Critical Essay Sample on Mr. Antolini's Advice in "Catcher in the Rye"

Introduction

Mr. Antolini's passage is an advice to Holder, especially on the need to give him a helping hand to overcome that raging hostility he feels and perceives about the world. Ideally, Mr. Antolini is providing advice to Holder on the frustration accompanied with the transition from childhood to adulthood, and he tries to tell him that by observing others (the elderly and peers) he will understand that he is not the only individual facing these challenges. Yes, I do agree with Mr. Antolini's advice since these are events that occur to almost any child when he/she presents the emotional and physical features of transcending to adulthood.

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It is a fact that human characters are unpredictable, but there comes a certain age that they feel and perceive the world the same. First, most children naturally observe their inevitable transition to adulthood with anxiety, since their purity and joy while still kids, converts into the complexity and imperfection norms of growing up. Even if the child dwells on the negative perception of adulthood as a means of clinging on childhood, his physical, mental, and emotional growth will enable him to understand the morality and rationality of the society. Also, not only can Holden learn from observing others; it is to mean by noting how other peers are dealing with the situation and seeking advice from the elderly. It is an occurrence that every person experiences at a stage in his/her life, and by sharing with others their misgivings or learning from contemporaries on honesty and integrity about the community and culture that guide their livelihoods, one gets to understand that he/he is not alone.

The author enhances the exercise of free will as a means of understanding what adolescents go through during the transition time. First, Holden needs to realize that his intention to understand and know what others experienced during the same journey and struggle was the only way of differentiating the sense of human uniqueness. In other words, the use of free will to understand enhances and promotes the idea of following the different ranges of problems that occur during this period, some are preventable 'have solutions,' while others are insoluble 'have no direct answers.' The fact is not to get into terms with the types of problems but to accept the shortcomings and take advantage of learning from others to make a change.

Unfortunately, there are different ways people perceive the world, but it will be up to the adolescent to understand norms and what is right and wrong for him/her to deduce a solution. Also, Slinger enhances on the role of apathy as a significant contributor towards adolescent thinking and reasoning, for example, Mr. Antolini uses Holder's experience and isolation as a means of his vulnerability and not a strength, since while excluded from the community and negatively perceiving their deeds. His emotional character and norm acknowledge he is of age and that is why he has the knowledge of what is happening around him and the more he declines to accept the standards, the more pain he inflicts on himself.

Conclusion

All in all, Mr. Antolini's advice is not only to Holden but to the entire adolescent population in the world. He majorly denotes the use of seeking help from either observation or contemporaries. His main concern on the negative energy adolescents channel towards themselves and the community during this age needs to be provided with a solution, but it is up to them to search for the answer within the community and themselves. For example, the adolescents need to exercise free will and ensure the search for the solution, and they need to show apathy as a means of positive thinking and reasoning during this period.