Grace

Catcher in the Rye - Chapter 2
Going to great lengths to describe his ex-teacher Mr. Spencer and what he thought about him [a pattern which continues for the rest of the chapter], Holden opens the scene & explains why he’s in Spencer’s room after he has entered. Small talk begins, before taking a quick turn into the ‘serious matters’ of Holden leaving Pencey. Holden’s growing annoyance with Spencer [and possibly himself] becomes apparent as Spencer details exactly how horribly he ‘flunked’, making Holden read out his history essay. He attempts to counsel Holden and is genuinely concerned for him. Despite Holden’s realization that he’s actually trying to help, he still feels like he can’t relate to him and blows off the advice instead. He sucks up to Spencer and pretends he has learnt his lesson – and then makes excuses to leave. [] Repetition; Holden repeatedly stresses how Spencer won’t listen to him and continues to interrupt as he tries to defend himself. “You can’t stop a teacher when they want to do something. They just do it,” shows his negative, generalized view of the authority figures in his life. Neither can understand the other.[] Digression; As they discuss his feelings about failing in his academic life, Holden is mentally complaining about Spencer’s chest. This possibly displays his reluctance [or inability?] for what society usually thinks as serious issues – or this could simply emphasize his flippant view towards the older demographic. It also lends the reader the sensation that Holden is actually speaking to them. [] Colloquialism; Holden’s liberal use of colloquial language [‘So I shot the bull for a while’] instantly establishes an informal relationship with the reader. This coupled with his many truncated sentences creates an image of a young adolescent – which is sort of ironic as he uses both techniques when he tries to convey to the reader that he can also be mature. [‘People never notice anything.’ is also a way of Holden ‘providing another reason’ about why he should separate himself from that society.] In this chapter, I don’t think the emphasis is entirely on the individual in society – after all, Holden’s reaction to his teacher’s advice and schoolwork is that of a regular teenager. His mental digressions throughout their conversation however, indicates that he is disgusted with the values of the society he lives in, as shown when he gives a lengthy paragraph about how he hated the way his old school’s headmaster displayed an obvious bias towards parents’ who were more well-off than others.