May 2011 - Jefferson County Public Schools

Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
Kelsey Hinton
The experience of reading Catcher in the Rye by: J. D. Salinger is like reading 16 year old, Holden
Caulfield’s, journal. Or like a blog where he vented all his angst towards the world and life. The book is written in
first person so it feels as though he is the author. Holden’s life is monotonous. He is depressed, and sick and tired
of it. He hates attending schools full of kids and teachers who are all “fake” and “phony”.
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Holden has been kicked out of the most prestigious schools. At the beginning of the book he has been
kicked out of yet another and is about to head home. The book is spread across 3 or 4 days in New York where he
had grown up. The entire book is all the thoughts he had within this short time.
The language in the book is very laid back and casual, just like an American teenager would speak.
Reading this book is a different kind of reading experience. The way it is written is not in the form you are used to
for such an important piece of literature. Phrases like, “anyways, as I was saying”… “If you wanna know the
truth”… and “man that kills me” appears a lot throughout the book. But soon, you get used to the language, and it even grows on you.
After reading about ten chapters, I even started to use some of the phrases from the book. There is a lot of humor in the book. The
humor comes from looking through Holden’s world view. For example, when one of his teachers gives him a very serious lecture
about life, all he can think about is the way his sickly old man of a teacher is showing his hairy chest, looks horrible, and smells of
vapor rub. And all he understands of the speech is that the teacher is telling him he has a big brain. Everything that the adults seem to
see as very serious, Holden sees as funny or phony.
In the book, Holden talks about his favorite authors and his favorite book. He says the books he likes the most are books
where he feels connected to the author. He can call the author up and have a conversation about the book. The funny thing is, is that
this book is that kind of book. As I read the book I felt as though I could have been talking directly to Holden. I felt like I could lean in
and tell Holden, “Buck up kid, life isn’t that bad; don’t look at everything in shades of gray.” The thing I believe that has made this
book a classic is the ability to connect so well to Holden.
Holden has a wide range of opinions, and he has one for everyone and everything in the world. Most of the time his opinion
of things is that he is not impressed or is very sarcastic. But deep down, there are things he really enjoys and likes. He loves his sister;
he enjoys the nuns at the station, and the ducks in the lagoon. Sometimes I wonder what his opinion would be of me, and how I could
connect with this character.
To Kill a Mockingbird
Courtney Holcomb
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To Kill a Mockingbird is brilliant. This book is based in the south between the 1940’s and 1950’s.
During this time, the Jim Crow laws were still active. This book looks racism right in the face.
The main character in the book is Jean Louise “Scout” Finch; she is a young lady just entering
elementary school. Jean Louise lives with her father Atticus (Her mother died when she was just a toddler), her
older brother Jem, who she adores, and the family friend/helper, Calpurnia. The characters all seem so realistic;
the author, Harper Lee, does an amazing job of putting the reader in each character’s shoes, as well as
transitioning from character to character. Jean Louise is the main character, and the story is told from her point
of view throughout the entire book. It is amazing the way the accurately creates the voice of a child; Jean
Louise is so young and lost in the world, that she learns something new everyday throughout the book. Not
only did she master a child, but she also mastered Atticus. Atticus is a lawyer and father of Jean Louis and her brother; he is very
intelligent and levelheaded. To be able to transition so quickly from a confused child to a man like Atticus with so much on his plate
as a father and a lawyer is outstanding!
The author definitely captures the language of the Deep South; the story takes place in Maycomb County, a fairly small town.
She uses such proper language with, with some country twang for the white characters, but she totally changes her style of language
when the children attend Calpurnia’s church. The children even asked her why she talked like that at her church when she’s educated.
Calpurnia, being wise and levelheaded, simply told them that she was required to speak differently in front of certain people. The Jim
Crow laws required that African Americans didn’t speak intelligently in front of white people. (Calpurnia was an exceptation to this
rule within the Finch household).
To Kill a Mockingbird vaguely reminds me of a book I read named Marked. Both books capture the hearts of young readers
through the main characters. In each book, the main character is young; this makes it easier for young readers to relate to their
problems and understand their inner thoughts.
Mockingbird reaches out to all audiences, but it reaches out most to female teenage readers because it is from a young lady’s
perspective. The older generations will enjoy the it as well, because this book came out when they were young. To Kill a Mockingbird
is a mind blowing book that I wouldn’t mind reading again. I would recommend this book to anyone.