Catcher+Notes

Coming-of-Age Story

 * Also known as a Bildungsroman
 * German; Bildungs = education, roman = novel
 * Typically, involves 1 character; the main character, or protagonist
 * In Catcher, this is Holden
 * It explores the journey of a young person (someone between childhood and adulthood)
 * This journey involves an experience that changes this person
 * Essentially, they "grow up"
 * From naive to wise, idealistic to realistic, immature to mature, etc.
 * This growth is attributed to a loss of childhood innocence
 * As you read Catcher, try to track Holden's journey.
 * What does he experience?
 * What changes for him by the end?
 * What form of childhood innocence does he lose, if any?

Interior Monologue (Stream of Consciousness)

 * Also known as an internal monologue.
 * Greek; monos = alone, logos = speech
 * This technique of writing is called a stream of consciousness.
 * It is where the character reveals their thoughts and feeling to the reader.
 * That is to say, you get inside their head. Unfiltered access.
 * It works like an aside in a play, but nowhere near as obvious.
 * Example:
 * Dialogue between Mr. Spencer and Holden on page 14.
 * Mr. Spencer says, “They’re grand people,” and Holden replies, “Yes, they are. They’re very nice.”
 * **//Grand. There’s a word I really hate. It’s a phony. I could puke every time I hear it.//**
 * Having access to a character’s direct thoughts and feelings works to our advantage.
 * It gives a sneak peek into their psyche. It reveals hidden characteristics that they may not share with the rest of the world.
 * Ever seen, Dexter? (available on Netflix; ask parents first for permission!)
 * It allows you to sift through their experience for truth.
 * Hint: not every character or narrator is completely truthful.
 * This can be intentional, or in Holden’s case, unintentional.
 * He lies to us, but not always on purpose. Sometimes, it’s because he is not honest with himself.
 * This is where having access to their interior monologue can be extremely beneficial in your analysis of the novel.
 * As you continue to read Catcher, track Holden's thoughts and feelings.
 * What do these thoughts and feelings reveal about him as a character?
 * When is he being truthful?
 * When is he lying (to you or to himself)? Notice the context. Could there be a reason for lying?

Structure of the Novel

 * It's a framed narrative or bookended story.
 * That means there are two stories to track.
 * (1) the outside story (or frame)
 * Holden is at a facility in California telling us a story from his past.
 * (2) the inside story
 * what happened to Holden last Christmas in Pennsylvania and New York City.

1950's Youth Culture notes

 * The Automobile Revolution
 * Number of cars in U.S. nearly doubles from 39 million to 74 million.
 * By 1960, 80% of American families own at least one car.
 * Many families escape the cities for suburbs with the advent of the car allowing them to do so.
 * Many new businesses flourish.
 * Drive-in movie theaters
 * Motels
 * Shopping Malls
 * Teenagers
 * The term is born!
 * Due to the nation's affluence, many young people no longer need to work full-time jobs to support their families.
 * Begin spending their money or allowance on fun, or non-essentials.
 * Teenagers adopt the fashions of gangs.
 * The slang, leather jackets, ducktail hair (think of the movie Grease).
 * Gangs, at this time, are more of a style then about committing crimes.
 * Teens want to fulfill a need to be rebellious.
 * Teens wanting to forge an identity worries adults.
 * Psychologist Robert Linder claimed in 1954, "The youth of the world today is touched with madness, literally sick with an aberrant condition of mind."
 * Most teens, though restless, eventually grow up and adopt the norms of the wider society.
 * Many are drafted and serve dutifully in the U.S. military.
 * Even Elvis Presley, the epitome of defiant youth, was one of them.

2/1/17
=Behavioral Rules of the 1950's notes=
 * Obey authority
 * Holden does this a lot. Appeases adults throughout the novel.
 * Agrees with Mr. Spencer on page 12 that "Life is a game" saying, "I know it is sir. I know it."
 * Obeys by meeting Mr. Spencer at his home in the first place.
 * If you were expelled from school, would you take the time to visit a teacher?
 * Don't make waves
 * "Fit-in" and conform
 * Does Holden do this?
 * Not always.
 * On page 5, watches game from the outside. He's on top of a hill looking down rather than being among classmates/friends.
 * On page 74, asks Mrs. Morrow, Ernest's mom, if she'd care for a cocktail. Who, at 16 years old, asks a classmate's mom if she would like a drink? Brassy Holden, very brassy.
 * Don't even think about sex!
 * Does Holden ever think about sex?
 * Only all the time!
 * On page 82, Holden says he was "feeling pretty horny."
 * And of course, before that, he explains some issues he has around sex saying, "Sex is something I just don't understand. I swear to God I don't."
 * **Control your emotions**
 * Does Holden know how to handle his emotions?
 * Not quite. Perhaps he used to, but now he struggles with the grief of losing a brother.
 * On page 56, Holden takes a swing at Stradlater.
 * On page 58, he says, "I was so mad, I was practically bawling."
 * And of course, on page 59 he tells Stradlater, in a mature manner, "to go wash his own moron face."

