Homework task: How Holden acts like a child and how Holden acts like an adult

Holden behaves (language, actions, reactions) like an adolescent.	Holden behaves (language, actions, reactions) like an adult.
"..I kept standing there, of giving old Jane a buzz- I mean calling her long distance at B.M... The only reason I didn't call him was because I wasn't in the mood." (pg. 63) He is afraid to call her because he thinks she will judge him	Holden’s strong focus of the ducks in the lake and where they go, is symbolic to life and where he will go into life. "I was wondering where the ducks went when the lagoon got all icy and frozen over. I wondered if some guy came in a truck and took them away to a zoo or something. Or if they just flew away." (pg. 13). Even if he doesn’t want to grow up, he slowly does.
He asks a complete stranger that is his cab driver, "Would you care to stop on the way and join me for a cocktail"" (pg. 60. He doesn’t want to face the reality of being alone; where he has left school and needs to tell his parents of his situation of being expelled for failing academically.	When Holden visits Central Park and sees the lake he has a realisation, "Then, I finally found it. What it was, it was partly frozen and partly not frozen." The lake is transitioning into two states, frozen and not frozen. Which is ultimately a symbol of what he is doing; transitioning into adulthood from adolescence.
"Last year I made a rule that I was going to quit horsing around with girls that, deep down, gave me a pain in the ass. I broke it though, the same week I made it- the same night, as a matter of fact." (pg. 63). He tries to make up rules like an adult, but ends up breaking them almost immediately.	"I started giving the three witches at the next table the eye again. That is, the blond one... I just gave all three of them this very cool glance and all." (pg. 70). Tries to act grown up in front of these 3 ladies.
"The best thing, though, in that museum was that everything always stayed right where it was. Nobody'd move. You could go there a hundred thousand times, and that Eskimo would still be just finished catching those two fish, the birds would still be on their way south, the deer would still be drinking out of that water hole, with their pretty antlers and their pretty, skinny legs, and that squaw with the naked bosom would still be weaving that same blanket." (pg. 121). This shows that he wishes that everything would stay the same, so he wouldn’t have to be an adult and stay a child forever.	."..this one psychoanalyst guy they have here, keeps asking me if I'm going to apply myself with I go back to school next September. It's such a stupid question, in my opinion. I mean how do you know what you're going to do till you do it? The answer is you don't. I think I am, but how do I know"" (pg. 213). He snaps back to reality and realises that he will apply himself better at school.
He finds the adultword repulsive and show-offy. "The band was putrid." (pg. 69) and "They were mostly old and show-offy looking guys" (pg. 69)	When Holden is at Phoebe’s school and he sees the words “Fuck you” on walls, he rubs it out.
"I think they should've at least offered to pay their drinks they had before I joined them..." (pg. 75). Due to his innocence and how young he looks and acts, the 3 ladies left him to pay the bill.	He drinks, smokes, even orders a prostitute.
Holden deities his siblings and anyone who is a child and not an adult: as if they are all child prodigys. He says of his sister Phoebe, "You should see her. You never saw a little kid so pretty and smart in your life. She's really smart." (pg. 67).
His red hunting hat symbolises his childish ways, but in special events he takes it off, saying it looks “childish” and “stupid.”
Comes up with unrealistic ideas, such as his plans to run away and live someplace far away and live a simple life.

 

Homework Task: The Catcher in the Rye

What do you think of the idea that although “he cannot change the world in which he lives … it is possible for him [Holden] to find his own place within it”? Write 2-3 paragraphs outlining your response to this statement. Be sure to make specific references to the novel.

The idea that although "he cannot change the world in which he lives ... It is possible for him [Holden] to find his own place within it," is very true and the novel, The Catcher in the Rye, demonstrates this within the character of Holden Caulfield. Whole novel, the character of Holden is searching for his identity and belonging and acceptance by engaging in mature activities. He struggles to find himself as he isolates himself from society and people who want to help him and criticizes others. He is in the process from adolescence to 'phony' adulthood. Physical changes for Holden show that he is defiant against the natural process of adolescence and the hormones that come with this,  "I looked exactly like the guy in the article with lousy hormones." (p. 254). Holden feels that he needs to maintain his youth and innocence, but in contrast, he also feels that he needs to act mature, "I ordered a Scotch and soda, and told him not to mix it-I said it fast as hell, because if you hem and haw, they think you're under twenty-one and won't sell you any intoxicating liquor," (p. 91).  Holden is torn between his 'want' of staying an adolescent forever, but there is this push for him to transition on to adulthood. He is trying to find who he is through these mature activities. Flirting with older women, is another example. Whenever he does so, the women question his age and laugh at him for his efforts,  "I started giving the three witches at the next table the eye again …. They probably thought I was too young to give anybody the once-over." (p. 91). Although he attempts to join the adulthood through these activities, he constantly rejects and criticizes their flaws.

