Questions

Topic: Death/Kill/Die

• How does the symbol/motif come up in the novel, and how does it impact what is going on? What happens immediately preceding or immediately following a mention or discussion of this idea or thing?

Holden describes his younger brother, Allie and his death which sets up his emotional distress that he experiences throughout the book. Allie's death has a major impact on Holden. On the night Allie died, Holden slept in his garage. Not able to hold in his feelings, Holden punched out all of the windows of the garage and attempted to punch out the car window, but broke his wrist. Holden was in the hospital recovering while his family was attending his brothers funeral. After the death of Allie Holden felt depressed and lonely from the feeling of death. The symbol death reapers while at Pencey. Holden was asked by his roommate, Stradlater to write his composition about describing a room, while he went on a date with Jane Gallagher. He wrote the paper about Allie's baseball mitt. Stradlater thought the mitt was a pointless idea, which infuriated Holden and caused him to fight Stradlater. Holden lost the fight to Stradlater and ended up with a bloddy face. He left Pencey emotionally crushed, but on his way out he screamed, "Sleep tight ya' morons" because he does not want anyone know the true emotional side of him and his loss of Allie.

• What is the mood when this idea or thing is brought up? Would you associate this with times when Holden is content? frightened? frantic? confused? Is this mood consistent with every incidence of this motif?

Holden has many ideas roaming through his mind throughout the novel. When Holden thinks of death, and killing, it is usually during a time of great depression and/or loneliness. For example, when Holden returned to his hotel feeling lonely, the elevator man offered to set him up with a prostitute. Holden agreed. After Holden does not pay the money that the prostitute demanded, the elevator man, Maurice returns and beats Holden until he pays the money. He hits Holden and forces him to pay the extra money that Sunny needed. Throughout the situation, Holden was frightened of Maurice at the time, but was still stubborn and would not give up his money. After Maurice left the room with the rest of the money, Holden has a vision of revenge and death. He imagines standing in front of the elevator door, Maurice opening it, and Holden shooting him in the stomach. A feeling of superiority and dominance enters Holden's thoughts.

• Is Holden alone when this motif/symbol occurs? If not, with whom is he interacting? How would you characterize that interaction? Does this motif occur both when he is alone and when he is with other people? Is there a connection to be made?

It seems that Holden is sometimes with someone and sometimes by himself after a situation occurs involving killing and death. One of the instances for Holden being by himself was when he was writing the composition for Stradlater. Another part of the novel was when he started described the death of his brother, Allie. Also, after Maurice was done hitting Holden, leaving the room, Holden envisions himself confronting Maurice and shooting him. But, Holden also brings up the symbol of death and killing when with someone. When Holden was with Phoebe, he talks about how he wants to be the catcher in the rye. He wants to catch the children and save them from their death, from which Holden is referring to, is adulthood. Lastly, he was having drinks with Luce from Whooton, and he was saying to him that he would rather be killed, than enter the military.

• What does this motif/symbol tell you about Holden, in a “big picture” way - Does this suggest anything about his personality? His weaknesses or strengths? His sense of himself?

In the big picture, Holden is a 6'2 boy, who looks like an older man, but is merely just a kid who wants affection and help. This shows how insecure and pathetic he really is. Holden thinks that just because he looks older, he will receive respect. Holden is just a tall kid with gray hair. The fact that he is only a teenager living by himself in adulthood is bad enough for him.

• Tie it all together: Did any pattern emerge? Pick out other words or ideas used in conjunction with this motif. Look back on your investigation and come up with a single sentence that sums up what you’ve discovered.

Holden needs to be held.