Re: Re: Mr Antolini

Brendan McKennedy (the.tourist@mailexcite.com)
Sun, 07 Dec 1997 23:56:14 -0700

Graham Preston wrote:
>On Mr. Antolini, I've always thought that he was the Catcher. 

That's a very interesting idea, and I think you've definitely hit on something.
I don't think Mr. Antolini is the Catcher, but I think he, like Holden, is a failed
Catcher.

I take this idea directly from the text, that Mr. Antolini is a failed Catcher. 
If you'll recall, Mr. Antolini arrived on the scene soon after James Castle hit the
pavement, having jumped out a window, and Mr. Antolini was the one to take care of
James once he got there...But what's important to note here is that ANTOLINI WAS
TOO LATE TO CATCH JAMES CASTLE.  (I only use caps because there's not italics here...)


I think that Mr. Antolini was too late to catch Holden, since I believe that Holden
really began his fall earlier in that evening--specifically when he starts to get
drunk.  He's been trying to get drunk during the whole story--but he's TOO YOUNG
to order drinks...when he finally breaks that AGE BARRIER, and gets drunk, he has
entered into adulthood and thus fallen.

I still hold that Allie is the Catcher, but the concensus here seems to be that it
was God.  There's not definite answer, of course.  You could be right about Antolini.
 It's a very interesting observation.

Brendan





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