Kindly Mrs. Spencer is the one who invites Holden into the couple’s modest home and directs him toward the ailing instructor’s bedroom. Holden’s background is sufficiently privileged that he mentions the absence of servants to open the doors to visitors. The Spencers are an elderly couple, although we need to be cautious about specifics because Holden tends to exaggerate. He mentions several “old guy” habits that Mr. Spencer indulges in and a few other human failings that annoy him. Worst is the reading aloud of Holden’s final exam from Spencer’s history class.
Holden reveals flaws in his own character as well as condemning them in the rest of the world. He is 17 as he narrates the story and was 16 when the events took place, but he admits to behaving like a 12-year-old at times. He finds this especially ironic because he is 6 feet 2 1/2 inches tall, having grown 6 1/2 inches the previous year. The right side of Holden’s head is covered with gray hair, another irony. He knows he should act more mature; his personal habits are poor at times, he smokes too much, he’s a terrible liar, and he has trouble caring about school.
Hoping, in vain, to head off a lecture, Holden readily admits to Mr. Spencer that he rarely studied for history class, only glancing through the book a couple of times over the course of the semester. He knows he deserved to fail, which makes Spencer’s harangue especially annoying. Holden rightly feels that it is a “dirty trick” when Spencer reads his exam aloud. It isn’t as if the exam answer is news to Holden. He knows that the essay on Egyptians is “crap.” Initially friendly, Holden is beginning to hate the old man.
