This quote shows the contrast between Holden's thoughts and his words. His thoughts are negative and crude. On the other hand, Holden response to Mr. Spencer question, "Do you blame me for flunking you, boy" is, "No, sir! I certainly don't." This answer is polite and respectful. Overall, Holden chooses to hide his personal feeling, as his parents have taught him, and ends up coming across as phony himself.
I think that the main reason that Holden was so upset by this quote is because he doesn't like how he sounds. I don't think the seriousness of his situation has hit him yet and that his teachers reading of his note has shocked him a little. The note sounds like someone who has given up on himself and hearing this shocks him. He acts like he doesn't but I think he actually does care quite a bit.
When Holden hear's how he sounds he knows it doesn't properly reflect the kind of person he truly is. The allusion he uses to David Copperfield Leads me to believe that Holden is an intelligent man. When he hears the passage on Egyptians that he wrote Holden knows that he could've done much better. This aggravates him because flunking out of Pencey Prep. hadn't quite hit him yet and hearing the note he left really hit home. The note also left him feeling as if he had given up or he could've done more.
In this quote Holden is thinking negatively about his teacher, but when he is talking to his teacher no one would have the slightest clue that he thought badly of him. This makes Holden a hypocrite, because while he is calling everyone "phony," maybe it is he who's thoughts do not match his actions, making him the "phony." Holden can't be blamed for thoughts because most people probably have had negative attitudes about people in their head, but they most likely don't say them.
In my opinion, Holden is not taking responsibility for his actions. He knows that he wrote a terrible essay and made an awful mistake by not putting enough effort in when he was at school, but he is too afraid to think that. When he says "I don't think I'll ever forgive him for reading me that crap out loud" he is simply not taking responsibility for his actions or mistakes and trying to find someone else to blame his mistakes on. Holden try's to redirect his issues towards the teacher to the reader because he is being immature and cannot face his failures. In my opinion, he is being hypocritical because he is acting "fake" and/or "phony" because he is not thinking or fully explaining to the reader the real issue at hand: his failure.
This quote shows the stark contrast between what Holden writes and what he thinks. For instance, in this quote Holden is recounting how he hated hearing what he wrote in a note to his teacher. He said that: "I'd only written that damn note so that he wouldn't feel too bad about flunking me." He doesn't really believe in anything he said, he only wrote the note to appease his teacher, and he hated hearing the sugar-coated nonsense being spat back at. Subconsciously he knows this makes him very similar to the "phonies" he hates so much. This knowledge makes him very angry, so he feels he can never forgive his teacher for reading aloud those horridly fake words.
This quote allows readers to gain insight into the thoughts and emotions of Holden, the protagonist of "The Catcher in the Rye." This quote from Holden is in response to the actions of his History professor, Mr. Spencer. Mr. Spencer humiliates Holden by reading his failing essay on the ancient Egyptians aloud. Mr. Spencer quoted Holden's essay, not to embarrass him, but to support his argument that Holden needed to start to work harder to get his life on track. This noble objective was not clear to Holden who was greatly angered by the reading of his failing essay. Holden felt he had been cheated by the old man, for he had visited his professor expecting to exchange pleasantries and a solemn goodbye, but instead was the target of a lengthy harangue and a substantial amount of ridicule.
In this quote, Holden is showed different from what he actually says to his teacher and what he actually thinks. I think that Holden felt this way was because when he was writing the essay he didn't try and to have his mistake thrown back at him made him angry. When he was talking to his teacher he said that he like him, but once he read the essay to Holden, Holden felt like his teacher was humiliating him for his badly written essay.
This quote shows how Holden's thoughts can be very negative at times. Holden is mad at Mr. Spencer because he thought he purposely was trying to embarrass him. He doesn't realize that Mr. Spencer was only reading this to try to help him. Holden is a smart kid and he knows that if he had actually tried, then he would have done better in school. Holden didn't want to be confronted about his work because in his heart he knows he had just given up.
