Holden Style Of Writing

Characteristics of Holden’s Style

1. use of slang (“lousy,” “crumby,” “moron”)
2. curse words (esp. goddam and ____ as hell)
3. repetition of certainphrases (“kills me,” “I really mean it”)
4. vagueness (“and stuff”)
5. exaggeration (“in about a thousand magazines”)
6. contradiction (“I’m quite illiterate,but I read a lot.”)
7. avoidance (“My hand hurts me…I don’t care much.”)
8. digression (everywhere apparently)

Warnings:
• Remember that Holden does notsay everything that he thinks. Neither should you. Look back at how he talks to teachers and other adults. Hint, hint.
• Stay true to Holden’s era. Do notmodernize the curses or update the slang. If Holden didn’t use the word, you can’t use it.
• Talk the talk . . . but dig deeper than just the words. Create apiece of writing that moves as Holden’s language moves – avoiding, contradicting, digressing – you know.

Your Turn: Write approximately a page on any subjectin Holden Caulfield’s style. Pick a subject that Holden would find thought-provoking. Yeah, like Holden ever really thinks! For a smart guy, he sure is amoron. Did you ever wonder who made toothpicks and what if they didn’t wash their hands and stuff. I mean it, they could put their crumby hands on the toothpicksand then your grandmother could come in and pick one up, like at a cafeteria somewhere and put it in her mouth, all filthy with a million germs, for chrissakes.I don’t even want to think about it. It kills me.
but i know he uses phony, hell, hellova, sonovabitch and stuff like that. i need more words he uses alot.