Last Two Sentences

What is meant by the last two sentences of the novel: "Don't ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody." 

The last sentences of the book show why he doesn't like to have deep emotional connections with people, and shows that he realizes he actually cared about some people. Holden Caulfield is afraid of becoming attached to people. This probably has to do with the traumatic experience of his brother Allie dying young. They had a really deep relationship, and it was taken from him, causing much damage. He shelters himself from repeating this experience by avoiding meaningful relationships altogether. This quote also shows that he is realizing he actually liked some people in his life. He rejected many people and alienated himself from everybody. He realizes that he was rejected by them, and that he should have been more appreciative. He doesn't want to leave them because he misses them. He is afraid of change and doesn't want to leave his old life. This final quote is a reflection on his behavior and experiences with meaningful relationships throughout his life.

Symbolism in CAITR

One important symbol in The Catcher In The Rye is Holden's red hunting hat. It is worn in many major scenes, such as when he leaves the school. He often wears it when making a decision or having a realization about the world/ his life. He wears it in moments where he is most himself, like when he is with Phoebe. He also wears it when fooling around, or when he seeks solitude. When he wears it, he always seems very conscious of it, to the point that it becomes a main focal point in the scene. I has become to mark an important transition or detail in Holden's character. As for the hat itself, it is very representative of Holden's personality. The red hunting hat itself is bizarre, and shows how he wants to show that he is different from everyone else. He desperately wants to be noticed and recognized for who he is, yet he alienates himself from so many people. The hat represents his need for solitude and separation, as well as his desire to connect and be noticed. Throughout the story, the hat is used in scenes where Holden most shows his true colors. For example, he often wears it when he is with Phoebe, or when he is thinking about Allie. He wears it while writing his composition for Stradlater in the beginning, and later on gives it to Phoebe before he tries to leave. Holden is most himself when wearing his red hat.

CAITR Dialectical

Quote: "I started to throw it. At a car that was parked across the street. But I changed my mind. The car looked so nice and white." (p.41)

Response: He doesn't want to ruin the perfect and pure landscape of the snow, and likes the peacefulness of it.. Connection to Allie: he was perfect and pure, and it's unfair that his life ended so suddenly. Holden has a thing for purity and innocence. He also likes when things are undisturbed and at their purest state.

Understanding Holden Caulfield

Holden Caulfield is a depressed, cynical teenager who has difficulty handling the realities of his life. Much of this is due to the traumatic early death of his little brother, Allie, whom he idolized and adored. His experiences with deep and genuine relationships are minimal, and he seems to be afraid of intimate connection. He seems torn between completely isolating himself and craving companionship. In addition to his personal social difficulties, he is deeply afraid of change, especially the transition from childhood to adulthood. He constantly feels overwhelmed by the complexities of his daily life, and find peace in stillness. This is seen in his recurring visits to the Museum of Natural History, where he craves a world in which nothing ever changes. He is terrified by the unpredictable, and gets quickly distressed in certain situations. Much of this was brought on by Allie's sudden and senseless death. Holden feels hopeless and confused in the wake of his passing, and takes on a very radical view of childhood. To make sense and peace of Allie's childhood death, he comes to understand it as a preservation of his purity and innocence. He also idolizes and has a deep connection with Phoebe, his younger sister. He seeks to protect and shelter her from many "adult" things, including cursing, which he often does around her anyways. His obsession with the "phoniness" of people and of adulthood itself exemplifies his cynical view of the world. Often hypocritical, Holden is deeply troubled by so-called "phonies", and seeks to separate himself from them. This is how and why he so severely isolates himself from so many people, and alienates himself with ridiculous thoughts and actions. The shock of Allie's death is the main driver of Holden's depressive and impulsive thoughts.

Hemingway's Short Stories: A Reflection

In Short Stories by Ernest Hemingway, there is a recurring theme of lack of potential, as well as lost chances and being stuck in the past.
Events in Hemingway's life are reflected in his writing. As a young child, he was forced to dress as a girl, which is a reason for the frequent hyper-masculinity. He had early experiences of being held back, and seeks to portray his characters in a way that defies his childhood. Though regrets from his childhood are present in his writing, the most influential part of his life is the feeling of letdown that he knows too well. Wanting to be in the war but unable to fight, he instead became an ambulance driver. However, upon returning home, he lied and would tell macho stories of his deadly battles. This is shown in The Undefeated, because although he isn't actually a skilled bullfighter, he lived himself up to be, and also looked up to his brother, who may be representative of the soldiers he envied.
To me, the strongest theme in his writing is being stuck in the past. Nick Adams gets through each night by remembering times of peace. He (and the old man in the bar) pass time by pretending to be somewhere else. None of his characters show any potential, and many had dreams they had to give up. Hemingway himself was unable to fight in the war, and both of his parents had bad experiences. His mother and first wife both had to give up possible careers, and his father committed suicide because he saw nothing in the future.
Hemingway's life is extremely present in his characters.

Six 6-Word Stories

He asked us to write stories.

She grudgingly obliged to the task.

Old stuffed animal now for sale.

Once upon a time, he smiled.

She walked away from her dream.

They ran until they were safe.

John Proctor: Hero or Stooge?

John Proctor, a man who committed adultery and didn't admit it until later, is definitely not a hero. He worried more about his name and his reputation than saving his wife and bringing justice to Salem. In addition, he felt it reasonable to sacrifice himself and not blacken his name any further, leaving his pregnant wife with two children and another one on the way. Proctor got himself into this situation, and he did not do well to get himself out. 

However - who can blame him??

John Proctor is neither hero or stooge, he is a victim. He made mistakes in his past, and was trying his best to save his family, his friends and neighbors, and himself, all while having a personal battle with the town minister and Abigail Williams. The legal system was rigged against him, and there was no way out of the situation without loosing one of his values.