Connections
postcard and poem
Holden's journey throughout the novel has him seeking interpersonal connections, desperately attempting to be able to communicate with others. Holden's lack of and desire for companionship demonstrate the negative consequences of being an outcast in one's society. Holden's inability to conform to the rigid societal structure and culture isolates him, and he lacks friends who understand him. His most successful relationships are those between Holden and his siblings, which reveal not only the importance of family to Holden but also highlight his never-ending struggle to create and maintain positive friendships or connections. To illustrate these relationships, I wrote a postcard that Holden might have sent his brother D.B. before he began his treatment, and included a poem that I thought truly captured the sentiments felt by Holden as a result of their brother Allie's death. Allie's passing was a significant emotional turning point in Holden's life, and caused Holden's perception of the world to become more negative, which is one of the reasons why he struggles to form bonds with his peers. Utilizing various forms of text such as postcards and poems can serve as a fruitful activities for creative writing practice as well as for helping students practice put themselves in the minds of the characters they encounter in literature.