Re: RE: Mr. Antolini
Brendan McKennedy (the.tourist@mailexcite.com)
Wed, 03 Dec 1997 06:50:31 -0700
Lesley wrote:
I do think that there is a real
>relationship between some adults and children that is unacknowledged by
>most people or is regarded as sexual abuse. I don't mean sex and I don't
>mean love but something like "connection". And because we're not allowed
>to feel those things (apart from in a very sick way), characters like Mr
>Antolini are incredibly confusing to us.
>
>Don't know where this is all heading (it feels very dangerous to even
>talk about it) but I want to know what other people think.
>
>Lesley P.
It is all very dangerous, because sexual abuse is such an explosive and dangerous
thing itself that no one wants to even THINK that there could be some middle ground
somewhere--somewhere between sexuality and condescending love.
There has to be, though. There's always a middle ground. Something like Love has
no definite boundaries, and no definite rules, and in a world where children's lives
are being ruined every second by abuse, it's terrifying to come to terms with adult-child
emotions that reach beyond parent/friend love but don't quite get to sexual attraction.
I have no answers, of course. But of all places, this shouldn't be a place to be
scared to discuss it.
Don't forget, Catcher is still one of the 10 most censored books of all time.
J.D. Salinger breathes controversy.
Brendan.
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