The Catcher in the Rye

By: J. D. Salinger

Chapter 1
Chapter one of the catcher in the rye opens with a first-person narrator; "Holden
Caulfield". He refuses to discuss his early life because it dulls him and him the mad man events
that left him run down at an institution in Hollywood California.
The Catcher in The Rye begins with Holden recounting all the events, for which led up to
him being expelled from Pencey Prep in Agerstown, Pennsylvania - a respected school that
since 1888 turns out to be splendid, clear thinking, young men. Holden recalls watching a
football game from the top of a hill looking down on everyone, as he watches the game, he tries
to feel some kind of "goodbye." He recalls when he tossed a football around but was ordered
back inside by a teacher, the memory made them all too glad to leave Pencey Prep. He thinks
about how he liked Selma Thurmer; the headmaster's daughter. He complimented her straight
forward way of communicating while bemoaning her looks. He thinks about how he attended a
fencing match in New York City, he was the team manager but he lost the teams gear on the
subway and this lead to him being ostracized. He decides to visit Old Spencer, a teacher, one of
his favorites. Before leaving school he arrives at spencer's house and Mrs. Spencer greets him
and ushers him into Mr. Spencer's room.
Chapter 2
In chapter two of the catcher in the rye, Holden meets with his teacher Mr. Spencer, Mr.
Spencer calls Holden By his last name Caulfield and Holden tries to be polite but spencer's tone
is scolding and it annoys Holden, he interrupts by retelling to say that he's 17 now and all these
events happened when he was 16. Sometimes he says he acts like he’s thirteen, other times he
acts older than age Spencer criticizes Holden's poor grades. Holden tries to say what Spencer
expects and even though he came to say goodbye to his teacher he wants to weep, he thinks
about where are the ducks that live in central Park go during winter. For the last part of the
chapter, Spencer asks whether Holden cares about his future Holden makes excuses about going
through a phase and then leaves.

