Why I dislike Esther and Holden
Esther and Holden both suck, but Stephen does not. I think it may be a matter of perspective. The main thing is just how judgemental that Esther and Holden are towards others. We're able to see from a first-person perspective how much they ridicule others in their own heads. They constantly make others the butt of the joke, and that attitude makes them frustrating to read. In both of their cases, I feel like that might be why they feel so threatened by society--they're always judging others, so they assume that others view them the same way.
With Stephen, though, we see him through the eyes of Joyce. Stephen is the butt of the joke this time. He's the same dorky outcast as Esther and Holden, but because we view him from a different standpoint, we see him for who he truly is. For me, being able to view the character in this way makes them much more tolerable. It doesn't mean that Stephen has humility, but the unflattering way in which Joyce depicts him gives a sense of it anyway. That humility allows me to respect Stephen, but with Holden and Esther, they seem way too full of themselves for me to really connect.
(Sorry this is late, Mr. Mitchell)
With Stephen, though, we see him through the eyes of Joyce. Stephen is the butt of the joke this time. He's the same dorky outcast as Esther and Holden, but because we view him from a different standpoint, we see him for who he truly is. For me, being able to view the character in this way makes them much more tolerable. It doesn't mean that Stephen has humility, but the unflattering way in which Joyce depicts him gives a sense of it anyway. That humility allows me to respect Stephen, but with Holden and Esther, they seem way too full of themselves for me to really connect.
(Sorry this is late, Mr. Mitchell)
Holden and Esther both do seem really judgemental of others and that does sometimes make them hard to read, but I also believe that even though they are judgemental, some of their viewpoints are actually good ones. Esther's ideas on feminism and Holden's about treating women and his morals. I'd say I could connect to Holden more so than Esther just because Esther's actions went so far.
ReplyDeleteI have a very opposite view then you. I like Esther and Holden but not Stephen. I think Esther and Holden are very real characters that we can all relate to. We all judge everyone, and while we might not all be as extreme I think it is fair to say we have all had similar thought at some point. I really did not like Stephen because I felt like he thought he was greater then life, something that I can not stand in a person.
ReplyDeleteYou make a solid argument. Esther and Holden depict everyone in a negatively filtered lens. It makes us think they're so much better than everyone around them. However, I think a lot of people like Holden and Esther for their "radicalism": They're different and confident.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, Joyce makes fun of Stephen a lot. We see many of his flaws and criticize him harshly for that. However, maybe that goes to show our own Holden/Esther view on others. We forget that Stephen shows us vunerability. We're all imperfect yet we adore perfection.
Way to be different than the majority, Dylan.
I personally liked Esther and Holden more than I liked Stephen but I can see why Esther and Holden come off as judgmental. I thought Ester's hyperbolic manner of depicting characters such as calling Betsy Pollyanna Cowgirl was cruel. But I was also attracted to Esther and Holden as characters because of how confident and blunt they were. I liked how Joyce makes fun of Stephen but, for me personally, Joyce narration kept me from relating to Stephen.
ReplyDeleteI do agree that Holden's constant cynical perspective and negative attitude get annoying, like he is being an edgy teenager that thinks it's cool to hate everything. At the same time though, reading through the perspective of someone constantly seeing the negative things in people gives a more realistic depiction. No human is perfect, so Holden being able to constantly find flaws in everyone, while annoying, potentially creates a more realistic narrative than Stephen.
ReplyDeleteI think the point of coming of age is that none of these characters are "perfect" in our eyes. I love that we can read these books and both enjoy and critique each characters ideas. I relate to the curiosity of stephen, annoyance of holden, and esther's questioning of societal norms and school. Since none of these characters are "perfect adults" we can learn from their choices!
ReplyDeleteFor Esther, at least, I think a big defense of her description of other people is the very title of her book - the bell jar. It distorts everything she sees, creating other people into caricatures rather than characters. I think the fact that Plath meant to then write a sequel written from the perspective of health is telling.
ReplyDeleteI think you have an interesting point of view. Personally, I appreciate some good trash-talking and I think it can be refreshing. However, the self-deprecating and slightly satirical that Joyce depicts himself is very admirable and likable.
ReplyDelete