Relationships With Others and What Family Means to Holden
Allie
Pg. 218:
"'Allie, don't let me disappear. Allie, don't let me disappear. Allie, don't let me disappear. Please, Allie.' And then when I'd reach the other side of the street without disappearing, I'd thank him. Then it would start all over again as soon as I got to the next corner.
Pg. 189:
"'You can't even think of one thing.' 'Yes, I can. Yes, I can.' 'Well, do it, then.' 'I like Allie,' I said."
When Tested for things he likes he shares he claims Allie, who is dead. This shows how much that Holdens relationship as a brother to Allie meant to him.
Pg. 110:
"What I did, I started talking, sort of out loud, to Allie. I do that sometimes when I get very depressed. I keep telling him to go home and get his bike and meet me in front of Bobby Fallon's house."
During hard times Holden turns back to comfort and what he has (which is not much). One of these is his previous relationship with Allie. Pretending that Allie is there with him helps him get a hold of himself, but because he used Allie as this source it reinforces that his relationship with Allie meant a lot to him.
This reinforces my point of Holden using his relationship with Allie as a source of comfort and that pretending Allie is there can help calm himself down and again shows the importance this relationship as a brother meant to him.
Phoebe
Pg. 75:
"I damn near gave my kid sister Phoebe a buzz, though. I certainly felt like talking to her on the phone."
Pg. 218:
"I decided I'd just see old Phoebe and sort of say good-by to her and all, and give her back her Christmas dough, and then I'd start hitchhiking my way out West."
Pg. 129:
"There was this record I wanted to get for Phoebe, called "Little Shirley Beans." It was a very hard record to get." then later says "The first record store I went into had a copy of "Little Shirley Beans." They charged me five bucks for it, because it was so hard to get, but I didn't care. Boy, it made me so happy all of a sudden. I could hardly wait to get to the park to see if old Phoebe was around so that I could give it to her.
Holden cares lots about his relationships and is willing top do anything to nmaintain them and make the other person happy as it brings him comfort. In this example it shows how making Phoebe happy makes him happy.
After leaving Pency Holden comes up with the idea of calling his sister Phoebe because it would make him feel better but realizes it is too late. This also shows hows much he misses his friends and fammily in general, and again reinforces that his relationships with people matter lots to him
After realizing he just doesn't want to do school anymore, he decides to run away but has to wait. Because he worries Phoebe would be upset he needed to meet with her one more time and also felt it could change his mind, proving once again that holden believes in familly first and values his relationships greatly
Other People
“I Don’t Have Friends, I’ve Got Family” - Dom Torreto: Fast and the Furious 7
The Nuns
Mr. Antolini
Pg. 126-127:
"After they left, I started getting sorry that I'd only given them ten bucks for their collection." then later says "I couldn't stop thinking about those two nuns."
Pg. 211:
"What it was, it was Mr. Antolini's hand. What he was doing was, he was sitting on the floor right next to the couch, in the dark and all, and he was sort of petting me or patting me on the goddam head.
After talking to the nuns he felt bad that he only gave them 10 dollars. This encounter couldn't leave his mind because it felt so much to him. and help him realize that people care about him.
Holden has also had negative relationships with people like Mr. Antolini. Holden has lost trust with some of the people he has gotten to know where he can always trust family which is a reason in why it matters so much to Holden.
pg. 213:
"When something perverty like that happens, I start sweating like a bastard. That kind of stuff's happened to me about twenty times since I was a kid. I can't stand it."
This shows that Holden has been through the same situation that he has with Mr. Antolini many times and has lost trust and has had negative relationships in the past. This also reenforces how much he trusts family and that his care for them is a result of these negative relationships
Holden lives by this quote as he values family over everything and trusts them the most such as Phoebe, and also uses them as a source of comfort, Allie. Although Holden has had positive relationships with people there have also been a number of negative ones such as Mr. Antolini. For Holden Familly comes first. As Dom Torreto says "__" and Holden Truely lives by this.