"Do you feel
The weight of the world singing sorrow
Or to you is it just not real
Cause you got your own things
Yeah we all have our things I guess."
-The Rocket Summer
The weight of the world singing sorrow
Or to you is it just not real
Cause you got your own things
Yeah we all have our things I guess."
-The Rocket Summer
Do you feel?
Do you feel sorry for Holden, or do you feel the same as him? Or do you feel things about him that come out of no where; judgments perhaps?
Do you sympathize?
Do you empathize?
Do you judge?
Do you feel?
I feel. I sympathize with Holden because I've never felt that way before. To lose one so close to me in a way such as he did with Allie; to not apply myself when I know that if I try, I can do it; to let the phonies win the game of life. There are some things in life you can't control, such as Allie's death; and I feel so terribly sorry for Holden because of that. But there are other things in life you do have some control over, and for that reason, I don't sympathize as much with Holden about not applying himself in school and letting the phonies win the game of life. Sure, I feel sorry for him, but not as much as for Allie's death. Life is a game; it's what you make of it that really counts.
I feel. I empathize with Holden because I know what it feels like. To try and feel a good-by when you leave a place just so that you can have that memory to hold on to; to feel nostalgic about the better days when you knew that one girl or that one boy was in your life; to see the people all around you and realize that they don't see the world the same way you do. There are some things in life that just happen, such as the past being better than the present is, or the one day when you wake up and see the world a little bit differently than everyone else. I know what that's like - I think we all do. Life is a game; it's how you view it that really counts.
I feel. I judge Holden because really, don't we all? Don't we all just look at a person and label them as what we think they are? Holden is a teenager attempting to rebel by letting his future slide down the tubes. Holden is an angst-ridden kid who thinks he's right when everyone else is wrong. Holden is "a little out there" because he sees the world differently than everyone else. There are some things in life that you can't avoid, and this is one of them. We all judge - don't deny, it's true. None of us take the time to look at the person underneath the first impressions and labels. A person has layers, and Holden Caulfield is no exception; none of us are. Life is a game; it's who we are underneath that really counts.
So, I feel.
Do you?
Jordan,
ReplyDeleteGreat insight. Lots of very intricate, developed ideas here. I think your writing on being judgmental is especially relevant. I think it will be especially helpful for you to look at the way Holden makes generalizations about almost everyone, but almost immediately does something to contradict what he's told us. This is going to be the focus of my lesson that I'll be teaching the class about tomorrow so this way you'll already have a head-start on things!
i really like this...i think its easy to understand where your coming from. Because i think at one point in everyones life we can all sympathize, and have empathy. But i really enjoy when you talk about how we all judge and label people. This is GREAT! XD. i would say look at mine - but it got a lot less discriptive as i had to redo it about three times :(. But yours is amazing and really gives an insight to how you feel about Holden, and that you held your opinion and your own.
ReplyDeleteI feel you jordan! Dang....
ReplyDeletemost ridiculously accurate and astoundingly truthful! I cringe with terror...
I like all three, not just writing about one, because they are so interconnected and entwined together, that you really can't just write about one. Unless that's really the only thing you feel, but don't we all feel those things for Holden, at least a little bit, a small little ounce. Even if we don't admit it right out on the surface, we all do...
dang jordan! i see you writin' that amazing post! :)
ReplyDeletei really understand where you're coming from and your reasonings make ABSOLUTE sense, both from Holden's perspective and your own. like holden, we all have different layers, like you mentioned, and perhaps it's the way we put ourselves out there that determines if we can really win the game of life?
Wow that's a lotta writing!! I agree with your ideas on sympathy. You can't help but feel either sympathy (or i think) loathing toward someone going through something that you've not been through yourself. Sympathy for someone who's had someone close to them die. Loathing for someone who's a constant pest and is always darkening a day (Ackley).
ReplyDelete...I can't really relate to your ideas on empathy and judgment...
Okay Doug, i c u obviously just reading the first paragraph.
ReplyDeletehm, besides making fun of doug i can't think of what else to say because i agree with all of your ideas here. well, good blog. (as always your writting is blowing me away)