The Kate Marsh and James Castle parallel from the Catcher in the Rye Part 2: The Mr. Jefferson/Mr. Antolini connection, and the ever-present max/holden
tw: discussion of suicide & sa
part 1 is here but tldr: I think life is strange picks up on a thread from the catcher in the rye and uses a small character in a way that is very clever. there was a boy at holden's old school who was bullied, and refused to back down while being assaulted by a group. He called another boy concieted and wouldn't 'take it back'. just like kate marsh in life is strange, he jumped from a school building.
mr. jefferson accuses kate of wanting attention, and even implies to max that she originally wanted what happened in the viral video. the next time the player sees kate she is on the roof, and I can't help but feel this is a deep rejection of the idea that kate wanted any of it, or that her suffering was justified in any way. it's her saying, 'no. you people are evil to tell me that I enjoy any of this'
When holden caulfield first brings up his classmate james castle, he explains the circumstances at the time of castles death. he jumped from a window, and the impact was horrible and gory, and it sounds like holden saw it. he tells us that no one would go near castle's body. When max sees kate in her room, kate is extremely fragile and isolated. she is a social pariah, and it seems like no one will go near her except to tell her off. this phrase 'nobody would even go near him' is so sad. it made me think of kate marsh.
sometimes, holden himself ideates about falling from a height, in the way you might talk about a craving for some food or a particular drug. 'What I really felt like...'
he tells us that he could only do it if there was someone to cover him up from spectacle and to spare children like him from seeing. the player often hears kate express the need to be alone, which leads to a more total isolation. she is preoccupied with escape, she has become a spectacle online.
it's very suprising when we finally find out that james castle was spared from that one final indignity, being a spectacle, just as holden hoped he himself would be. In fact, the teacher who covered his body with his own coat and carried him away is a good friend of holden's.
It becomes one of the reasons he admires that teacher so much. Max of course, admires mr. jefferson in life is strange.
but this coat scene is complicated. we can't draw a direct parallel here, because jefferson's response to kate's fall is so different. even though he does 'cover it up', so there is a similarity lexically but maybe not meaningfuully. in terms of the overall themes I think this gesture doesn't map onto jefferson's character at all. unless you read antolini's gesture as entirely symbolic, 'too little too late', or motivated by some sort of guilt (which is possible).
Anyway, a similar gesture, one that gives dignity to kate, would be out of place for jefferson. even though he does damage control, it's clear he doesn't feel bad. so I think the similarity between jefferson and mr antolini is limited in my reading.
I think that the line between Max and the coat moment is that she sees kate marsh and only through gestures is she able to show compassion for kate. did you find kates favourite passage? did you pick up the phone? did you stop david from humiliating her? max shows her respect and gives kate's life meaning through small acts of attention. in short, max gives kate dignity.
Holden's deepest wish is to catch a body falling in the rye, to save children. but he never gets to, in my reading, he is saved by his little sister. the closest I think he gets to his wish is that he stops himself leaving phoebe too early, thus repeating for her the cycle of losing a sibling early and traumatising a child. Thats why I think it's really beautiful that max gets a chance to catch kate. Holden can only imagine it, and max does it.
Holden caulfield talks about his teacher and praises him for being easy to talk to, and for his final act of kindness and decency for james castle. I don't know how well the teacher knew james castle, but it seems like something you would only do for a friend.
And then Salinger has another reveal for us. And it feels very bad. Mr. Antolini is clearly attracted to holden, but he is also intellectually concerned about an approaching fall. he lectures holden to try and prevent him from continuing on his trajectory. Holden doesn't understand.
I find it disturbing because Antolini sees Holden's distress so clearly, and then immediately worsens Holden's distress, pushing him further along his path to a fall.
holden is desperate, he leaves home and goes to mr. antolini's place as a last resort. holden has undressed to sleep on antolini's couch. then mr. antolini pats holden's head when he is asleep.
and then mr. antolini lies about it. 'I wasn't doing anything, go back to sleep'. it's just gross. Holden says that he was speaking calmly, trying to be cool. Holden has an extreme reaction but doesn't explain why he is leaving mr. antolini's apartment.
in life is strange, kate marsh is told she passed out at the vortex club party and was taken to the hospital. Jefferson says he tried to help her. In his final conversation with Kate he says he can't help her because of his position, she says nobody can help or understand. honestly, it's such a horrible and surreal loop in the hallways. what does he mean about his position? is he saying it looks bad for him to support her? as if that would be him crossing a line, and the kind of support she would like is rather intimate? anyway, his coldness puts kate in a horrendous position where she is betrayed, and it's just like the betrayal holden feels. and actually, it's bullying. james castle also endures severe bullying in his final moments.
then mr. antolini plays it all off. back to cool teacher. both scenes involve an adult speaking to a suicidal kid from a position of trust and authority and then gaslighting them.
life is strange goes further, jefferson he says he enjoys breaking kate's strong spirit (and trying to break max's). the way jefferson talks to max while she's unconscious is an indication of the way he shushes soothingly, praises and infamously lectures his victims.
I think the roles mr antolini and mr jefferson serve are very different, especially since mr antolini isn't a villian. but I do think the emotional beats between jefferson, max and kate map well onto the antolini, holden, james castle asides in the catcher in the rye. emotional notes of betrayal, dignity and solidarity
some notes: max is borrowing kates ray bradburry book. she returns it to kate in her room. in the catcher in the rye holden lends james castle his sweater. this makes us think of holden in james castle's place. I don't know to make anything of this?
