"Old Spencer started...picking his nose. He made out like he was only pinching it, but he was really getting the old thumb right in there...I didn't care, except that it's pretty disgusting to watch somebody pick their nose [page 9]."
"I was thinking about the lagoon in Central Park...if it would be frozen when I got home and if it was, where did the ducks go...I could shoot the old bull to old Spencer and think about those ducks at the same time [page 13]."
I selected this scene because I find it amusing: the old man is unashamedly picking his nose, and the teenager is zoning out while he's talking about some garbage he made up. I also enjoyed it because it is so relatable. Old people really do seem to lose their inhibitions, and many young people space out easily, myself being one of them.
The other reason I chose this scene is because it shows the huge gap between the elderly and Holden, how far away he feels from their league. It also mentions the ducks in the park. I at first took this to be a tangent that made little difference, but the ducks also come up again when he returns home--perhaps this turn into a vital plot point. Now I am left to wonder, Where will the ducks strike next?
Intriguing question about the ducks (which I know the answer to but I refuse to tell), and I think you are so right on both of your other claims. First teenagers definitely have the ability to tune ANYTHING out (or a lot of us do) and it most often happens when talking to figures of authority like our parents or (like in Holden’s case) teachers. Secondly a lot of old people really do just stop caring what other people think about them, my Great-Grandmother lives with me I would know.
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