Holden Caulfield Strengths

Holden Caulfield is an interesting character; he gives off the persona of being a tough guy who is sarcastic and witty. In chapters 21-23 though it highlights his complete obsession with innocence and maybe that he is a more compassionate, caring, and loving person than he leads on to be. You can say that one of Holden’s biggest weaknesses is his little sister, Phoebe. In chapter 21 Holden makes an attempt of returning home in which he tricks an elevator operator in getting his up to his family's apartment. When arriving home his parents and brother are both not home, but he does find Phoebe sleeping in his brothers room. Holden describes her sleeping, saying, “She was laying there asleep, with her face sort of on the side of the pillow. You take adults, they look lousy when they're asleep, but kids don't. Kids look all right. They can even spit all over the pillow and they still look all right.” …show more content…
Antolini, he was one of Holden’s favorite teachers and the only one who truly gave a damn. Holden relives a memory of Mr. Antolini when a student committed suicide saying, "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" (Salinger 94). Holden feels that Mr. Antolini is one of the few good adults left; who shows compassion, and he also is innocent in a way because he does not allow growing old to make him a bitter old man who does not care about anyone. As Holden said, Mr. Antolini was the only who cared when a student jumped out a window, he was the only one who tried to save him. Then when holden reaches out to him and is in need of help Mr. Antolini offers his home to Holden for him to stay there, something very few people would do and that shows the purity that is in Mr. Antolini and why Holden respects him and is his favorite