Each and every one of us knows Holden Caulfield. The funny thing is, when I say this, I am not specifically referring to THE Holden Caulfield; but to all of us. I refer to my freinds, to my classmates, and to myself. The truth is that, however appealing it may or may not be, as teenagers, we all have a bit of Holden within ourselves. Be it the uncertainty, the pent up angst, or the will to flee from where we just are not comfortable, every teenager that I know shares more of Holden Caulfield's characteristics than they may expect.
I, myself, can certainly relate to the ways and traits of Holden. As someone who struggles with where he is at the moment, I can easisly sympathize with some of what Holden feels. However, there are also MAJOR differences between he and I. I have not been through one tenth of the pain and suffering that Holden has felt in his lifetime. I hope to god that I never experience a life in the way that he lived his own. Another major difference between Holden and myself is in the way that we handle ourselves when it comes to unfavorable situations. When I find myself in a place that I would rather not be, I often choose to follow a path of sublimation and outlet my feelings in the most positive way that I can (be it songwritting, running, etc.) Our friend, Holden, on the other hands seems to approach these circumstances in a slightly different mannor. Not that I am saying that becoming a 16 year old binge drinker is a problem, but I do feel that there MAY be healthier ways to cope with stress. But if being a teenager will teach you one thing (honestly it will teach you millions of things) it will teach you that you must find a good, healthy way to deal with what you may rather not. Holden knows that. I know that. We are not all so different it seems.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Monday, October 4, 2010
McMurphy V. Big Nurse...
Throughout Ken Kesey's One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, a rivalry is established between two key players at the institution. In one corner of the ring, we have Nurse Ratched, aka Big Nurse; the power and control behind the staff, "her face smooth, calculated, and precision-made, like an expensive baby doll, skin like flesh colored enamel." (Kesey 11) Big Nurse has sly demeanor. She exists only for the pure pleasure of putting other people in their places and making her patients feel inferior and inadequit. Big Nurse wants the institution to be her oyster, and its population her sycophants. The truth is, she couldn't be any more successful at acheiving her narcissistic goals. UNTIL...
Randall. Patrick. McMurphy.
In the other corner, R.P. McMurphy steals the wind from her sails and sells it back to her at an increased rate. "He stands looking at us, rocking back in his boots, and he laughs and laughs. He laces his fingers over his belly without taking his thumbs out of his pockets. I see how big and beat his hands are" (Kesey 16) He marches to the beat of his own drum; an eccentric, a maveric, a free-spirited man. He has never subscribed to the typical societal norms, and he never will. No, McMurphy's motives lie elsewhere. A defiant man with purpose; he takes a breath of institutional air and decides to make the place his own. In doing so he wins the hearts of his peers (and even some staff). So do the math...
We have an egotistical, power hungry nurse, driven merely by rules and formalities. We have a one-of-a-kind, gambling, good-timing son of a gun. Who will be victorious?
The truth is: neither one. Sure, Big Nurse forces McMurphy to have a labotomy, eventually leading him down the path of his death, but did she really win? McMurphy set out to change the lives of those in the institution and there is NO doubt in my mind that that is exactly what he accomplished. Every single patient there was a better person due to him. They each won in their own respective ways.
Randall. Patrick. McMurphy.
In the other corner, R.P. McMurphy steals the wind from her sails and sells it back to her at an increased rate. "He stands looking at us, rocking back in his boots, and he laughs and laughs. He laces his fingers over his belly without taking his thumbs out of his pockets. I see how big and beat his hands are" (Kesey 16) He marches to the beat of his own drum; an eccentric, a maveric, a free-spirited man. He has never subscribed to the typical societal norms, and he never will. No, McMurphy's motives lie elsewhere. A defiant man with purpose; he takes a breath of institutional air and decides to make the place his own. In doing so he wins the hearts of his peers (and even some staff). So do the math...
We have an egotistical, power hungry nurse, driven merely by rules and formalities. We have a one-of-a-kind, gambling, good-timing son of a gun. Who will be victorious?
The truth is: neither one. Sure, Big Nurse forces McMurphy to have a labotomy, eventually leading him down the path of his death, but did she really win? McMurphy set out to change the lives of those in the institution and there is NO doubt in my mind that that is exactly what he accomplished. Every single patient there was a better person due to him. They each won in their own respective ways.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
King Arthur: The Legend Never Dies..
What exactly is it that has made the story of the life and times of King Arthur endure the ages? Is it the excitement and adrenaline rush that comes along with the Knights of the Round Table? or the romantic elements of knights and ladies? Is it the glorious times we see in Camelot that have brought audiences to King Arthur's doorstep since the Middle Ages? These are questions that can be answered in every different possible way, and that is part of the beauty of the story. The legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table has survived all of the tests of time, and remains today a beloved topic for literature, theater, oral tradition, and even the big screen! Can the stories long-lived success be attributed to one particular aspect? I say nay.