In the last chapter of the book, Holden realizes that he can't hold in to adolescence forever and his view of 'phony' adults is almost gone. This shows that he is ultimately growing up and seeing things in a different perception. This is the turning point for Holden as he realizes that he needs to move on and he can now find who he truly is, instead of trying to change everyone else around him to act like him. "I don't know what the hell to say. If you want to know the truth, I don't know what I think about it. I'm sorry I told so many people about it," (p. 192). He has changed, as in the beginning of the novel, he felt the need to tell everyone everything, but now he regrets it. Also, at times throughout the novel, he has criticized everyone and called them "phony" and had nothing nice to say about them, but at the end, he is in a state where he needs those he rejected, "About all I know is, I sort of miss everybody I told about." (p. 192).

Feedback on Practise Persuasive Essay

• no clear thesis statement
• body para's are good
• not consistent persuasive language
• last para, change "not relate to.." to "wouldn't appreciate.."

drafted by Gina Calder

Despite being described as a coming of age novel, Peter Goldsworthy's novel, Maestro constructs a representation of growing up that cannot relate to female readers due to its focus on the male voice.

Notes:
Sexualisation of women/ chauvinistic/ objectifies the,
No perspective of women
Cant compare to the experiences of the girls and boys



Persuasive:
No first person, third person, (we) my opinion sound like facts, rhetorical questions, opinions/ facts, emotive language

Many of you may think that Peter Goldsworthy's novel, 'Maestro', is a bildungsroman. The theme of growing up is very well represented through the eyes of Paul, but this representation is not something that we, as women can relate to. The novel is completely written from Paul's point of view, without any inclusion from women. Through Paul's perspective, it is evident that he displays chauvinistic values. Also, the experiences and significant events told through Paul's perspective cannot be compared to those that us, as women, experience. All these factors contribute to the idea that the representation of growing up cannot be related to female readers, as ourselves.

Paul Crabbe's perspective of women in the novel is sexualised. Paul objectifies the women he fancies, such as Megan. He focusses on Megan's exterior appearance, rather than wanting to get to know her on a personal level.  "Megan's desk stood in front of mine, and perhaps it was her back that I first loved: the furred nape of her neck, her smooth bare shoulders, the thick cumulus of pale hair." (p. 32) Megan's looks was what initially provoked Paul to like Megan. Her good looks stimulated Paul to have 'dreams' about her, which again, sexualises Megan. When finally he gets the opportunity to have sexual intercourse with Megan, he assumed that "She loved to be touched, bitten, licked-but passively..." p. 80. He assumes that women like to do all these things and I don't know about you, but I cannot relate to this what so ever! Again, when he meets Rosie, who becomes his girlfriend later on, he found her annoying. Later in the book, Paul has an epiphany and suddenly he falls madly in love with her because of her looks."I watched-hypnotised - the slow, tidal rise and fall of her breasts with each breath." p. 70. Paul says nothing of women in the book, but sexual opinions and he ultimately objectifies women. As a result, we cannot relate to what Paul says.

The significant events and experiences in the novel, 'Maestro' are male experiences told through Paul, and as women, we can't relate to these experiences as they do not occur to us. Paul's dreams of Megan and, "[He] woke up the next morning sticky again, and warm and wetly contented in the groin..." (p.34-35). This is a male experience that will never happen to women, and so, how can we relate to something that we have never experienced? The focus on Paul's voice, gives no insight into a female character or voice in the novel, giving absolutely no opportunity for us to relate in any way.

The novel, 'Maestro' by Peter Goldsworthy has a strong focus on the male voice of Paul. Ultimately, women who read this novel cannot relate to the experiences and actions in the novel. The sexualisation of women in the novel is something that women obviously cannot relate to. In addition, the experiences that just men, and men only experience, is again, not something that women can relate to. Although this novel is represented as a coming-of-age novel, the focus on Paul's voice gives us as women, nothing to relate to.

Writing Exercise: Letter to Keller from Paul: Maestro by Peter Goldsworthy

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Letter Plan:

-to Keller

-doesn’t need his help

-sick of his advice

-epiphany that he isn’t as good as he wants to be, won’t be a famous pianist

-is grateful

-can now move on with his life

Herr Keller,

I would like to thank you deeply, from the bottom of my heart. Your advice to me about my work seemed irrelevant to me a couple of days ago.  I felt that you looked too deep into my work and that you didn’t seem to appreciate my work. I felt that I didn’t need a book of notes or advice every time I sent you a letter or a tape recording of myself. I just wanted you to listen to it. I didn’t want you to tell me all the bad stuff all the time. Sometimes I just wanted to get a reply where you were satisfied or at least close to satisfied. I was over-filled with anger when I sent you a tape-recording of me playing, not only to receive criticism but pages and pages full of it! After reading only the first page, I decided to chuck it in the bin. Feeling of regret over-came me, and I retrieved it to read the rest.