I can relate to how Holden feels when Mr.Spencer is reading his essay out loud to him. When there is a lack of effort put into your writing it can make you cringe when someone reads it out loud to you, making you question how you ever could have accepted that and passed it as your final piece of work. I think this is how Holden feels when he hears his essay being read back to him, making him feel embarrassment and regret. I also think the words sound funny to him, as if they aren't even his own because he wrote the essay to please his teacher even though the thoughts going through his had may have been different.
The quote shows that Holden didn't want to admit how bad his essay was. He wrote it knowing it wasn't very good but instead of embracing his guilt, he chose to block it out. After his teacher reads it to him, he can't suppress his guilt any longer. This leads to Holden feel stupid and guilty, even though he knows that he's smart, and venting his feelings by getting angry at Mr. Spencer and blaming him for his own poor essay.
Holden is mad and uncomfortable because he is being forced to dwell on the past. He knows that he didn't put his full effort into the essay. However, I think he also feels unhappy because his teacher forces him to realize that he's a hypocrite; he hates phonies, but writes a falsely knowledgable-sounding essay that actually contains no real content. In other words, there are two layers to Holden's unhappiness in this passage
When someone looks down upon you or questions your lack of ability, it decreases one's belief in their ability to achieve. Holden knows he does not try hard enough in school, and eventually he is forced to leave Pencey due to his poor grades. I think that Holden "will never forgive" his teacher for reading his essay aloud because hearing it made him feel crestfallen. There are many things we wish we could change, and when people show us our weaknesses we feel inferior. Holden's weakness is his lack of motivation and drive to accomplish challenges that are set before him. We recongnize our own faults, but when others notice our flaws we are affected by a greater extent.
It was interesting to see the rapid changes in Old Spencer's character. At first, I thought of Old Spencer as the only person that seemed to give Holden a chance, given Holden's underachieving academic background. However, after he humiliated Holden, my opinion of the teacher changed, and I believe that Holden's did as well. If I were in Holden's position, about to be kicked out of yet another prep school, the last thing I would want to hear is one of my favorite teachers (it seems as though that is the case for Holden with Old Spencer) rub in my face how poorly written an essay of mine was. And while I believe Holden has a right to be upset with his history teacher, he has only himself to blame for his poor record of achievement. It will be interesting to see Holden's development, if any, throughout the novel.
This quote leads me to believe that Holden possesses regretful feelings of some of his past actions. His thoughts, however, come across as having an attitude that exhibits that he doesn't seem to care about his actions. Holden seems to be disgusted when he hears Mr. Spencer read aloud his essay, this showing his regret for writing it in the first place. Holden does not believe that he will be able to forgive Mr. Spencer, but this may have been something to reassure himself that Mr. Spencer is in the wrong for reading it aloud as opposed to himself for writing it. It seems to me that Holden does look back on his actions and wishes that he could change them, but he wants to seem like the kind of person who doesn't care. I believe that Holden is trying to blame his history teacher instead of placing the blame onto his own shoulders.
Tim Brigham- This quote illustrates the vast difference between Holden's thoughts and his actions. Holden has crude thoughts towards Old Spencer, but he certainly doesn't express them. I think that Holden may be ashamed with what he wrote in his paper about the Egyptians. He truly does care about his education, he is not indifferent as he would like us to think. He would not risk everything by standing up to power like his thoughts would allude to him doing.
It was surprising how harsh Holden's thoughts were towards Spencer considering he was the one who wrote the essay. Holden seems to be denying the fact that he should take the blame for the essay and is turning the blame to Spencer. True, it was unkind for Spencer to read Holden's essay out loud in a sarcastic tone, but Holden should at least take some responsibility for his work. It is also interesting how Holden explains how much he hates phonies, but then after Spencer reads his essay, Holden acts very apologetic and asks for forgiveness for his inadequate essay even though that's not how he feels. This quote, ("I don't think I'll ever forgive him for reading me that crap out loud"), shows that Holden was not only angry because Spencer embarrassed him, but was also unable to forgive Spencer for reading the essay out loud because it caused Holden to act like the very thing he hates most, a phony.
