20 Seconds

'Better is one's own duty imperfectly carried out than

following perfectly the law of another.

Better is death in the fulfillment of one's own law,

for to follow another's law is perilous.'

 

What does this quote mean. Honestly I don't even know. It could and probably does have many meanings to Holden specifically and why this book changed society. Perilous means risk, hazardous, and unsafe. According to this quote it is better to do what you want and do a bad job than do what others want, and mess up. You feel better completing your own tasks rather than doing others tasks and taking a dangerous risk. Holden does what he wants when he wants and how he wants to do it. He thinks he should take the risk, his and his only, and see what happens. When he was asked to write a paper we wrote about something he wanted to and made it his own and loved it, but again it was for someone else. He did it for himself and not the other person and did good, but not what the other person wanted, but why would he if he wasn't going to do it right or the way he wanted. Why would you do something that doesn't make sense to you for someone else do it your way for yourself and do it right. It was difficult trying to find a quote, I found it in the most unexpected places. First time I heard it in a movie than I found it on Facebook as a status. "Sometimes all you need is 20 seconds of embarrassing courage". I quote the movie "We bought a Zoo", and Allie. I love this quote it is Holden. I don't think he thinks of it as "embarrassing" but he might be feeling it. He more so shows this with judgement. I think that is how he levels the feelings, making fun of the other person. If you think about it all of his thoughts always lead to something, he is always calling a girl, first deciding it through and than completes, and calls. He does this many times already in the book. Maybe he doesn't look at it as embarrassing or courage but as an opportunity.

 

Holden, Good or Bad?

Everyone and anyone has multiple descriptions that describe you. Some are good some are bad. Holden happens to be one of those people who's descriptions weigh out the bad and become good. His judgment I think isn't a bad thing. I think it is good that he able to see what people are good and what people are bad. But sometimes he does push his judgement a little too far which appears to be inappropriate. But again that good out weighs the bad. Lying is bad though. The way he lies is outrageous. He said that going somewhere was worse than saying he had a tumor is his head! In some occasions you shouldn't tell everything about yourself to someone who you don't know so its good to keep his identity a secret especially with all of the strangers he meets he needs these skills which does not make him a bad person. 

Grief

 

   After I read Chapter 5 it kind of shocked me how Holden told his story about his brother. It was very touching. He said that Allie was the sweetest kid and talked about all the fun he had with that kid. My impression on Holden did not change I got that same impression of his constant judgement. But it kinda shocked me how he loved his brother so much and still thinks about him. Holden is still dealing with it in a lot of things, when he wrote the paper for Stratlater and a lot of times in the book he gets of course in his discussions. 
    I am sure many of us can relate to Holden and how he grieves. When you talk about someone who has died, don't you usually and only include the good memories which seem to always weigh out of the bad.

Holden

    I feel like Holden’s personality is easily likable and or easily not excepted. He is also a very jealous person, “he came up to school in this big goddamn Cadillac”. “He’s got a lot of dough, now. He didn’t used to.” The first quote he was talking about his friend who thought he was a big shot. The other quote he was talking about his brother who had a lot of money.  One thing he hates the most I think are fakes, those who impress people with their lies and their money. I like how he is able to point them out and realize lying is not the way to go. He can be rude at times and think only best of himself but that is exactly what makes him a teenager. I think I mostly empathize with him but I don’t completely agree with him at times. About his roommate the senior, when he made the speech in the chapel and started talking about how he is always talking to God. I thought he was full of himself and how we was always perfect. This is the reason I empathize with Holden.