ms. sue I doing project on catcher in the rye book, and could you please tell me what this quote means? what do it tell about Holden?
Take most people, they're crazy about cars. They worry if they get a little scratch on them, and they're always talking about how many miles they get to a gallon, and if they get a brand-new car already they start thinking about trading it in for one that's even newer. I don't even like old cars. I mean they don't even interest me. I'd rather have a horse. A horse is at least human, for God's sake.
That passage tells us that Holden is different from most boys. They like cars, while Holden couldn't care less about cars. He prefers living creatures.
thanks very much ms. sue :)
The quote you provided is from the novel "The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger. In this passage, Holden Caulfield, the protagonist, expresses his feelings about people's obsession with material possessions, specifically cars.
To understand what this quote tells us about Holden, you can analyze his perspective on cars and his preference for a horse.
Holden's disdain for the obsession with cars suggests that he sees it as artificial and superficial. People worry about even the smallest scratch on their cars, constantly think about their mileage, and are always eager to trade in for newer models. In contrast, Holden does not find cars interesting at all and would rather have a horse.
Holden's preference for a horse rather than a car reveals his desire for something more authentic and organic. In his eyes, a horse represents a living being, something that possesses a true and genuine connection to human nature. By expressing this preference, Holden emphasizes his disillusionment with the modern world's preoccupations and his longing for more meaningful experiences.
So, in summary, this quote shows that Holden finds people's fixation on cars trivial and prefers something more genuine and humanlike, such as a horse, which reflects his disillusionment with the shallow aspects of society.