we won’t be getting with Catcher. They are pretty opposite from each other- even if you just focus on the fact that Copperfield is a life story and Catcher takes place over a three or four day period.
The reason that struck me had to do with the fact that I’d read Catcher in the Rye before, like three years ago now, and I hadn’t read David Copperfield at the time- I’ve changed since my last reading, in some ways quite a lot. Did I get then just how unreliable a narrator Holden Caulfield was? Maybe to some degree, but now I sit back and doubt at least half of what this guy is telling me. The start of Chapter 3 goes “I’m the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life.” That says it all right there, and that’s page 16. I’m sure I’ll return to the differences in my reading of the book over time, as well as instances of Holden with-HOLDEN information (I’m terrible) or just being untrue to himself, in fact I know I’ll return to that, but lets move on for now.
I like when I get a book and there are notes and highlighted passages and things inside. It lets me read the story, and read what this other person thinks is important about the story, AND I get to figure out a bit about this person… of course I quickly determined I wasn’t following in the footsteps of a scholar; the notes here in Catcher are mostly just words they circled because they don’t know what they mean. Let me flip through for an example: aces (p.50), bash (p.51), swell (also p.51), wad (p.52), lavish (ALSO p.52) you get the idea.
So early on Holden is asked about his favourite authors, and his answer was his brother D.B., and the guy whose book D.B. gave to him- I just want to point out how the question turns on itself and points out, not some innocuous fact about Holden, but reveals a brother hero worship.
I’ve got a note here about p.6, and I know why I wrote it down, to remind me of how the moment in the book resonated with something going on in my mind at the time- but when I look back at the quote itself in the book, well, it doesn’t relate quite so much. So I guess I’ll skip that for now.
There are a number of allusions in this book- I’ve already mentioned David Copperfield, but I may as well go over some of the other ones I made note of: Eustacia Vye from Thomas Hardy’s “Return of the Native”, Robert Burns poem “Comin Thro’ the Rye” (obviously a big one) and Wilhelm Stekel.
If Wikipedia is anything to go by, Eustacia Vye is an outsider of a woman who eventually commits suicide to escape from(or potentially conform with) the expectations of the larger community. A pretty bleak view for an outsider, but romantic enough that I can see the appeal to Holden.
The Wilhelm Stekel quote is this: ”The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one.” The quote comes from Mr. Antolini, who is really drunk at the time and it comes just before the scene where Holden wakes up to find Antolini petting him, which freaks Holden out. I still believe the quote is emblematic of Holden, with Holden acting still as the immature man, but if Salinger is giving Antolini a wise “right” voice, I don’t really think Salinger would also make him complicated and out to try something on Holden, or be “pervy” as Holden says. I acknowledge that as a possibility, but I think it’s the case that Antolini is just a really sensitive individual that knows how tough a time Holden is having with things, and will continue to have in the future. He feels sorry for Holden, and is petting him like a concerned mother.
I do think Antolini is gay though. I’d hate for someone to say that I think he’s either “gay and pervy” or “straight and sensitive”. My bet’s on “gay and sensitive”.
Now we come to Robert Burns. Considering how important this reference is to the book I’ve got some outside consultants on this one:
http://oldpoetry.com/opoem/398-Robert-Burns-Comin-Thro--The-Rye
Comin Thro' The Rye- Robert Burns
O, Jenny's a' weet, poor body,
Jenny's seldom dry:
She draigl't a' her petticoatie,
Comin thro' the rye!
Comin thro' the rye, poor body,
Comin thro' the rye,
She draigl't a' her petticoatie,
Comin thro' the rye!
Gin a body meet a body
Comin thro' the rye,
Gin a body kiss a body,
Need a body cry?
Gin a body meet a body
Comin thro' the glen,
Gin a body kiss a body,
Need the warl' ken?
Gin a body meet a body
Comin thro' the grain;
Gin a body kiss a body,
The thing's a body's ain.
From guest Abbie April 13
Oh, Jenny's all wet, poor body / Jenny's seldom dry / She draggled [dragged and dirtied] all her petticoats, / Coming through the rye [a type of grain/or a River, which could be why she was all wet]. / [sex references?; completely socially unacceptable in this time period] // // Coming through the rye, poor body, / Coming through the rye, / She draggled all her petticoats / Coming through the rye. / [coming out of a field of grass (or across a river, whatever you want to read into it, she's getting muddy; which is more of her being socially unacceptable] // // If a body meet a body / Coming through the rye / If a body kiss a body, / Need a body cry? / [Basically saying (as far as I can tell), If I make out with someone, ect. and it's just the two of us, is it really that big of a deal?] // // If a body meet a body / Coming through the glen [valley] / If a body kiss a body / Need the whole world know? / [If the two of us are doing things all by ourselves, it's our own business, and why does everyone care and make it their business?] // // If a body meet a body / Coming through the grain / If a body kiss a body / The thing's a body's own. / [It's absolutely none of your beeswax WHAT we do] // // // // So, this entire thing is set in a time when sex was not OK, but Burns is just saying: why do you care what we do? You shouldn't.
