Monday, October 27, 2014

How would you describe Holden and Phoebe's relationship in The Catcher in the Rye?

Chapters 21
through 25 make mention
ofCaulfield's sister , "old Poebe" as he affectionately calls
her. It is
clear from Holden's descriptions and remarks about his little sister, that he
loves
her. 

  • Phoebe is an ingenuous child, who
    readily and honestly
    displays her feelings. When Holden sneaks into the
    apartment and wakes Phoebe, she hugs him
    immediately.

She always listens when you tell
her
something. And the funny part of it is she knows, half the time, what the hell
you're
talking about. She really does.


  • Phoebe is
    honest and candid with Holden, not "phony," a
    characteristic that he loathes in
    people. When Holden tells Phoebe that he
    did not like anything that was happening at the school
    he has run away from,
    Phoebe remarks, "You don't like anything that's

    happening." And, she forces Holden to name something he does like, challenging
    him.
  • Phoebe does not judge Holden; instead, she just
    listens. Even if she is
    not certain of the meaning of all that Holden says,
    she listens. While she scolds her brother
    about leaving school, saying "Dad's
    going to kill you," Phoebe still does not pass
    judgment upon him.

  • After Holden is with Phoebe for a while, they dance and
    Phoebe is
    able to follow him well; this gives Holden much pleasure and he is proud of how
    well
    Phoebe can learn dance steps.

In between
numbers, she is funny as hell. She stays right in
position....


  • Holden is
    always relaxed with Phoebe; in the stores, "she enjoys
    horsing around and
    looking at the people." One time in a shoe store, Phoebe tried on all
    kinds
    of storm shoes, frustrating the salesman; finally, she bought another type of shoe.
    Her
    antics amuse Holden.
  • Most of all, Phoebe loves
    Holden, kissing him and
    wanting to be with him, even willing to run off with
    him. In the final chapter, Holden watches
    his little sister on a carousel,
    feeling happy because "she looked
    so...nice."

Holden's and Phoebe's relationship is a close,
loving
one, but, ironically, Phoebe is often more mature than Holden, who is years older
than
she. Certainly, Phoebe is Holden's emotional anchor; for, with his
sister there is no need for
pretense or
embarrassment.

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