The Soloist Post #3

As the novel unravels, it continues to be one of the most interesting books i've read so far. I am beginning to develop may questions in my mind as i venture into the book such as, why does Steve Lopez care so much about Nathaniel, or what triggered the drastic influx of Nathaniel's schizophrenia? At this point in the book, Lopez is starting to become a huge fraction of Ayers' life. He gathered instruments and stored them in a facility where Nathaniel can come anytime he would like to use them. I just really find it rare that an ordinary person can just come upon someone with such a severe burden and such talent and become part of their lives within a short amount of time.

The soloist post #2

At the beginning of the novel, we are introduced to a man named Nathaniel Ayers, who is a schizophrenic. The narrator of the book was Steve Lopez who is actually the author of the book. I thought that it was a very interesting way to write a book. Anyways, Lopez stumbles upon Ayers whilst walking through the streets of Los Angeles. Nathaniel was playing Beethoven on a violin that had two strings out of four which i find quite impressive. Many of us will just look at Nathaniel as another hobo on the street, but Steve Lopez saw a man with passion for what he loves and Lopez, passionate about his profession finds interest in this mysterious man.

The soloist Post #1

I think that Steve Lopez is the type of author who writes articles based on true stories of the people on the other side. The side where no one has the advantages of life, such as wealth, renown, etc. These people have nothing but their motivation to push them forward, and to get them where they wish to be in life. But why is Steve Lopez so interested in these people? It could be that Steve Lopez was once one of the people he would be interviewing now. Maybe he was a nobody from the slums previous to his job as a columnist for these big time newspapers and magazines. I believe that the people with the disadvantages are the ones who go further in life because the ones who have the privileges take advantage of what they have and they don't try as hard to better themselves.

We have read a few of the articles written by Steve Lopez in class, and I really find his work inspiring and

As the book progresses, Steve Lopez starts to play a more and more active role in Nathaniel's life. What I want to know is what is Steve's motivation to pry himself into Nathaniel's life? What makes him want to help this man? Could it just be out of the kindness of his heart? Or is there more to the picture? Is this career a safe and on going career for Lopez? Will he ever run out of people to interview?

the catcher in the rye

The Catcher in the Rye was a very interesting book to me. I thought the way that Salinger wrote the novel was very natural and flowing. I really liked the way that he made Holden have a line or a saying that he repeats multiple times such as, "and all," and "i really did." This gave the effect that i was reading a book from the point of a teenager.

For the most part, i really enjoyed the book, up until the end. I thought that the way Holden was portrayed made him a much more interesting character to follow. I saw Holden as a boy who has much potential, but the way his childhood turned out, made him lose all motivation to unleash his potential. To add on to his non motivational ways, he lost his younger brother Allie, and is separated from his other siblings. His older brother whom he looks up to is in a dead end job that is getting him no where, and his younger sister reminds him of his younger brother who passed away. I think that when he leaves and runs to New York draws back to his personality, and of how he runs away from his fears instead of facing them. He fears his parents finding out about his expulsion, so he ran away, he was afraid of getting shot down, so he never told Jane about his true feelings, not having sex with the prostitute, etc. When he finally decides to come home, he sees his sister in bed. Awoken by her excitement of seeing her older brother, the two talk. After their parents arrive home, Holden hides in the closet, and then flees when he gets the chance. The next day, he meets his sister at the museum, and he plans to leave and never come back. In a way, he was going to run away from his fears, permanently. Recall that he says that he wishes to become a catcher in the rye, to catch those who are running off the cliff. Him leaving forever is sort of like him already being a victim of the gaping hole that follows the edge of the cliff. For him, there is no new beginning except helping others before they end up in this dark abyss that exceeds this inevitable cliff.

To summarize, while reading the book, it may seem very simple, and vulgar. The vocabulary is not too difficult, and the plot is unnecessary. But after reading it, you start to see the big picture. In a way, Salinger's writing is like a Monet painting. Up close, you will never see any resemblance to anything found on the planet, but once you take a few steps back, and fully analyze the painting, you see a gorgeous work of art.