Pency Prep and Elkton Hills

Pency Prep and Elkton Hills
Both Pency prep and Elkton hills, Holden's last two schools, are symbols of the phony and cruel adult world. Holden rails against the false advertisements for Pency prep. Holden considers most of the guys as phonies. Even more serious is the cruelty that Holden has seen at prep schools. Holden talks about a guy who committed suicide after being bullied in Elkton Hills School. He dislikes the exceptionality and the prejudice against those who are neither attractive nor hip. He is ashamed of himself for going along with the crowd and joining such society. Although James Castle's brutally forced suicide took place at Elkton Hills, we can get the idea that it could have happened at Pency Prep just as easily. For Holden, the two schools are symbols of a corrupt system. Part of Holden's problem is that he struggles so hard against a system into which he was born.
1. "They advertise in about a thousand magazines, always showing some hot-shot guy on a horse jumping over a fence," ( p.2).
2. "I never even once saw a horse's picture," (P.2).
3. "since 1888 we have been molding boys into splendid, clear-thinking young men," (P.2)
4. "And I didn't know anybody there that was splendid and clear-thinking and all," (P.2).
5. "…but he was a secret slob anyway," (P.27)
6. "One of the biggest reasons I left Elkton Hills was because I was surrounded by phonies," (P.13).
7. "It was full of phonies. And mean guys. You never saw so many mean guys in your life…It was a stinking school. Take my word," (P.167).