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Post by Mr. Thomas on Mar 29, 2014 13:09:44 GMT -5
Strange encounter with a former teacher
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Post by eddieditolla on Mar 29, 2014 14:29:00 GMT -5
Eddie DiTolla
English 10
Mr. Thomas
29 March 29, 2014
Catcher in the Rye Chapters 23 +24
F. One relationship that I would like to talk about from these chapters are Holden and his old teacher Mr. Antolini. To me it seems like they have a very good relationship going back to grade school before Holden went to boarding schools. They seem like they have a good relationship because Holden says that “he was about the best teacher I ever had, Mr. Antolini (Salinger 174).” Another reason why they have a good relationship was that he used to go over to Holden’s house to have dinner to see how he was doing in school and they used to do a lot of activities with each other, and he also admires him for being the only one to take care of James Castle’s body. “After I left Elkton Hills Mr. Antolini came up to our house for dinner quite frequently to find out how I was getting along. He wasn’t married then. Then when he got married, I used to play tennis with him and Mrs. Antolini quite frequently (Salinger 180).”
D. One set of lines I liked from these two chapters were “You cross your legs and hold your breath and think of something very, very hot. A radiator or something. The your whole forehead gets so hot you can burn somebody’s hand (Salinger 176).” I liked this set of lines because I thought how Phoebe says that when you do this you can burn someone’s hand from getting your forehead really thought which I thought was a little weird.
A. This reading relates to a current event to me is that since my old neighbors moved to California and they come back to visit us they stay at our house for a couple of days, just like how Holden is back in town and he stays and Mr. Antolini’s apartment .
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Post by alfredfrederic on Mar 30, 2014 10:09:29 GMT -5
C) Why did he decide to randomly call Mr. Antolini anyway? I mean he’s just a teacher and not much of a friend to him. Why doesn’t he choose to stay with his sister for so long? Why was he so direct in just going? Why was he so afraid when his parents got home? Why did she rush to get out of the house? Was it so he wouldn’t get caught? Why did Phoebe give Holden her money? Was it so he had something to work with when he went over to his teacher’s place? Was there a different reason for helping him?
E) Why was Phoebe so willing to help Holden by giving him her money so easily? It really shows how close they are. Normal people really wouldn’t do that unless they really needed to. So I find it really touching that she did that for her brother even she didn’t need to. It really is a defining character moment for Phoebe when she did that. Phoebe really showed her love for her brother when she did that, just asking to be payed back later because she knew he needed some money to get to his teacher’s for the night.
G) If I were Holden, I would be losing it. I haven’t had a real home to stay at for days and I had to leave my home because my parents came home. Now I’m so desperate I need my sister to give me some money to work with. I is really sad what Holden has become.
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Post by chrisnoble on Mar 30, 2014 10:58:31 GMT -5
C. Why was Mr. Antolini touching Holden on the head when Holden was sleeping? Was it the alcohol that made him do it, or was it something else? I was very surprised when I read this part.
E. I liked the part when Holden gave Phoebe his hunting hat and Phoebe gave Holden her Christmas money: “ ‘Here’ old Phoebe said. She was trying to give me the dough, but she couldn’t find my hand. ‘Where?’ She put the dough in my hand. ‘Hey, I don’t need all this,’ I said. ‘Just give me two bucks, is all. No kidding – Here.’ I tried to give it back to her, but she wouldn’t take it’” (page 232). “Then I took my hunting hat out of my coat pocket and gave it to her. She likes those kind of crazy hats. She didn’t want to take it, but I made her” (page 233). I liked this part because it shows that Holden and Phoebe care for each other and that they love each other. I believe the hat serves as a reminder to Phoebe that Holden will be back.
F. The relationship between Holden and Mr. Antolini seems to be a good one: “Then when he got married, I used to play tennis with he and Mrs. Antolini quite frequently, out at the West Side Tennis Club, in Forest Hills, Long Island” (page 235). I seems as if Holden and Mr. Antolini have had a strong relationship over the years. I believe Mr. Antolini cares about Holden, just like Holden cares about Phoebe.
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Post by robertmaruca on Mar 30, 2014 16:32:42 GMT -5
The Catcher In The Rye Chapters 23&24
B. I think there is a lot of significance in Chapter 23. First we understand the Holden has a strong relationship with his former English teacher Mr. Antolini. This is surprising because so far Holden has told us that he really doesn’t like many people besides Phoebe and Allie. I think the part with the most significance is when his mom comes home from the dinner party. Holden’s mom sees Phoebe awake and asks what going on and why aren’t you sleeping. Holden is in the closet while this is happening. Phoebe calm and composed tells her mom the problem without giving any hints that Holden has come home early. This shows that Phoebe is concerned about Holden and doesn’t him to get in trouble earlier than he has to. In Chapter 24 Mr. Antolini also shows that he cares for Holden. First he opens up his house to a former student and he also asks him questions about his predicament. Mr. Antolini even gives him some advice to carry in his back pocket as Holden tries to fix his screwed up life.
