Happy Halloween?

This evening, as I attempted to procrastinate my rather large load of homework, I had a very pleasant walk through memory lane as I watched all of the trick-or-treaters stop by. The weather was just right- cool and brisk, I could smell autumn in the air; the pumpkins were carved; the candy was out… but it simply did not feel quite the same as it used to. I obviously could not dress up and go door to door asking for candy, yet I was not completely ready to throw in the towel to the magic of holidays. So once again the fact that I am going through adolescence became apparent and I therefore sulked around in envy of all of the dressed up five year olds getting candy. Now my mind was filled with fond memories of my childhood and of course the what seemed like abysmal amount of homework that I continued to push off. As I racked my brain of my assignments I remembered the blog that I needed to write, which of course reminded me of the literature that we have read thus far, which therefore led me to the sad realization that at this point, my life is way too similar to that of Holden Caulfield and George Willard. Once again life has brought me back to literature and how I relate to it. When I read Winesburg, Ohio and The Catcher and the Rye I had this constant feeling of uncomfort and anxiety. I think it’s because the characters are in such an odd in-between stage of life. It’s just not a good place to be in. Essentially, these characters simply do not belong to humanity- they’re stuck in this incredibly awkward transition from childhood to adulthood. So, that person has to choose whether to be an adult or a child. Unfortunately for adolescents, we want to be both. The idea of wanting two things at once reminds me of Edna. Edna is a young woman and was most definitely prematurely married and a mother. I think that is many ways, Edna did not properly go through the necessary stages of adolescence before becoming an adult. Clearly she has a free spirit, and to be tied down to children and a husband by her early twenties does not leave room for her spirit to be liberated. Her marriage and motherhood is a part of her life that is fake to her. It is this component of reality that is what she is expected of and not what she actually wants from life. If Edna would have been able to live out more of her twenties and make the slow and steady transition into adulthood, then I don’t think she ever would have gone “crazy”. Adolescence is a vitally important part of life where people discover who they are. It is also incredibly awkward and depressing at times. But hey, at least the world has Holden and George to see that most people my age are probably feeling this same bizarre lack of holiday spirit. Happy Halloween!