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Post by Mr. Thomas on Mar 5, 2014 13:21:44 GMT -5
An awkward meeting with "Old Spencer" and meeting Holden's dorm-mates.
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Post by kyleconnolly on Mar 5, 2014 16:15:12 GMT -5
A) At the beginning of chapter 3, Holden calls himself the best liar you will ever meet. From what he’s shown, he’s lied to an old man about having to leave, which I believe anyone could do in their sleep. Also, I compared this to another character, Walter White, from Breaking Bad. Walter is actually a terrific liar and compared to Mr. White, Caufield seems like he doesn’t even know how to lie.
D) One part I liked was when Holden gets really caught up in his mind mid-way through the lie he is telling to Spencer. We all drift off during the day but in the middle of a lie was quite interesting to me. Also, what Holden was thinking about was really funny. “I was wondering where the ducks go when the lagoon is frozen. I wondered if some guy in a truck took them to a zoo or something. Or if they just flew away” (Salinger 13).
E) One thing that really stood out to me was how disrespectful Holden really is in this book. In the previous chapter he mentioned losing the fencing teams equipment on the subway which probably cost a decent amount of money, but he shows no care whatsoever. Mr. Spencer, his history teacher invited him over to have one final chat before they never saw each other again and of course Caufield had to go on a rant about it. “I’m not too crazy about sick people, anyway. What made it even more depressing, old Spencer had on this very sad, ratty old bathrobe that he was probably born in or something. I don’t like to see old guys in their pajamas and bathrobes anyway” (Salinger 7).
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Post by chrisnoble on Mar 5, 2014 17:44:49 GMT -5
D. I liked the quote when Holden was describing Old Spencer pick his nose: “Old Spencer started nodding again. He also started picking his nose. He made out like he has only pinching it, but her was really getting the old thumb right in there. I guess he thought it was alright to do because it was only me that was in the room. I don’t care, except for the fact that it’s pretty disgusting to watch somebody pick their nose” (pages 13-14). I liked this quote because I can’t even imagine what I would feel like if I was talking to my teacher, and all of a sudden, he or she started picking their nose. I would probably to exactly what Holden did; talk to about how disgusting it is in my head.
E. I didn’t like Stradlater very much. To me he seems like a kid who thinks he’s cool and the best at everything: “He went out of the room with his toilet kit and towel under his arm. No shirt on or anything. He always walked around in his bare torso because he thought he had a damn good build” (page 34). Stradlater seemed nice and all, but I have a feeling that he thinks he’s the best.
G. If I was Old Spencer, I would be extremely mad at Holden for not putting any effort into his work. Holden was failing multiple classes and then handed in an essay that was disgraceful. I would try to help Holden and ask him if there is something wrong, but if he wasn’t doing any work because he was lazy, I would be ashamed in him.
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Post by eddieditolla on Mar 5, 2014 18:43:39 GMT -5
Eddie DiTolla
Mr. Thomas
English 10
5 March 2014
Catcher in the Rye Ch. 2-3
I. I agree with Kyle because I think that Holden is also really disrespectful in this book. In the previous chapter he mentioned losing the fencing teams equipment on the subway which probably cost a decent amount of money, but he shows no care whatsoever. Mr. Spencer, his history teacher invited him over to have one final chat before they never saw each other again and of course Caulfield had to go on bombast about it. “I’m not too crazy about sick people, anyway. What made it even more depressing, old Spencer had on this very sad, ratty old bathrobe that he was probably born in or something. I don’t like to see old guys in their pajamas and bathrobes anyway” (Salinger 7).
D. A set of lines I liked in Chapter two were “Oh… well about Life being a game and all. And how you should play it accordingly to the rules. He was pretty nice about it” (Salinger 8). I like this set of lines because this is when Holden is talking to old Spencer about what Mr. Thurmer said to him. This quote is telling Holden and relating to him because Mr. Thurmer is relating the board game Life to Holden’s actually life and how he has to follow the rules in school just like how you have to follow the rules in the game Life. I also like how Salinger uses expletive words from time to time in the book because to me it kind of wakens the reader.
F. The relationship I am going to talk about is between old Spencer and Holden. Holden in general is disrespectful to other people, but towards old Spencer he is pretty nice to him for the most part. The relationship between them is a good relationship because they like to talk to each other and Holden show a lot of patience when he starts to read Holden’s final essay. When they are ending their conversation old Spencer says “I’d like to put some sense into that head of yours boy. I’m trying to help you” (Salinger 14). This shows that he wants to help out Holden to make at least a little smarter.
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Post by martinsteffens on Mar 5, 2014 18:45:00 GMT -5
Ch 2-3 Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
D) “The minute I went in, I felt sort of sorry I’d come. He was reading Atlantic Monthly, and there pills and medicine all over the place, and everything smelled like Vicks Nose Drops. It was pretty depressing. I’m not too crazy about sick people, anyway. What made it even more depressing, old Spencer had on this very sad, ratty old bathrobe that he was probably born in or something. I don’t much like to see old guys in their pajamas and bathrobes anyway.” Salinger 7
I really like this quote because Salinger really helps us visualize the scene. Honestly, it is like I can see and smell Holden and Spencer like they are sitting in my bedroom
I) I agree with both Kyle and Chris about their statements. First I believe that lying to an old man is very impressive like Kyle said. And, if I was Spencer I would be very angry at Holden. If he just put a little more effort into his work he will succeed and Spencer knows that.
