Thinking Outside the Box

The "Allegory of the Cave" and "No Exit" are both extended metaphors, i.e., a figure of speech that constructs an analogy between two things or ideas.  The "Allegory of the Cave" describes the difference between belief and reality, meant to illustrate the effects of education on the human soul.  The shadows the prisoners in the cave see may seem real, but in reality they are only created from light shining on certain objects.  In "No Exit," the difference between belief and judgement are contrasted.  For example, when Inez meets Garcin, she comments on the shape of his mouth.  With no mirrors around, Garcin must decide whether to remember what he looked like before and believe he still looks the same way, or trust Inez and judge her to see if she is telling the truth.  Sartre also emphasized that hell is a state of mind, not a specific place.

AP Literary Term: Fallacy

The term fallacy is from the Latin word "to deceive," meaning a false or misleading notion, belief, or argument; any king of erroneous reasoning that makes arguments unsound.

In simple terms…. an incorrect presumption.

If you were in Dr. Preston's class sophomore year, then you will always remember the logical fallacies we studied, but here are a few to refresh your memory:

-Slippery slope: states that a relatively small first step will lead to a chain of related events, leading down the slippery slope to the extreme.



-Non-Sequitur: does not follow; the conclusion is not necessarily connected from the premises.

-Appeal to authority (also known as argument from authority): The strength of this argument depends on two factors. 1) The authority is a legitimate expert on the subject. 2) A consensus exists among legitimate experts on the matter under discussion.

The Cherry Orchard

1.  After five years of being away from her home, Lyuba Ranevsky and her daughter Anya have finally returned due to her financial crisis. Everyone is rejoiced at their arrival, including  Lopakhin, a family friend; Dunyasha, the maid; Fiers, the servant;  and Varya, the adoptive daughter. Anya states that their poverty is partially due to her mothers excessive spending. Gayev, Ranevsky's brother, and Lopakhin brainstorm ideas as to what they should do with Ranevsky's cherry orchard. Lopakhin believes that the best thing to do is to cut down the trees, build cottages, and rent them out. Ranevsky rejects this idea because she cannot stand the idea of having to part with her trees. Throughout the course of the play, the characters each remember some sort of painful memory in their past.There are several love subplots intertwined throughout the play such as Lopakhin and Varya. In order to solve the financial crisis, the cherry orchard is auctioned off. Lopakhin is the one to buy it and precedes with his idea to build cottages on the land. Everyone then leaves the house. Rovenvsky leaves her home weeping. Everyone has forgotten Fier and he is left alone in the house. The last sound heard is the sound of the cherry trees being cut down.

2.  A major theme is being unable to let go of the past.  Ranevsky doesn't seem to take action against her financial issues but continues to contribute to them with her excessive spending.  She refuses to adapt to her new life , she stays glued to her past and doesn't strive to make a better future for herself. 

3.  The tone is set differently among each of the character's points of view.  The tone switches between reminiscent to serious to melancholy.

• Lubov: My dear nursery, oh, you beautiful room. . . . I used to sleep here when I was a baby. [Weeps] And here I am like a little girl again. [Kisses her brother, VARYA, then her brother again] And Varya is just as she used to be, just like a nun. And I knew Dunyasha. [Kisses her.]
• Gaev: Right into the pocket! Once upon a time you and I used both to sleep in this room, and now I'm fifty-one; it does seem strange.

• Anya: Father died six years ago, and a month later my brother Grisha was drowned in the river-- such a dear little boy of seven! Mother couldn't bear it; she went away, away, without looking round. . . . [Shudders] How I understand her; if only she knew.

• Charlotte: I haven't a real passport. I don't know how old I am, and I think I'm young. When I was a little girl my father and mother used to go round fairs and give very good performances and I used to do the salto mortale and various little things. And when papa and mamma died a German lady took me to her and began to teach me... And where I came from and who I am, I don't know. . . . Who my parents were--perhaps they weren't married--I don't know. [Takes a cucumber out of her pocket and eats] I don't know anything. [Pause] I do want to talk, but I haven't anybody to talk to . . . I haven't anybody at all.

4.  Imagery: The opening scene is a strong example of this technique. It creates the image of warmth contrasting with the cold.

• "It is close on sunrise. It is May. The cherry-trees are in flower but it is chilly in the garden. There is an early frost."

