Re: I luv Holden
Bridget C (jpdunn@erols.com)
Wed, 01 Jul 1998 23:52:31 -0400
Matt Kozusko wrote:
>
> Bridget C wrote:
> >
> > this is how we're sure that allie is real:
> [excerpt from _Catcher_ cut]
>
> I have just sent a post about this, so I won't go into detail, but: if
> you're suggesting that we know Allie is real because Phoebe indicates
> that he is real, you're missing my point. If one wants really to
> interrogate the subject of Holden's sanity, one has to question the
> "veracity" of *everything* in his narrative, including the points at
> which he represents conversations between himself and his sister.
>
> --
> Matt Kozusko mkozusko@parallel.park.uga.edu
i think that "[questioning] the veracity of everything" is taking a text
too literal. if you do that, you're not paying attention to the
characters... sure, it's possible that nothing is true in the entire
book, everything is a complete illusion of a teenager in therapy. but if
you examine holden's character, you'll see he has no reason to make up
conversations with his sister, or people, or anything unless you believe
he is crazy. so, in my opinion, going back to the text for evidence of
something in this book is okay because of what we know about holden...
to him, that kind of lying is not okay. and is his sanity really
relevant to honesty? even if a reader thought he was crazy, they would
still have to keep in mind his good nature.