Blog #44: The Catcher in the Rye

Another little remark in The Catcher in the Rye that I enjoyed was made my Mr. Spencer. Mr. Spencer is Holden’s favorite teacher. If I can recall correctly, he is the English teacher. English is the only class that Holden passed so I do not blame him for liking Mr. Spencer the best. The quote that I am referring to is, “Life is a game, boy. Life is a game that one plays according to the rules(Salinger 92).” I really liked this quote because I think it fits Holden perfectly. It does not fit him perfectly because it is what Holden agrees with, but it is the exact opposite. It is really ironic. Holden takes life so seriously and never thinks of it as a game. It is just something that he was thrown in to, and cannot go out for quite some time. He also definitely does not play by the rules. He thinks that the rules are just something that is set by adults who are phony. They cannot uphold to those standards, so why should he? That is his point. It really goes back to Holden’s famous phrase and state of phoniness. He really believes that all adults are phony, but he does not see that he is actually the exact same way. That is why he does not follow the rules. He will not do something to please those who think they are better than everyone, and who do not follow the rules themselves. I kind of agree with him. I would not follow rules if the person that set them cannot abide by them too. It is being hypocritical and a phony. Holden is just so opposite of this quote and that is why I like it. It goes with him perfectly because it is so ironic. It does not fit his personality, but it fits him very well. I think that is why Mr. Spencer said it. He wanted to Holden think about it considering that is the way life really seems.

Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye. New York: Back Bay, 2001. Print.