Blog #45 Character Analysis: Mr. Antolini (The Catcher in the Rye)

Another main character that stood out to me in the book was Holden’s old teacher, Mr. Antolini. Mr. Antolini is a very generous person. When Holden called in the middle of the night, he agreed right away that Holden could come over (Salinger 180). Mrs. Antolini stayed up to make coffee for them before she went to bed. Holden was pretty close with Mr. Antolini. I think Holden knew Mr. Antolini would not turn him away, especially in his time of need. Mr. Antolini was a very good English teacher, which was Holden’s best subject (Salinger 182). He is a very good person; it is evident in the reading. He lets Holden sleep over because he knows that Holden has no other place to go. He realizes that he cannot go home yet because Holden has yet to tell his parents he got kicked out (Salinger 186). So, being a good host, Mr. Antolini lets Holden sleep on the couch a night so he does not have to spend Phoebe’s money. When Holden arrives at the house, Mr. Antolini is very welcoming to him. The reader can tell he just wants to catch up and talk. During their conversation, he said some really powerful things to Holden (Salinger 188) . I think that Holden thought very hard about his accusations and advice. I see Mr. Antolini as more of a friend to Holden than a teacher. Holden used to play tennis with Mr. and Mrs. Antolini at tennis courts. Holden is pretty comfortable with telling Mr. Antolini about his personal life, and Mr. Antolini is not afraid to tell Holden straight forward, like it is. He is important in the story because he makes Holden stop and think about things. Out of all the other people in the story, Mr. Antolini is the only one who gave him helpful advice and made him stop to think about his life and future (Salinger 194). He is also a heavy drinker in the story. He drank the whole time he was talking with Holden and even after Holden fell asleep. Holden became very uncomfortable when he woke up with Mr. Antolini’s hand patting his head (Salinger 192). I think that Holden took things a little out of context. Yes, Mr. Antolini should not be patting Holden’s head while he sleeps, but also he was drunk and he was a very generous person. Even though Holden was uncomfortable after that incident, he still had a lot to think about. I think Mr. Antolini helped Holden a lot in the story whether Holden realizes it or not. I like and respect Mr. Antolini.

Salinger, J.D. The Catcher in the Rye. Little, Brown and Company. 1951.