This quote shows the severe contrast between what Holden thinks and what he speaks. On one hand, when Holden talks, his words are kind; however, the thoughts in Holden's head are often crude and impolite. For instance, when Holden is talking to his History teacher about the note Holden had written for him, he states that: "I'd only written that damn note so that he wouldn't feel to bad about flunking me." Although this thought is rather disrespectful, when Holden then speaks to the teacher, he is compassionate in explaining to him that he was not angry that he flunked the teachers course. It will be interesting to follow how holding back his true feelings and thoughts effects holden later in the book, as it is sure to cause much distress and anger for the young boy.
At first I thought Mr. Spencer was the wise old man in Holden's life, like the old man in most fiction adventure story who directs the hero to success. However, his actions made me doubt my own assumption. First of all, he ridiculed Holden on his latest test. I assume that an embarrassed person will less likely to listen to the person who embarrassed him or her, right? So why of all times be the negative force, rather than the positive force to bring up Holden's confidence more? Overall, at this point,Mr. Spencer's words might hurt a lot, but as time unfolds, his words might actually be twisted words hiding the true meaning for Holden to find it himself.
This quote shows the difference between what Holden thinks and how he acts. Holden acts tough and has a wall up, but inside he is more vulnerable and thoughtful. As Holden has mentioned before, he hates phonies. When Spencer reads his letter out loud, Holden realizes that he had been putting up a façade to cover up his vulnerability and fear of what will happen after he leaves Pencey Prep. Hearing Spencer read his letter makes Holden realize how fake he had been acting to disguise his fear of the uncertain future. Holden has acted in a tough manner, displaying a fearless disposition. In actuality, Holden is very afraid if what is to come, and hearing his letter makes him realize that he has been covering up his true emotions, in a fake and phony manner.
This quote represents Holden's failure at Pencey Prep. It shows his regret for not being able to create a well written essay, and that he is upset to leave Pencey Prep. Holden's favorite teacher was declaring Holden's lack of effort during the year, although he is a very smart boy. Holden becomes upset because he doesn't want to hear Mr. Spencer tell him how horrible his essay was or how he didn't apply himself, and that if he did, he would not have to leave Pencey. Mr. Spencer's behavior was upsetting towards Holden, even though the only person Holden should be upset with should be himself due to his lack of effort and accomplishment at Pencey.
This quote shows the vast difference between Holden’s thoughts from his actions. When speaking, Holden is very respectful and considerate of others feelings; however, in his thoughts he can be quite rude and pessimistic. For example, in the note written to Old Spencer, Holden did not mean a word he said; he only wrote it to please his teacher. This is very ironic considering how Holden expresses his hatred for “phonies.” and in writing that note, Holden was not true to himself, thus making him a “phony”. When Old Spencer read the note aloud, Holden was annoyed because he did not want to be reminded of his façade. Overall, the quote conveys how Holden is aggravated at Old Spencer for reminding him how he himself is a “phony.”
I believe that Holden is in a sense of denial. He knows he is failing these classes, yet he doesn't want to hear it from others. He compensates his failure with a false bravado and a nonchalant attitude. As mentioned above, this quote also represents the infinite contrast between what he says and what he does. As he listens to Mr. Spencer's stern speech, Holden thinks about weakening old man but acts apologetic and regretful. This makes Holden a phony which is the very thing he hates.
Taking into account that Holden strongly disagrees with the phoniness many people tend to portray, I feel as if this quote exemplifies Holden’s disgust over the poorly written essay he had created that evidently revealed his hypocrisy. By listening to Mr. Spencer read aloud his essay, Holden realized that he, too, was a phony considering he could’ve written a stronger essay that would have fully displayed his intelligence; however, Holden chose not to and decidedly handed in an essay that does not truly exhibit Holden’s intellect. Moreover, both Mr. Spencer and Holden shared a mutual understanding that Holden didn’t exactly try while writing the essay. With this in mind, I think that Mr. Spencer reading Holden’s essay back to him only angered Holden because Mr. Spencer knowingly dampened Holden’s pride and embarrassed him greatly, causing Holden to feel unwanted remorse for his lack of effort while writing the essay.
