Mr. Antolini Don’t Touch My Linguini!
We are introduced to Mr. Antonlini as one of the most influential characters in Holden’s life. Though we do not know much information until later on in the novel, Holden described him as being one of the least ‘phony’ people he knew. Mr. Antolini was also an intellectual character who understood Holden in a psychological manner. In fact, Mr. Antolini even discouraged D.B. from joining Hollywood because he knew that it would change his personality. Along with that, “old Mr. Antolini felt his pulse and all, and then he took off his coat and put it over James Castle and carried him all the way over to the infirmary.” (Sallinger 221). This act provided Holden with deep respect, because James Castle died protecting his principles, a trait Holden which deeply admires. Thus, all of these traits made Holden inclined to reach out to Antolini for support during the worst mental state he had ever been in. In desperation, Holden heads over to Mr. Antolini’s apartment. Holden is completely exhausted and desperate for rest, but Antolini recognizes that something is seriously wrong. He warns Holden that he is “heading for a terrible, terrible fall” (Salinger 243), but the meaning of this advice slips past Holden due to his exhaustion. This event leads up to Holden falling asleep on the couch, where he is jolted awake by a hand stroking his head. Holden recalls, “I woke up all of a sudden. I felt something on my head, some guy’s hand” (Salinger 249). At this moment, everything Holden once believed about Mr. Antolini fractures. The “hero” he trusted and admired suddenly becomes like every other phony. Whether Antolini’s actions were predatory or an act of affection becomes irrelevant because Holden’s perception of him is completely altered. Holden leaves feeling more depressed than ever reinforcing his idea that even the people he considers genuine eventually reveal themselves to be phony with time. This moment marks the collapse of one of Holden’s last remaining supporters, leaving him with no one other than Phoebe. Antolini had represented wisdom and a safe place, and when that image shatters, Holden is left shattered. Innocence is sacred to Holden, and this encounter confirms his fear that adulthood is inherently flawed. In his eyes, even the least phony people have failed him, making this moment a final blow to his already crumbling faith in the adult world.
First of all, I would like to say the title definitely caught my attention! I like how you frame Mr. Antolini as one of Holden's last "safe" adults, because it makes that moment on the couch feel even more devastating. I agree with your point that Antolini's intent almost doesn't matter; what matters is how completely Holden's trust collapses in that instant. Your connection to Holden's fear of adulthood is good, especially the idea that this moment confirms his belief that even the least "phony" people will eventually end up failing him.
ReplyDeleteDoes this tie back to your blog's point on how Phoebe saved Holden? Holden loses the last of his faith in adults -> only another child can convince him to see reason?
DeleteWhat a title. I like how you frame the incident with Mr. Antolini as Holden losing one of his last remaining supporters. I think it is important to the effect that this event had on Holden that this happened when he was already at a very vulnerable time in his life, and by breaking Holden's trust at this point Mr. Antolini caused him to lose all the faith he had left in the world around him. I saw this as the tipping point where Holden really began spiraling at the end of the book.
ReplyDeleteGreat blog title Saif. While I think that this act by Mr. Antolini was a sign of (fatherly) affection, I also do agree that Holden's perception of him changing is what mattered the most in the end. If this act by Mr. Antolini was perverted, that would change a lot about his character, and I would feel very bad for Holden.
ReplyDeleteWow Saif, this blog really touched my linguini (in a good way), I like how you were able to convey that after losing someone who was like a mentor figure to him, Holden feels completely isolated and does not know how to feel when it comes to adult's because to him, they are just all people who manipulate the vulnerable out of their own benefit by first making them feel comfortable but then "snaking" them which causes Holden to rely on his sister as the only person he can talk to comfortable but also at the same time, he was going through a very tough time which definitely messed him up, causing him to believe the smallest things to be considered "creepy". Next blog, i hope you can give it to me the "Saif" way again because that title really caught me off guard. Great Blog!
