Chapter 24

In this chapter Holden goes to visit Mr. Antolini. It is very late at night when Holden arrives at Mr.Antonlini’s apartment and Holden tells us that Mr. Antolini is tipsy from the highballs that he continually drinks throughout the chapter. Mr. Antolini asks Holden what he did not like about Pencey and Holden begins to tell him about Mr. Vinison's Oral Expression class. Holden does not really talk about his personal experience in the class instead he talks about a fellow classmate who he describes as being a nervous guy who is not very good at staying on topic. From the way Holden narrates The Catcher in The Rye we are able to tell that Holden also has trouble staying on topic. Do you think there is a reason why Holden does not share his experience giving a speech? Do you possibly think that the boy that Holden is talking about is himself, and he just does not want to admit it to Mr. Antolini? Holden all of a sudden become extremely tired and wishes to continue the conversation in the morning, but Mr. Antolini seem eager to give his advice and share his wisdom. Mr. Antolini tells Holden “I have a feeling that you’re riding for some kind of terrible, terrible fall(p. 186).” Mr. Antolini continues to give his advise but Holden unwillingly yawns and Mr. Antolini helps Holden get ready for bed. Before heading off Mr. Antolini says, “All right. good night, handsome(pg. 191).” While putting together Holden's bed Mr. Antolini tries to talk to Holden about girls, but Holden is to tired to keep a good conversation. As Holden is getting ready for bed he realizes that Mr. Antolini forgot to let him borrow some clothes so Holden just sleeps in his shorts. Holden frantically wakes up and sees Mr. Antolini petting his head. Holden gets extremely nervous because he think that Mr. Antolini is making an advance on him. Holden makes up an excuse and says he has to go. Later Holden reveals that this has happened to him before. I personally believe that Mr. Antolini’s actions were not as innocent as he tried to make them seem. I believe this because Mr. Antolini calls him “handsome”, asks him about girls, and he “forgets” to give Holden some extra clothes. What do you think of Mr. Antolini’s suspicious head petting? What do you think of Holden’s response? Do you think he reacted appropriately?

Chapter 24: Holden and Mr. Antolini

In chapter 24, Holden goes over to Mr. Antolini's apartment and the two begin to talk. Holden knows Mr. Antolini from sometime ago, when he use to come over to dinner at Holden's house. After a while, he started to play tennis in Long Island at the West Side Tennis Club with Antolini and his wife. At the beginning of their talk, we can see that Mr. Antolini is offering some sympathetic talk to Holden for all of his troubles, probably the only adult who has offered any chance at some conversation. He begins to inquire about Holden's expulsion at Pencey Prep, which Holden replies with an answer with arguments of he disliked the rules and regulations. But after Holden explains all of this, he sees that his argument has got him anywhere and he begins to feel uncomfortable. After this, Mr. Antolini says that he is worried about Holden because he sees that Holden could be on the track for a major "fall",“I have a feeling that you’re riding for some kind of terrible, terrible fall.” He believes that Holden's "fall" will be due to the fact that he can't accept becoming an adult, and that if he goes to school that he will learn about different types of relationships with men and women, and that everyone takes the journey from childhood to adulthood. This chapter deals with a issue of a fall, which has come up in some of the later chapters. Another main component in the chapter was when Holden woke up and felt Mr. Antolini stroke his head. Holden then believes it was Mr. Antolini making a homosexual advance toward him and then fled the apartment. This was a very important part because now the only person that Holden could talk too, in his mind, is gone. If you were Holden right now, would you flee Mr. Antolini's apartment or would you talk to him? Why? Do you think he was making an advance on Holden? Before he made an advance on Holden, do you think Mr. Antolini was a good mentor for Holden? Why or Why not? Is Holden on the track of a major fall? Why?

Chapter 24

In chapter 24, Holden goes to Mr. and Mrs. Antolini’s apartment on Sutton Place to stay for the night. Mr. Antolini and Holden have a long and interesting conversation about Holden himself. The talk covers many topics. For example, Holden tells Mr. Antolini how while he may hate kids like Ackley and Stradlater, he only hates them temporary and even ends up missing them after they are gone. He says that he only hates them when they are around him but misses them when he they are not with him. Mr. Antolini also says to Holden, “This fall I think you’re riding for-it’s a special kind of fall. A horrible kind. The man falling isn’t permitted to feel or hear himself hit bottom. He just keeps falling and falling. The whole arrangement’s designed for men who, at some time or other in their lives, were looking for something their own environment couldn’t supply them with. Or they thought their own environment couldn’t supply them with. So they gave up looking. They gave it up before they ever really even got started.” (p. 187) This quote is another method that J. D. Salinger uses for saying that for referring to the journey of maturing from child to adult. The part of the quote that that says, “The whole arrangement’s designed for men who, at some time or other in their lives, were looking for something their own environment couldn’t supply them with,” means that people start maturing to adulthood when they were beginning to find childhood dull, and lacking in the previous enjoyment and chaos that childhood brought. Mr. Antolini is able to see that Holden is having a problem growing up almost instantaneously. He sees Holden’s problems before everybody else sees them, even Holden himself. It almost seemed like Mr. Antolini was going to be able to get through to Holden and be able to help him, but when Holden wakes up in the middle of the night and finds Mr. Antolini rubbing his arm, he is freaked and runs away, in result throwing everything that Mr. Antolini told him away. Why do you think that Mr. Antolini uses the word ‘falling’ to describe the journey to adulthood? Holden comments that the experience with Mr. Antolini happened to him at least 20 times before. Do you think that those moments may also be responsible for some of Holden’s current issues? Do you think that Holden has not willing started to mature because he still enjoys childhood and has not started to find childhood boring and dull?

"I'll just watch."

In chapter 25 of the Catcher in the Rye Holden meets with Phoebe at the  museum to tell her goodbye because he’s going to travel west on the trains and leave New York behind. When Phoebe shows up with a packed bag, she says that she’s coming with him. Holden talks her out of it, but not without her bursting into tears. To control her and win her favor back, Holden takes her to the zoo. While at the zoo, Holden sees a carrousel and asks Phoebe if she wants to go on a ride. Holden mentions that the carrousel is playing the song that all carrousels play, Oh Marie. She says yes and then when she gets on she asks Holden if he wants to ride too. He says no however, he says he’ll just watch. Saying no was a big step in the evolution of Holden. It seems as though he is realizing slowly that he is not a child anymore and that he can still enjoy childhood by watching others go through it and using them to remember his own childhood. Do you think that Holden not going on the carrousel is symbolic of his coming of age and coming to the reality that he has to grow up? Why or why not?