The Catcher in the Rye: Chapter 2  Summary & Analysis

Holden’s thoughts about Mr. Spencer reveal how uncomfortable he is with the idea of aging. When he thinks about Mr. Spencer struggling to pick up a piece of chalk, he finds himself feeling quite sad—a feeling that only intensifies when he sees his teacher’s wrinkled skin. Simply put, Mr. Spencer serves as concrete evidence that it’s impossible to avoid growing up. Because Holden’s future is so unsure (as a result of his expulsion), he finds the unavoidable process of getting older quite troubling and depressing, since it further emphasizes how little control he has over his life’s trajectory.

Dr. Thurmer’s assertion that life is a game is a perfect example of the kind of “phony” mindset that Holden hates. Unable to get himself to care about living up to expectations, Holden rejects the general conceit that life is a game, since this theory frames existence as little more than a rat race. Since Holden doesn’t see the point of applying himself in endeavors like academics, he has trouble accepting that a person should go through life thinking of existence so narrow-mindedly, though it’s worth mentioning that he himself doesn’t seem to have thought of an alternative approach. 

That Pencey is the fourth school Holden has been kicked out of suggests that his lack of motivation is part of a larger pattern in his life. It also suggests that his expulsion from Pencey most likely won’t encourage him to apply himself in the future, since he has already gone through this process before and apparently gotten nothing out of it. When he pretends to be upset about the situation, it becomes obvious that he’s well-versed in tricking adults into thinking he’s remorseful. This behavior demonstrates that although Holden decries other people for being “phony,” this attitude is hypocritical, since he himself is not above using phoniness to get what he wants. Ironically enough, he pretends to be mature by recognizing his immaturity, giving people like Mr. Spencer the impression that he has learned something valuable when, in reality, he has no intentions of changing his ways.

By making Holden listen to his own inadequate essay, Mr. Spencer hopes to shame the young man into wanting to apply himself in the future. He also tries to make Holden see that he will continue to regret his actions if he keeps coasting through life—after all, it’s embarrassing for Holden to listen to his pathetic essay. Unfortunately, though, Holden is more focused on whether or not Spencer is a “phony” than on learning from his own mistakes.

Holden is acutely aware of whether or not people are being authentic, which is why it’s rather strange that he allows himself to “shoot the bull.” This again suggests that he isn’t all that self-aware, since he doesn’t hold himself to the same rigorous standards to which he holds everyone else. The fact that he thinks about the ducks in the Central Park lagoon is also noteworthy, since it hints at his resistance to change—as he considers where they go during the winter, he grapples with the idea that living beings must constantly adapt to the world, something he himself has trouble doing.

That Holden left Elkton Hills voluntarily is significant, since it underscores just how much he dislikes being “surrounded by phonies.” Of course, readers have just seen that Holden is often rather phony himself, but this doesn’t bother him because he’s primarily concerned with whether or not other people are authentic or honest about who they are. For this reason, he can’t stand the idea of somebody like his former headmaster paying more attention to wealthy parents than anyone else.

Holden’s belief that Mr. Spencer will never be able to understand how he feels is quite naïve. Although Holden feels like he’s the only person experiencing feelings of disillusionment with the world, what he fails to recognize is that most people go through a phase (often in their teenage years) of questioning the “phoniness” of their surroundings. Rather than understanding that Mr. Spencer has most likely had similar thoughts at some point in his life, though, Holden sees him as utterly unrelatable. This is because he thinks of Spencer and himself as occupying two sides of a spectrum, forever removed from one another because of their age difference. In turn, Holden’s strange conception of what it means to grow up brings itself to the forefront of the novel once again, and he finds himself unable to appreciate Spencer’s well wishes, clearly thinking that the phrase “Good luck” is depressing because it implies that he will have to overcome challenges in his future.