C. I was confused as to why Mr. Antolini put his hand on Holden’s forehead while he was sleeping? Mr. Antolini claims he wasn’t doing anything harmful. Holden calls this action perverted and runs out of the apartment. I don’t know why Holden got so creeped out. After all Mr. Antolini was drinking quite a lot.
F. I think in these two chapters we really realized how strong his relationships with Phoebe and Mr. Antolini. As mentioned in my first comment Mr. Antolini shows he is willing to help Holden out in a very difficult time. Phoebe also helps Holden when she gives him all her Christmas money. In these chapters we saw two characters who look committed to help out Holden.
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Post by gonzaleza16 on Mar 30, 2014 20:10:09 GMT -5
E. I really didnt get how the mom didnt figure out the smoke scent. Im not a smoker but I know that the smoke scent stays on your body and clothes for a very long time and it is a strong scent. I mean as a mom you should be able to tell that someone must have been here and was smoking. That is just the feeling that I am getting.
G. If I was Mr. Antolini I would have not invited Holden If I knew I was going to be drunk. I mean I know that they are good friend and they go way back and everything but you are an adult and should make the right calls and I think inviting Holden at this time wasnt the right one. I think there relationship is too strong for a teacher and student. I think it should be a lot of less because things like that dont usually work out in all cases.
D. I like the quote " I have a feeling that you're riding for some kind of terrible, terrible fail." I like that quote cause i just get that feeling that it sums up all of Holdens life and what he is been through and eventually its just going to all crash down on him and not be a good feeling. I really hope the best for Holden.
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Post by kyleconnolly on Mar 30, 2014 22:05:48 GMT -5
A) One part of the story that was really sad, at least to me was when Holden is leaving to move out to the West and probably will never see his family again, or at least for a long time. He is with his little sister Phoebe and I remember when my brother left for college it was pretty saddening, even though I would see him in the upcoming months. I can’t imagine what Phoebe was going through as Holden gave her his red hunting hat. It’s hard to let go of your family members who you have been around for so long just to know that you will rarely see them in the future.
C) One part I was confused about was when Mr. Antolini is touching Holden in his sleep and Holden wakes up to catch him in the act. As Mr. Antolini tries to play it off, it makes you wonder what he was thinking, does he view Holden as the son he never had? Mr. Antolini cannot be homosexual because he has a wife, and he had a conversation about girls with Holden before he went to bed, so why is he stroking Holden’s hair?
E) I think that after Holden’s conversation with his host in which Mr. Antolini tells Holden that if he applies himself in school, he will learn that many men and women have been similarly disturbed and troubled by the human condition, and he will also learn a great deal about his own mind. I think that Holden will come to his senses and won’t move away to the west because of this very conversation.
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Post by victorpasquin on Mar 30, 2014 22:59:26 GMT -5
C) Why was Holden's old teacher, mr. Antolini, touching Holden's head while he was sleeping? I found it creepy almost like something a pedophile would do. Could alcohol have had an influence on his actions? It caught me off guard and surprised me when I saw this.
E) Phoebe's willingness to help Holden by giving him money without question shows how close they are together. Usually, people, especially today, do not give out money to other people that easily. In addition, Holden didn't have to have the money, he just needed it. Even though it was a must have for Holden, Phoebe still provided Holden with it.
F) Holden's relationship with mr. Antolini is a cordial one. When Holden describes playing tennis with him in Queens (Forrest Hills), it shows how close they have been over the years and how much they care each other. In my eye, they love each other like a father and son. I think Holden sees mr. Antolini as a replacement father to his current father.
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Post by P on Mar 31, 2014 11:35:31 GMT -5
C. I was really thrown off by Mr. Antolini. I really liked everything he told Holden and was happy to see that he was so kind and caring, which is why I was so upset when Holden got freaked out. Was Holden molested as a child? If so that would explain a lot of his problems with innocence and wanting to protect that of others and goes even further to help support the idea that Holden feels he has already been tainted but perhaps he can help other even changing like he did. I was upset that he left Mr. Antolini but what confused me was why Mr. Antolini was acting so strangely, almost perverted as if this idea Holden had about him possibly maybe doing something to him were true. He never denied it necessarily or tried to reassure Holden.
D. I really liked Holden’s talk with Mr. Antolini because it made me see much of myself and much of what other teens might be going through, yet perhaps not so severe. What makes this even more extraordinary apart from the fact that it relates so much, especially to me is that this book was written fifty years ago. Considering this, this either makes this piece of writing and/or the writer phenomenal or simply shows how little things change on the inside over time.
B. I really liked Phoebe’s lying to her mother because it almost made me forget how old she really was, as she almost resembled a teenager. What I also felt is important to the story is that Holden’s mother was very sophisticated and definitely shows why her and her children are so disconnected and have so many problems and the worst part is it is not necessarily anyone’s fault.
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