Writing Style and Catcher in the Rye

Your Turn: Write an original story, retell an anecdote, or rewrite a classic story (fairy tale, children’s book, etc.) in Holden Caulfield’s style. It should be full of Salinger sentences, with as much slang as you can think of, though it would be a good idea to watch the profanity. It can be funny, serious, whatever, but it should be a minimum of 1-2 pages, 1.5 spacing. Pick a subject or story that Holden would find thought-provoking. (Yeah, like Holden ever really thinks! For a smart guy, he sure is a moron for chrissakes. I don’t even want to think about it. It kills me.)

Characteristics of Holden’s Style

1.  use of slang (“lousy,” “crumby,” “touchy,” & “moron”)

2.  profane words (esp. goddam and ____ as hell)

3.  repetition of certain phrases (“kills me,” “I really mean it”)

4.  vagueness (“and stuff”)

5.  exaggeration (“in about a thousand magazines”)

6.  contradiction (“I’m quite illiterate, but I read a lot.”)

7.  avoidance (“My hand hurts me…I don’t care much.”)

8.  digression (everywhere apparently)

Warnings:

·  Remember that Holden does not say everything that he thinks. Neither should you. Look back at how he talks to teachers and other students. Hint, hint.

·  Stay true to Holden’s era. Do not modernize the curses or update the slang. If Holden didn’t use the word, you can’t use it.

·  Talk the talk . . . but dig deeper than just the words. Create a piece of writing that moves as Holden’s language moves – avoiding, contradicting, digressing – you know.

Criteria / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / Total
Students will choose specific words to reflect the main character's age, personality, and point of view. / No evidence that specific words were chosen to support the character's personality. / Attempt to use vocabulary that reflects character's age and point of view. / Word choice is appropriate to the character's age and reflects the character's feelings throughout the story. / Carefully chosen and arranged words clearly reflect the character's age, personality, and point of view. / ____
Students will use sentence length and structure to reflect character's age and personality. / Sentences are poorly constructed and show little relationship to the character's personality. / Sentences have some construction errors, but these errors tie loosely into the character's personality. / Sentence length and structure connects to the character's age and personality. / Sentence length and structure is varied in such a way that all sentences connect naturally to the character. / ____
Students will write in such a way that the rhythm of the writing will "sound" like the character developed when read aloud. / Story sounds stilted and unnatural when read aloud, showing no connection to the character. / Story occasionally flows with a rhythm connected to the main character, but it is an inconsistent rhythm. / Rhythm of the story clearly connects to the character's thoughts and personality. / Story flows naturally when read, clearly capturing the rhythm of the character's thoughts and personality. / ____