Irony:  The cherry-trees are beautiful and blooming and it is expected that there is warm weather, when in fact there is a frost.

• Epikhodov, "There's a frost this morning--three degrees, and the cherry-trees are all in flower. I can't approve of our climate."

Direct characterization:  This is done through dialogue.

• (Lopakhin to Dunyasha) "You're too sensitive, Dunyasha. You dress just like a lady, and you do your hair like one too. You oughtn't. You should know your place."

Foreshadowing: Used to describe the fate of the orchard, which will ultimately be that it is getting sold.

• Lopakhin, looking at his watch, "If we can't think of anything and don't make up our minds to anything, then on August 22, both the cherry orchard and the whole estate will be up for auction. Make up your mind! I swear there's no other way out, I'll swear it again."

Symbolism:  The character Fiers represent moving on, getting over whatever prevents you from moving forward in your life.

• Fiers, "In the old days, forty or fifty years back, they dried the cherries, soaked them and pickled them, and made jam of them, and it used to happen that . . ."

"Allegory of the Cave" Intro. Paragraph

     The allegory of the cave is a metaphor meant to illustrate the effects of education on the human soul.  This story is actually an extended metaphor, meant to teach that the goal of education is to drag every man as far out of the cave as possible.  The prisoners represent every human being.  They are used to demonstrate that in life, we are not constantly discovering new things, but instead are learning something that had already been there all along.

The Big Question

Why do bad things happen to good people? How do people define/experience misfortune? How does it influence the sense of themselves?

Hamlet: Take 2

     The theory of performative utterance describes how certain language does not merely describe action, but acts in being spoken.  "The performative is uttered in the performance of an illocutionary act and is either successful or unsuccessful rather than true or false."  With this theory in mind, one can see how big of an impact it has on Hamlet.  Through the analysis of various characters' soliloquies in the play Hamlet, this notion becomes evident.

     "To be, or not to be: that is the question…"  This soliloquy can be interpreted in a variety of ways.  Some may think that Hamlet is extremely indecisive, and that he just continues to ramble in an attempt to make up his mind.  However, upon further analysis, you realize Hamlet has already determined that he is going to murder Claudius, he just wants to weigh all of his options.  He isn't trying to talk himself out of his situation; Hamlet is simply an over-analyzer.

     I, like Hamlet, tend to over-analyze the situations that I come upon.  Take applying to colleges, for example, since this is such an important process.  Through my own "self-overhearing" I have created a sense of expectation for myself that I believe will help me to get accepted to the colleges of my choice.  Through my preparation and careful studying, I have hopefully set myself up to see real world results, ultimately the acceptance letter to my dream school.

     Thinking things out in your mind before you act plays a large role in the process.  I believe that this is why parents have tried to ban violent video games in the past.   With their children running around in virtual reality killing people in such games, many parents believe this type of play will be transferred over to reality.  Although in most cases this hasn't proved to be the case, it is possible.  Thoughts and feelings drastically influence one's ability to choose.

     The illocutionary force is evident in the play Hamlet.  Hamlet's soliloquies are not merely words, but plans.  This can be compared to our own self-overhearing, which is ultimately the thought process that occurs on a day-to-day basis.

A Difference of Language

     The novel Hamlet is full of soliloquies that inform the reader of every thought and action that takes place within each of the characters.  In epics such as Beowulf, there are no soliloquies, so the reader is forced to interpret character's actions on their own.  This difference is reflected in the tone of each work of literature.  The tone of Hamlet is melancholy and dark, so it makes sense for soliloquies to be placed in the novel, as there is not much action for such soliloquies to interrupt.  On the other hand, the tone of Beowulf is adventurous, with the tempo of the book moving swiftly along.  These factors are the reasons behind why Hamlet's use of language differentiates him from epic heroes such as Beowulf.

     

     The "To be, or not to be…." soliloquy is a perfect example to this claim.  Hamlet rambles on for some twenty plus lines about his thoughts and feelings.  He debates the pros and cons of suicide, saying, 

"To die to sleep-- 

No more-- and by a sleep to say we end 

The heartache, and the thousand natural shocks 

That flesh is heir to.  'Tis a consummation 

Devoutly to be wished."

This is something that an epic hero, such as Beowulf, would not even dream about.  It would be considered such a dishonor both to himself, and to his good name.