I think that Holden acts as if he doesn't care about his future or what is going on his life, when in actuality he does. After Mr Spencer reads Holden's essay aloud, Holden is not only angry with Mr Spencer, he is angry with himself as well, because he knows he is more intelligent than he lets on. Holden is not being the best version if himself he can be, and, possibly, this is starting to wear on him. I think in the moment the quote shows, Holden is becoming tired of being the person who acts as if he doesn't care, when really he does. Maybe now he's going to start showing that he cares?
Holden is a normal kid in a contemporary society his language is slang and his anger is adolescent. All his thoughts are premature and undeveloped, and this quote clearly shows this. When his history teacher, Old Spencer, reads his final aloud his goal is to present Holden with the fact that he did not try to pass the class in which he was in. This situation angers Holden like it would anger any other teenager, for Holden has respect for Old Spencer and does not wish to hurt his feelings by getting up and walking out but Holden also wants to leave to escape this moment of judgment and scrutiny on his life choices. This quote truly illustrates the petty nature of Holden's anger because his anger solely comes from the fact that he thought that Old Spencer understood him yet when he read Holden's paper Old Spencer clearly shows that even if he has an invested interest in Holden he is still unwilling to allow Holden to be left alone about his decisions. In this quote when Holden is bringing this experience back to mind he feels hatred towards Old Spencer because it is in this moment that Holden loses a friendship. - Andrew Thomas
Holden's declaration that he will never forgive his teacher could be interpreted as hyperbole, but in my opinion, he is serious. In the first place, he is narrating the story a year afterward and uses the present tense, meaning that he probably isn't experiencing an immediate emotional reaction that would cause him to exaggerate. Second, he is pessimistic in general and doesn't seem like the type of person to forgive and forget easily. Third, Holden's refusal to forgive Mr. Spencer for reading the note aloud doesn't necessarily mean that he hates his teacher, only that he won't let this one event go.
Holden's declaration that he will never forgive his teacher could be interpreted as hyperbole, but in my opinion, he is serious. In the first place, he is narrating the story a year afterward and uses the present tense, meaning that he probably isn't experiencing an immediate emotional reaction that would cause him to exaggerate. Second, he is pessimistic in general and doesn't seem like the type of person to forgive and forget easily. Third, Holden's refusal to forgive Mr. Spencer for reading the note aloud doesn't necessarily mean that he hates his teacher, only that he won't let this one event go.
Ultimately, this quote portrays Holden's unaccepted failure at Pencey Prep. For a guy who is quick to judge and point out others' foibles, he is certainly in denial of his own flaws in this particular scenario. Though Holden doesn't seem too upset to leave yet another boarding school, he certainly feels humiliated and ashamed when Spencer reminds him of his lack of dedication and accomplishment with his atrocious essay. This illustrates how our protagonist, who seems so critical of others, has character flaws of his own.
This quote displays Holden's ignorance towards his own attitude and characteristics. While he often ridicules people for being, "phony", he is being somewhat fake in this passage. He allows Mr. Spencer to read his paper to him, while all the while thinking that he wants it to stop. After, he apologizes for his sub-par work, even though he was mad he had to hear it again in the first place. He hates the people that don't say what they feel and act like what they mean, which is exactly what he is doing out of respect for his former teacher. Holden acts quite hypocritical in this part of the book, something that I believe he will display again later in the story.
This quote shows the contrast between Holden's thoughts and his words. His thoughts are negative and crude. On the other hand, Holden response to Mr. Spencer question, "Do you blame me for flunking you, boy" is, "No, sir! I certainly don't." This answer is polite and respectful. Overall, Holden chooses to hide his personal feeling, as his parents have taught him, and ends up coming across as phony himself.