Symbolism in Literature

 * Definition
 * A symbol is an object, character, or idea that suggests meanings, associations, and emotions beyond what is typical of its nature or function.
 * In other words, something that exists in a story, but also represents a larger idea.
 * 3 Types:
 * (1) personal: having meaning for an individual which may or may not be consistent for the individual or others.
 * Basketball = love for a father
 * (2) cultural: having common meaning within a societal/ethnic/cultural group
 * American Bald Eagle = Freedom
 * (3) universal: having common meaning to all societies, centuries, ethnic, or religious groups.
 * Colors = Emotions
 * Red = love, anger, or passion
 * How to find a symbol:
 * Look for detailed descriptions
 * May seem overly descriptive of unimportant people, locations, or objects
 * Make a list of the details.
 * Look for repetition.
 * If an author repeats an object or idea, there is significance to it.
 * Note the context when it appears in the story.
 * Research people, locations, or objects you find.
 * Determine any historical significance it might have.
 * List the characteristics.
 * Attempt to draw connections between the people, locations, or object’s characteristics to life.
 * Example:
 * Apocalyse happens. Talking end of days for humanity. The last man and woman on earth, and they name their newborn daughter, Sunny.
 * The name Sunny
 * Happy, bright, baudelaire, sun, sunrise, hope
 * Positive, optimistic
 * Sunny = sun= sunrise= new beginnings
 * Perhaps there’s a happy ending
 * Draw conclusions.
 * Take all the details and connections you find to determine which people, locations, or objects represent something beyond their own initial worth.
 * Room for interpretation. Some are better than others.
 * Find evidence in the text to support your claims.

Writing Personal Letters

 * What are they?
 * Used in certain contexts as a means of personal communication.
 * May be used as a letter of complaint or holiday letter.
 * Similar to emails or text; however, often gives the reader a stronger feeling of personal connection with the author.
 * Why?
 * Letters take more time and effort to write and send
 * Displays are time and concern went into them.
 * Conventions
 * Opening Salutations
 * Vary based on audience and purpose.
 * Examples:
 * Dear sir/Dear madam
 * More formal
 * Good Day or Hi/Hello
 * Less formal
 * Season's Greetings or any holiday greeting
 * Festive and timely
 * Always provide the name of the person you are writing to.
 * Titles should be capitalized (Mr./Mrs./Ms./Dr./Rev.)
 * Complimentary Closing
 * Appear at the end before the signature.
 * Examples:
 * Regards/Sincerely,
 * More formal
 * Sincerely Yours/Cordially/Love,
 * Less formal
 * Get Well Soon or Happy Holidays,
 * Timely
 * Format
 * 4 parts:
 * 1. The heading
 * Return address and a date line
 * Example:
 * 400 E. 19th Ave.
 * Eugene, OR 97401
 * February 7, 2017
 * 2. The opening
 * Includes salutation
 * 3. The body
 * All of the information to be communicated.
 * For final assignment, this will be your discussion on the 6 scenes/songs you have illustrated/selected.
 * 4. The closing
 * The complimentary closing, signature, and a post script (P.S.) if you decide to include one.
 * What is a post script (P.S.)?
 * Comes from the Latin term, post scriptum, meaning "written after."
 * It is any afterthought - a thought you have after writing and signing the letter you wish to tell the reader.

Direct Quotes

 * What are they?
 * A direct quote is the exact words of someone else woven into your writing.
 * Why do we use them?
 * They provide examples that strengthen your thought or idea.
 * Remember, opinions matter little - must provide evidence.
 * How do we put them in our paper?
 * We use in-text citations!

In-Text Citations

 * What are they?
 * In-text citations are how you give credit to the owner of the words you borrow.
 * Such as:
 * Charles Dickens wrote, “It was the best of times, it was the worst times. . . .” (1) in his book, Tale of Two Cities; I wonder if he knew his words would still ring true today.
 * Let’s break it down, shall we?
 * We will be using short quotations for our final assignment.
 * That means fewer than four typed lines of prose.
 * Select enough of the quote to illustrate a point, but keep it brief.
 * For direct quotes, we take the author’s words verbatim and we put quotation marks around the whole thing.
 * Always credit the author and page number you are citing.
 * (Dickens, 1).
 * If you introduce author before the quote, you only need to include page number. (1).
 * It is never good to use direct quotes without a setup.
 * Give context
 * Whose words are these?
 * How does it relate to your main point or thesis statement?
 * How does it strengthen your claim?

The Literary Element of Theme

 * What is a theme?
 * A theme is the central, underlying, and controlling idea or insight of a work of literature.
 * The idea the writer wishes to convey about the subject.
 * The writer’s view of the world or a revelation about human nature.
 * A theme is NOT:
 * Expressed in a single word.
 * The purpose of a work.
 * The moral.
 * The conflict of a story.

Identifying Themes

 * How do I find a theme?
 * First, know the story’s plot, characters and their development, and the primary conflict.
 * What is this in Catcher?
 * 5 steps:
 * 1. Summarize the plot by writing a one-sentence description for the exposition, the conflict, the rising action, the climax, the falling action, and the resolution.
 * 2. Identify the subject of the work.
 * 3. Identify the insight or truth that was learned about the subject.
 * How did the protagonist change?
 * What lesson did the protagonist learn from the resolution of the conflict?
 * 4. State how the plot presents the primary insight or truth about the subject.
 * 5. Write one or more generalized, declarative sentences that state what was learned and how it was learned.
 * Theme Litmus Test
 * Is the theme supported by evidence from the text?
 * Are all the author’s choices of plot, character, conflict, and tone (narration) controlled by this theme?