Summary 4

                                                                "The Catcher in the Rye"
                                                                            By J.D. Salinger

When his parents come home, Holden slips out. Then he seeks out his former and much-admired English teacher, Mr. Antolini. This man offers advice on life and a place to sleep. Mr. Antolini tells Holden that it is the mark of the mature man to live humbly for a cause, rather than die nobly for it. During the speech on life, Mr. Antolini has a number of cocktails served in highball glasses. Holden is upset when he wakes up in the night to find Mr. Antolini patting his head in a way that he regards as "flitty." Confused and uncertain, he leaves and spends his last afternoon wandering the city. He later wonders if his interpretation of Mr. Antolini's actions was actually correct, and seems to wonder how much it matters anyway.