Josh

Chapter Summary: Ch 23
Basically Holden has just finished arguing with his sister about flunking school and getting expelled and he seeks shelter from his parents until school ends so he calls Mr. Antolini. Upset that Holden has been expelled from another school, Mr. Antolini invites Holden to come stay at to his house. Holden describes Mr. Antolini as the best teacher he ever had. After hanging up Holden convinces Phoebe to dance with him, but their parents come home. Holden hides in the closet until his mother tucks Phoebe in. After his mother leaves, he emerges and tells Phoebe of his plan to head out. She gives him all her Christmas money but he refuses to take it at first, and then insists that she take his red hunting hat in exchange.
3 techniques used in this chapter are:
the italics used (eg. “because she can dance”, “You can even tango”. These create more effect in these words and show us that this is what impresses him about his sister)
how he says he shouldn’t have done something (eg. “I shouldn’t have even been smoking” which tells us that he doesn’t have second thoughts about what would happen to him if he got caught by his parents and what would happen to his sister’s health)
the darkness when his mother tucks Phoebe in bed ( this could be a foresight into the future, that his mother will never be able to find him even when he is meant to get back home after school was over)
The italics represent how serious Holden usually is while he’s talking to show that this is a serious part of the story. When he says that he shouldn’t have done something it tells us that he still might’ve been a bit drunk.
In this chapter Holden is still hiding from his parents and the only community, society or group he belongs to is with his sister.