Midnight Marauder By: Tyler Bishop Per 3

Frank Sinatra - New York, New York

In Frank Sinatra's song, New York, New York, one of his lyrics is "I am gonna make a brand new start of it In old New York". Throughout his song, he explains how New York is the move and how he can have a fresh start in his life. This relates very closely to Holden Caulfield in the book "Cather in the Rye". In the story, Holden fears that going back home after being kicked out of Pencey. Fearing his consequences, he decides to stay in a hotel in New York City, avoiding his parents' apartment which is also in New York City. "All of a sudden, I decided what I'd really do, I'd get the hell out of Pencey—right that same night and all. I mean not wait till Wednesday or anything. I just didn't want to hang around any more. It made me too sad and lonesome. So what I decided to do, I decided I'd take a room in a hotel in New York . . . and just take it easy till Wednesday. Then, on Wednesday, I'd go home all rested up and feeling swell" (51). Caulfield leaves his old life, beginning anew in New York City, and along his journey, he learns valuable life lessons. While living solo, he does a lot of crucial thinking that makes him realize where he stands in the real world.

Drake - Marvin's Room

Reoccurring though the story, a girl named Jane pops up in Caulfield's mine constantly. She was a childhood friend that he met during a couple summers back that he did not realize he had such an attachment to until now." I kept laying there in the dark anyway, though, trying not to think about old Jane and Stradlater in that goddam Ed Banky's car. But it was almost impossible" (40). Caulfield's roommate Stradlater went on a date with the Jane he knew and it keeps bothering him because he knows what Stradlater "does" when he takes girls on dates. It troubles him and maybe he will get to the bottom of it before the end of the story. In Drake's song, he sings "B*tches in my old phone I should call one and go home I've been in this club too long The woman that I would try Is happy with a good guy." In the song, Drake sees himself as his own special individual, Also reoccurring throughout the story, Caulfield often debates whether to call Jane to see if what he believes she did was true. However, he cannot seem to come mind whether to make the decision or not, and it seems to slowly tear him apart.

Green Day - Boulevard of Broken Dreams

At one point in the story, Caulfield finally finds himself in a very deep isolation. He is out in the streets of New York City, completely by himself, and the entire loneliness makes his mind race with thoughts that bring him into a deep conscious."New York's terrible when somebody laughs on the street very late at night. You can hear it for miles. It makes you feel so lonesome and depressed. I kept wishing I could go home and shoot the bull for a while with old Phoebe" (12.1). His loneliness begins to take the most of him and bring him into a bit of a depression. He is by himself, all alone, and it relates a lot to Green Day's song "Boulevard of Broken Dreams." "I walk this empty street On the boulevard of Broken Dreams Where the city sleeps And I'm the only one and I walk alone." This perfectly relates to Caulfield, he walks alone in the empty streets at night in New York. He has no one to accompany him, just himself and his thoughts.

Akon - Lonely

Being alone is something Caulfield is used to and can easily be inferred throughout the story. "Lonely I'm so lonely I have nobody To call my own." A common theme throughout the book is loneliness. In the intro to Akon's song "Lonely," he says that he is lonesome and doesn't have anyone with him or for him. This ties back to Holden Caulfield because he has a very small circle, and often finds himself alone most of the time. "Anyway, it was the Saturday of the football game.[...] I remember around three o'clock that afternoon that I was standing way the hell up on top of Thomsen Hill. [...] You could hear them all yelling" (1.3). Caulfield has always been in absence of a common presence throughout the book, he chooses to be by himself. Whether it seems like it or not, more often than not, the decisions he makes results in his isolation.

Jay Z ft Alecia Keys - Empire State of Mind

Jay Z and Alecia's Key's song expresses a very common idea people share when asked about New York, in their song, a verse states, "There's nothin' you can't do Now you're in New York These streets will make you feel brand new The lights will inspire you" This song was chosen because it is ironic when talking abut the character Holden Caulfield. Often, many people thing of New York as a place of opportunity and of accomplishment, Caulfield has a different view of it. Holden explains New York by saying, "Boy, do I hate it," I said. "But it isn't just that. It's everything. I hate living in New York and all. Taxicabs, and Madison avenue buses, with the drivers and all always yelling at you to get out at the rear door, and being introduced to phony guys that call the Lunts angels, and going up and down in elevators when you just want to go outside, and guys fitting your pants all the time at Brooks, and people always–" Clearly, Holden has a completely different view of New York City than others. Maybe it can be his current state of mind at the point in the story, or it could be because these comparisons took place during time periods, or Caulfield simply does not see the glam everyone else does in New York.

Credits:

Created with images by Marcela McGreal - "New York in December" • nash78690 - "united states new york manhattan" • luxstorm - "telephone london red" • ThomasWolter - "road town paved" • harutmovsisyan - "city people street" • Unsplash - "night dark crowd"

Made with Adobe Slate

Make your words and images move.

Get Slate

Report Abuse

If you feel that this video content violates the Adobe Terms of Use, you may report this content by filling out this quick form.

To report a Copyright Violation, please follow Section 17 in the Terms of Use.