Why The Catcher in the Rye? (Part One)

I read this book at the perfect time in my life... When Salinger passed away in 2010 I was in 6th grade, because of all the news coverage and of my love for reading, I went down to my school library and asked where I could find the book. The librarian said that they didn't even have it in their catalog. I was confused, but forgot about it until freshman year of High School. Knowing that it was part of the Junior year curriculum, I put off reading it. I know for a fact that if I had read The Catcher in the Rye any earlier I would not have understood or enjoyed it. Any later, I would not have related as much, if at all.

My own little sketch of Holden in his red hunting cap

What do I think the story is about? For me, the story is about human behavior and the transition from child to adulthood. To most readers, Holden is very unlikable. But it is not an author's responsibility to create likeable character. In order to fully understand Holden Caulfield you have to had been him once in your life. (Most of my favorite books are like this) Holden is very flawed and you are waiting for him during the duration of the novel to become the hero of his own story. His complex, restricted and skewed view of the world has him trapped and, because we don't know much about his past, we don't know why or how he got to be this way.

My favorite element of the story is how Salinger gives Holden's narrative a stream of consciousness sound. It makes him more real and makes you want to keep listening. Everyone likes to hear a good story. A novel like this is not just about the story or plot, but more about who it is happening to and how their brain works. How they think, feel and relate to the people in the world around them.

I find it confusing and alarming that some people can’t identify with the story. Salinger has provided the reader with many mirrors throughout. Even now, after I have read the book more times than I would like to admit, I find myself having to pause and reflect on my own life in new places every time.

I have added onto the title of this post “Part One” because I want to write more about the symbols.I just love them, as silly as that probably sounds. 

Kayla Audrey- Week 4

Man On Wire

 

 My reflection on the 2008 Documentary "Man on Wire"

Was there one scene that stood out to you? Why, what emotions, describe it. 

The pieces of film shot from the actual wire scenes were breathtaking. The scenes where Philippe Peiti rigged and walked the Notre Dame Cathedral and the World Trade Towers were my favorite. Half of the time I wanted to hold my breath because I am seeing these images and pieces of video of this man who is 110 stories up in the air walking across a wire. It's amazing and terrifying, but there is beauty to it.  

What Surprised you about the film?

Two things surprised me, the art of wire walking of course was the first. I didn’t expect it to be an art that I found to enticing to watch. I'm not sure what it was, but I could not stop watching. The beauty of it makes you forget the danger of the act. The emotion all the people evolved expressed were also surprising. They were crying, and that's when you know how beautiful it really was to all the people there so see it in person. It’s so moving to see his friends and partners crying and weeping while explaining what they saw.

What questions do you still have after? Have any feelings popped up after? 

I wanted to know why their love story had the end there. That what was the biggest question I had at the end. Most people who ask, like all the new reporters did in the film, why he does what he does. I don’t ask that question; I get it as an artist. 

-Kayla Audrey 

As I was driving to work yesterday and thinking about what to write my blog about, I saw this SUV  that was packed with lots of bags and boxes and clothes and furniture. As I got behind them to turn right I saw that their license plate was from Florida. And in seeing that car I could not help but think about what it must have been like packing up their house, their life, everything that they physically  could and run from the storm. Driving away from your home not knowing what is going to be there when you return.

Four years ago my family's lake house caught fire while we were not there. We had to rebuild everything. I know it's only on a small scale of what this hurricane is doing to the people of Florida, but it was heartbreaking to see my parents go through the whole process of rebuilding. It is such a headache of a process; I remember my parents having to make lists of every item that was in the house, what we paid for it and how long we had had it for. You're trying to grieve while remembering every detail, fighting with insurance and restoration companies.

As I drove home from work and was passing countless gas stations I thought about how lucky we are. I could have pulled into any of those stations and without problem pumped as much gas as I needed. I got to drive home to my house and my family, eat dinner and take a shower before getting into my bed, while so many thousands of people do not get to do that tonight and will not get to for many nights. I will be keeping the people of Florida and everyone affected in my thoughts, and I hope you will too.

Kayla Audrey- Week 2

We are all scared

I don't like writing about physically writing, but I thought maybe I could get away with it once-

In class this past week when were were talking about writing being a performance I thought of this video by Hank Green on the Vlog Brothers channel;

"creating is not terrifying, but sharing the creation, or even the thought of sharing the creation is"

 I think about this a lot, and so did the author of The Catcher in the Rye J.D. Salinger. I love writing and it's exciting getting a piece to where it's ready to be shared with others, but it's also pretty scary. I obsess over word choice and order when writing. I share my drawings and paintings more than the tings I write. Last spring I had a painting in the Lewis art show and I purposely didn't show it to my parents before. I wanted their real reaction to the piece, but as the show got closer, I did find myself getting pretty anxious about how they would react.

"…then you have the creation that matters most to all of us, and that is the scariest and most dangerous and most intimate and most beautiful creation that everyone gets to make- and you only get to  make one of them- and that's the self"

 I love this and have never really thought of the self concept this way. WE are a creation and a compilation of all the things we do and say and feel. I knew this- but never thought about it in a creative-art type of way. The older I get the more I believe in the power and beauty of choice. It's kinda like choosing what color paint to put on a canvas; who are my friends and how am I going to let them influence me, what types of media am I going to spend my time on and what do I spend time thinking about in my free time? I hope this new blog will document some of these things and become an accurate representation of myself, or as I view me.

"when you talk to a new person, you are making you inside of them" 

 Because (at the time of the post) we are currently in the second week of school, we are doing this on a daily basis! As I am meeting people and telling them about myself, what I like and how I spend my time, and I am learning all these things about them, I am participating in the creative process and letting people in on mine.

Kayla Audrey- Week 1