Re: Antolini: Life Imprisonment
the.tourist@excite.com
Tue, 23 Feb 1999 09:31:57 -0800 (PST)
Rick wrote:
> if we say that the ambiguity of Antolini's actions
> opens the door to the possibility of Salinger
> examining Seymour as having a "sickness"
> (pedoph.) we would have to look at Seymour in the
> same light we view Antolini and I don't think the
> ambiguity is there, in that sense.
Indeed: perhaps I'm being too specific. I'll revise my statement to say
that, instead of using Mr. Antolini as a filter through which to examine
Seymour's intentions, perhaps the Antolini incident was Salinger's own,
tangentially-connected, exploration of the *question* of whether or not such
love for children may be construed--or even rightly diagnosed--as a mental
illness. Not necessarily in direct correlation with Seymour.
On the other hand, maybe Salinger was just using Antolini to explore
Holden's own latent misgivings about what he may become if he stays as
concerned about children as he is.
I've read theories, here and elsewhere, that Antolini is a projection of
Holden's future, but I don't think so. Holden reminds me more of Seymour,
while Mr. Antolini has a voice distinctly reminiscent of no one other then
Buddy Glass.
Still, as you've demonstrated, it's troublesome to try to link Catcher up
with the Glasses--especially considering that Catcher is a far superior work
than any of the Glass episodes. (There; that ought to start an argument.)
--Brendan
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