ReplyDeleteHi Saif. I'm not sure what I was expecting from the title, but the blog sure was tamer than that. I think it's so unfortunate how Holden interpreted the patting (although Mr. Antolini was very weird for that anyway). I've really been wondering why Salinger decided to end their interaction with that scene, and I struggle to place its meaning within the themes of the book. The best I can come up with is that perhaps it's meant to provide evidence to the fact that Holden becomes less in touch with reality as his depression worses, but even that I'm not so sure.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Mr. Antolini's actions must've caused some kind of drastic change in Holden's perception of the 'adult world', but at the end of the book its implied that Holden is seeking some kind of professional help, which surely means that his idea of adulthood hasn't been completely diminished, or if it has, then it might've recovered by the time in the story we're reading the book. I agree with Sophia in that I'm also very confused as to why Salinger concluded Holden's visit with Mr. Antolini that way. Interestingly, Holden seems to still try and justify or rationalize what he experienced in the following chapter, and he still calls Mr. Antolini "very smart" after the interaction, so my guess that maybe its to illustrate that Holden, in his innocence preserving mania, is trying his hardest to keep Antolini in his mind as the only adult in his life who isn't "flitty" or "phony", regardless of what the pat was actually about.
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting title Saif! I also think that this is a really interesting theme because I agree that Mr. Antolini is one of the only people that Holden sees as "uncorrupted", and moreover the only adult that he thinks of in that way. I agree that even if Mr. Antolini had good intentions, the important part really was that this caused Holden to lose his trust and further fall into his cycle of hating society and adults. Great job!
ReplyDeleteHi Saif, great blog! Your title really caught my eye. I think describing this event as a "collapse" is a very fitting way of putting it. Holden certainly trusted in Mr. Antolini and thought of him as someone unaffected by the phoniness of the adult world. When he woke up his reality came falling down, and I also think this probably made him feel even more alone in a world filled with phonies. It was also quite concerning when he said this wasn't the first time this type of thing had happened to him.
ReplyDeleteHi Saif, your title intrigued me, but I found the blog to be a lot more chill. I agree that Holden felt he lost Mr. Antolini as his one last trusted adult, and left him with the feeling that everyone becomes a phony. Though I do think Antolini was being a little bit creepy with his actions, I like to believe he was petting his head out of a "fatherly love" place. Great blog!
ReplyDeleteI persist in seeing a lot of ambiguity in the Antolini scene, as Holden himself does the next morning. I'm not saying I don't totally trust Holden's account, because we should always believe the victim, but I will say that his account does fit a particular "take" on the world that he holds dear, and it does sort of enable him NOT to think too seriously about the non-toxic stuff that Antolini says to him. By revealing himself as yet another corrupt adult who lets Holden down by being "perverty," the version of Antolini we get in the novel DOES seem to confirm Holden's worldview--"See? Even THIS guy, who I'd believed is a real one, ends up letting me down, too!" I'm not saying I can declare with any confidence what IS happening with that head-pat, but let's admit that it isn't *obviously* or self-evidently "perverty" in the way Holden means. In any case, it's always a frustrating aspect of this novel, as we WANT to see the Antolini scene as so restorative, and I find myself annoyed at Salinger for not allowing us to simply have a nice scene where a concerned former teacher does a solid for one of his troubled former students.
ReplyDeleteNice blog Saif! I like your present Mr. Antolini as one of the few adults Holden feels safe with, being "unphony". Scenes like the head stroking scene, like your title, are suggestive on the surface, but with the ambiguity of both comes many ways to interpret it. It could be seen as the corruption of a man Holden once looked up to, but it could also be seen as pushing Holden to the falling off the cliff edge of adulthood and maturing.
ReplyDeleteHi Saif! To start, I think you chose a very meaningful topic, cognizantly centering your blogpost on Mr. Antolini, one of the few adults truly respected before showing how that meaningful trust collapses. Including the James Castle moment was smart because it gives a reason as to WHY Mr. Antolini was seen by Holden as such a saint, nobly covering the deceased student (notably, with the same standing morals as Holden) out of respect. You very skillfully link this with why the future head-patting scene is that much more devastating, and honestly like a betrayal of character. I really like your point that Mr. Antolini's intent becomes irrelevant to Holden as he's already made up his mind on the event he had just witnessed and gone through. Altogether, your blogpost was clear, concise, and focused. You did a great job showing how this scene impacted Holden and changed the feeling of the novel from that point on. Great blog!
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