It is a perfect blend of multiple aspects of the story that has created the reader/viewer support for so long. These are stories of heroism, love, daring, magic, nobility, and downright senselessness. For me, it is: The Once and Future King, Excalibur, and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight that paint the most interesting pictures of the time period. But as any fan of great movies will agree: Monty Python and the Holy Grail can NEVER be left out of conversation, in reference to the life and times of King Arthur! This is a purely genius work of comedy that would make anyone wish to visit Camelot. Well, "On second thought, let's not go to Camelot. It is a silly place." (Monty Python and the Holy Grail 1975)
Of the written word I've read of King Arthur, I would surely say that Sir Gawain and the Green Knight was the most enjoyable to me. This is a story of heroism, nobility, "pleasure", and some simple senseless violence, in the name of pride. Sir Gawain chooses to risk his own neck to save his king, and THIS is exactly what being a knight in these troubling, yet truly hilarious times is all about. In my opinion, this plays a big role in just why the story of King Arthur has survived so many hundreds of years. Sir Gawain plays a dangerous game, in the name of honor. "And now, Gawain: think. Danger is yours to overcome, and this game brings you danger. Can this game be won?" (Sir Gawain and the Green Knight 487-490) This, to me, is a really fascinating story, because it can be broken down into a million pieces and analyzed, and when all of that is said and done, the story can be described very simply as a great discription of the time period. It is simply enjoyable and does not entirely lack humor, as certain stories of the time period surely do.
Other great stories that simply cannot be left out include: T.H. White's The Once and Future King, Malory's Le Morte de Arthur, First Knight, Camelot, and many others that have held an important place of the big screens, the stage, and the pages of innumerable books. Of these works, I found The Once and Future King to be particualarly interesting due to Arthur's age. "It is for the time when I am a real King, and have got this kingdom settled. I was wondering whether you would care to help, when you are old enough" (The Once and Future King 316) The concept of Arthur's childhood and his rise to power was particularly cool to me.
GO BRUCE! GO YALE! GO JETS! GO METS! (Bonus points!)
It is a perfect blend of multiple aspects of the story that has created the reader/viewer support for so long. These are stories of heroism, love, daring, magic, nobility, and downright senselessness. For me, it is: The Once and Future King, Excalibur, and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight that paint the most interesting pictures of the time period. But as any fan of great movies will agree: Monty Python and the Holy Grail can NEVER be left out of conversation, in reference to the life and times of King Arthur! This is a purely genius work of comedy that would make anyone wish to visit Camelot. Well, "On second thought, let's not go to Camelot. It is a silly place." (Monty Python and the Holy Grail 1975)
Of the written word I've read of King Arthur, I would surely say that Sir Gawain and the Green Knight was the most enjoyable to me. This is a story of heroism, nobility, "pleasure", and some simple senseless violence, in the name of pride. Sir Gawain chooses to risk his own neck to save his king, and THIS is exactly what being a knight in these troubling, yet truly hilarious times is all about. In my opinion, this plays a big role in just why the story of King Arthur has survived so many hundreds of years. Sir Gawain plays a dangerous game, in the name of honor. "And now, Gawain: think. Danger is yours to overcome, and this game brings you danger. Can this game be won?" (Sir Gawain and the Green Knight 487-490) This, to me, is a really fascinating story, because it can be broken down into a million pieces and analyzed, and when all of that is said and done, the story can be described very simply as a great discription of the time period. It is simply enjoyable and does not entirely lack humor, as certain stories of the time period surely do.
Other great stories that simply cannot be left out include: T.H. White's The Once and Future King, Malory's Le Morte de Arthur, First Knight, Camelot, and many others that have held an important place of the big screens, the stage, and the pages of innumerable books. Of these works, I found The Once and Future King to be particualarly interesting due to Arthur's age. "It is for the time when I am a real King, and have got this kingdom settled. I was wondering whether you would care to help, when you are old enough" (The Once and Future King 316) The concept of Arthur's childhood and his rise to power was particularly cool to me.
GO BRUCE! GO YALE! GO JETS! GO METS! (Bonus points!)
Sunday, February 21, 2010
nights making love all knight
After reading Le Morte D'Arthur, The Once and Future King, and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, I have come to have a true respect for the themes of knights, chivalry, and all of the various comedic absurdities that make up the middle ages. However, my interest in the topic was far from instant. When we first began reading Le Morte D'Arthur, I found it incredibly boring and questioned who would actually read this story by choice, BUT as I forced myself through, and on to The Once and Future King, I began to think that possibly I was quick to judge. Now that I have completed the first three parts of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight I truly enjoy sitting down and dealving into this topic, because I've begun to find that, contrary to my original views, these particular themes and settings really do allow the mind to run wild in some fairly entertaining ways. One aspect of these stories that I think I enjoy most is that, even in the most serious and trivial parts, the reader can't help but laugh at just how ridiculous it all is. Mideival Europe is a land of very proud, very violent men, with a total lack of just cause for anything they choose to do, but this is what makes the story so great. 4 out of 5 stars.
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