From guest k November 23, 2009
Holden distorts the word "meet" into "catch." This is certainly not the first time Holden is guilty of distortion; indeed he is a master at it. This distortion, however, shows us how much Allie's death has affected Holden and also how much he fears his own fall from innocence, the theme that threads its way throughout the whole of the book. By this amazing book's end, we must reach the conclusion that there are times when we all need a "catcher in the rye." We are, indeed, blessed if we have one.
I added the comment from Abbie because it did help me get parts of the poem, though I could have done without her added commentary beyond the “translation”.
The second comment from k I add because it points out the distinction between the poems “meet” versus Holden’s emphasis on the word “catch”, but otherwise I disagree with most of the comment: while Holden MAY fear his own fall from innocence, I don’t think that’s what we learn from the substitution of “catch” for “meet”. “Meet” has a connotation of impermanence, that you can come across someone, share a moment, and then move on with your journey. As sweet as that can be, Holden is obsessed with a permanence. He’d rather “catch” someone in the rye and then hold tight to them. P. 121-122 Has Holden talking about the museum, and how you could visit it 100 000 times and though nothing inside would change, you would be different every time in some way, and the same would be for his sister when she visited the museum. “Certain things should stay the way they are. You ought to be able to stick them in one of those big glass cases and just leave them alone. I know that’s impossible, but it’s too bad anyway.”
Hey page 183 “The trouble with me is, I like it when somebody digresses. It’s more interesting and all.”
There are plenty of fun observations throughout the book, in fact most of my notes are quotes capturing some of my favourites/ones that resonate with me, so why don’t I throw a few in now?
“I like it when somebody gets excited about something. It’s nice.”- my thoughts exactly
“The Navy guy and I told each other we were glad to’ve met each other. Which always kills me. I’m always saying ‘Glad to’ve met you’ to somebody I’m not at all glad I met. If you want to stay alive, you have to say that stuff though.”- I’m always pretty uncomfortable when someone says “glad to meet you” to me, because my brain retreats into itself to go over our conversation and evaluate whether or not I was “glad” to meet them. I usually just say “see you around” or something. It’s awkward.
Ah, this one is dangerously true: “That’s the thing about girls. Every time they do something pretty; even if they’re not much to look at, or even if they’re sort of stupid, you fall half in love with them, and then you never know where the hell you are.”
“Almost every time somebody gives me a present, it ends up making me sad.”
“If you do something too good, then, after awhile, if you don’t watch it, you start showing off. And then you’re not as good anymore.” – it’s that care that is probably why Salinger was such a recluse, in my mind anyways. I empathize with that- I’m very often “watching” what I do. And I am kind of a recluse already.
Here’s one from Mr. Antolini: “…you’ll find that you’re not the first person who was ever confused and frightened and even sickened by human behaviour. You’re by no means alone on that score, you’ll be excited and stimulated to know.”
I can remember a particular occasion when I read a poem, it was probably Keats but I confuse them, and I could feel a synchronicity of thoughts, or at least, to re-use a word from earlier this post, a resonance of thoughts that certainly was exciting and stimulating. But let’s return to Mr. Antolini:
“Many, many men have been just as troubled morally and spiritually as you are right now. Happily, some of them kept records of their troubles. You’ll learn from them- if you want to. Just as someday, if you have something to offer, someone will learn something from you. It’s a beautiful reciprocal arrangement. And it isn’t education. It’s history. It’s poetry… I’m not trying to tell you… that only educated and scholarly men are able to contribute something valuable to the world. It’s not so. But I do say that educated and scholarly men, if they’re brilliant and creative to begin with- which, unfortunately, is rarely the case- tend to leave infinitely more valuable records behind them than men do who are merely brilliant and creative. They tend to express themselves more clearly, and they usually have a passion for following their thought through to the end. And- most important- nine times out of ten they have more humility than the unscholarly thinker… something else an academic education will do for you. If you go along with it any considerable distance, it’ll begin to give you an idea what size of mind you have. What it’ll fit and, maybe, what it won’t. After a while, you’ll have an idea what kind of thoughts your particular size mind should be wearing. For one thing, it may save you an extraordinary amount of time trying on ideas that don’t suit you, aren’t becoming to you. You’ll begin to know your true measurements and dress your mind accordingly.”
This part about finding the thoughts that fit your mind, that ties in with the different potential levels of appreciation for this book. On the one hand there are the people who will enjoy “Catcher in the Rye” because of everyone else liking it, there are those who identify with and put themselves in the same position as Holden (will blame their problems on others, will rage against the world), and then there’s the group that will be amazed at the portrait we’re given of a troubled 16 year old.
The final words of the book: “Don’t ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody.” <- ah that sounds like a depressing version of Ferris Bueller’s last bit about slowing down for some fun.
It was quite a coincidence that the second I finished “Catcher in the Rye” I was on the bus next to this guy I had yelled at sometime before (I’m pretty sure I mentioned that in another post) and I am so sure he recognised me, was trying to get a rise out of me- but I kept my cool and avoided that trap. He doesn’t make much of a second impression though, I’ll tell you that. He and his friends, man, I don’t run into those kinds of guys that often- and as a result I’m always pretty shocked that they can exist. Ah well, dumb high schoolers.
