In the next part of the book that I read, Holden decides to leave Pencey before he is actually set to leave. Since his parents don't know that he was kicked out of school, he decides to head to New York for a few days before he goes home. One part in particular that stood out to me was on his train ride from Pencey to New York, he sits next to a mother of a classmate of his. This mother seems to be completely oblivious to the fact that her son is, according to Holden, "the biggest bastard that ever went to Pencey" (pg 61). Most mother's try to see the best in their children, to the point of almost overlooking the not so great behavior in some cases. As Holden said, "Mothers are all slightly insane" (pg 62), they believe that their children can do no wrong to the point where no one would be able to convince them otherwise even with solid evidence.
Through this interaction with his classmate's mom on the train, the readers are given an idea of what the parents of students at Pencey think about the school. This particular mother is convinced that her son is having the best time, and is doing amazingly well. He might be, but it makes you wonder if Holden's parents have the same idea of what life at Pencey is like, and Holden is obviously not doing so well there. 
Later on, Holden talks about his little sister, Phoebe. Every time he mentions her though, he says "old Phoebe." As he continues on to say that she is extremely smart, and was always listening and contributing to conversations between Holden and his brothers from the time she was really young, you come to see why it is that he says "old." She has an old soul, and acts older than her years.
This description of his sister, and his earlier description of his brother that died show that he loves his family a lot.

In the next few chapters in the book, Holden gives the reader more of an idea of what is life at his boarding school, Pencey, was really like. Between the odd behavior of the boy in the room next door and the narcissism of his roommate, it seems as though Holden's dorm life was far from boring. At one point, Holden's roommate asks him to write his English paper for him because he has a date and won't have time to write it. This struck me as odd because Holden was flunking out of school, in all subjects, including English. However, then his roommate continues on to say that Holden can't "do it too good" because their English teacher thinks Holden is "a hot-shot in English." This made me think that maybe Holden does in fact have the potential to do well in school, but he chooses not to try. The essay he ends up writing for his roommate is about his younger brother's baseball mitt. His brother, Allie, had passed away from Leukemia a few years earlier, but Holden had kept his baseball mitt that was covered in poems that Allie had written on it. This story that Holden recounted showed some of the pain and suffering that Holden had been through up until this point in his life. It gives you more of an insight into maybe why he is the way he is.
At another point in the story, Holden talks about how he often horses around to keep himself from being bored. One time he is horsing around, tap-dancing in the bathroom while his roommate shaves, and he says "all I need's an audience." Does his need for an audience, need for attention, fuel his constant rebellion against the school system? Does his getting kicked out of multiple schools have anything to do with this need for attention? His statement of his need for an audience made me think that maybe he doesn't try because he gets attention from it. When he doesn't try, when he fails, he gets attention from teachers, fellow classmates, and maybe even his parents. His parents sent him away to boarding school and maybe he feels that the only way he can get their attention is by doing so horribly in school that they are forced to look for a new school that he can attend.
These few chapters also showed more of the school experiences that the other Pencey students might have had. His roommate is "Year Book handsome" going on dates with girls from schools near Pencey every weekend, while the boy next door hates everyone and everyone hates him. These are two very different experiences of school and Holden's is somewhere in between.  By showing more of the lives around Holden, the author helped show how different student's experiences can be even when they attend the same school.

In the book, The Catcher in The Rye by J.D. Salinger, a boy named Holden Caulfield is struggling in school, however he seems to be doing so intentionally. In the first two chapters that I have read of the book, Holden explains that he has either flunked out of or "quit" multiple boarding schools in the past. He seems to not care what kind of effect that this behavior could have on his future. He finds the prestigious boarding schools that his parents send him to "full of phonies." He doesn't like the way that the teachers and administrators act around the parents, or the way some of the schools promise to "mold boys into splendid, clear-thinking young men." 
Towards the end of the first chapter, Holden is headed to his history teacher's house to say good-bye before he is sent home. His teacher, Mr. Spencer, seems to be upset with Holden's attitude towards school, and his education. At one point during the visit, Mr. Spencer asks Holden if he even cares, and if he realizes that flunking out of so many schools will damage his future. To these questions, Holden seems to be almost offended. It seems as though he doesn't want anybody's opinion on the matter, even if they are trying to help. He is focused on the present and has yet to start thinking about the future.
In some cases, kids that have this attitude towards school don't have a good support system of people who care about them and whether or not they succeed. This, however, may not be Holden's case. His parents have yet to make an appearance in the book, but they care enough to send him to good schools despite his track record. This could be for their own benefit, but it might be for his as well. Holden also has teachers like Mr. Spencer, who seem to care if he does well in school or not. Mr. Spencer was worried about him, and how his actions could seriously damage his future.
I have never had to struggle with not having people support me in school. I believe that the support of my parents and all of the amazing teachers that I have had over the years has really encouraged my to love learning, and helped me to succeed in school. Holden, in the book, doesn't love learning, he often finds things to be "boring," and hardly tries to find a way to make learning entertaining. This may be part of his problem, he is too focused on not caring and how "boring" learning is that he is letting the opportunities that he is presented with pass him by.
This book connects with my inquiry through Holden's unique experience with school. As I continue to read the book, I hope to figure out why it is that Holden has the attitude he does towards school, and what or who might have influenced his thinking.