RE: view point
Sean Draine (seandr@microsoft.com)
Mon, 26 Oct 1998 09:54:32 -0800
Of course, no one is too mature to be susceptible to despression in general.
I said "I'm too mature to be susceptible to Holden's *particular style* of
depressive thinking". Holden has impossibly high standards for the world,
you might even call them "ideals", and he is disappointed, saddened,
alienated when people inevitably let him down. These seem to me to be a
hallmark of adolescent thinking - something I remember going through myself,
but not something I could ever really return to.
Fortunately, there are plenty of other things for us adults to be depressed
about. ;-)
-Sean
> -----Original Message-----
> From: akemi deherrera [mailto:de9926ak@uscolo.edu]
> Sent: Monday, October 26, 1998 9:26 AM
> To: 'bananafish@lists.nyu.edu'
> Subject: RE: view point
>
>
> 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
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> >
>