Holden...the drifter.

Holden, Holden, Holden. I don't even know where to start with him. He's very fake, but real for a book character, if that makes sense. A lot of times book characters, especially the main character is two dimensional at most. Holden's different, he seems like a real person in that he's realistic and monumentally flawed. There's moments when I like Holden, and then there are moments when he's being a myopic idiot (vocab word, how cool am I?). On the whole I find myself searching for the redeeming qualities in Holden, yet I still find him likeable. Another reason he seems more 'real' (for a book character) is that the reader is allowed access into his head. It's completely different from the two other books we've read this year; The Crucible was all dialogue and The Road was in third person. With Holden I feel like I know him, and maybe that's why it's easier to like him. Everyone's mind is always working, always thinking and a lot of times that unique train of thought is thrown away in once people start writing.

Holden is SO lonely, uncommonly lonely. He has no one, not even himself. I say this because it feels like he doesn't know himself. He's always lying, constantly lying, that he even lies to himself. He can't distinguish the truth anymore. At the same time he's judgmental and elitist and pushes people away. He's too lonely too be so picky and judgmental. Any time he mentions any one he almost always accompanies it with a reason why he doesn't like them, but he's the one calling them up. Holden comes into everything closed off and skeptical because it's his defense mechanism. Really, Holden is very emotionally weak. Shutting down and putting up walls is the easiest way to confront emotions. Holden has an overwhelming fear of being hurt, so much so that he would rather feel nothing at all. It reminds me of the Whitesnake song (God, I can see the horrible hair now...) Here I Go Again (If you've never heard of this song you don't have a soul). Part of the chorus goes "Here I go again on my own. Going down the only road I've ever known. Like a drifter I was born to walk alone.". That's exactly what Holden is, a drifter, emotionally and physically. He doesn't have the stamina to stay in one place for too long.

Thanks for reading.
Gianna.

Also, for the record, I never thought I'd quote a Whitesnake song...ever.