What is the difference between how Holden and Spencer feel?
Mr. Spencer has the distinction of being the only teacher at Pencey Prep that Holden actually likes. Spencer genuinely cares about Holden and only wants what’s best for him, but Holden doesn’t see that; he just sees yet another authority figure on his case.
Is Holden in a mental hospital?
Holden (despite the confusion of the Harcourt Brace executive) is not crazy; he tells his story from a sanatorium (where he has gone because of a fear that he has t.b.), not a mental hospital.
What dirty trick did Spencer pull on Holden?
Spencer pulls the ultimate dirty trick on Holden. He pulls out Holden’s latest essay on the Egyptians and reads its aloud, right down to Holden’s self-degrading note: “I know this is junk, so it’s OK if you flunk me, don’t worry about it” (Ch. 2).
Who is Mr Antolini Holden?
Antolini is the adult who comes closest to reaching Holden. He manages to avoid alienating Holden, and being labeled a “phony,” because he doesn’t behave conventionally. He doesn’t speak to Holden in the persona of a teacher or an authority figure, as Mr. Spencer does.
What does Mr Spencer do that annoys Holden?
What did Spencer do that particularly annoyed Holden? Holden was annoyed by how Spencer always yelled and by how he read his essay and called it garbage. Holden means that even though his grammar and reading skills aren’t very good, he still reads a lot of books. He reads advanced classics like Ring Laudner.
What does Catcher in the Rye teach us?
To me the best lesson a teenager can learn from The Catcher in the Rye is that, no matter how simple it may seem, in reality, one cannot control anyone or anything around us but ourselves. When I teach the novelI ensure that my young audience can relate at one point or another to Holden Caulfield’s rebellious thoughts.
Does Holden Caulfield lose his virginity?
Holden Caulfield does not lose his virginity during the course of The Catcher in the Rye, though he makes some half-hearted attempts to do so.
Why does Ackley annoy Holden?
Ackley does not seem to have many friends. He prevents Holden from reading by puttering around the room and pestering him with annoying questions. Ackley further aggravates Holden by cutting his fingernails on the floor, despite Holden’s repeated requests that he stop.
Why was Holden crying when he left?
Why do you think Holden was crying as he left Pencey Prep? He probably felt bad for getting kicked out of his schools over and over again, and he didn’t get to say goodbye to anyone. Holden also says that he is leaving Pencey because of a brain tumor surgery.
Is loneliness a theme in Catcher in the Rye?
Alienation is both the source of Holden’s strength and the source of his problems. For example, his loneliness propels him into his date with Sally Hayes, but his need for isolation causes him to insult her and drive her away.
Why is Holden so obsessed with innocence?
He wanted children to stay children and preserve their innocence because he doesn’t want them to fall in the corrupted and complicated world of adulthood. Holden tries to protect the children from reading the swear word that could poison their mind. The red hunting hat is another symbolism of innocence in the novel.
What did Mr Spencer say to Holden?
Spencer brings up Holden’s expulsion from Pencey. He also talks about getting the opportunity to meet Holden’s parents and calls them ‘grand’ people, which Holden thinks sounds phony. He tells Holden, ‘Life is a game, boy. Life is a game that one plays according to the rules.
What does Mr Spencer tell Holden about life?
“Life is a game, boy. Life is a game that one plays according to the rules.” Mr.
Why does Holden regret visiting Mr Spencer?
He regrets visiting Mr. Spencer because he hated being pointed at for example when Mr. Spencer read his paper in front of Holden. Also how he was in his bathrobe with his grippe and bumpy chest.
Why was Holden kicked out of pencey prep?
Holden has been expelled from Pencey Prep because he has flunked four subjects (passing only English), including Mr. Spencer’s history class.
How did Holden lose his innocence?
In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden loses his innocence at the age of thirteen, when his brother, Allie, dies of leukemia. This strips away his sense that the world is safe or fair.
Why is Holden afraid of growing up?
Holden is afraid to grow up is because he is scared that he will become a phony. When Phoebe asks Holden why he is so scared to be grown up, Holden exclaims, “How would you know you weren’t being a phony? The trouble is, you wouldn’t” (172).
What mental disorder does Holden Caulfield have?
Holden displays many common traits of a person with PTSD following this loss. He has substantial amounts of guilt and depression and struggles to remember the details of events in his life. Holden’s emotions seem to be highly unbalanced.
What does Holden find depressing about Mr Spencer?
What does Holden find depressing about Mr. Spencer? He had pills and medicine all over the place, everything smelled Vick’s Nose Drops, and he was wearing an old robe like he was sick. Holden often uses the term ‘Phony’ to describe people and their actions.
Why did Holden leave Elkton Hills?
Holden leaves Elkton Hills mainly because of the phonies he sees on the prep school campus. He describes them as “coming through the windows” because there are so many. It really is an excuse to “quit” because he was about to be kicked out of Elkton Hills because of his grades.
Why did Holden not attend Allie’s funeral?
Holden missed Allie’s funeral because he was in the hospital, apparently for psychiatric evaluation as well as for attention to his hand. His connection to Holden was intense. The older brother could sense when Allie was in the vicinity, although he credits Allie’s red hair for that.
What advice does Mr Antolini give Holden?
What advice did Mr. Antolini give Holden? “The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of a mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one.”
Why is Mr Haas a phony?
Haas, a businessman named Ossenburger, insincere handshakes and anything else done for show or half-heartedly, models and movies, and even Lieutenant Henry of A Farewell to Arms and the book itself—he describes all these as “phony.” His view of them as hypocritical, dishonest, or fake colors his perception of growing …
Why do ice skates make Holden sad?
Why does packing his ice skates make Holden feel sad? Holden reflects that his mother bought him this thoughtful gift, and he is disappointing her again by being expelled. Every time someone gives him a gift, it ends up making him sad. It had to do with her mother’s husband.
Why does Holden feel lonely?
Loneliness. Because Holden depends on his isolation to preserve his detachment from the world and to maintain a level of self-protection, he often sabotages his own attempts to end his loneliness. For example, his conversation with Carl Luce and his date with Sally Hayes are made unbearable by his rude behavior.
What class is Holden not failing?
What is the only class he passed? He failed four out of five subjects. The only class he passed was English. Why is Holden watching the football game at the beginning of the novel?
What is the message of Catcher in the Rye?
The main message of The Catcher in the Rye is that no single individual can save the world. Holden wants to protect all the world’s innocents to compensate for his brother Allie’s death, but he starts to understand that he needs to let the people he loves, like Phoebe, take risks.
What does Holden struggle with?
Holden’s struggles in the book The Catcher in the Rye include his inability to properly cope with his brother’s tragic death and move on from his traumatic past. Holden also struggles with identity issues and fails to engage in meaningful social interactions.
Why does Holden flunk out of school?
Holden was the manager of the fencing team at Pencey. He says he was being kicked out because he was flunking four classes and not applying himself. Holden later explains that he also left Whooton School and Elkton Hills. He says he left because he was surrounded by phonies and that he hated the school.
Why does Ackley not like Stradlater?
Ackley didn’t like Stradlater because he embarrassed him. He told him to brush his teeth once in awhile. “The reason you’re sore at Stradlater is because he said that stuff about brushing your teeth once in a while. He didn’t mean to insult you, for cryin’ out loud.