     

     The language of Beowulf is focused more on action, as shown in the excerpt below:

"'And if death does take me, send the hammered

Mail of my armor to Higlac, return

The inheritance I had from Hrethel, and he

From Wayland.  Fate will unwind as it must!"

Here Beowulf is about to go back into battle.  He knows that the only honorable death is in fighting for one's country, so he is prepared to go if that is what fate has in store for him.  As contrasted with the excerpt from Hamlet, this exchange of feelings was said in dialogue, leaving it open to interpretation for the reader.

     

     The language in Hamlet differentiates from that of Beowulf due to tone and style.  In Hamlet, lengthy soliloquies are appropriate due to the dreariness of the novel.  Contrarily, the focus of Beowulf is action, so the language is set to reflect this tone.  Characters thoughts are not explicitly stated, but instead are left to be interpreted by the reader.

Your Life Is Your Life

This first assignment instilled in my mind that I need to make my own decisions.  With major life choices coming up about college, this concept has proved to be especially important in my life.

Notes on Special Event: Speaker Roy Christopher

• Ted Newcomb & Roy Christopher, 40 years old
• "The medium is the message."
• Technology is a natural part of his life, but it can also be a distraction, so there is a mix of both.
• Wanted to do bigger projects (i.e. books),simple interviews of a few questions so it would stay interesting.
• Primarily known for the remix/mash-up culture,
• "Hip-hop culture is the blueprint of the 21st century culture."
• Medium Picture: about the ways we change our lives with technology.
• Technology broke up generations; the past generation began with T.V.s or the internet, unlike us who are completely accustomed.
• "Nothing will be on the medium that will be more important than the medium itself."
• "The more you know how thinks work, the closer you are to reaching digital maturity." Although, like knowing how a car works, you don't have t0 know precisely how all technology works.
• Q: Does technology create challenges or opportunities in younger generations?
• Both, you could excel in younger generations that older ones can't, but they can teach them.
• "Trusting the next generation."
• Older generations need to stop worrying about the youth.  We'll grow up just fine.
• Multitasking has become something usual/normal in our lives, but it still effects the quality of the work.
• Christopher agrees that multitasking effects the quality of work.
• Online courses, assignments, and the education related online pages are becoming incorporated into our lives so that to not be a part of the online community would make you left out.

As I Lay Dying

1. The novel begins with Addie Bundren ill and expecting to die soon.  Her son Cash, who is a carpenter, prepares a coffin for her, which is ready the morning she dies.  Addie's last wish was the she be buried in the town of Jefferson.  To fulfill this wish, Anse Bundren and his five children set off with the corpse to make the journey.  The family faces many obstacles along the way.  Recent floods have washed away bridges, causing the family to river-cross over their own hand-made bridge.  While crossing the bridge, the coffin falls on Cash's leg, breaking it.  Darl attempts to make a cast for Cash's leg, but that only makes  matters worse.  Not wanting to continue on with the mission, Darl attempts to destroy his mother's coffin, but Jewel turns up to rescue the coffin from the burning barn, much to Darl's dismay.  Believing that Darl has gone crazy, they commit him to a Jackson mental institution.  While Anse goes off to buy shovels to bury his deceased wife, he meets a women whom he suddenly marries, and returns to his family to introduce them to their new mother.

2. A major theme of this novel is the uncertainties of life.  The loss of their mother causes Addie's children to question the meaning of life and their role here on earth.  Darl is especially troubled by this loss.  Believing that because his mother no longer "is," she never existed and therefore he doesn't exist.  He is later declared insane.  Anse's new marriage so swiftly after his wife's death causes the children to question family morals and their existence even further.

3. The novel is told through the views of fifteen different people.  The major tone felt throughout is very emotional, understandably so considering the story is about a family transporting their deceased mother to her burial place.

-"Jewel's hat droops limp about his neck, channelling water onto the soaked towsack tied about his shoulders as, ankle-deep in the running ditch, he pries with a slipping two-by-four, with a piece of rotting log for fulcrum, at the axle. Jewel, I say, she is dead, Jewel. Addie Bundred is dead."

-"I strike, the stick hitting into the ground, bouncing, striking into the dust and then into the air again and the dust sucking on down the road faster than if a car was in it. And then I can cry, looking at the stick."

