Salinger treats with power the declining influence of power authority on certain members of the young generation. In the eyes of adolescents like Holden, their elders are not necessarily their betters. They tend to see and understand the world around him with their eyes. The tattering of the authority figure finds its expression in the novel largely through an absent or vulnerable father, either physically or spiritually - sometimes both. In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden’s father is often an absentee. When mentioned through passing remarks, he is shown to be participating in activities such as flying to California for business (162), lunching with Mr. Antolini to discuss how he is “terribly concerned” about Holden (186). However, he is never
