Catcher in the Rye questions ch.1-2

how is Holden doing academically?

Academically, Holden was flunking four subjects and not applying himself in school at all. This will be the forth school he has attended. He was given warnings, but got kicked out of the pretentious school with a very good academic rating, one that Holden did not meet the standards of.

what happened at Holden's previous schools?

At Holden's previous schools he was surrounded by phonies which he hated. He mentions that he didn't exactly flunk out of Elkton Hills, but instead quit.

what does Holden (the narrator) reveal about his brother, D.B.?

Holden (the narrator) reveals that his brother is in Hollywood and visits Holden practically every weekend. He also reveals that his brother (who just got a Jaguar) is going to drive him home next month. His brother has a lot of money from writing a book of short stories. Holden also says his brother is out in Hollywood being a prostitute.

how does Holden describe the scene in Mr. Spencer's house?

Holden describes the scene in Mr. Spencer's house by first mentioning how Mrs. Spencer opened the door because the couple didn't have a lot of money and therefore didn't have a maid to do it for them. He then continues by describing the couple. He brings up that the two have their own rooms, are in their seventies, and that they "got a bang out of things". Holden then describes how he sees Mr. Spencer in his room by bringing up how he was sitting in a big leather chair, there were pills and medicine all over the place, and that Mr. Spencer had an old bathrobe on.

why has Holden failed history? what was his essay like and what "note" did he write Mr. Spencer?

Holden has failed history because he knew absolutely nothing, barley opened the textbook, and did not put any effort in to his work. His essay was written poorly with little information and details. At the end of his essay Holden wrote a note to Mr. Spencer basically saying that was all he knew on the subject and that it was okay for him to flunk Holden.

what does Holden reveal about his communication with his parents about his issues?

Holden reveals that his communication with his parents is not great with his issues. He still has not communicated with them about him getting kicked out of Pencey Prep because he states, "I haven't communicated with them because I'll probably see them Wednesday night when I get home".

what does Holden reveal about his level of maturity?

Holden reveals that his level of maturity differs from time to time, but when he does act a lot older than he really is people never notice it. He also reveals that he does act young for his age sometimes and is told to act his age, especially by his father.

who is Mr. Spencer and why is Holden going to visit him?

Mr. Spencer is Holden's history teacher, he didn't have a lot of money and was around seventy years old. Holden went to visit him because Mr. Spencer had written him a note asking him to stop by and say good-bye before vacation started because Holden wouldn't be coming back after the break.

what is Pencey Prep like and how does Holden feel about it?

Pencey Prep is a school in Agerstown, Pennsylvania. It is a very snobby school that's motto is," Since 1888 we have been molding boys into splendid, clear-thinking young men". Holden thinks the school is terrible and doesn't do anymore "molding" then what any other school does. Holden also notes that he would rather be somewhere where he could see a few girls.

who is Selma Thurman and what does Holden say about her?

Selma Thurman is the headmaster's daughter. Holden sat next to her on the bus on the way to Agerstown and struck up a conversation with her. He says that she wasn't the type of girl to drive you mad with desire and that she had a big nose and bitten down nails. Holden states that he likes her, but also that she's the type of girl you feel sort of sorry for.

what advice does Mr. Spencer give Holden and how does Holden react?

The advice that Mr. Spencer gives Holden is, "Life is a game, boy. Life is a game that one plays according to the rules". Holden's reaction to this advice is that there are two sides to the game: one side where the hot-shots are which makes it a game and the other side where there aren't any hot-shots and there's no purpose to the game.

what event was going on at Pencey while Holden was on Thomsen Hill and why was Holden missing the event?

The event that was going on at Pencey while Holden was on Thomsen Hill was the game with Saxon Hall. He was missing it was because he had just got back from New York with the fencing team and got back to the school around two-thirty instead of around dinnertime. The other reason he was missing the game was because he was on his way to say good-bye to old Spencer who was his history teacher.

when Holden stops paying attention to Mr. Spencer's speech, what is he thinking about?

When Holden stops paying attention to Mr. Spencer's speech, he starts thinking about the lagoon in Central Park down near Central Park South. He was questioning whether or not it would be frozen by the time he got home, and if so where the ducks would go when the lagoon froze. He then created scenarios for where the ducks go or what happens to them when the lagoon freezes over.