Mr. Spencer vs Mr. Antolini
Mr. Spencer vs Mr. Antolini
In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield has contrasting opinions about his conversations with Mr. Spencer and Mr. Antolini. Both Mr. Spencer and Mr. Antolini were Holden’s previous teachers and they offer similar advice, but Holden has different internal monologues occurring during these interactions which highlights his views and beliefs on society.
After getting kicked out of Pencey for failing four of his classes, Holden goes over to Mr. Spencer’s house to say his goodbyes. At his house, Holden receives a lecture from him about how “life is a game that one plays according to the rules” (Salinger 12). Caulfield lashes back against this mentality, internally, by making snide remarks about how unfair this game of life can be if you aren’t on the right side of things. The belief that one must follow the rules without reason conflicts with Holden’s beliefs about nonconformity and individuality (kind of like a pick-me special snowflake). He immediately disregards anything Mr. Spencer says because he knows that he’s one of the “phonies” that follows what rules society has put into place. Holden uses the word ‘phony’ in a seemingly loosely undefined way. During his conversation with Mr. Spencer, he comments on how the word ‘grand’ is phony in his eyes. He appears to dislike the word because it’s being used to assign an adjective to someone that could potentially cause their ego to become inflated. This is confirmed when he says that if he was playing the piano he wouldn’t want “them to clap for [him]” (110). He despises giving people praise for something they don’t deserve, and he also hates following the status quo, which explains why his conversation with Mr. Spencer has little to no impact on Holden.
On the other hand, Holden seemed more receptive to Mr. Antolini’s advice. Mr. Antolini was set up as a cool teacher, one that you could joke around with but still respect, so his pre-existing relationship with him establishes Mr. Antolini as someone Holden is more willing to listen to. After Holden is done complaining about his Oral Expression class, Mr. Antolini tells him that “once you get past all the Mr. Vinsons, you’re going to start getting closer…to the kind of information that will be very, very dear to your heart” (246). Instead of just telling him to follow the rules just for the sake of it, he tells him that there’s a reason to do that and tries to convince him that it will eventually lead him to where he wants to be. After Mr. Antolini gives his advice, there’s a noticeable silence in Holden’s narration. Where there typically are a bunch of quips along with broad generalizations about the person talking, Holden is only trying to hold in a yawn because of how tired he is. This absence of comments from him suggests the respect he has for Mr. Antolini even with his similarities to Mr. Spencer.
The different responses from Holden between Mr. Spencer telling him to just listen and be a good student and Mr. Antolini saying that he should listen to allow him to progress reveals his values. Holden dislikes doing things just for the sake of being taken well by other people. He appears to want individuality and expression (there’s probably some contradictions that one can find) and being free from societal restrictions. While Mr. Spencer lectures Holden about life and what he should be like, Mr. Antolini offers advice while still acknowledging Holden’s thoughts on the negative aspects of society. Maybe Holden just needs someone who will listen to him.
I agree, Holden's opinions on these characters are vastly different, and Holden even looked at Mr. Antolini as not a phony. I also believe that since he established a good relationship with Mr. Antolini instead of the weaker and forgettable one with Spencer. The traumatic James Castle situation and other factors show how Mr. Antolini is portrayed in his eyes. Mr. Antolini sort of said what Spencer said, but nicer and way more meaningful for Holdens character. Great post!
ReplyDeleteHolden's receptiveness to Mr. Antolini makes sense because he doesn't like things that he feels have no real purpose. He doesn't like being held back by the constraints of society and he wants to be able to express himself. Nice post!
ReplyDeleteI too relate to finding the contrast between the two "teacher figures" really interesting. Though it makes sense why Holden is more open to constructive criticism than the other. It wasn't until the end of the book that this imbalance between Spencer and Mr. Antolini is really highlighted! Your blog does a great job of clearly explaining the differences and details between the two! Nice blog :)
ReplyDeleteYou make a great point about why Holden respects Mr. Antolini more than he does Mr. Spencer. I think you can also apply the same logic to other people who Holden seems to hate, like Stradlater, Maurice, Carl, etc. They all tell him to "grow up" instead of providing a good reason as to why, but Holden is too stubborn to take advice without reason.
ReplyDeleteI love the way this novel is "bookended" with these parallel but very different conversations with teachers--and both in discomfitingly private/domestic settings, where the teacher is very much NOT in "teacher mode" or "on duty." It also cracks me up that Holden complains so much about Spencer, but he CHOOSES to go to his house to say good-bye. It's not like he's been called into his office or anything, and even then, if you're getting "the boot" and really don't care, why not just blow Spencer off? What's he going to do, FLUNK you? So for all his "I don't care" energy, we see from the start that Holden cares more than he acts like he does.
ReplyDeleteBut as you say, he gives Antolini a lot more credibility, and therefore can't blow off what he has to say as easily. And I agree that he SHOULDN'T blow off what Antolini has to say. Spencer may well be genuinely concerned about this self-sabotaging screwup in his history class, but all he has to offer are cliched bits of advice and remonstrance that he's likely given many times over his career: "Apply yourself, play the game," etc. I like how you describe Antolini as trying to give Holden good and real reasons to play the game--not for grades, or college admission, or status, or to please his parents and teachers, but to become more *educated* for its own sake, to "find out the size of his mind," and, most importantly in my book, to read more widely and realize he is NOT alone. Spencer gives Holden the usual routine (however sincerely he means it); Antolini offers custom-made advice for Holden's very individuated dilemma. He offers him an antidote to his profound sense of loneliness and isolation.