People never think anything is anything real. I'm getting sick of it.

I'm not yet done with the book. But I have a deadline to meet. 

I can't understand what people find creepy about Holden and Phoebe. In risk of me sounding like a conforming non-conformist, I love their relationship. Phoebe can see Holden like he can't see himself. She can tell him when he's acting like a fool, even though in his mind his actions are justified. It's not because she's some kind of prodigal psychiatrist or anything. She's just his sister; she's a kid in this world, just like him, and she sympathizes with the pressure that both are under. I do believe that all of this is subconscious for both of them, though.   

But at this point, if people are saying that it's weird that they were dancing or whatever, it's obvious that the entire purpose of the book has escaped them. I know, I know: I'm being presumptuous and judgmental. Hence the tag. This is supposed to be an honest blog, though, right? I'm just being honest.  

These posts read more like rants against society, and less like opinions of Catcher. Well... Catcher is a bit of a rant against society, so. Not totally justified, but it'll do. 

I'll update a bit more when I finish the novel this weekend. 

I'm not giving an elementary course in psychoanalysis

With only 58 pages to go, I'm feeling more and more empathetic for Holden. I'm beginning to not understand how, at this point in the novel, one can still feel so resentful and unyielding towards him. Rather, I can't comprehend how one can really not get him. There are plenty of characters throughout fiction (and of course, in real life) that we dislike, but we get them all the same. Holden is not, I should think, so different from most adolescents.

Or am I just overestimating human nature? I am plenty aware of how self-righteous I sound when I say this, but are most people just so oblivious to the psychological patterns of the depressed/mentally unstable and introverted? Even as an frequent extrovert myself (although according to this article, maybe I have defined the boundaries of psychoanalysis, for I can indeed be productive in thought when alone, just as I am in company) it is not so hard to understand the workings of Holden. Clearly, there is more to meets the eye with him. And no, I am not going to say that he seems rude at first but is caring underneath, and that he still thinks about Allie often, blah blah blah. That's all obvious; that's standard character dissection.

I fear, though, that if I am to examine his character in depth now, this entry will become an epic, and possibly a controversy (for the frustration for mankind that I share with Holden will surely come through.) But maybe that's it; I feel so defensive because I am seeing so much of myself in Holden. So, to be frank (with you, and myself), a character study would be a façade for a self evaluation, and I do not think that I want to expose myself like that so publicly.

So, I'm at a bit of a loss right now. After thinking about things to say, points of make, about the story, I have concluded that all of it will just lead to what I've just stated I do not want to discuss. Maybe, for my next update, I'll be able to get off my high-horse and write up a proper Catcher entry. For the moment, I can think of nothing useful or relatable.

I don't even know what I was running for - I guess I just felt like it

People rarely enjoy a book with perfect characters (one exception would be Twilight, of course, but I'll save that rant for a rainy day,) but most people do expect some kind of hidden chivalry from a story's protagonist. I think that is why many people claim to either love or hate A Catcher in the Rye; Holden is the furthest thing from perfection, but he does not appear to be any kind of hero in the story, even half-way through it. 

Though, that does not necessarily mean that I personally do not like him. I find myself somewhere between indifferent and empathetic. Holden is not unlike so many teenagers today. During the time the book was published, it appears, from everything that Holden says, that most teenagers were more social, and they did not seem to express their problems as so many adolescents to today (really though, pouring out your 'shattered and disembodied, tormented' soul on MySpace is not much healthier). 

Or is it that that was just what Holden saw happening? He is certainly not too extroverted; he does not really seem to have a good grasp on what others are feeling. Normally he talks about what he is feeling, and how his feelings are more 'real' and thought-provoking than those belong to the people around him. 

It is probably here where readers will start to dislike Holden. Who wants to read about a kid who does nothing but whine? 

Yet, I think that his caring nature is overlooked by many. His constantly somber or sarcastic remarks about the world around sometimes irk people too much for them to find the kindness embedded in his thoughts. Holden constantly finds that while something may bother him, he also feels sorry for being bothered about it. Normally, he has trouble identifying why he is sorry and so suddenly empathetic, yes, but the fact still remains that within him there is kindness and potential for branching out to others.  

I won't say that we all have a little bit of Holden within us, because not everyone does. Chapter 17 touched me personally, but I know of many others who have rolled their eyes at Holden throughout the entire novel. If I want to get into an elitist thing here, I'll go as far as to say that those who do not connect with him on any level--the way he speaks, his thought patterns, his relationships with others--are less psychologically minded than those who can find a piece of him that they relate to. But, then, is it fair to assume others' feelings are less developed than mine based on this novel? 

It does seem that I am quite a bit like Holden, hmm? Although I think it is safe to say that I am more eloquent in my speech and writing than he is.