Congratulations on reading this far, by the way- really? You sat through a bunch of quotes from “Catcher in the Rye”? Sure, they interest me, but I’m crazy. Ah well, join me for “Nine Stories”? I won’t take as long, I promise.
I was certainly concerned going into “Nine Stories” that I wouldn’t get as much out of it, being a collection of short stories instead of a full novel. It’s no shock there just isn’t as much time to delve into the various characters and themes that show up, but still it was a fun read, and what I did was after I read each story I wrote down a quick synopsis of each story so I could remember it… want to hear my synopsis? I’ve also got some quotes (not nearly as many as “Catcher in the Rye”) and things that have caught my eye… but really, not that much. Well, we’ll see how it goes.
1. A Perfect Day For Bananafish
- traumatized soldier plays with little girl before killing himself
See? Not too bad- that’s all I wrote about the first story!
2. Uncle Wiggily in Connecticut
- two women lament their paths in life, particularly Eloise who has degenerated to someone bitter and at least a little spiteful
- Eloise’s former sweet heart died in the war – is her daughter from that sweet heart, or is she the husbands? Is the daughter one last reminder of what Eloise had, or the eternal fact that she settled for some guy she hates?
In tears Eloise asks “I was a nice girl, wasn’t I?”
Eloise is asked why she married this guy Lew, and apparently it was because he said he loved Jane Austin! That’s so funny.
3. Just Before the War with the Eskimos
- girl (Ginnie) insists on visiting friend (Selena) to get some money owed for taxi rides, meet’s Selena’s brother Franklin and his friend Eric- Ginnie leaves without the money, she’s too weirded out by Franklin and Eric, but doesn’t immediately throw out the random sandwich Franklin gave her.
Last line: “A few years before, it had taken her three days to dispose of the Easter chick she had found dead on the sawdust in the bottom of her wastebasket.”
- Ginnie has a reluctance to change what’s around her, to get rid of useless elements to her?
This is a really interesting story, difficult to pin down.
Right here in my notes I write: “I really notice the smell of the ink from this blue pen. It’s lovely.”
Don’t judge me, I liked it is all.
4. The Laughing Man
I like the description of “The Chief”- aka John Gedsudski, troop leader of a boy scout type club, the Comanche Club
-an end of innocence in story telling form, the Laughing Man is an exciting character whose story is told to the Comanche’s by the Chief- until he gets his heart broken and ends up killing the Laughing Man, much to the horror of the Comanche’s.
An amazing story, lots of fun.
5. Down at the Dinghy
A mother has to get her little boy to open up about what’s bothering him, she eventually succeeds, and it’s beautiful.
6. For Esmé- With Love and Squalor
In 1950 a man tells the story of meeting a 13 year old girl in 1944, how he then goes on to “lose his faculties” during the war. He seems to attribute to this girl (Esmé) his road to recovery after he receives her promised letter.
About Esmé: “Yes; quite,” said my guest, in the clear, unmistakable voice of a small talk detester.
The whole conversation has the soldier/narrator trying his best to not look dumb in front of this well poised little girl. It’s a lot of fun, and identifiable too. Not so much in relation to a little girl, but we all know what it’s like to talk to someone and not want to look dumb in front of them.
7. Pretty Mouth and Green My Eyes
The title is a reference to a poem this neurotic guy, Arthur, wrote to his wife Joanie when they were going out- the story consists of Lee answering Arthur’s phone call- Arthur complains about his missing wife- who I assumed was sitting with Lee. Turns out that was just some other girl when Joanie gets home to Arthur- but Lee still seemed surprised, maybe he doesn’t have a lot of respect for Lee, and therefore didn’t really think Joanie would come back.
8. De Daumier-Smith’s Blue Period
A self important 19 year old leaves his step father in New York to take up a new identity as a 29 year old art teacher in Montréal. A really funny story.
Ah, there was a rip in a page during this story- an important note!
9. Teddy
Huh- interesting I didn’t really write a synopsis for the last story. Well it's about this kid who's a genius and is getting interviewed about his views on the world.
Here’re some quotes:
Teddy “After I go out this door, I may only exist in the minds of all my acquaintances,” he said. “I may be an orange peel.” That makes sense in the context of the story, but it’s more awesome as is.
Teddy “if Sven dreamed tonight that his dog died, he’d have a very, very bad night’s sleep… but when he woke up in the morning, everything would be all right… the point is if his dog really died, it would be exactly the same thing. Only he wouldn’t know it. I mean he wouldn’t wake up till he died himself.”
Teddy pretty blatantly predicted his own death, glad I wasn’t surprised.
Okay, well, those are all the stories. I am plenty tired- and I still have to proof read. This and some research on an upcoming cartoon show, that’s pretty much all I did today.
And again, congratulations on reading through all this, that’s rather fantastic, I appreciate it.
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