RE: view point
akemi deherrera (de9926ak@uscolo.edu)
Mon, 26 Oct 1998 10:26:10 -0700 (MST)
I don't believe that a person's maturity level has anything to do with
whether they are susceptible to being depressed or not. There are a great
deal of older people who become depressed. Some even for the same reason
that Holden is--because he has no direction in life. He has no idea where
he is headed or where he wants to eventually be and how he will get there
in the first place. I am not a person who is easily depressed however I
still am able to understand him because of the transitions I have went
through in my life. In my opinion, anyone who has went through a
transition stage can in some way identify with Holden. Anyone who has
experieced a loss can identify with him even though he is a minor.
akemi
On Fri, 23 Oct 1998, Sean Draine wrote:
>
> I (adult) recently read Catcher. I think I'm too mature to be susceptible to
> Holden's particular style of depressive thinking, so I couldn't fully
> identify with him. But I recognized Holden. His fears, his evaluations of
> what was happening around him were familiar.
>
> -Sean
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: WILL HOCHMAN [mailto:hochman@uscolo.edu]
> > Sent: Friday, October 23, 1998 10:47 AM
> > To: bananafish@lists.nyu.edu
> > Subject: Re: view point
> >
> >
> > I think both may be best but I'm most curious when adults
> > pick up Catcher
> > and find it worthy...is it a way to be young again or what
> > that makes old
> > folks enjoy a book about young folks? will
> >
> > On Fri, 23 Oct 1998, akemi deherrera wrote:
> >
> > > Not having read Catcher when I was a teenager I can't say
> > what it was like
> > > however, reading it as an adult was great. I agree with
> > Dave reading
> > > Catcher as an adult, I believe you are still able to
> > experience the book
> > > to its fullest. I do agree with Camille also though. I
> > think if I read
> > > Catcher as a teenager I would have been able to identify
> > with Holden's
> > > feelings of confusion. I think at any age you read Catcher it is
> > > revealing and entertaining. I think any person at any age
> > can learn and
> > > enjoy.
> > > akemi
> > >
> > > On Fri, 23 Oct 1998, David Schrimpf wrote:
> > >
> > > > Camille Scaysbrook said:
> > > >
> > > > > >I figure
> > > > > > she must have missed the point of the story or read it as
> > > > > an adult with
> > > > > little
> > > > > > understanding of teenage feelings/thoughts
> > > >
> > > > I dunno, I think Catcher is even more touching and
> > > > effective when
> > > > you read it as an adult. That way you're not *relating* to
> > > > Holden,
> > > > you're kinda looking at him and recognizing some of the
> > > > thoughts
> > > > you had when you were his age (and some you still have, I
> > > > know)
> > > > and you can kinda laugh and appreciate it all.
> > > >
> > > > What I'm trying to say is that whether this english teacher
> > > > read
> > > > the book as a teenager or an adult shouldn't make a
> > > > difference. If
> > > > you don't GET The Catcher in the Rye, then you don't get
> > > > it. At
> > > > any age.
> > > >
> > > > Dave
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > >
> >
>