Monday, February 17, 2014

When Holden gets on the elevator, whom does he tell the operator he is going visit?

At the beginning of chapter twenty-one, Holden catches a break when he attempts to sneak into his family's apartment to speak with Phoebe. When Holden gets into the elevator, he notices that the regular operator, Pete, isn't working and there is a new person in his position. Holden also mentions that the new operator seems somewhat on the "stupid side" and he casually tells the operator to take him to the Dicksteins. The elevator operator responds by telling Holden that the Dicksteins are not at home and are currently attending a party on the fourteenth floor. Holden then tells the man that he is the Dicksteins's nephew. The operator responds by suggesting that Holden wait in the lobby but Holden feigns a leg injury and says that he should wait in a chair outside their door. When Holden gets off the elevator, he limps towards the Dicksteins and waits until the elevator door shuts before entering his family's apartment.


In chapter twenty-one, Holden catches a very lucky break when he takes the risk to sneak into his family's apartment to visit Phoebe at night. Pete, the attendant who usually staffs the elevator at night, is not on duty. In his place is "some new guy" that Holden has never seen. Moreover, Holden deems him to be "on the stupid side." When Holden enters the elevator, he asks to be taken to the floor his family's apartment shares with the Dicksteins. When the elevator attendant tells Holden that the Dicksteins are on the fourteenth floor at a party, Holden quickly improvises a leg injury and says he must sit outside their door and elevate his leg. To his relief, the elevator attendant doesn't question him or insist that he wait downstairs. Within minutes, Holden is on his way into his own apartment undetected.

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