Thoughts on the Book

At first I didn't really like this book. I thought that Holden was just a stupid kid that couldn't pass any classes and was always contradicting himself. After reading further in the book I started to like it more and more. We started to learn about Allie and lots of important people and events in Holden's life. I felt like I started to connect with Holden and the struggles he was facing in his life. Now I'm starting not to like the book as much. I think that Holden is just a weird guy and the things he does don't make much sense. I'm feeling like this book is going to have a lame ending also. Right now I just don't have very good feelings about this book.

Sally

Holden went on a date with Sally and by what he was telling us before he meet her it sounded like it was going to be a great date. He even said that he wanted to marry her when he first saw her because she was so pretty. Throughout the date Holden's "love" for Sally slowly dies. By the end of the date he calls Sally a royal pain in the ass. Holden tries to connect with Sally by telling her about his dream of running off with her and traveling around for awhile with her. Sally doesn't think Holden's idea is a very good one. This really upsets Holden. I think Sally is significant to the whole book because this is the first person Holden really opens up to and she rejects his ideas. Sally represents all the phony people in Holden's life.

Changing Feelings

At that start of chapter 17 Holden meets Sally to go on their date together. When Sally arrives Holden talks about all the great feelings he has for her. He says she was so good looking and talks about how he feels that he is in love with her. He even says that he wanted to marry her the minute he saw her. Holden talks about all this even before he says to word to her. On the ways to the show they were going to Holden tells Sally he loves her and she says she loves him too. It seemed like they had been dating each other for at least a few months and knew everything about each other. By the end of their date Holden makes Sally cry because he says "You give me a royal pain in the ass, if you want to know the truth." Holden tries to get Sally to forgive him but she just wants him to leave her alone. So he eventually leaves her. I can't figure out how Holden is so in love with his girl and wants to marry her and then a few hours later hates her. This shows maybe Holden judges people to fast... maybe?

Crazy Holden

"The funny part is, I felt like marrying her the minute I saw her. I'm crazy. I didn't even like her much, and yet all of a sudden I felt like I was in love with her and wanted to marry her. I swear to God I'm crazy. I admit it."
Holden just sees Sally and starts talking about what she is wearing. He starts talking about the feelings he has toward her and he thinks hes in love with her and wants to marry her. I think this means that Holden comes to conclusions way to fast. He didn't even say a word to her before he started talking about being in love with her and wanting to marry her. This could show why Holden doesn't like anyone too much, he draws conclusions way to fast about people. It seems like Holden doesn't get a long with to many other people all that well. He always talks about the negative things about the people he doesn't like and only the positive things with the few people he does like. It seems like Holden doesn't give people much of a chance. Later on in the book Holden to meet someone and think he is in love with them and then take off somewhere with them. He wouldn't consider any of the bad things that could happen because he would feel good with that person.

What will Holden do next?

Right now I'm really wondering what Holden is planing on doing next. He talked about staying in the hotel for a few days and then going to back to his house. For some reason I kind of feel like he is going to end up somewhere else. I think he might meet someone at the hotel and end up staying longer at the hotel with that person. I could also see Holden getting on a cab and telling the driver to go somewhere else instead of going to his house. I'm not really sure where he would go or what he would do but it just seems like something Holden would do. I guess Holden could also just go home like he said he would but it seems like Holden lies so much that he wont end up going home when he says he will.

Holden between Childhood and Adulthood

At times throughout the book Holden can seem very mature. He flirted with that woman that he meet on the train and asked to buy her a few drinks even though he is only 17. Holden also lied to that woman tons of times while they were talking. I'm not sure he told her anything that was the truth, not even his name. That doesn't seem like he is acting very mature. Once Holden gets to his hotel room he acts like a little kid by looking across the hotel into other people's rooms. When Holden goes down to the Lavender Room in the hotel he was staying at he flirts with three girls. He offers to buy them some drinks and dances with them. When he does things like that he can come off as a mature person. I think many teens have trouble taking responsibility for themselves. I know i struggle with this often. There is so many things going on in my life and sometimes it is hard to take responsibility for what I do and just put it on others. Holden is always talking about other people's faults and doesn't talk much about his own faults. Another things I think many teens have trouble with is dealing with peer pressure. When you struggle to fit into groups you can easily be pressured into doing things that you normally wouldn't do. I don't think Holden has a problem with peer pressure. Holden doesn't seem to struggle with peer pressure though.

Allie

After reading chapter 5 you see a key part of Holden's past. His brother who was 2 years younger then him dies of leukemia. This must have changed the way Holden looked at life. Losing someone that is that close to you has to be so hard. Maybe Holden acts the way he does because he has trouble accepting Allie's death. I'm sure something like that would take a long time to get over and some people probably never would get over it. Maybe Holden feels that education isn't the most important thing in his life so that is why he isn't putting much effort into school. It would be nice to know more about the kind of relationship that Holden had with his younger brother Allie. We could see then how exactly Allie's death affected Holden, if it did at all.