Comics in Our Generation

Even thought more than half a century separates kids of 2010 and the children of the 1950s, (with the slicked back hair, cheesy rules, and Grease Lightning) parents it seems parents will never approve of their children's after school activities. Video games in our generation reflect the same problems that people had with comics a half century ago. Mothers around the country cry out that they are too violent, and that with every comic read or video game played her child is losing innocence. Even the rating on comic books is exactly like the rating of video games, ranging from the completely harmless to the extremely violent.

So the "video game zombies" of today was not the first and will not be the last of adolescent obsessions. Many people advocate for eradication of video games, but few realize that comic books had the same problem. As technology improves and new generations come along, the "corruption of youth" will just take on a new form and we will have to assimilate to the change of past-time.

Adventures with Holden

Since I've finally gotten around to blogging, I've chosen the scene with Sunny and Maurice. This particular part of the book caught my attention for two main reasons: because it caught me completely off guard and because I could see that Holden maybe did have a heart.

When Holden got into the elevator the last thing I was expecting was the elevator guy asking Holden if he was "Interested in a little tail t'night?". I was so sure that Holden would take him up on it and I would have to suffer through a very awkward love scene. But I didn't know Holden very well; I should have guessed that he was too immature to go through with it and only responded because he was so used to lying. I should have known it was coming, but I didn't. And I found Maurice and Holden's fight scene almost hilarious at how Holden just feel apart when this pimp asked him for more money. He started crying for heaven's sake!

Holden surprised me once more by showing compassion for this poor girl who has sunk low enough to be a prostitute. When he saw how young she was and how much make-up she had on, he could do nothing but feel sorry for her. And when he finally gave up trying to "talk" to her, he said noticed her dress and thought about how "The salesman probably just thought she was a regular girl when she bought it." That really got to me because I didn't think that Holden had the ability to see and hate everything around him. The fact that he had enough feelings to even feel sorry for this girl surprised me.

Finding J.D.

While Mr. Kunkle is probably enjoying jury duty at this very moment, I'm trying to find the infamous J.D. Salinger. Not literally of course, because I haven't left the high school looking for a dead man most likely buried somewhere in New England. I'm looking more for his influence in literature and popular culture, to find a part of him that is still in the real world. His name has been used in songs like "We Didn't Start the Fire" by Billy Joel, Green Day's "Who Wrote Holden Caulfield?", "6 Minutes" by the Jonas Brothers (that alone would make me a hermit), "Catcher in the Rye" by Guns and Roses, and the 2000 movie Finding Forrester was loosely based on his life.
So my task for you is to find yet another part of Salinger somewhere in the world, no matter how small the reference. Good luck!

Welcome to My Mind

Out of the deep reaches of the internet you have pulled out a little piece of me, Brittney, in blog form. Through these posts and random ramblings you read about a young adult who is more than ready to start college and the new life that comes with it. Music is my essence and I love to sing (opera and musical theater mostly) as well as listening to music of almost any type. I love dogs, traveling, and talking.

So as a quick introduction I will give you my favorite series of books- Harry Potter. Yes, it's the answer heard from almost every child of my generation that started a phenomenon. I have literally grown up with this series (I read the first book in 3rd grade) and it deserves a special place on the top of my reading list. The spellbinding world that Harry lived in always captivated my imagination in a way that no other book has been able to do since. The series not only focused on the battle against Lord Voldemort but also highlighted Harry's life at school and all the potions classes and astrology paper that went with it making it relatable to children. I've spent many days of my life reading and re-reading this series because of the magic it brings, and that is why it is my favorite series.