House on Mango Street

They often employ techniques of narrative.

Sandra Cisneros begins the vignette by talking about their old apartment breaking down and how this event led to them moving out. It says, “That’s why Mama and Papa looked for a house, and that’s why we moved into the house on Mango Street, far away, on the other side of town.” This quote shows movement as it goes from an explanation of what event caused them to move and then a description of the new life and new house. Cisneros uses imagery to help show her emotions about an inanimate object like the house on Mango Street. She says, “Bricks are crumbling in places, and the front door is so swollen you have to push hard to get in.” The imagery in this quote help shows that the author feels ashamed of the house. It helps give more insight about who the author is and what she cares about.

They offer surprising information and observations.

The writing style of The House on Mango Street surprised me because it seems as if it is written from the perspective of a young child in the way that Cisneros began the story. She first writes about their old apartment flooding. She says, “We had to leave fast,” in regards to leaving their apartment. The short sentence structure and and simple diction helps the audience see that it is from the perspective of someone younger. Cisneros also included several small details that make the text very authentic. She says, “We were using the washroom next door and carrying water over in empty milk gallons.” The inclusion of the detail about the empty milk gallons help prove the authenticity of the text because it shows that this actually happened to her and this was one of the small details she remembered. Sandra Cisneros uses a very matter-of-fact tone to display her disappointment with the new house she had been longing for. The audience thinks she may be happy that they finally got a house, but to their surprise, it is not what she expected. She says, “But even so, it’s not the house we’d thought we’d get.”  Cisneros says flat out that it was not what she expected so we can infer she was disappointed. Her casual, matter-of-fact tone, though, helps display this surprise in a way that captures her voice.

They deliver interesting information.

Sandra Cisneros does not simply touch on the sad, low points in her life. She ends the first chapter on a little bit of a pessimistic note by saying, “Temporary, says Papa. But I know how those things go.” Although this quote has a doubtful essence, there is still some hope because she repeats what he father says, temporary. This helps engage the reader because we can see that there may be a small light at the end of the tunnel so we want to continue to read to see if things will begin to look up. Also the lifestyle that Cisneros describes is very different from anything that many of us have experienced. “You live there? The way she said it made me feel like nothing.” Many of us never have to experience this shamefulness. The new, eye-opening perspective helps keep the audience engaged because aren’t reading about the same cliche situations. We are learning something new. Cisneros sparks interest in the audience by having a fresh perspective and new information to offer the audience.

Catcher in the Rye Ch.15/16

In chapter 16 of Catcher in the Rye Holden  goes to the park and see a young girl putting on her skates. He offers her a hand and asks if she knows his younger sister. After this interaction Holden remarks, "God, I love it when a kid is nice and polite when you tighten their skates for them. Most kids are. They really are" (119). This moment was very powerful because Holden didn't not help the little girl because he wanted recognition and appreciation, but just because it was a nice favor. Her gratitude really impacted Holden and made him feel more worthy. This was a huge step for Holden because he always seems to be struggling with self worth. A small thank you had a huge impact on Holden's perspective and outlook of the day.

Catcher in the Rye

I chose to write about blog option two:

In The Catcher in the Rye, Salinger portrays Holden as sensitive yet rebellious. As immature yet independent. As intellectual yet lazy. The contrasting ideas of Holden’s character make him very complex. The contradictory characteristics of Holden help the audience see a more dynamic character, someone more realistic and relatable.

In chapter 10, Holden comments on how smart his whole family is, specially his sister. He says “You should she her. You never saw a kid so pretty and smart in your whole life” (67). His appreciation of intellect shows that he values knowledge and is actually smart. He later contrasts this idea by saying, “I’m really the only dumb one” (67). This makes him seem like he recognizes that he isn’t smart and he is okay with it, when in reality we know he has the potential to be intelligent from his commentary on his sister Phoebe.

Holden is portray as a very young and immature character when he is at the bar. He is constantly comparing himself to others and recognizing that he is younger or weaker or not as tough. First Holden approaches the girls at the bar, who were older than he was, and asks them to dance. This makes him seem self-confident and mature until one of the girls asks him how old he is. He remarks, “That annoyed me for some reason. ‘Oh, Christ. Don’t spoil it’” (72). He is no longer confident in himself once she’s asks him his age. He suddenly seems embarrassed and immature when just a moment ago he seemed to be the opposite.

Many Romantic and Transcendentalist writers used very similar techniques of creating characters that were undefinable. Readers would see them one way, but in the next chapter could learn something new that completely altered their view. These writers placed emphasis on individualism. Walt Whitman wrote many poems that glorified the idea of individualism. In Song of Myself it says, “I too am not a bit tamed-I too am untranslatable” (Whitman). In many ways Holden is not tamed by society or other people’s beliefs. The audience is not able to define Holden, making him “untranslatable”. Holden encompasses the individualistic ideals that are present in Transcendentalist’s and Romantic’s writings.