Open Prompt Response #3

2010, Form B. “You can leave home all you want, but home will never leave you.” —Sonsyrea Tate

Sonsyrea Tate’s statement suggests that “home” may be conceived of as a dwelling, a place, or a state of mind. It may have positive or negative associations, but in either case, it may have a considerable influence on an individual. Choose a novel or play in which a central character leaves home yet finds that home remains significant. Write a well-developed essay in which you analyze the importance of “home” to this character and the reasons for its continuing influence. Explain how the character’s idea of home illuminates the larger meaning of the work. Do not merely summarize the plot.

                In JD Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye, sixteen-year-old Holden Caufield discovers the pain of being homeless, both literally and emotionally. After being expelled from Pencey Prep boarding school, Holden decides to leave school three days earlier than he’s supposed to. The story follows Holden as he wanders through New York City, meeting new people. Holden is extremely jaded and doesn’t connect with people very well. He often passes judgment on strangers he observes and talks to, calling them “phonies.”   Despite his disgust with his peers at school and parents at home, Holden finds out that being “homeless” is a lot more miserable than being with familiar people. In an emotional sense, Holden has two kinds of homes: one at school and one at his home. Though he never directly acknowledges it, he realizes he misses home. Through his rough experience living alone on the streets, Holden ultimately learns to appreciate the familiarity of home.

                For Holden, leaving the boarding school means leaving one of his two emotional “homes.” Even in the extreme case of Holden, who doesn’t get along with people and is inclined to harshly judge his peers, the familiar faces of friends and teachers at Pencey Prep create a comfortable home for him. During his three days on the streets of New York City, Holden often thinks back to fond memories from school. He thinks about Jane Gallagher, a girl he likes. He thinks about Stradlater, his roommate at Pencey. He even calls and arranges a date with his former girlfriend, Sally Hayes. These clearly stem from his a strong emotional attachment to the school. Pency Prep was a sort of home for Holden, where Holden found comfort and safety. Because of the loneliness he experiences on the streets of New York, Holden recognizes the emotional value of his home at Pency Prep.

               Holden also has an emotional attachment to his real home away from Pency Prep. But his parents aren't the reason. It’s clear that he harbors negative feelings towards his parents. He sneaks into the house at night, careful not to wake his parents, and goes directly to his sister’s room. In an uncharacteristically kind gesture, he happily takes Phoebe to the zoo and takes her to a carousel ride. Watching Phoebe on the carousel, Holden cries out of happiness to be with his sister. Phoebe is one of the few people Holden seems to be relaxed and comfortable with. After three days of uncomfortable and cold interactions with strangers in NYC, Holden gets a breath of fresh air in his day with Phoebe. Coming home to his sister reminds Holden of the emotional value of his home at home.

Holden’s constant homesickness reflects his internal struggle, a central aspect of the book. Although he thinks everyone is a phony and doesn’t outwardly admit his loneliness, there are clear signs that he feels the pain of having no home. At one point, he asks a taxi driver “Where do the ducks go when the pond at Central Park freezes?” His question reveals his yearning for a safe, comfortable home. Being kicked out of school and harboring resentment towards his parents, Holden is a duck that doesn’t have anywhere to go.