In The Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger states that the adult world is apathetic and insincere with acts of generosity made only to achieve a selfish objective.
There is no better example of this than with Mr. Antolini. At the beginning of Chapter 24, Holden retreats to the house of Mr. Antolini, his old teacher, in order to avoid his parents for one more day. Upon arrival, Holden talks highly of him, calling him a “pretty sophisticated guy,” (236). By this chapter, Holden is overcome with depression and drunk out of his mind. After an intelligent and inspiring conversation, Holden takes a nap on his sofa, waking up only to notice Mr. Antolini rubbing his forehead. As soon as Holden catches on to what’s happening, he immediately makes up an excuse and runs away. The chapter concludes with Holden saying “That kind of stuff’s happened to me about twenty times since I was a kid. I can’t stand it,” (251).
~~~~~~~
Because Holden’s several encounters with adult perversion breeds Holden’s distrust of the adult world, this illustrates how some cold-blooded adults can be, often showing kindness only for personal gain. (I truly believe this to be the author’s opinion and not the narrator’s.)