-"In a strange room you must empty yourself for sleep. And before you are emptied for sleep, what are you. And when you are emptied for sleep, you are not.  And when you are filled with sleep, you never were.  I don't know what I am."

4. Foreshadowing:  Kate Tull predicts that Anse will remarry quickly after the death of Addie, which in fact does happen.

Diction:  The author gives the characters southern accents to contribute to the meaning of the setting.

•  "Sometimes I think it aint none of us pure crazy and aint none of us pure sane until the balance of us talks him that-a-way. It's like it aint so much what a fellow does, but it's the way the majority of folks is looking at him when he does it."

Irony:  Peabody finds Addie's love for Jewel to be out of stubbornness.  This is ironic because Peabody doesn't know Addie had Jewel out of an affair.

• "That's what they mean by the love that passeth understanding: that pride, that furious desire to hide that abject nakedness which we bring here with us, carry stubbornly and furiously with us into the earth again."

Metaphors:  The children make illogical connections to their mothers, showing how confused about the matters of death they are.

• "Jewel's mother is a horse," Darl said. "Then mine can be a fish, can't it, Darl?" I said. "Then what is your ma, Darl?" I said. "I haven't got ere one," Darl said. "Because if I had one, it is was. And if it was, it can't be is. Can it?"

Tone:  This passage shows the emotional state the children are left in.

• "Words don't ever fit even what they are trying to say at. Motherhood was invented by someone who had to have a word for it because the ones that had the children didn't care whether there was a word for it or not."

Tools That Change the Way We Think

I think that the use of the internet/media/technology has gradually decreased my ability to critically think.  Instead of getting an essay topic or a homework assignment that I have to sit down and really work on, I can most likely get the answer within minutes with the use of the internet.  The entire thinking process of researching has declined because of the convenience of technology.  It's extremely rare for people to go to the library to check out books to find information for a project their working on, just because this is so much more time consuming.  With the mind-set that research won't take long, I usually have a difficult time concentrating and end up browsing other websites while I'm trying to complete my school assignments.  What could have been a quick assignment, can take me an hour with the distractions of the internet.  The internet contains a lot of biased information, and like from the filter bubbles reading, the information you find on hear is tailored to what the internet servers believe you want to hear.  With this in mind, I think that those who don't use technology as much are able to think more on their own, as they are more likely to find more of a variety of information by using all of the resources available to them.

In Search Of

     I didn't realize that the information that I search for online is tailored to match what I usually search; whenever I search for something, I am fed what the internet believes I want to see based on my past internet searches. This makes me want to extend my search in whatever I'm looking into farther, and makes me question if what I have used as research in the past is valid or just based off of biased opinions. To improve the effectiveness of my searches, I can use multiple search engines, try re-wording the information that I'm searching for, and not just pick articles off of the first page of the search engine I'm using.
     When I re-did my Shakespeare research, this time I used different search engines (yahoo, ask, and google instead of just google) and didn't just rely on the first page of results for information.  This is the information that I found:
     Shakespeare's life is a big mystery to many, but it is believed that he was born in Stratford on about April 23, 1564.  He came from a relatively wealthy family, with his father a local businessman and his mother coming from a landowning family.  At 18 he married Anne Hathaway, and they had three children.  However, one later died at the age of 11.  There are many rumors that have declared Shakespeare was not the true author of his works.  Popular beliefs as to who the true author was include Christopher Marlowe, Queen Elizabeth, and Edward de Vere.  Shakespeare eventually emerged as a rising playwright in London, becoming a central figure in the leading company.  He eventually died on April 23, 1616.

Notes on Hamlet

     At the beginning of the play, I got the sense that Hamlet was extremely indecisive and crazy.  Now I'm beginning to think that this is all just a strategy of his.  He seems more now like an extremely analytical person who weighs every option before acting on his decision.  You can't be mad to possess this sort of self-control.  I also have realized that he is a very loyal person.  Upset that everyone seems to have forgotten that his father died not that long ago, he has taken great measures to let everyone see the pain he feels about them moving on as if his father never existed.  From here, I can see Hamlet plotting on the perfect moment to kill Claudius, and of course following through with this plan.

Who Was Shakespeare?

