Activity 2

     In J.D Salinger’s novel Catcher in the Rye, the incredibly low harshness of the connotative diction creates a sense of unfulfilled longing and insouciance.  The vulgar language of the passage hints to the rather childish attempts of the speaker to sound more mature as he unnecessarily depicts whatever he decides to talk about in his “goddam” biography as “crap” or “crumby.”  This unabashed overflow of foul language seems to suggest that he is trying to make up for his young age with his gratuitous choice of words in his attempt to be an adult.  Meanwhile the discordance of his stream of consciousness creates a shifting labyrinth of topics which seems to be heading in many different directions at one time.  This uncertain path of literary focus reflects on his on uncertainty over his future.  This passage also contains a slight connotation for objects which the narrator describes as he is quite imaginative.