Coming Through the Rye

Tina and I finished reading The Catcher in the Rye today – a book I haven’t read in about ten years. I’m happy to revisit it. Unfortunately I think the cynical and trite voice of Holden Caulfield may be sticking in my head. For one, I’ve felt like swearing a hell of a lot more than usual.

I think reading this book has been a good turning point for trying to teach Tina to start thinking more critically about literature and how it applies to us all outside the world of novels. She has led a very sheltered existence and there have been many fits and starts during our readings and analyses where I’ve had to bite my tongue and remind myself that she has not been subjected to many of the nuances or idioms or ironies of life. In short, she just doesn’t “get it.” Everything must to be explained.

The hardest, for me, was getting her to make certain connections for herself, instead of pointing them out for her. There are things I consider obvious, and had done even when I had read Catcher at Tina’s age. I also wonder if there is something to be said for the reader’s own sexuality when reading this book. Not preference, mind you, but sexual maturity, in general. I see Tina as still being a very, very young girl, despite her actual age. This book, I believe, lies a bit beyond her own years, even though she happens to be the same age as the main character. Some of us grow at different rates.

I pitied Holden Caulfield in high school and I pity him now. It is unfortunate that I can also see something of a female counterpart in Tina. It is also unfortunate that I would say Holden was less pitiable than Tina, since we all assume he eventually gained some sort of self-awareness through it all. Regrettably, I believe Tina may still be a long way off from this.

On the other hand, Reena is only 14; but I enjoy teaching her because she has a quick mind and interesting ideas. I can talk to her about how one views the world and what sort of questions to ask to become a critical thinker. We read a few books together this semester. One of them called BreadWinner, about a young girl, struggling to survive in Afghanistan under scrutiny of the Taliban and forced to disguise herself as a boy in order to provide for her family. Reena made wonderful discoveries while she read the book. She has the gift of insight.

We also read a book called Speak. It was a good thing for her to read, I think, because she is soon to come upon the same things the young girl encountered in the book - although I hope to hell her high school life won't be as tough. But we discussed teenage emotions, rape, boyfriends, high school social life, and the social-political hierarchy of popularity, etc. These are the times when I really like teaching.

My time with these girls is almost up and I worry what will happen to them in the future. However, I must admit that I am far less concerned with Reena than I am with Tina. Reena is independent, self-starting, motivated, intuitive, and curious. She’s strong and has no problem figuring things out on her own. Conversely, Tina is the one who will be a college student next fall. I wonder if she’ll be ready for it all, or if it will suddenly overwhelm and confuse her. I can only hope there exists some safety net, wherever she ends up – that maybe someone will act as sentinel, that she finds her own catcher in the rye.