ReplyDeleteI think that the main reason that Holden was so upset by this quote is because he doesn't like how he sounds. I don't think the seriousness of his situation has hit him yet and that his teachers reading of his note has shocked him a little. The note sounds like someone who has given up on himself and hearing this shocks him. He acts like he doesn't but I think he actually does care quite a bit.
ReplyDeleteWhen Holden hear's how he sounds he knows it doesn't properly reflect the kind of person he truly is. The allusion he uses to David Copperfield Leads me to believe that Holden is an intelligent man. When he hears the passage on Egyptians that he wrote Holden knows that he could've done much better. This aggravates him because flunking out of Pencey Prep. hadn't quite hit him yet and hearing the note he left really hit home. The note also left him feeling as if he had given up or he could've done more.
ReplyDeleteIn this quote Holden is thinking negatively about his teacher, but when he is talking to his teacher no one would have the slightest clue that he thought badly of him. This makes Holden a hypocrite, because while he is calling everyone "phony," maybe it is he who's thoughts do not match his actions, making him the "phony." Holden can't be blamed for thoughts because most people probably have had negative attitudes about people in their head, but they most likely don't say them.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, Holden is not taking responsibility for his actions. He knows that he wrote a terrible essay and made an awful mistake by not putting enough effort in when he was at school, but he is too afraid to think that. When he says "I don't think I'll ever forgive him for reading me that crap out loud" he is simply not taking responsibility for his actions or mistakes and trying to find someone else to blame his mistakes on. Holden try's to redirect his issues towards the teacher to the reader because he is being immature and cannot face his failures. In my opinion, he is being hypocritical because he is acting "fake" and/or "phony" because he is not thinking or fully explaining to the reader the real issue at hand: his failure.
ReplyDeleteThis quote shows the stark contrast between what Holden writes and what he thinks. For instance, in this quote Holden is recounting how he hated hearing what he wrote in a note to his teacher. He said that: "I'd only written that damn note so that he wouldn't feel too bad about flunking me." He doesn't really believe in anything he said, he only wrote the note to appease his teacher, and he hated hearing the sugar-coated nonsense being spat back at. Subconsciously he knows this makes him very similar to the "phonies" he hates so much. This knowledge makes him very angry, so he feels he can never forgive his teacher for reading aloud those horridly fake words.
ReplyDeleteThis quote allows readers to gain insight into the thoughts and emotions of Holden, the protagonist of "The Catcher in the Rye." This quote from Holden is in response to the actions of his History professor, Mr. Spencer. Mr. Spencer humiliates Holden by reading his failing essay on the ancient Egyptians aloud. Mr. Spencer quoted Holden's essay, not to embarrass him, but to support his argument that Holden needed to start to work harder to get his life on track. This noble objective was not clear to Holden who was greatly angered by the reading of his failing essay. Holden felt he had been cheated by the old man, for he had visited his professor expecting to exchange pleasantries and a solemn goodbye, but instead was the target of a lengthy harangue and a substantial amount of ridicule.
ReplyDeleteIn this quote, Holden is showed different from what he actually says to his teacher and what he actually thinks. I think that Holden felt this way was because when he was writing the essay he didn't try and to have his mistake thrown back at him made him angry. When he was talking to his teacher he said that he like him, but once he read the essay to Holden, Holden felt like his teacher was humiliating him for his badly written essay.
ReplyDeleteThis quote shows how Holden's thoughts can be very negative at times. Holden is mad at Mr. Spencer because he thought he purposely was trying to embarrass him. He doesn't realize that Mr. Spencer was only reading this to try to help him. Holden is a smart kid and he knows that if he had actually tried, then he would have done better in school. Holden didn't want to be confronted about his work because in his heart he knows he had just given up.
