At the time that Holden comes to visit before he leaves, Spencer presents himself poorly, with pills and medicine scattered about, wearing a rather revealing bathrobe and smelling like "Vicks Nose Drops". ... Despite this improper setting, Antolini gives truly shrewd advice. ... They gave it up before they ever really got started- and " The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one."... A lesson to be learned from this novel is that perhaps we may never find our "wise old man figure". ...

• Word Count: 1058
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School