Catcher
in the Rye 9-10
Blog
option one
The rattle in the car is much more than what it appears to be, it symbolizes the problems that only affect you, the little things in life that make your day that much worse. However, the baseball mitt symbolizes the opposite of that, it's something that brings back memories for Holden, it’s something that he can physically hold and look at that reminds him of his brother. While he was talking about the mitt on page 38 of the Catcher in the Rye he said, “It was a very descriptive object.” To me this means that it meant a lot more to him than just a regular baseball mitt, and had a lot of sentimental value to him. In the article the author says, “Like the guy at the car dealership, “I can't fix your rattle. But I offer you today, this tiny gift- I’m validating your rattle.” This is like the glove, in the way that it's giving us support for a problem in our life that nobody can help us with, something in our life that the only thing that helps is not necessarily how people (or in this case an object) can get you through your problem, but just knowing they're there for you is enough to make you feel better.
I like your take on the rattle. I found it to be very similar to mine in a way that knowing someone or something is there for you to help you through the problem. The one thing I wonder is whether or not it could frustrate you. Knowing that people are acknowledging your problem, but not helping? I understand that you might not always want help, but wouldn't it be frustrating if people sat back and watched your struggle when they can easily help you? Any thoughts?
ReplyDeleteThank you for taking the time to reply to my post. In my opinion situation is different when it comes to needing help, sometimes you actually need someone there for you to fix your problem, in this case the rattle, but sometimes just knowing you have someone or something that you can go to will help, in this case the mitt.
DeleteI appreciate your response because it was a well thought out and expertly written using elevated diction and putting facts into your writing that helps support your writing. It made me consider that in the text on page 38 "It was a very descriptive object" and in the article it says "I'm validating your rattle." You have showed me that an author can use symbolism to show very in depth feelings without having to take the time and words of actually explaining it. I was confused about how the mitt actually applied to his brother so maybe you could explain it further.
ReplyDeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteThank you for writing. I appreciate the conversation regarding the helpfulness of having someone validate the "rattle" or the obstacle that an individual experiences in life. In the novel, I believe Holden is searching for someone to understand him. Do you think that Holden will be able to connect with a character in the novel that eventually helps him? Why or why not? Thank you for writing!