Goddamn Lyotard!

Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye  refuses to consider the question of what he's actually doing with his life. He's always down to rant about something he hates or critique the foundations of society, but when it comes to deciding on a career or passion he's at a loss. Holden's constant satirical comments make it easy for readers to overlook his serious lack of direction because he's trying very very hard to hide his doubts from our eyes. There's only one person in the entire novel who has the knowledge and strength cut through Holden's neverending stream of BS, and that person is Phoebe Caulfield, Holden's little sister. Phoebe really doesn't play around. Within about two minutes of waking up, she realizes that Holden isn't supposed to be home until Wednesday and she begins bombarding him with questions. Phoebe knows Holden incredibly well, so she quickly figures out that he's been kicked out of school (again) and is in need of a ...

The opening scene of  Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man  begins with Stephen's father telling him a story about a moocow. Since this novel depicts the evolution of an artist - a storyteller - it's significant that the first story Stephen remembers comes from his father. Throughout his early childhood, Stephen looks up to his father and trusts everything he says. When he arrives at Clongowes, feeling lonely and scared, Stephen is guided by his father's advice to "never peach on a fellow". Stephen follows that advice, even when it means that Wells gets away with cruelly shoving him into a poop ditch.  As he grows older, Stephen's perfect image of his father starts to fade. Stephen begins to notice his family's economic struggles and feels embarrassed that his family is constantly moving to smaller houses in rougher neighborhoods.  He disapproves of Simon's long reminiscent rambles about his youth in Cork and looks down upon his old friends, sayi...