Sexual Harassment

In this blog, I want to discuss what happened to Holden at the end of chapter 24.

Holden was sleeping just fine when he woke up in the middle of the night to Mr. Antolini petting his head. I think it was because Mr. Antolini was very drunk. I do not think he was trying to be a pervert or anything. I thought he was just drunk and being odd. It is not like he tried to do anything bad to him. I mean yes, it was weird, but it was not perverted.

Holden thought differently. He jumped right up and decided he was his time to leave. “I didn’t know what the hell to say- I mean I was embarrassed as hell” (Salinger 192). He freaked out. I mean I probably would have found it funny.

Maybe in the old days this was weirder and maybe was perverted. But in this day and age, it is just weird and a little funny. I was confused with Holden’s reaction. “He was trying to act very goddam casual and cool and al, but he wasn’t any too goddam cool. Take my word” (Salinger 192). This was Holden describing Mr. Antolini’s reaction to Holden’s reaction. I do not think Mr. Antolini thought it was a big deal at all. He was drunk, anyways.

The next passage I want to talk about is “Boy, I was ahking like a madman. I was sweating, too. When something pervert like that happens, I start sweating like a bastard. That kind of stuff’s happened to me about twenty times since I was a kid. I can’t stand it” (Salinger 193).I do not know if I just do not recall it, but I do not think Holden ever discussed being sexually abused. Maybe I just missed it, though. I am reading two different books at a time, so I may have gotten them confused. Since he was sexually abused, at least that is what I got out of that passage; I guess his reaction is perfectly fine and explanatory. I would understand if Holden does not come back.

Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown, 2001. Print.