Disclaimer: I don't own The Catcher in the Rye, and all that jazz.
A/N: This is a set of letters that I wrote over a year ago for my English class (last year's English class, rather) that I've been meaning to put up here for a while. They're written to Holden from various characters in the book. I wouldn't trust myself to revise them at this point (since I haven't so much as looked at the book in months), and I apologize if they seem strange because I had to incorporate various vocabulary words, themes, symbols, etc. into them as part of the assignment...ah, whatever. Keep an eye out for the rest of the letters as I pry them out from the depths of my computer. Enjoy, and as always, review!
Dear Holden,
You know that song from Peter Pan? The one about how all those kids don't want to grow up, ever? I think you should have been one of those kids singing that song, Holden. I mean, I know that you don't like singing and all, and with your voice, with that horrible what-do-you-call-it—falsetto, of yours! Anyway. I mean, that you never really liked getting older. Remember how you used to say to me, "Allie, your so lucky cause you're young"? Well, maybe I am lucky. I am young, and you're older than me. Am I lucky because I'm a kid? Why are kids so lucky?
I remember how D.B. used to talk about how he hated Peter Pan. That used to get me so mad—I love Peter Pan! Do you remember, Holden? D.B. got me so mad once when he said that all those kids in Peter Pan, Wendy and them, were phonies. I can see it real clear—he was sitting on the banister of the stairs of our old elementary school, and he said Wendy was a phony. Not true! Do you think it's true?
When I was really young, I used to want to go travel with Wendy and Peter and them into Never Land. Never Land seemed like the best place ever! With all those crazy animals and the Indians and no one ever got older...although Captain Hook wasn't so great. Never Land without Captain Hook would be great. Sometimes, I think that you would like to go to Never Land too. There, you could stay young with all those kids, forever. Isn't that what you want, Holden? To not get older?
I remember that time we went to the Museum of...what is it? The Museum of Natural History, and we saw the mummies. You told me that the mummies had it the best—they were kings when they were alive (What did those Egyptians call them again? Pharaohs?), and then when they died they were preserved forever. They never went away, unless their graves were invaded by robbers. I wonder if that's what you want to do, Holden...be preserved and young forever?
I wouldn't like to be preserved forever. Then, people would look at me years and years from now, and I wouldn't like it. I'd rather my body just rot. That's what they're supposed to do, anyway. Ms. Crenshin told us in science class. She said that whenever something dies, their bodies decompose into the ground. Then someone asked Ms. Crenshin what about when people are buried in coffins, and Ms. Crenshin said that it wasn't natural, that bodies are naturally meant to be left to rot.
When I was real little, I had a dream that Tinkerbell came and took me off to Never-Never Land. My friend Daniel had the same dream one time. Did you ever have that dream? It would be really funny if you did. We would have had the same dream! I think you must have had that dream. Cause I think you want it to come true.
Suddenly, I can't remember how the song from Peter Pan goes. Do you remember? I bet you do. You always remember things like that.
Allie
A/N: This is a set of letters that I wrote over a year ago for my English class (last year's English class, rather) that I've been meaning to put up here for a while. They're written to Holden from various characters in the book. I wouldn't trust myself to revise them at this point (since I haven't so much as looked at the book in months), and I apologize if they seem strange because I had to incorporate various vocabulary words, themes, symbols, etc. into them as part of the assignment...ah, whatever. Keep an eye out for the rest of the letters as I pry them out from the depths of my computer. Enjoy, and as always, review!
Dear Holden,
You know that song from Peter Pan? The one about how all those kids don't want to grow up, ever? I think you should have been one of those kids singing that song, Holden. I mean, I know that you don't like singing and all, and with your voice, with that horrible what-do-you-call-it—falsetto, of yours! Anyway. I mean, that you never really liked getting older. Remember how you used to say to me, "Allie, your so lucky cause you're young"? Well, maybe I am lucky. I am young, and you're older than me. Am I lucky because I'm a kid? Why are kids so lucky?
I remember how D.B. used to talk about how he hated Peter Pan. That used to get me so mad—I love Peter Pan! Do you remember, Holden? D.B. got me so mad once when he said that all those kids in Peter Pan, Wendy and them, were phonies. I can see it real clear—he was sitting on the banister of the stairs of our old elementary school, and he said Wendy was a phony. Not true! Do you think it's true?
When I was really young, I used to want to go travel with Wendy and Peter and them into Never Land. Never Land seemed like the best place ever! With all those crazy animals and the Indians and no one ever got older...although Captain Hook wasn't so great. Never Land without Captain Hook would be great. Sometimes, I think that you would like to go to Never Land too. There, you could stay young with all those kids, forever. Isn't that what you want, Holden? To not get older?
I remember that time we went to the Museum of...what is it? The Museum of Natural History, and we saw the mummies. You told me that the mummies had it the best—they were kings when they were alive (What did those Egyptians call them again? Pharaohs?), and then when they died they were preserved forever. They never went away, unless their graves were invaded by robbers. I wonder if that's what you want to do, Holden...be preserved and young forever?
I wouldn't like to be preserved forever. Then, people would look at me years and years from now, and I wouldn't like it. I'd rather my body just rot. That's what they're supposed to do, anyway. Ms. Crenshin told us in science class. She said that whenever something dies, their bodies decompose into the ground. Then someone asked Ms. Crenshin what about when people are buried in coffins, and Ms. Crenshin said that it wasn't natural, that bodies are naturally meant to be left to rot.
When I was real little, I had a dream that Tinkerbell came and took me off to Never-Never Land. My friend Daniel had the same dream one time. Did you ever have that dream? It would be really funny if you did. We would have had the same dream! I think you must have had that dream. Cause I think you want it to come true.
Suddenly, I can't remember how the song from Peter Pan goes. Do you remember? I bet you do. You always remember things like that.
Allie