I met Holden Caulfield yesterday... he was playing the tough guy, but I could tell it was all an act. He doesn't quite fit in... he feels an awkwardness that makes him call the people around him morons & phonies, but he still wanted to be part of them... He joined the fencing team... as manager. Not really involved with the team but there... He went to the Big Game but sat on top of the hill looking down at everyone instead of joining in... (it was pretty cold up there, snow and all and I kept trying to convince him to leave.) He isolates himself and it's so sad... No real friendships... Maybe it's because he keeps getting thrown out of schools... Did I tell you? Oh I guess not, Holden just flunked out of Pencey's. This is the third exclusive boys boarding school...
When his history teacher Mr. Spencer leaves him a note saying he wants to see him, you can almost see that warm & fuzzy feeling inside of him that someone is going to miss him. Until he gets there and it's a lecture... ( at least we left that cold snowy hill!) So that's it. He goes back to his dorm, packs it up and is getting out of there... His one last act is to try and feel something about leaving... trying to remember something that will make him miss what he's leaving behind so he can say goodbye to it all... finally he remembers a time where he was playing football with a couple of guys and that's it... he feels something to miss... On his way out the door...
"When I was all set to go, when I had all my bags and all, I stood next to the stairs and took a last look down the corridor. I was sort of crying. I don't know why..." But then at the top of his voice he yells, "Sleep tight, ya morons!"
I left Holden on his way out the door... I'll meet up with him at chapter 8 to see where he's going...
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