ReplyDeleteI can relate to how Holden feels when Mr.Spencer is reading his essay out loud to him. When there is a lack of effort put into your writing it can make you cringe when someone reads it out loud to you, making you question how you ever could have accepted that and passed it as your final piece of work. I think this is how Holden feels when he hears his essay being read back to him, making him feel embarrassment and regret. I also think the words sound funny to him, as if they aren't even his own because he wrote the essay to please his teacher even though the thoughts going through his had may have been different.
ReplyDeleteThe quote shows that Holden didn't want to admit how bad his essay was. He wrote it knowing it wasn't very good but instead of embracing his guilt, he chose to block it out. After his teacher reads it to him, he can't suppress his guilt any longer. This leads to Holden feel stupid and guilty, even though he knows that he's smart, and venting his feelings by getting angry at Mr. Spencer and blaming him for his own poor essay.
ReplyDeleteHolden is mad and uncomfortable because he is being forced to dwell on the past. He knows that he didn't put his full effort into the essay. However, I think he also feels unhappy because his teacher forces him to realize that he's a hypocrite; he hates phonies, but writes a falsely knowledgable-sounding essay that actually contains no real content. In other words, there are two layers to Holden's unhappiness in this passage
ReplyDeleteWhen someone looks down upon you or questions your lack of ability, it decreases one's belief in their ability to achieve. Holden knows he does not try hard enough in school, and eventually he is forced to leave Pencey due to his poor grades. I think that Holden "will never forgive" his teacher for reading his essay aloud because hearing it made him feel crestfallen. There are many things we wish we could change, and when people show us our weaknesses we feel inferior. Holden's weakness is his lack of motivation and drive to accomplish challenges that are set before him. We recongnize our own faults, but when others notice our flaws we are affected by a greater extent.
ReplyDeleteIt was interesting to see the rapid changes in Old Spencer's character. At first, I thought of Old Spencer as the only person that seemed to give Holden a chance, given Holden's underachieving academic background. However, after he humiliated Holden, my opinion of the teacher changed, and I believe that Holden's did as well. If I were in Holden's position, about to be kicked out of yet another prep school, the last thing I would want to hear is one of my favorite teachers (it seems as though that is the case for Holden with Old Spencer) rub in my face how poorly written an essay of mine was. And while I believe Holden has a right to be upset with his history teacher, he has only himself to blame for his poor record of achievement. It will be interesting to see Holden's development, if any, throughout the novel.
ReplyDeleteThis quote leads me to believe that Holden possesses regretful feelings of some of his past actions. His thoughts, however, come across as having an attitude that exhibits that he doesn't seem to care about his actions. Holden seems to be disgusted when he hears Mr. Spencer read aloud his essay, this showing his regret for writing it in the first place. Holden does not believe that he will be able to forgive Mr. Spencer, but this may have been something to reassure himself that Mr. Spencer is in the wrong for reading it aloud as opposed to himself for writing it. It seems to me that Holden does look back on his actions and wishes that he could change them, but he wants to seem like the kind of person who doesn't care. I believe that Holden is trying to blame his history teacher instead of placing the blame onto his own shoulders.
ReplyDeleteTim Brigham- This quote illustrates the vast difference between Holden's thoughts and his actions. Holden has crude thoughts towards Old Spencer, but he certainly doesn't express them. I think that Holden may be ashamed with what he wrote in his paper about the Egyptians. He truly does care about his education, he is not indifferent as he would like us to think. He would not risk everything by standing up to power like his thoughts would allude to him doing.
ReplyDeleteIt was surprising how harsh Holden's thoughts were towards Spencer considering he was the one who wrote the essay. Holden seems to be denying the fact that he should take the blame for the essay and is turning the blame to Spencer. True, it was unkind for Spencer to read Holden's essay out loud in a sarcastic tone, but Holden should at least take some responsibility for his work. It is also interesting how Holden explains how much he hates phonies, but then after Spencer reads his essay, Holden acts very apologetic and asks for forgiveness for his inadequate essay even though that's not how he feels. This quote, ("I don't think I'll ever forgive him for reading me that crap out loud"), shows that Holden was not only angry because Spencer embarrassed him, but was also unable to forgive Spencer for reading the essay out loud because it caused Holden to act like the very thing he hates most, a phony.
