J.D. Salinger and The Catcher in the Rye

J.D. Salinger seems like a very typical celebrity who was overwhelmed with the paparazzi and their numbers.  The escape from the loud and hectic life of a celebrity was as a result of the incredible fame of his novel, "The Catcher in the Rye."  However, he did not completely retreat from all society; he chose instead to live a quiet and peaceful rural life in a small town (1).  In addition, he liked to write books for his own enjoyment, not the enjoyment of fans, as he still loved to write (2).  "The Catcher in the Rye" was a very well received book initially (5), but unfortunately ended up on some banned lists for its very controversial topics about girls, sexuality, sex, drugs, and no rock 'n' roll (too early for Elvis, even).  In addition to it being well recieved, it also affected pop culture very adversely.  The killer of John Lennon, Mark David Chapman, was found with a copy of the book after shooting Lennon (4).  He had written in the cover, "This is my statement.-Holden Caulfield" and he "killed Lennon to gain prominence to promote the reading of The Catcher in the Rye," (3).  The world famous book had some positive consequences, but with those positives, the negatives also took place.

1. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/01/us/01salinger.html
2. http://www.zombieworldwide.com/2010/02/j-d-salingers-last-interview/
3. http://www.john-lennon.net/whoauthorizedtheassassinationofjohnlennon.htm
4. http://www.salon.com/2003/12/15/books_kill/
5. http://www.startribune.com/blogs/82988647.html

Holden

Being a teenager, I can relate very well to how Holden is feeling and the hardships he has to endure.  He seems like a very typical teenager and is no different from many modern teenagers in that he gets depressed, has high school drama that effects his moods, and often feels lonely and isolated.  He also has a hard time relating to his peers, which can be typical of some teenagers.  However, he has many issues that are not as typical of teenagers.  For example, he has a tendency to be hypocritical in that sense that he's hunting phonies, yet he is one himself.  In addition, he has a tendency to lie quite often, making him a less trustworthy person.  Therefore, even though I can relate to him, he is not a very trustworthy person and it would be hard to be his friend.

The Hunting Hat

Like Holden is hunting for phonies, I am hunting for inspiration.  Being a songwriter, I regularly write songs similar to whatever music I've been listening to.  However, sometimes I run out of ideas and try to listen to more music to hopefully come up with more inspiration.  Writing the music generally comes easier to me than writing the lyrics, although recently, I've had a writer's block for both.  Perhaps I need a collaborator to help me.  Some of the best bands including the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Elton John wrote, etc. worked together to write some of the best songs in music history.  I guess I'll keep hunting.

What I am Thankful For

Today I am thankful for my very large family and by that I mean there's a lot of people.  My dad has 6 siblings with about 2 to 3 kids each, so I have lots of cousins, aunts and uncles.  I am also thankful for rock and metal music, for shaping my life and allowing me to express myself.  I am thankful for my musical talents (piano, electric guitar, bass and drums) which gives me purpose in life.  I am also thankful for my family who supports me in everything I do.

Outline

1. The Lincoln Park Riots and the violent police crackdown during the 1968 Democratic National Convention shined a spotlight on the growing anti-Vietnam War sentiment, and negatively affected the public perception of Chicago.

2. The late 1960s was a period of civil and social unrest in the United States. 

a. A small group of young rebels who garnered a lot of media attention wanted to overthrow the American establishment and change American democracy.

b. These rebels strongly protested America's involvement in the Vietnam War, and viewed it as a loss of control of the political system in the United States.

c. These groups of radicals chose Chicago as the perfect place to protest the war and bring their message to the American public.  Chicago hosted the 1968 Democratic National Convention as it had many times in the past, and these rebels knew there would be a lot of media coverage, and their protests could potentially be broadcast across the country.

3. During the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, anti-war protesters and police interferences dominated the city.

a. Mayor Richard J. Daley took a lot of pride in holding the convention in Chicago, and did everything in his power to make sure the protests did not disturb the peace.

b. The police used excessive force to stop the protest from ruining the Democratic National Convention, and suppress the demonstration.  They were given permission to use violent force if necessary to calm the streets of Chicago.

c. The riots had become so out of hand the Chicago Police Department called the National Guard.  Many protesters were worried they may start shooting protesters and starting an all-out war with the protest.

4. The police riots damaged Chicago's reputation and disrupted the Convention much more than if the protesters had actually been allowed to march to the convention center.

a. In the immediate aftermath of the riots, people in the U.S. and around the world were shocked and dismayed by the police's violent reaction to the demonstrators. 

b. The broad media attention paid to the bloody events of the convention prompted the U.S. government to commission a study, led by Illinois businessman Daniel Walker, to analyze the cause of the riots.

c. After the 1968 Democratic National Convention, Chicago was so embarrassed; the next convention wasn't until 1996.

5. The Lincoln Park Riots and the violent police crackdown during the 1968 Democratic National Convention shined a spotlight on the growing anti-Vietnam War sentiment, and negatively affected the public perception of Chicago.

