LAQ's: Tyrell and Catcher on the Rye

Please read after the jump.




General:
Tyrell:
1. Tyrell is a story about a 15 year old teenager who lives in the Bronx, his fathers in jail and hes currently homeless and living in a worn down hotel with his mom and little brother. Tyrell is on 15 but he lives an adult life, raising him brother and providing for his family to the best of his ability. Tyrells girlfriend Novisha provides for Tyrell by cooking for him and paying for his phone bill. Throughout the story Novisha worries and tries to keep Tyrell out of jail like his father. As the story goes on Tyrell keeps searching for ways to get money to get his family out of the motel but when he finally gets enough money to get out he finds out his mom has cheated on his dad and CPS has taken his brother into custody because his mom abandoned him while Tyrell was working.

COTR:
Catcher on the Rye is the story of a 16 year old boy named Holden. Holden is a very angry teenager and describes how he has flunked out of many prestigious high schools. In the beginning of the story Holden had just flunked out of his current school is preparing to say goodbye because his last day is around the corner but he ends up leaving home early because he gets in a fight with a roommate  Holden heads back to his home town and wanders around before he decides to go home, going to bars, meeting women and looking for things to do. In the end Holden decides he doesn't want to go home and says goodbye to his sister before he leaves.

2.  I think the theme for Tyrell would be "Dont grow up too fast" beacuse you never know when lifes going to hit you.

Im not even sure COTR has a theme but id say its "lifes what you make it" because Holden didnt live a hard life, he chose to live it that way

3. Both books had a similar tone, they were both angry and bothered throughout the entire book . Tyrell was always stressed, confused and struggling to make it Holden was always cursing, lying and fighting.

4.Tyrell:  The plot of this book was so genius i actually ended up buying the second continuation book!!. Tyrells situation is reality many teens live today but most people don't give the time of day to consider it . The theme was so plain but so true that it made me more appreciative of being 16, its part of why i enjoyed the book so much and dont even get me started on the setting! The setting is what truly made this story , instead of being the reader you were the character and i loved that. Tyrells tone throughout the story really foreshadowed the entire book, the way the last sentence was spoken at the end of each chapter gave you a gist of what was about to happen next and i personally couldn't wait to flip the page and read it. I loved when  Coe Booth would bring in new characters, my personal favorite was Novisha, though she disappointed me in the end. She started off as one of the protagonist but in the last few chapters Tyrell saw her as one of the real antagonists of his life. I personally found Novishas "change in sides" the climax of the story. The way it all happened made my heart skip two beats and my palms sweat so i was sad to see that it was in the last few chapters because i knew Novisha wouldnt be in the next book. There is no true resolution to Tyrells story, because as soon as he thinks everything gonna get better he returns home to find out its just the beginning of his problems. But i personally feel like the ending was part of the authors purpose to show that you cant solve every problem in life. Thats what made it such an amazing book. (:


**Note** Both Stories were told in first person


COTR: Catcher on the Rye had a good plot as well but it wasn't one of those stories that automatically pulls you in. I had to get a feel for it first, but what i did like about this story is how the characters personalities were easily understood through the main character Holdens indirect characterization. It gave created a sense of imagery so the book was more enjoyable to read.  None of the characters seemed dynamic to me, even Holden, he was either in a good or bad mood i didn't seem to many changes in his overall personality though. Just like Tyrell the author had this "angry at the world" tone throughout the entire story. The dialogue Holden used always involved cursing or some form of anger, I dont recall a time where i can say Holden was happier for any longer than one chapter it was like everyone was an antagonist and Holden was just trying to make it through the world. It was hard to relate to Holdens character, everyone was a phony and he had a peculiar taste in friends. I actually did notice some symbolism in this book, Allies baseball mitt. I personally feel like Allied mitt was symbolism for the title. He mentioned it quite about throughout the story and it seemed to be very valuable to him.

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1. Both books used indirect characterization because the characters were described through the main characters point of view. Tyrell described Novisha as an "innocent good girl" because she gets good grades and goes to church and his mom as lazy and petulant because she doesn't work and complains about everything. Holden described Ackley as rude and annoying because he doesnt listen and does whatever he wants and his sister Phoebe as intelligent because she can remember movies and keep up in conversations.

2. In Tyrell the authors syntax and dictionn are always changing, and example is when Tyrell speaks he speaks with slang and improper grammar and Novisha speaks as if she is very educated.
Catcher on the Rye seems to do the same. When Holden speaks its angry and "filthy" and when Phoebe speaks its more youthful and childlike.

3.  I see both of the main characters as round characters. They both have personalities of real people that stay the same throughout the entire story. Within the first chapter of both books you can already tell how the character is and how they will remain.

4.  Tyrell: I don't feel like i met the character but i feel like i WAS the character, the images were vivid that i felt as if i traveled into the book and switched bodies with Tyrell. When he got angry i was angry, when he was disappointed i was disappointed. It felt like we were the same person.
*  "Here, Trey," I sat. "This for you." Then i turn the bag upside down. "Damn, i forgot to get you a fork."
Troy makes a face, then he say, "Hey, I got an idea." He run over to his backpack and come back to the bed with two new pencils. "These are chopsticks," he say with a smile on his face. "Watch me, Tyrell." *
When i read this i felt like i was watching Troy go to his book bags and really trying to eat his food with two pencils. I imagined being in Tyrells spot watching my little sister, all dirty and tired, trying to eat with school utensils because we were too broke to afford forks.

COTR: Holden was more of just a book character to me, though he did remind me of one of my friends (hes always angry and calling people "fools") Holden is a very complex character so it was difficult to understand him and who he was making it difficult to create a real person out of him. But that's exactly how my friend Jonathan is, complicated, angry and judgmental so on that note i would say i did feel like i met the character because he strongly resembles someone I'm close to.
*I sat down in this vomity-looking chair in the lobby and thought about her and Stradlater sitting in that goddam Ed Bank's care, and though i was pretty damn sure old Stradlater hadn't given her the time- i know old Jane like a book- I still couldn't get her off my brain. I knew her like a book. I really did*
When i read this the first thing i thought was "Wow...that sounds like Jonathan." My friend Jonathan seriously thinks he can read my emotions like my life and feelings are in a book and hes the only owner. It made me smile and laugh a bit as a thought about it. Because of that it was probably my favorite section to read.


***Those were definitely two of the most interesting books I've ever read. My personal favorite would have to be Tyrell because of the authenticity of the content in it. The books is a little on the risky sides for some high school students but i would still recommend it. It may be a little bit on the mature side but its a really good book when you focus on the meanings within the content. I'm currently reading the second one and i would be more than happy to give my positive and negative criticisms on it if it is upon anyone's curiosity. If your every looking for a book, Catcher and the Rye and Tyrell are two books i would highly recommend (: