The House on Mango Street

Perceptivity

The author of The House on Mango Street demonstrates that they understand their situation without directly telling the reader. When the reader is describing their situation, they tell the readers that their parents always dream of this big beautiful white house. Both of his parents tell their kids that one day they'll have a beautiful white house while they hold a lottery ticket and while the mom told stories before the children went to bed. Here we can infer that the author realizes his family doesn’t have a lot of money, and can only dream of a nice house. Another example of the author demonstrating his knowledge of the situation is when he ends the vignette with, “The house on Mango Street isn’t it. For the time being, Mama says. Temporary says Papa. But I know how those things go.” This is a perfect example where the author shows the audience he doesn’t expect a new house and he understands why he cannot have a house like that. 

Interesting Information

The author of The House on Mango Street also demonstrates through their writing how they can draw the audience into a situation. Without revealing a lot about his own situation regarding his family and their money, the small details revealed in the vignette offer insight to the author. While reading this story, I asked myself questions about the author’s family issues and I wanted to ask them why they were living in so many places. One example of a question I wanted answered by the author was why did they need to get out of the apartment with the faulty pipes so so quickly? "We had to leave the flat on Loomis quick. We had to leave real fast." This and many other quotes intrigued me because I wondered what made the author say this so strange, and act in a defensive way. One positive to this style of writing is the author reveals to the audience the struggles of living in such a tight living quarters and open's up the audience's minds to a new perspective. 

Holden's Vignette

A meaningful vignette that is very powerful in chapter 15 of Catcher in the Rye is when Holden shares his thoughts of the suitcases. Holden is helping his new acquaintances from the diner, who happen to be two nuns, with their luggage. While he is lifting their luggage, he notices how their luggage isn't very expensive. This bothers Holden and leads him into telling the story of how his old roommate had cheap luggage. 

Holden's previous roommate was named Dick Slagle, and he had very inexpensive suitcases. Holden explains that he originally felt bad because Slagle would always hide his suitcases under his bed, because he assumed he didn't want people to compare his with Holden's. Holden had very nice suitcases from Mark Cross. 

Holden didn't realize what his roommate was trying to do until he hid his suitcases one day. 

"What I did, I finally put my suitcases under my bed, instead of the rack, so that old Slagle wouldn't get a ------ inferiority complex about it." 

The ironic thing was Holden wasn't expecting his roommate to take his suitcases out from under his bed and put them back on the rack. Holden then goes on to describe that Slagle only wanted the other guys to think that Holden's suitcases were his. 

There is a underlying lesson involved in this vignette that Holden discovers. Holden describes that despite the fact you may assume someone doesn't care about what they have or do compared to others, but on the inside they really do. They really do care a lot about comparing themselves to others, and that is surprising to someone like Holden. Holden doesn't understand how that works, and that is why he chooses to just say he hates people with inexpensive luggage. 

Holden Caulfield: The Complex Romanticism character analysis

Holden's character development relates directly to the study of romanticism. Within chapter 10 of Catcher in the Rye, Holden revels many complex views of him as a character. Holden shows characteristics of loneliness, longing, joyfulness, annoyance, and desperation. 

We see Holden longing for someone to talk to when he is contemplating calling his younger sister, Phoebe, on page 75, "You should see her. you never saw a little kid so pretty and smart in your whole life." Holden continues to describe his sister for the next page or two, talking about what an amazing person she is. He tells the stories of her favorite movies and how she's a great listener. readers see here how Holden is sensitive, and misses the comfort he feels when around his sister. 

But later in the chapter we see Holden act cocky and mature in the hotel's night club, the Lavender Room. We can also see Holden's desperation while he dances and has a drink with the three women. "I started giving the three witches at the next table the eye again. That is, the blonde one. The other two were strictly from hunger," (Salinger 78). Holden is annoying when he begins to lie to the girls about seeing a movie star in the bar, just to get them upset. This may confuse the readers emotions towards Holden because he contradicts his actions with his internal monologue. 

All of Holden's emotions displayed throughout chapter 10 support the American traits of romanticism. The romantics emphasized the importance of imagination, feeling, and intuition over reason and intellect. Romantics also emphasize the importance of the individual. The 'American romantic hero' is described as having youthful qualities, loving nature, having intuition, and being innocent. 

Holden fits perfectly into the role of the romantic here because he is such a complex character. Although he is youthful, he chooses not to act his age and wishes to be treated as an adult. (being served drinks in a bar, acting older than his roommates) He also is based mainly on individualism, we know this because Holden doesn't have anyone in his life that knows a lot about him. We have been introduced to characters that know Holden, but not on a deep personal level. We also have read scenes where Holden tells many many lies to people's faces about who he truly is and the even ts going on in his life. 

Yet Holden thinks he is innocent. Innocent of doing anything in his life that would cause his own downfall. Although Holden becomes weak and vulnerable at certain points in the book, he never will admit that he is battling internal conflicts. Holden resents the feeling of pity, and it will be interesting as we read on to discover how Holden makes life decisions and where they will take him.