Research Paper Introduction

In 1968, 18-year-old Lee Edmundson, a supporter of then-senator Eugene McCarthy, traveled to Chicago to work for the senator during the Democratic National Convention.  On the first day of the convention, he ignorantly joined a march in Lincoln Park heading toward downtown.  When the march arrived at the Hilton Hotel, he joined a large demonstration protesting the Vietnam War, which quickly got out of control.  He was swept up in the pandemonium and excitement without realized the significance of the situation.  When he attempted to tie a Viet Cong flag to the head of the General Logan statue, he was beaten severely by the police, and the images and footage of that scene were shown across the country.  Millions of Americans observed the brutality of the police force against the anti-war demonstrators as footage was broadcast on television.  The Lincoln Park Riots and the violent police crackdown during the 1968 Democratic National Convention shined a spotlight on the growing anti-Vietnam War sentiment, and negatively affected the public perception of Chicago.

Crucible Response

Act 1: Overall, I find the play to be very interesting and unusual.  The puritans, like in the Johnathon Edwards sermon, are very paranoid of spending their eternal afterlife in hellfire, and will do anything and everything to get into heaven.  The characters in this play reflect that perfectly, and when Betty is found unconscious, the reverend and the community begin to worry about the treat of the devil residing in their town, and the general topic was fascinating to read about.  I found the connections between the paranoia from the witch hunt and the Red Scare interesting, and I was amazed by how much the two were interconnected, and I found that America doesn't learn from their own mistakes.  Also, the fear of the hunt also drives people like Abigail to make claims that others are witches, and they can enact any revenge they want without justified reason, and I found that very appalling to know people could die by accusation.  In addition, with the unusual vocabulary and grammar style, I found it difficult to comprehend the story completely, but discussing it in class aided my understanding of the play.  Finally, the ending wasn't very suspenseful, but it begged the question: what's going to happen to the people who were accused? I am eager to find this out in Act 2.

Act 2: The play at this point has also become interesting.  Here, we find out about Proctor's affair with the slave Abigail and how she's using that against him to imprison his wife, along with his moral dilemma at the end of the act.  We also find out about the voodoo doll Mary Warren gave Elizabeth and how it conveniently was stabbed with a pin while Abigail was found with a pin in her stomach, not to mention it is used against Proctor's wife.  I found this chapter pretty interesting and suspenseful, and I was surprised to find out Abigail had an affair with Proctor.  I also found it very ironic how the one commandment Proctor didn't say was adultery, once again reflecting on his affair.  When I read Elizabeth was accused of being a witch, I immediately made the connection after finding out about the affair that Abigail was the accuser.  In addition, the scene where Proctor is questioning the interrogation methods and how the accuser is innocent even if accused reminded me once again of the connection to the Red Scare that was elaborated on in Act 1.  Finally, the ending where the author explains the dilemma of Proctor defending his wife from Abigail and the potential charge on his head definitely made me think, and the accusation against Mary for making and using the voodoo doll definitely added suspense from Act 2 to Act 3.

Act 3:  I found Act III to be very suspenseful and interesting to read.  Once again, the language was difficult to comprehend, but reading this in a group and answering the questions helped me to comprehend it.  During the trial, I found Parris' outburst very annoying and I'm surprised the judges allowed him to have these outbursts.  I also found it unusual how all the girls decided to turn on Mary Warren by faking that they were being enchanted by her and that the court bought it.  It was pretty obvious they were faking it.  However, with this strict and uptight community, anything can be considered possible.  The hysteria of witchcraft drove everybody crazy and they'll believe anything they think they see.  It was also disappointing to see John Proctor's plan to tell the truth about his affair backfire because the courts power still remained in tact and they didn't realize the error of their ways.  I'm curious to know what will happen to John Proctor in Act IV (even though we already read Act IV).

Whole play:  Overall, I found The Crucible a very interesting play to read.  The whole connection between the witch trials and the red scare was fascinating and it shows that America hasn't learned from its mistakes.  The mass hysteria of both situations allowed any innocent person to be accused and anybody who was accused lost the battle unless they implicated somebody else.  The language of the play was very difficult to comprehend and the narrations in the beginning of the play had a tendency to drag on for a while.  However, when the main character, Proctor, was presented the story began to pick up and tension and suspense grew.  I did not expect to hear that John Proctor had an affair with Abigail and because of the extremely strict rule the Puritans uphold, it was very shocking.  In addition, I also was taken aback when Proctor’s wife, Elizabeth, was accused of witchcraft and arrested for supposedly using a voodoo doll to harm Abigail.  At the trials, I was amazed to find that Mary Warren, the Proctors’ servant, was betrayed by the rest of her friends when they pretended to be under the influence of “witchcraft.”  It was also interesting to note how much power these young girls had within the Salem courts, knowing that they were still young and immature enough to be dancing naked in the woods.  Finally, I was shocked that Giles Corey had been executed under torture, that Elizabeth’s case was put on hold due to her pregnancy, and that in the end Proctor was executed for being a wizard.  It was a very complicated play and a very interesting read.