That’s when I knew. Playing the piano isn’t my special talent. It’s a hobby, but all my hope in becoming something grande, just vanished. Just like that. I now know that I will never become a famous pianist, because when I get negative criticism I don’t take it well and how do I expect to be great  when I can’t improve? That’s why I’m grateful… you have made me realise that I need to move on from my aspirations.

I would’ve come up north to visit you and play, days on end. However, my duties as boyfriend are more important to me. I love Rosie and I think I always will. I’ve loved playing the piano, but it’s something that I am not sure about in the future.

You were a great teacher, nothing to compare to! However, all your hard work came to rubbish, because I was just an average pianist. Maybe someday I could teach piano and teach a young child how to become truly great at playing the piano. 

I hope someday we can meet again. Thank you ever so much for everything you have taught me, and I know that I will most definitely teach your lessons to other people who want to learn. You have endured such a painful life, and everyday must’ve been a learning curve for you. That’s why you were so great and beautiful at playing the piano, because every time you played, you were your best critic and worst critic. My arrogance is stopping me from being a better pianist. I can now move on with my life, and I only have you to thank for opening my eyes to this.

All the best,

Paul Crabbe.

"My Father's Axe" Questions

My Father’s Axe by Tim Winton

Briefly summarise the story – its subject matter. The story begins in the present day, with a man who cannot find his father's axe. He then goes to describe the significance of this axe, where he describes his childhood memories. These memories consist of him learning from his dad how to chop wood. Soon chopping wood becomes a form of hobby or something that makes him relaxed or satisfied. For example, when he saw his father sobbing, he went to the back of the house and chopped some wood until his arms hurt. The story goes back and forth from past to present; of memories of the axe and his childhood to the present; where he still can't find the axe. The fact that he can't find the axe is keeping him up at night, so much that he has gruesome nightmares. These nightmares are very detailed and gruesome in the fact that they describe both him and his father being axed with body parts going everywhere. However, these dreams relate to his childhood. For example, he has a dream where his son, Jamie, axes his head into two halves and then rolls these halves down the road where cars drive over the pieces. This relates to his childhood, as he used to axe melons in half and then he would watch as the cars drove over the melons and would squish all the contents. He feels almost empty without this axe. I think that this axe has ultimately became the object which holds so many memories and so much of his past and family, both good and bad, and I think by losing this object, he has lost something so personal and so close to his heart. In the end, he goes and buys a new axe. Just as he buys it, a man and his son come and the son confesses he stole the axe. In this moment, the man goes and gets the new axe he bought and gives to the young boy who stole his axe.

How does the writer establish the relationship between father and son? The writer establishes the relationship between the father and son through the object of the axe. The axe ultimately brings them together in the first place and creates the many memories that he now has as an adult. The son looks up to his father and has great admiration for his father, "He taught me how to split wood though, I could never do it like him, those long, rhythmic, semi-circular s like a ballet dancer's warmup...". However, once he reaches adolescence, he grows embarrassed of his father's affectionate ways and he outgrows his childhood love for his father. His view towards him changes in that retrospect as well, "Sometimes he looked at me in disappointment, and sometimes I looked at him the same way...". This is evidence to show that at times their relationship had it's downs. However, it is the axe that is the conflict in this story and I think that for the young man, the axe has acted as almost a metaphorical glue between him and his father and those memories he has.

Identify the various stages in the narrative – orientation, complication/s, climax, resolution. The orientation in the beginning of the narrative is at the family home, then they all went as a family on a holiday to a beach shack at a rivermouth up north, where they went to look at the on shore reefs. Later, the young boy marries and has askn and moves back into the family home. The complications in the narrative include: the disappearance of his father's axe, his mother's death, his nightmares about his axe, his wanting to retrieve the axe so badly and his relationship with his father. The climax of the narrative is when he has all those gruesome dreams and he decides that there is nothing to do but buy a new axe, as it has caused him much heart-ache. The resolution, was ultimately buying the axe, but then the young boy and his father confess that the young boy stole his axe, when he decides to swap his new axe with his old, treasured one. In a way, I think that the young boy and his father in the end become almost a mirrored image of who he was with his father and I think that in gratification, he gives the young boy the new axe so he can have all the wonderful memories he had with the axe and with his father.