B) Even though we are just in Chapter three of the book I feel that Holden is quite a character. To start off ch 3 he says “I’m the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life. It’s awful. I’m on my way to the store to buy a magazine, even, and somebody asks me where I’m going , I’m liable to say I’m going to the opera. It’s terrible.” Salinger 16 I feel that later in the book either his lying skills or his overconfidence will come back and hurt him.
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ryan
New Member
Posts: 15 
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Post by ryan on Mar 5, 2014 20:20:18 GMT -5
D. I so far find this book quite humorous, but I think that my favorite line that I have read has been listing to the thought process of Holden when he was with his teacher Spencer stating, "...he was a nice old guy that didn't know his ass from his elbow." (page 8)
E. The author I feel really captures all of the characters so far in fairly detailed depictions. I can almost see what all of them look like and I know plenty of people who are like each character. Ackley so far is my favorite character after Holden of course because everything about Stradlater that he hates is actually describing Ackley himself. Ackley is even more conceited, rude, and obviously just plain old disgusting.
C. I am rather curious why Holden calls his brother D.B. instead of his real name and why he says he hates his brother's books in chapter one but later goes on to say that his brother is his favorite author.
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Post by victorpasquin on Mar 6, 2014 0:39:56 GMT -5
E) I noticed that Holden is very disrespectful and lazy. In the first chapter, he mentions losing the fencing team's equipment and causing them to forfeit. Yet, he seems like he doesn't care about what kind of effect his actions have on others. Even when it seems like the only person he likes is Old Spencer, Holden complains when Old Spencer invites him over to speak to and see each other for the last time. “I’m not too crazy about sick people, anyway. What made it even more depressing, old Spencer had on this very sad, ratty old bathrobe that he was probably born in or something. I don’t like to see old guys in their pajamas and bathrobes anyway” (Salinger 7).
A) In this book so far, Holden seems like a very selfish person who does not care what kind of outcome his actions have on others. I was able to make the connection with the evil essay that we just completed. I chose three characters, Gregor, General Paul, and the political leaders of England. These three are selfish and have a negative effect and cause problems for those around them. Holden forgot the team's fencing equipment and caused the team to forfeit and he didn't seem to care at all.
G) If I were to put myself in the position of Old Spencer, I would not be trying to reach out to Holden at all. Holden put no time into his school work and was failing multiple subjects and submitting essays that were simply disgraceful. Instead of trying to see why Holden does not care about his studies, Old Spencer talks to him about other things. If I learned that his grades were poor simply because he was lazy, I would not be reaching out to him as much as Old Spencer is.
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Post by VonGarcia on Mar 6, 2014 1:50:17 GMT -5
E.) I noticed that Holden gets annoyed very easily. Some things in particular already destroy his mood. “That’s something that drives me crazy. When people say something twice that way, after you admit it the first time.” (Page 10) Another thing I noticed about Holden is how he doesn’t really seem to listen to adults. When he went to Mr. Spencer’s house, he did whatever he can to avoid a lecture. He also thought of other things when he was in a conversation with him. “The funny thing is, though, I was sort of thinking of something else while I shot the bull.” (Page 13)
C.) Why does he not care about his performance in school? Also, He seems like he doesn’t even care about what his future will be like. Another question I have is: does Robert Ackley have some type of weird mental thing going on or is he just antisocial? “He hardly ever went anywhere. He was a very peculiar guy. He was a senior, and he’d been at Pencey the whole four years and all, but nobody every called him anything except “Ackley.” (Page 19) Another question I have is that WHERE ARE HIS PARENTS? They seem like they’re never there at all and we’re not even introduced to any relative of Holden’s.
I.) I agree with Kyle. Holden in the story was very disrespectful. Especially when he was in the middle of talking to Mr. Spencer and he just drifts off and thinks about the pond in Central Parks and what happens to the ducks when it’s frozen.
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Post by peterboustani on Mar 6, 2014 7:01:40 GMT -5
Peter Boustani
B. I feel like this story is very obvious and predictable. I feel like everything in the story is so typical. The story despite being only in its first three chapters is not all that intriguing and just does not have a sense of direction which is not helped by a protagonist who I feel is not necessarily all that interesting.
D. Something that I didn't like in the book was the authors writing style. Because he is writing very improperly like the writing style of a teenager and the teenager he is writing as is a person I really do not like, it makes the entire story much much harder to get into for me. No matter who the writer, an author can never give me a good impersonation of a teenager as I feel I am seeing the entire perspective from an adult retelling what they heard from the original person which makes it feel disjointed. This is extremely picky and should be more forgiving if it were for a protagonist I care about. There is something I don't like about his narrating especially.
C. What is wrong with Spencer? Is he sick with something similar to cancer that affects more elderly and makes you weaker like this or is it simply very old age catching up with him? I really liked Spencer's character and I want to see him again and I hope he does not have to die to get his message across.
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