How does phoebe feel about holden

When Holden sneaks into Phoebe's room, he reaches out and gives her a "pinch on the behind. It was sticking way out in the breeze … She has hardly any behind" Before you start calling protective services, notice Holden's word: "behind. So, when he pinches Phoebe's behind, we get the feeling that it's not sexual at all—in fact, it's almost as though he's reassuring himself and us that she's still just a kid.

We know that Holden has a somewhat alarming interest in children, but we're fairly certain that it's not the kind of interest that you'd want to call the police about. He doesn't want to damage their innocence: he wants to protect it, however misguided that is.

Parents Home Homeschool College Resources. Study Guide. Previous Next. Phoebe Caulfield Click the character infographic to download. Antolini Mr. Schmidt Ernest Morrow Mrs. Morrow Rudolf Schmidt Mrs. Spencer Marty Laverne Mr. Antolini, a. She is successful in school, her best course being spelling. She is the one who corrects Holden concerning the words to the Robert Burns poem that is the source of the novel's title.

In her spare time, she writes fiction featuring a girl detective, an orphan named Hazle Weatherfield. Phoebe later adopts "Weatherfield" as her own middle name. She likes elephants and has red ones on her blue pajamas.

She studies belching with a friend named Phyllis; her best friend, Alice, is teaching Phoebe to induce a fever artificially by crossing her legs, holding her breath, and thinking of something very hot. She conscientiously promises not to burn Holden while demonstrating her trick.

Holden's adolescence and his confusion complicate the relationship with Phoebe. While she sometimes seems to be his best friend, at other times he is acutely aware of her sexuality or need for independence. Twice Chapters 10 and 21 he says that she can sometimes be too affectionate.

Although he is capable of giving her "a pinch on the behind," which is "sticking way out in the breeze," he knows better than to put his hand on her shoulder at the wrong time. Some of Phoebe's charm derives from the fact that she is only 10 years old, and Holden like Salinger values the innocence and authenticity of childhood. She is passionate about sharing a special movie with her best friend, Alice. Elephants "knock her out," and she wears blue pajamas with red elephants on the collars.

A leading role as Benedict Arnold in the school play thrills her; she insists that Holden must attend Friday night's performance.

Phoebe shares Holden's tendency toward digression, to the point that he has to interrupt her three times to discover when their parents are scheduled to return.

Phoebe is also a compassionate person, a girl with a heart. When Holden shows her the smashed recording of "Little Shirley Beans," Phoebe instantly senses the importance of the gift and wants to save the pieces, which she sticks in the drawer of her nightstand. She seems considerably more concerned about Holden's dismissal from Pencey than he is.

Benedict Arnold notorious American Revolutionary War general, who became a traitor and attempted to surrender West Point to the British. Previous Chapter Next Chapter Removing book from your Reading List will also remove any bookmarked pages associated with this title.

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