Skip to main content

What does Holden's concern for the ducks in Central Park reveal about him? In what other ways does he demonstrate this characteristic?

Holden's concern about the ducks in Central Park reveals that he is exceptionally kind-hearted, in spite of the cynical, negative attitude he typically expresses. The story takes place just before Christmas, which means that the weather is quite cold. Holden pictures those ducks suffering in the snow and ice, and he is evidently hoping they had sense enough to migrate south by now. Holden is perhaps the only person in New York who thinks about...

Holden's concern about the ducks in Central Park reveals that he is exceptionally kind-hearted, in spite of the cynical, negative attitude he typically expresses. The story takes place just before Christmas, which means that the weather is quite cold. Holden pictures those ducks suffering in the snow and ice, and he is evidently hoping they had sense enough to migrate south by now. Holden is perhaps the only person in New York who thinks about the ducks or cares what happens to them. He asks the cab driver in Chapter 9:



By any chance, do you happen to know where they go, the ducks, when it gets all frozen over?



The cab driver becomes belligerent.



He turned around and looked at me like I was a madman. "What're ya tryna do, bud?" he said. "Kid me?"



This is like Holden's introduction to Manhattan. Later he will express his same compassion about people he meets, including the young prostitute who calls herself Sunny. In Chapter 13, when Sunny wants to hang her dress up, Holden does it for her. He writes:



It made me feel sort of sad when I hung it up.  I thought of her going in a store and buying it, and nobody in the store knowing she was a prostitute and all.



Holden shows the same sensibility when he tells about his meeting with his teacher Mr. Spencer, when he meets the two nuns in Chapter 15, and whenever he thinks about Jane Gallagher or his little brother Allie who died of leukemia. Holden affects a cynicism and indifference which is constantly belied by his descriptions of his real feelings. His most revealing self-description comes in Chapter 22 when he tells his little sister Phoebe:



"I'd just be the catcher in the rye and all. I know it's crazy, but that's the only thing I'd really like to be."




Popular posts from this blog

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...
Post a Comment
Read more

How did the United States become an imperial power?

"Imperial power" is a bit of a vague label. It tends to mean several things at once, so let's unpack it. In the sense of "this country was built on conquest by force," the "imperial power" part of America actually predates the United States proper. The territories that would become the United States were imperial colonies, established by the great European empires of the 17th and 18th centuries. Much of the US Constitution and American governance generally goes back to England, history's largest and most successful imperial power, but vital aspects of American culture come from other imperial powers, such as France and Spain. Much of American culture comes from sources other than the old empires, but they were key influences on what the United States became. In the sense of "this country treats conquest by force as a fundamental component of its culture, economy and politics," the United States has always been an imperial power. Even earl...
Post a Comment
Read more

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...
Post a Comment
Read more