First Semester Literature Reflection

Catcher in the Rye: From the very first sentence I thoroughly enjoyed this book, probably because I feel that I can relate to the character of Holden Caulfield very well. As silly as it sounds, I actually took offense when Missy described Holden as having a “mental illness”. Though I do not have problems with depression or lack of motivation, my views on society are very similar to Holden’s and probably often considered crazy or hypocritical. I especially like slang Salinger uses to express Holden's thoughts; I haven’t read many books written in such an informal style in English class or even on my own. I think the fact that Holden’s words were so meticulously put together by J.D. Salinger is really fascinating. One of the most appealing qualities of the novel is the manner in which it portrays Holden’s thoughts as careless and fleeting and as though they have just run through his brain. I have not read a novel which delves so deeply into one character with thoughts so raw and exposed. Patty mentioned that she doesn't like Holden’s repetitiveness, but that is one of the key factors in my connection with Holden since I, too, overuse certain words to describe my feelings towards others.

First They Killed My Father: This is a very intense memoir, one of constant action and tragedy. It taught me about the Cambodian power struggle and how the people were affected, which I hadn't known much about prior to reading the memoir. I also appreciate that Ung was from the upper middle class of her society. Most books describing such atrocities are written from the point of view of a person belonging to one of the extremes: living in poverty or great wealth. It is very interesting to see how someone of the middle class with a life much like mine responded to the cruelty.

Inherit the Wind: While I think it was interesting to read a play that was not written by Shakespeare, I do not find Inherit the Wind incredibly insightful. It is interesting and had a nice but isn’t too engaging or inspiring. However, much like Spencer, I like Drummond’s progression from being hated to almost admired by some of the townspeople in the novel. It really demonstrates the power of a convincing argument.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream: I have only read one other Shakespeare play in my life, Romeo and Juliet, and I must admit that I like it better than A Midsummer Night’s Dream. A Midsummer Night’s Dream seems a little too ridiculous. Although I understand that it is intentional, this silliness did not make the play any more enjoyable for me. It wasn’t torturous to read but I don't find the feeling of lighthearted folly it seemed to aim to provoke very engaging. This is probably because I do not live in the time period in which it was written and have a different sense of humor than the audience it was written for, causing the play to seem too nonsensical for my taste.

My Antonia: While My Antonia was definitely one of the more “boring” books (as stated by many of my classmates) we have read this year, I did think it was interesting novel for that very reason. Most fictional novels try hard to come up with an interesting plot that drives the reader to read more, but My Antonia was a slow, peaceful book which left me with an unexpected feeling of contentment with life and the manner in which childhood passes and relationships change. I also liked how easy it was to read, contributing to the simplistic, uncomplicated views of life presented in the novel.