ReplyDeleteThis quote shows the severe contrast between what Holden thinks and what he speaks. On one hand, when Holden talks, his words are kind; however, the thoughts in Holden's head are often crude and impolite. For instance, when Holden is talking to his History teacher about the note Holden had written for him, he states that: "I'd only written that damn note so that he wouldn't feel to bad about flunking me." Although this thought is rather disrespectful, when Holden then speaks to the teacher, he is compassionate in explaining to him that he was not angry that he flunked the teachers course. It will be interesting to follow how holding back his true feelings and thoughts effects holden later in the book, as it is sure to cause much distress and anger for the young boy.
ReplyDeleteAt first I thought Mr. Spencer was the wise old man in Holden's life, like the old man in most fiction adventure story who directs the hero to success. However, his actions made me doubt my own assumption. First of all, he ridiculed Holden on his latest test. I assume that an embarrassed person will less likely to listen to the person who embarrassed him or her, right? So why of all times be the negative force, rather than the positive force to bring up Holden's confidence more? Overall, at this point,Mr. Spencer's words might hurt a lot, but as time unfolds, his words might actually be twisted words hiding the true meaning for Holden to find it himself.
ReplyDeleteThis quote shows the difference between what Holden thinks and how he acts. Holden acts tough and has a wall up, but inside he is more vulnerable and thoughtful. As Holden has mentioned before, he hates phonies. When Spencer reads his letter out loud, Holden realizes that he had been putting up a façade to cover up his vulnerability and fear of what will happen after he leaves Pencey Prep. Hearing Spencer read his letter makes Holden realize how fake he had been acting to disguise his fear of the uncertain future. Holden has acted in a tough manner, displaying a fearless disposition. In actuality, Holden is very afraid if what is to come, and hearing his letter makes him realize that he has been covering up his true emotions, in a fake and phony manner.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis quote represents Holden's failure at Pencey Prep. It shows his regret for not being able to create a well written essay, and that he is upset to leave Pencey Prep. Holden's favorite teacher was declaring Holden's lack of effort during the year, although he is a very smart boy. Holden becomes upset because he doesn't want to hear Mr. Spencer tell him how horrible his essay was or how he didn't apply himself, and that if he did, he would not have to leave Pencey. Mr. Spencer's behavior was upsetting towards Holden, even though the only person Holden should be upset with should be himself due to his lack of effort and accomplishment at Pencey.
ReplyDeleteThis quote shows the vast difference between Holden’s thoughts from his actions. When speaking, Holden is very respectful and considerate of others feelings; however, in his thoughts he can be quite rude and pessimistic. For example, in the note written to Old Spencer, Holden did not mean a word he said; he only wrote it to please his teacher. This is very ironic considering how Holden expresses his hatred for “phonies.” and in writing that note, Holden was not true to himself, thus making him a “phony”. When Old Spencer read the note aloud, Holden was annoyed because he did not want to be reminded of his façade. Overall, the quote conveys how Holden is aggravated at Old Spencer for reminding him how he himself is a “phony.”
ReplyDeleteI believe that Holden is in a sense of denial. He knows he is failing these classes, yet he doesn't want to hear it from others. He compensates his failure with a false bravado and a nonchalant attitude. As mentioned above, this quote also represents the infinite contrast between what he says and what he does. As he listens to Mr. Spencer's stern speech, Holden thinks about weakening old man but acts apologetic and regretful. This makes Holden a phony which is the very thing he hates.
