Catcher in the Rye

Chapter 23

• Holden’s phone conversation with Mr. Antolini is very brief, for he is afraid his parents may return any moment and find him at home. Mr. Antolini quite nicely invites Holden to come over even though it is late at night.

Mr. Antolini

• He was about the best teacher I ever had, Mr. Antolini. He was a pretty young guy, not much older than my brother D.B., and you could kid around with him without losing your respect for him.

• He was the one that finally picked up that boy that jumped out the window I told you about, James Castle. Old Mr. Antolini felt his pulse and all, and then he took off his coat and put it over James Castle and carried him all the way over to the infirmary. He didn't even give a damn if his coat got all bloody.

• Holden rushes back to the room and discovers that Phoebe has turned on the radio. He asks if she would like to dance, and she jumps out of bed eagerly. After a while, when they are resting, Phoebe hears their parents come in and hurriedly switches off the light.

• Holden puts out his cigarette and hides in the closet. Their mother comes into the room to check on Phoebe, and Phoebe, to protect her brother, lies and says she has been smoking.

• When their mother finally leaves, Holden comes out of the closet. He tells Phoebe he is going and asks her to loan him some money. She willingly hands over all her Christmas money and Holden quite unexpectedly begins to cry.

• Finally I stopped. But it certainly took me a long, long time. Then I finished buttoning my coat and all. I told her I'd keep in touch with her. She told me I could sleep with her if I wanted to, but I said no, that I'd better beat it, that Mr. Antolini was waiting for me and all. Then I took my hunting hat out of my coat pocket and gave it to her.

• It was a helluva lot easier getting out of the house than it was getting in, for some reason. For one thing, I didn't give much of a damn any more if they caught me. I really didn't. I figured if they caught me, they caught me. I almost wished they did, in a way.