Although Salinger doesn’t explicitly say so, Holden shows all the signs of having been drugged with a sedative, perhaps in the coffee served by Mrs. Antolini.

Holden thinks that Antolini should be careful or he “may get to be an alcoholic.” Well on his way to drunkenness, Antolini shows a side of himself that is especially annoying to Holden. Sounding very much like old Mr.

Antolini is not making a pass at him. For one thing, Holden has consistently proven himself an unreliable judge of character.

What advice did Mr. Antolini give Holden? “The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of a mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one.”

Mr. Antolini is a flawed character, but his concern for Holden is genuine. He perceives that Holden has reached a point of crisis and is teetering on a precipice. He worries that Holden will either become trapped in a boring job that wastes his intellect or that he will die for an unworthy cause.

Holden goes to the Antolini’s because he basically has nowhere to go. He has gone home to talk to Phoebe and left and lacks the money to continue to stay at the hotel, etc.

Holden is upset when he wakes up because Mr. Antolini has been patting Holden’s head. Holden goes out into the city after he leaves Mr Antolini 2. Holden feels worse after reading the article because it convinces him that he has bad hormones.

After the mother leaves, Phoebe loans Holden her Christmas money, which makes Holden cry. He gives her his treasured red hunting cap and exits down the building’s back stairs.

Holden admires and respects him because Antolini is not only intellectual and perceptive, but he has a heart. When James Castle committed suicide, it was Antolini who carried his bloody, broken body all the way to the infirmary.

Mr. Spencer is Holden’s history teacher at Pencey. He’s the first adult Holden talks to in the book, and Holden seems to hold both him in high regard.

Although Holden’s language shows that he has respect for Mr. Spencer (“he was a nice old guy”), it also reveals his characteristically critical nature (he “didn’t know his ass from his elbow”). Part of Holden’s frustration may stem from his sense that Mr. Spencer is not really listening.

Spencer still living for. Stooped over, terrible posture, sick, dressed ratty clothes. Get a bang out of things that others might not like an old Navajo blanket. Which subject is Holden passing?

In Chapter 2, Mr. Spencer tells Holden that “Life is a game that one plays according to the rules.” Holden immediately rejects this advice, arguing, If you get on the side where all the hot-shots are, then it’s a game, all right—I’ll admit that.

Spencer was one of the few people who really cared for Holden and only wanted what was best for him. Mr. Spencer is Holden Caulfield’s favorite teacher at Pencey Prep.

Spencer reads his history report out loud, Holden feels embarrassed and ashamed because he didn’t do a very good job with it. He also feels a little disrespected that Mr. Spencer would embarrass him like that.

Mr. Spencer is Holden’s History teacher and Holden goes to visit him because he is sick and he wrote him a note to to say goodbye to him. Mr. Spencer was one man he respected while holden was there and holden was kicked out of the school so he wants to see his teacher one last time.

What does Holden find depressing about Mr. Spencer? He had pills and medicine all over the place, everything smelled Vick’s Nose Drops, and he was wearing an old robe like he was sick. Holden often uses the term ‘Phony’ to describe people and their actions.

Spencer asks Holden what his parents will think about Holden flunking out of another school. He tells Holden, I had the privilege of meeting your mother and dad when they had their little chat with Dr. Thurmer some weeks ago.

Holden annoys Stradlater by writing the composition about a baseball glove rather than about a room or house, as Stradlater had asked him. Holden then tears up the composition in anger, and they get into a fight. The fight concerns the fact that Stradlater has gone on a date with Jane Gallagher.

Stradlater is Holden’s roommate at Pencey. Holden worries that Stradlater will make a sexual advance on Jane, who is someone Holden knows, respects, and seems to have an earnest crush on. …

When Holden says, “What a technique that guy had,” he is only being partly ironic. It is possible that Holden feels jealous of Stradlater’s sexual maturity. Whereas his roommate pursues his sexual desires with confidence, Holden remains confused and full of trepidation.

Phoebe Caulfield Phoebe is Holden’s ten-year-old sister, whom he loves dearly. Although she is six years younger than Holden, she listens to what he says and understands him more than most other people do. At times, she exhibits great maturity and even chastises Holden for his immaturity.

Holden tore up the composition and threw it away because Stradlater was being ungrateful. He complained that it was written about a baseball glove instead of a room or a house. Holden was upset with Stradlater because he wouldn’t tell him about his date with Jane.

Holden smokes in bed because it irritates Stradlater. Holden punches Stradlater because he assumes that Stradlater had seduced Jane on their date.

2. Why does Holden leave Ernie’s? He did not want to be “bored to death by Lillian Simmons and that Navy guy” (87).

In truth, Holden is angry with Stradlater, who just returned from a date with Jane. Holden had been on a double-date with Stradlater before, and was disturbed by his behavior. He could hear Stradlater attempting to coerce his date while she begged him to stop. His anger comes from imagining Jane in the same situation.