     A lot of Shakespeare's life is unknown.  Almost everything society knows about him is disputed.  The generally accepted facts are as follows: "Shakespeare was born in 1564, the third child and first son of John Shakespeare and his wife Mary Arden, in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England.  In 1582, at the age of eighteen, he married Anne Hathaway, the daughter of a farmer from the nearby village of Shottery, and by 1581 they had three children.  Around 1588 Shakespeare and his family moved to London and within a few years he had achieved some success as an actor, a poet and a playwright…..The Sonnets especially established his reputation as a gifted and popular poet, but it is the 38 plays he wrote or collaborated on that have firmly established his reputation as the greatest dramatist who ever lived.  He died in 1616 at the age of 52 and was buried in the chancel of the Church of the Holy Trinity in Stratford."1  His entire identity has often been disputed.  Notable candidates on who Shakespeare really was include Edward de Vere, Francis Bacon, and Christopher Marlowe.
     Whenever students are given a work of Shakespeare for an assignment, they aren't too happy.  His writing is extremely difficult to understand, and time-consuming to read since you have to stop every few lines to try to figure out the message he's trying to get across.  I understand now that there are multiple ways to perceive Shakespeare's writings, which is why his works are greatly disputed over.  I still tend to struggle with the language.






1. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/merchant/shakespeare.html

To Facebook or Not to Facebook

     I am definitely pro-Facebook.  I use it to communicate with my family in other cities/states who I normally would not get a chance to catch up with, and then of course I also use it to talk to friends.  Being able to view others posts and pictures is what makes Facebook interesting and keeps me up-to-date with those that I am not able to talk to everyday.
     Of course there are risks associated with using Facebook.  There is the risk of cyber-bullying, of online predators, etc.  But these risks are seen everywhere in some way, not just on Facebook.  I think that there should be an age limit to those who are allowed to use Facebook, because youngsters are more prone to falling into these types of risks.
     The discussion we had in class further enhanced my belief that there should be an age limit on who uses Facebook.  Although it can be used as a convenient way of communicating to friends and family who you may not have a chance to see on a regular basis, the majority of young children are up to no good when they are on such websites.

Be Hamlet

     There are no troubles that are worth ending your life over.  Although life might seem tiresome and difficult at times, these trials will eventually end.  Think of all the happiness and joy that life can bring.  These benefits of living a full life by far outweigh the alternative of suicide.
    
     As demonstrated in his "To be, or not to be…." soliloquy, Hamlet is obviously troubled.  The knowledge that it in fact was his uncle who killed his beloved father proved to be overwhelming, so much so that Hamlet is considering taking his own life.  "To die, to sleep -- no more -- and by a sleep to say we end the heartache and the thousand natural shocks that flesh is heir to -- 'tis a consummation devoutly to be wished!"  In this quote, Hamlet explains that dying is like a sleep that ends all of the heartaches and shocks that life on earth gives us.  These said shocks include the knowledge of how his father really died.

     Hamlet has mentioned before that it is a sin to commit suicide, which is why he has not attempted to commit the act before.  Therefore, he should hold to these Christian beliefs.  Although he is troubled and lost about whether or not he should seek revenge on his uncle and if so in what form, this trial will eventually pass.  He is looking at the immediate results and the not the long-term result.  "For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, Th' oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely, The pangs of despised love, the law's delay, The insolence of office, and the spurns That patient merit of th' unworthy takes, When he himself might his quietus make With a bare bodkin?"  This is where Hamlet begins to doubt his thoughts of committing suicide.  He knows that no one would willingly endure the trials of life, so it must not be as easy as it seems to end his life just like that.

     This soliloquy shows that Hamlet himself is unsure of what to do with his constant switching sides.  Life is not worth ending.  Thinking of the future, Hamlet could accomplish so much for his country if he just endured his present struggles and left his thoughts of suicide behind.