ReplyDeleteTaking into account that Holden strongly disagrees with the phoniness many people tend to portray, I feel as if this quote exemplifies Holden’s disgust over the poorly written essay he had created that evidently revealed his hypocrisy. By listening to Mr. Spencer read aloud his essay, Holden realized that he, too, was a phony considering he could’ve written a stronger essay that would have fully displayed his intelligence; however, Holden chose not to and decidedly handed in an essay that does not truly exhibit Holden’s intellect. Moreover, both Mr. Spencer and Holden shared a mutual understanding that Holden didn’t exactly try while writing the essay. With this in mind, I think that Mr. Spencer reading Holden’s essay back to him only angered Holden because Mr. Spencer knowingly dampened Holden’s pride and embarrassed him greatly, causing Holden to feel unwanted remorse for his lack of effort while writing the essay.
ReplyDeleteI think that Holden acts as if he doesn't care about his future or what is going on his life, when in actuality he does. After Mr Spencer reads Holden's essay aloud, Holden is not only angry with Mr Spencer, he is angry with himself as well, because he knows he is more intelligent than he lets on. Holden is not being the best version if himself he can be, and, possibly, this is starting to wear on him. I think in the moment the quote shows, Holden is becoming tired of being the person who acts as if he doesn't care, when really he does. Maybe now he's going to start showing that he cares?
ReplyDeleteHolden is a normal kid in a contemporary society his language is slang and his anger is adolescent. All his thoughts are premature and undeveloped, and this quote clearly shows this. When his history teacher, Old Spencer, reads his final aloud his goal is to present Holden with the fact that he did not try to pass the class in which he was in. This situation angers Holden like it would anger any other teenager, for Holden has respect for Old Spencer and does not wish to hurt his feelings by getting up and walking out but Holden also wants to leave to escape this moment of judgment and scrutiny on his life choices. This quote truly illustrates the petty nature of Holden's anger because his anger solely comes from the fact that he thought that Old Spencer understood him yet when he read Holden's paper Old Spencer clearly shows that even if he has an invested interest in Holden he is still unwilling to allow Holden to be left alone about his decisions. In this quote when Holden is bringing this experience back to mind he feels hatred towards Old Spencer because it is in this moment that Holden loses a friendship.
ReplyDelete- Andrew Thomas
Holden's declaration that he will never forgive his teacher could be interpreted as hyperbole, but in my opinion, he is serious. In the first place, he is narrating the story a year afterward and uses the present tense, meaning that he probably isn't experiencing an immediate emotional reaction that would cause him to exaggerate. Second, he is pessimistic in general and doesn't seem like the type of person to forgive and forget easily. Third, Holden's refusal to forgive Mr. Spencer for reading the note aloud doesn't necessarily mean that he hates his teacher, only that he won't let this one event go.
ReplyDeleteHolden's declaration that he will never forgive his teacher could be interpreted as hyperbole, but in my opinion, he is serious. In the first place, he is narrating the story a year afterward and uses the present tense, meaning that he probably isn't experiencing an immediate emotional reaction that would cause him to exaggerate. Second, he is pessimistic in general and doesn't seem like the type of person to forgive and forget easily. Third, Holden's refusal to forgive Mr. Spencer for reading the note aloud doesn't necessarily mean that he hates his teacher, only that he won't let this one event go.
ReplyDeleteUltimately, this quote portrays Holden's unaccepted failure at Pencey
ReplyDeletePrep. For a guy who is quick to judge and point out others' foibles,
he is certainly in denial of his own flaws in this particular
scenario. Though Holden doesn't seem too upset to leave yet another
boarding school, he certainly feels humiliated and ashamed when
Spencer reminds him of his lack of dedication and accomplishment with
his atrocious essay. This illustrates how our protagonist, who seems
so critical of others, has character flaws of his own.
This quote displays Holden's ignorance towards his own attitude and characteristics. While he often ridicules people for being, "phony", he is being somewhat fake in this passage. He allows Mr. Spencer to read his paper to him, while all the while thinking that he wants it to stop. After, he apologizes for his sub-par work, even though he was mad he had to hear it again in the first place. He hates the people that don't say what they feel and act like what they mean, which is exactly what he is doing out of respect for his former teacher. Holden acts quite hypocritical in this part of the book, something that I believe he will display again later in the story.
ReplyDelete