Interpretive Analysis The Catcher Rye - 2082 Words

Gaby Yonarta Mrs. Johns English 3-4 (H), Period 5 17 August 2015 Part I: Interpretive Analysis The Catcher in the Rye 1. Although Holden so passionately despise â€Å"phonies†, he himself can be categorized as a â€Å"phony†. By definition, a phony individual is someone who is fraudulent and hypocritical and while there are a lot of â€Å"phonies† in the world, what Holden does not realize is that he himself is an even bigger â€Å"phony† than the people he accuse of being â€Å"phonies†. In his mind, he imagines a utopia where people aren’t corrupt from greed, lies, alcohol, and lust. But the world he lives in is full of all of the above, and Holden’s hatred towards society is the foundation of his hatred towards â€Å"phonies†. He hates the phoniness that exists in the world, and that society is run by adults. He does not trust adults because does not understand them; adults are responsible for every part of their lives and his immature mind cannot grasp the concept of responsibility. Holden is a phony for being disgusted when he encounters a curse word written in a school bathroom, yet he himself curses often. When he visited his little sister Phoebe in the middle of the night and he was describing what Pencey was like, Phoebe interrupted him to tell him to â€Å"Don’t swear so much,† (Salinger, 168). But when he was at Phoebe’s school, he says, â€Å"...While I was sitting down, I saw something that drove me crazy. Somebody’d written â€Å"Fuck you† on the wall. It drove me damn near crazy,† (201). It drove him

Literary Analysis †the Road Not Taken Free Essays

Literary Analysis – The Road Not Taken Shannon Eads Carradine ENG 125 Instructor Allen March 11, 2013 Choices. Each and every one of us makes choices in our everyday life. We may not always make the right choice, but we learn and grow from the wrong ones. We will write a custom essay sample on Literary Analysis – the Road Not Taken or any similar topic only for you Order Now That is what life is all about; choices. In Robert Frost’s poem, The Road Not Taken, he reflects on life’s choices. â€Å"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both/And be one traveler, long I stood† (Clugston, 2010). I am very familiar with this poem; one that I have known since childhood. I did not know it at the time what my great-grandmother was trying to express to me about this poem, but as I aged it became more and more apparent to me; she was trying to teach me about life and making the right choices. The tone of this poem is of ambiguous deliberation; meaning that the speaker (persona) is deep in thought pondering on which path he or she should take and whether or not it is and will be the right path. The tone really sets the mood right from the beginning and flows well until the last stanza when it states: â€Å"I shall be telling this with a sigh† (Clugston, 2010). Although the speaker (persona) will be sighing when he or she tells the story of this important life decision, it is not a sigh of regret; it is a sigh of happiness. Although my great-grandmother read this poem to me in my childhood years, I have never actually read the poem myself. I was amazed at how this poem kept me intrigued and wanting to read it. This is very hard for me to do; wanting to read. So, I will say it did its job, so to speak. Frost starts the poem with: â€Å"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood† (Clugston, 2010). The two roads diverged symbolizes there are two different choices or paths; while in a yellow wood symbolizes the aging of the person. With that being said, taking the one less traveled by means that the speaker (persona) chose the best path for him or her at that time in their life. For it states in the poem: â€Å"And that has made all the difference† (Clugston, 2010) leads me to believe that he did indeed choose he right path for him or herself. The second stanza of this poem is full of contradiction. If one is just as fair as the other then how can one be a better claim than the other? And if both paths have been worn about the same, then why was the â€Å"better claimed† path grassy and in need of wear? Then again in the first line of the third stanza states: â€Å"And both that morning equally lay† (Clugston, 2010). Thi s was very confusing to me because I could not figure out the concept of that idea and why the contradiction. It is almost as if the speaker (persona) is weighing his or her options and having problems in choosing a path. Although my great-grandmother read this poem to me in my childhood years, I have never actually read the poem myself. I was amazed at how this poem kept me intrigued and wanting to read it. This is very hard for me to do; wanting to read. So, I will say it did its job, so to speak. I believe I may have a whole new outlook on reading and may be able to let myself go on a journey inside some form of literature; more than music or television. I love this poem! It has the feeling of great knowledge; when we choose the right path in life, we will live in happiness. I often set back and reflect on all of the choices I have made in my life, but still wonder sometimes if it was the right choice for me at that particular moment. I believe we all, at some point in our life, ponder on that imaginative question, â€Å"What if? † Life is all about choices and making the right choice does make all the difference. Reference: Clugston, R. W. (2010). Journey Into Literature. Bridgepoint Education Inc. , San Diego, CA: Retrieved from content. ashford. edu How to cite Literary Analysis – the Road Not Taken, Essay examples

Sun Dance Essay Example For Students

Sun Dance Essay The Sun Dance O, Wakan Tanka, be merciful to me that my People may live. It is for this that I am sacrificing myself. The Sun Dance is held every year in the month of June or July when the moon was full. It was first uncovered in a vision to a Lakota Indian called Kablaya. Wakan Tanka told him that his People had become way to sluggish in their prayers, so he sent them a new way of praying-the Sun Dance. In a Sun Dance, dancers present their bodies as a sacrifice on behalf of all the Lakota people. Through their sacrifice, the people gain strength and understanding. In the beginning, a large tipi was built and a number of ritual objects gathered or where made. One of these was a round rawhide circle, which represents the sun. It was painted red, with a smaller blue circle in the center, which represented Wakan Tanka. Many singers came to sing the sacred songs, and a drum (its roundness representing the universe, its steady beat the pulse of the heart) was brought. Central to the ceremony was a cottonwood tree, a rustling tree, which was placed at the center of the tipi. This represented all of the enemies who have been attacked and conquered. A group of people go out to find the cottonwood, and when they did, a sacred Pipe was smoked. One person was selected to make the first cut on the tree. This symbolized counting coup on the tree, or enemy. Others then helped cut it down, but it was not allowed to touch the ground. The tree is then carried back to the dance place and put into the earth at the center of what became the sweat lodge. Then all of the ritual objects and the tree were purified with the smoke of sweetgrass. A sweat lodge was built around the tree and the chosen dancers entered it and were purified in an Inipi. The Pipe is smoked and the sacred songs were sung. One of them was: The Sun, the Light of the world. I hear him coming. I see his face as he comes. He makes the beings on earth happy And they rejoice. O, Wakan Tanka, I offer to You this world of Light. Black Elks The Sacred Pipe. Wreaths of sage were placed on each dancers head. Then each described what s/he would sacrifice. The sacrifice was either pieces of flesh or piercing of the flesh. Flesh represents ignorance one has, so the tearing or cutting of the flesh represented freeing the body from the grasps of ignorance. On the final day of the Sun Dance, some dancers had their flesh pierced, and rawhide thongs were threaded through the flesh and tied to the tree. Wreaths of sage were placed on each dancers head and around their wrists and ankles. As they danced, they blew eagle bone whistles. As singing and drumming continued throughout; they danced until the thongs break free. Other offered pieces of flesh to Wakan Tanka, to the Earth or the four powers of the four directions. When the dance was done, the dancers went into the sweat lodge and smoked a Pipe. Then all returned to the tipi and a feast was held.