The Catcher in the Rye

1. The Catcher in the Rye is told in the past tense by Holden Caulfield as he is in a mental institution.  After getting kicked out of three prep schools, he is then expelled from a fourth.  Afraid that his parents will be disappointed in him for getting expelled from yet another school, he decides to spend three days in Manhattan before going home for "Christmas vacation." It soon becomes evident that Holden doesn't have any close relations.  He is obsessed with a girl named Jane, whom he casually dated but didn't keep much contact with.  Lonely for companionship, he hires a prostitute to come to where he is staying.  Not paying her the full amount she demands, he gets beat up by her accomplice.  The next day he meets with Sally Hayes, a girl he once dated.  Not long into their date, he asks her to run away and elope with him, where she refuses.  He then calls Carl Luce, an old acquaintance, to meet him for drinks.  However, Holden offends Carl with his immaturity, and he soon leaves.  The night of Christmas Eve, Holden sneaks into his parents' apartment to see his little sister, telling her he was kicked out of Pencey Prep.  Confused on where his life is going, Holden decides to leave home for good.  He ends the novel explaining that he eventually went home and got "sick," alluding to why he is not in a mental institution.

2. The major theme of The Catcher in the Rye is alienation.  Holden acts as if he is better than everyone else.  Due to this, he has had a hard time forming close with relationships with others, as no one wants to be constantly criticized by their friends.  This in turn has led to the emptiness that Holden feels, and is often the reason behind why he constantly screws up in life.

3. The author's tone, as portrayed by Holden Caulfield, is very cynical.  He seems to feel as if there is no great importance to life.


“Life is a game, boy. Life is a game that one plays according to the rules.”
“Yes, sir. I know it is. I know it.”
Game, my ass. Some game. If you get on the side where all the hot-shots are, then it’s a game, all right—I’ll admit that. But if you get on the other side, where there aren’t any hot-shots, then what’s a game about it? Nothing. No game.

“Like hell it is.” I took it off and looked at it. I sort of closed one eye, like I was taking aim at it. “This is a people shooting hat,” I said. “I shoot people in this hat.”

One of the biggest reasons I left Elkton Hills was because I was surrounded by phonies. That's all. They were coming in the goddam window. For instance, they had this headmaster, Mr. Haas, that was the phoniest bastard I ever met in my life. Ten times worse than old Thurmer. On Sundays, for instance, old Haas went around shaking hands with everybody's parents when they drove up to school. He'd be charming as hell and all. Except if some boy had little old funny-looking parents. You should've seen the way he did with my roommate's parents. I mean if a boy's mother was sort of fat or corny-looking or something, and if somebody's father was one of those guys that wear those suits with very big shoulders and corny black-and-white shoes, then old Haas would just shake hands with them and give them a phony smile and then he'd go talk, for maybe a half an hour, with somebody else's parents. I can't stand that stuff. It drives me crazy. It makes me so depressed I go crazy. I hated that goddam Elkton Hills.

4.

• Direct Characterization -- But there was one nice thing. This family that you could tell just came out of some church were walking right in front of me – a father, a mother, and a little kid about six years old. They looked sort of poor. […] The kid was swell. […] He was making out like he was walking a very straight line, the way kids do, and the whole time he kept singing and humming. […] It made me feel better. It made me feel not so depressed anymore.
• Here Holden describes in detail a family he sees on the street.  Observing others, as he did here, often helps him to not feel so depressed and alienated from the world.
• Flashback -- Anyway, it was the Saturday of the football game. […] I remember around three o'clock that afternoon I was standing way the hell up on top of Thomsen Hill. […] You could see the whole field from there, and you could see the two teams bashing each other all over the place. […] You could hear them all yelling. 
• The entire novel is a flashback, as Holden is giving an account of his life to the point he was admitted into the mental institution.  This excerpt is even deeper into Holden's life.
• Symbolism -- [Ackley] took another look at my hat . . . “Up home we wear a hat like that to shoot deer in, for Chrissake,” he said. “That’s a deer shooting hat.”
  “Like hell it is.” I took it off and looked at it. I sort of closed one eye, like I was taking aim at it. “This is a people shooting hat,” I said. “I shoot people in this hat.” 
• Holden's hunting hat is a symbol for his seclusion.
• Imagery -- I’m standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff—I mean if they’re running and they don’t look where they’re going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That’s all I’d do all day. I’d just be the catcher in the rye and all.
• Here Holden connects the title of the novel to the storyline, imagining himself as being the catcher in the rye.
• Foreboding -- “I have a feeling that you’re riding for some kind of terrible, terrible fall. . . . The whole arrangement’s designed for men who, at some time or other in their lives, were looking for something their own environment couldn’t supply them with. . . . So they gave up looking.”
• Mr. Antolini warns Holden that he is afraid Holden is sliding down a slippery slope in terms of where his life is headed.