What is the importance of the axe throughout? Is it a thing of monetary value or does it have symbolic importance? Explain. I think that the axe acts as something of symbolic importance. Though out his whole childhood and adolescence life, the axe acted as something he could always turn to and was something he could let out his anger on. Ultimately, it was something of great value to him, as it also acted as a reminder of his mother and especially of his father, who he has a significant relationship with. The axe was something that both the young boy and his father had in common, they both loved to chop wood, they thrived on the feeling of seeing and feeling the wood break under the power of the axe. So I believe it was a symbol of memories within his childhood, and it acted almost as the 'glue' to his relationship with his father.
Explain the narrator’s dreams. What is their significance? The narrator's dreams are very gruesome and in much detail. His first dream, is him chopping wood with so much passion and then it appears that he is floating upwards. This angers him, as he wants to stay and chop more wood, "No, I don't want to lift up,". Soon, the axe head comes off the handle and ultimately chops his father's head off. His next dream, recalled himself dissected in all pieces. All his body parts were chopped and all over the place, despite this, he looked, "...peaceful enough, like a photograph." then he son cones along with an axe and chops his head into two halves. He then grabs his head like a bowling bowl and bowls it down the road where cars squish the remnants, until nothing was left. Although these dreams may sound gruesome to the average reader, these dreams were of significant importance to him. For example, his last dream where his son skidded his two halves of his head down the road, was something that he used to do when he was a child, but with melons, and it was something of great happiness to him. These dreams are sparking memories deep down in his head, to a time ling ago, when he was just a child. These memories are frightening him in the form of nightmares, as it is expressing the mourning of the loss of his axe. This axe has great meaning to him and now that it is gone, it has affected everything in his life.

Does the story contain a message about growing up? Identify the key values underpinning the narrative. The message contains a message about growing up, which is that, we all grow up and grow out of things that used to have great importance to us at the time, but once we are older and have a family, etc. those things come back into our lives and makes the person much more appreciative of those times/ relationships or even objects in this case. The key values in this narrative is that, you must enjoy childhood while you can, because once adolescence comes, you grow up too quickly, in want to be a 'grown-up'. Also, it expresses that you must value your relationships with the significant people in your life while you can, because when you grow up they might not be there anymore, so you have to expand your memories as much as you can, so when they are gone, you have those happy memories of when they were there in you life. Another value underpinning the narrative is that you have to appreciate everything and everyone.
Discuss the significance of the story’s ending. I believe that the ending acts as a mirror of who he used to be with his dad and the sort of passion he had within himself. The young boy obviously has an interest with the axe and so, with gratitude, he gives the young hoy the new axe, which will serve as something of great importance within the young boy's life as it was in his. I think he swapped the axe's, because there was too much of himself and of his father within the axe, and too much memories that it was so personal to him. By giving the young boy the new axe, it is almost encouraging the young boy to create special memories and relationships which will later make him appreciative of the axe when he is older. It's almost like starting a new page or new life with this axe.

Give it an alternate title. Justify your choice. An alternative title for this narrative would be, 'Never Let Me Go.' This title would be in the perspective of the axe and all the memories it with holds. Also, although the axe was gone for a while, it somehow made its way back to its owner, which shows that it will never be gone forever, but just for a short period of time. Also, it also refers to the end of the narrative, as now he has his old axe back and it is almost like an affirmation that he will never lose it again, because of how personal it is.

Drafted English: My Special Place

It's after school, we all start charging in, ready to attack the one who got afternoon tea. Noise quickly rises. One girl after another comes through the double doors, and everyone is greeted with boisterous excitement, as if we haven't seen each other in days. The over- used, felty couches are overflowing with girls trying to squeeze in to sit down. The afternoon light is glowing, filling the room with so much exuberance. Girls rushing past you, in a hurry to get to their afternoon sports. Others, are slouching in their spots. The TV then flicks on, making it more difficult to speak to others, so we all start talking even louder. But not as loud as we get when the afternoon tea comes. As we come to realise that "it's the gross lemon cakes," the excitement rapidly decreases. Gossip is the hot topic every afternoon. As one girl shares, others eagerly wait for their turn to share. Each story embraced with roaring laughter or utter shock. As time flies by, the kitchen table turns its glossy self into a foul space. Stench of rotting food steals into your nose. By 4.30, spoons and knives become scarce. And somehow the highly cherished Milo runs away, only to leave an empty can when it comes back. By 5, the noise is almost gone. You sit on the couch by yourself watching the TV, wanting someone to come through the door so you can have some company. You can almost hear the buzzing brains of the girls as they are doing their studies. Others, busily telling gossip or jokes. And the whole time, the common-room sat still. It sits there, whilst the space is full and when it is empty. It brings everyone together. Together as a family, because every boarder is family to me