Chapter 3
 In chapter three - Holden admits that he is the most terrific liar you ever saw, as he lies to
get away from Spencer saying, he has to go to the gym but instead, he heads to his dorm. Holden
tries on a red hunting cap and starts to read a novel until he is interrupted by Robert Ackley who
insults Holden with his hat. As they were talking, Ward Stradlater, Holden's roommate, comes in
from the football game and asks to borrow Holden's hound's-tooth jacket as he prepares to go out
for the evening. Stradlater greets Ackley but ignored it and left.
Chapter 4
In chapter four of the Catcher in the Rye, Holden follows Stradlater to the sink where he
shaves preparing for a date, while Ackley is gangly nerdy-looking and openly discussing
Stradlater works on his appearance and is a strapping young man. Stradlater asks Holden to write
his English composition for him, Holden tap dances on the stone floor and Stradlater watches in
the mirror; Holden creates a persona to go with the dance a governor's son whose father wants
him to attend Oxford, but dancing is in his blood. Stradlater laughs and explains that his date,
Jane Gallagher knew Holden. Holden liked and respected Jane, as she was his neighbor for a
summer. Holden had wanted to say hello but didn't, Stradlater promises not to tell Jane that
Holden was expelled.
Chapter 5
The chapter opens with Holden and another boy named Mal Brossard, as they decided to
take a bus into town to see a movie. Holden invites Ackley who agrees to go; they eat, play
pinball, and return to the dorm. Ackley ignores Holden's repeated hints and sits on Stradlater’s
bed describing a sexual encounter. He'd have the summer before Holden finally gets actually to
leave Holden works on Stradlater’s english paper. He decided to writes about his own little
brother, Ali, and his baseball mitt which Holden keeps with him. Ali had written poems on the
baseball med, but he had died of leukemia at age 11 on July 18 th 1946. Ali died when Holden
was 13 and in his grief, Holden broke the garage windows with his fists.
Chapter 6
Chapter 6: Holden worries about Stradlater getting back from his date with Jane, as his
roommate is known to be unscrupulous. Stradlater returns around 11:00 or so and reads the
theme paper Holden has written while stroking his bare chest and he complains that the
assignment describes a thing not a place. Holden seizes the essays and tears it up - Holden
smokes mostly to annoy Stradlater. Holden asks whether Jane got to her dorm by curfew,
Stradlater blames Jane for getting back a few minutes late and orders Holden to smoke in the
bathroom, Irritated Holden continues to smoke in the dorm. Stradlater admits that he and Jane
spent the evening in the basketball coach's car. Holden hounds Stradlater for details and after
Stradlater refuses, he tried to hit him but Stradlater is much stronger than Holden. He pins him to
the ground, as Holden yells at Stradlater that he would take advantage of a girl. Stradlater hits
Holden to his nose and blames Holden for the nosebleed. The blow causes Stradlater to leave the
room, by the end of the part of the chapter, Holden puts down his red hat and checks his face in
the mirror.
Chapter 7
In this chapter, Holden stumbles into Ackley's darkened room bleeding and asks to sleep
in Ackley's roommate’s bed. Holden claims that he fought Stradlater, then he lies on the other
bed. Later state, Ackley snores and Holden can hear his roommate going to bed in the other
room, and he feels so lonely that he wakes Ackley. They argued briefly and then, Holden leaves
as he can't stand the quiet lonely dorm. He decides to find a hotel in the city and lie low for a few
days before facing his parents. He yells “sleep tight young morons!” leaving the dorm and nearly
tripping on his way out.
Chapter 8
On the train to New York, a woman sits next to Holden. She notices his Pencey bag and
says that her son is a boy named Ernest Morrow, a student in Holden’s class. Holden hates
Ernest, but lies and says that the boy is extremely popular and would be class president if it
weren’t for the fact that he’s too humble to accept his peers’ nomination. This flatters Ernest’s
mother and entertains Holden, who actually thinks Ernest is one of the “biggest bastards” at
Pencey. At the same time, though, he begins to feel bad about lying to Ernest’s mother, who he
can tell is quite kind. Flirting with Ernest’s mother, Holden invites her to have a drink with him
in the train’s bar, explaining that he’s able to order drinks because of his grey hairs. This
entertains Ernest’s mother, who politely declines Holden’s offer. She then asks why he’s coming
home so early, and he lies again, this time saying he has a small brain tumor that his doctor needs
to remove. This elicits a huge reaction from Ernest’s mother, who is so sympathetic that Holden
instantly feels guilty for misleading her. When she gets off the train in Newark, she urges him to
visit Ernest that summer in Massachusetts, but Holden tells her that he’ll be in South America
with his grandmother—another lie.
Chapter 9
The chapter opens in Penn Station in New York, Holden wants to talk to someone, but he
can't think of anyone who wouldn't tell his parents that he left school early. He irritates a cab
driver by asking where the ducks in Central Park go when the pond is frozen, the cab driver did
not respond. Holden gets a room at the Edmont hotel, he removes the red hat before checking in
so he doesn't look peculiar, he finds this ironic because the hotel was full of “perverts” and
“morons”. An overweight man carries Holden's Bags to a cheap ugly hotel room and he sees a
man cross-dressing viewing himself in the mirror - he sees a couple spitting water at each other
and laughing, for which puzzles and disgusts him. He considers calling Jane but decides he isn't
in the mood and remembered a Princeton student had given him the number of a stripper, she
answers but refuses Holden's offer to meet for a drink because he sounds too Young for her.
Chapter 10
 In chapter ten, Holden claims that it is still early, but it is actually quite late. However,
the Lavender Room, a lounge off the lobby of the Edmont Hotel, is still open. After providing a
detailed recollection of his younger sister, Phoebe, Holden visits the Lavender Room and meets
three women, tourists from Seattle.
Chapter 11
This short chapter is devoted almost exclusively to Holden's recollections of Jane
Gallagher. Sitting in a "vomity-looking" chair in the lobby of the Edmont Hotel, he remembers
how they met and what they did the summer before his sophomore year. He thinks he knows her
"like a book." Despite the late hour, Holden still is not tired. He decides to visit Ernie's Nightclub
in Greenwich Village.
Chapter 12
On the way to Ernie's, Holden discusses ducks, fish, and winter with the cab driver. At
the club, Holden expresses his opinions concerning the aesthetics of performance, Ernie, the
crowd in general, and a nearby couple in particular. Lillian Simmons, a former girlfriend of D.B.,
pops by his table with her date, a Navy officer. Holden declines her invitation to join them,
saying he was just leaving.
Chapter 13
It starts with how Holden is tired of taxis and walks the forty-one blocks back to the
hotel, wearing his red hunting cap with the earflaps down, missing his pilfered gloves, and
bemoaning his cowardice. The elevator man, Maurice, doubles as a pimp and offers to provide
Holden with female companionship for "five bucks a throw" or fifteen dollars for the night.
Holden agrees to go for "a throw" in his room, 1222, but almost immediately regrets it. The
hooker calls herself Sunny; Holden tells her his name is Jim Steele. Although they do little more
than talk, because Holden is more depressed than ready to have sex, Sunny says that her fee is
ten dollars. Holden pays her only five, and she leaves, calling him a "crumb-bum."
Chapter 14
Holden is alone at night feeling depressed lying in bed and smoking - in his mind he talks
to his brother Ali telling him to get his bike and meet at Billy Fallon's house. When they lived in
Maine Holden and Billy they had excluded Ali from a trip to the lake, now, Holden sued this in
nerves by inviting his little brother to come along. Someone knocks on Holden's door; it's the
elevator attendant Maurice and Sunny the prostitute and they demand five dollars from him and
at the end, they took the extra five dollars from Holden's wallet and Maurice punches him in the
stomach. He and sunny then leave, Holden lies there with his breath knocked out of him while
comforts himself by fantasizing that Maurice has actually shot him in the gut in his fantasy. He
follows Maurice and shoots him six times, Jane tends to his own wound in reality while Holden
falls back in bed and finally sleeps after his harrowing nights.
Chapter 15
Holden awakes around 10:00 Sunday morning. He phones an old girlfriend, Sally Hayes,
and makes a date to meet her at 2:00 p.m. to catch a theater matinee. Holden checks out of the
hotel and leaves his bags at a lock box in Grand Central Station. While eating a large breakfast
(orange juice, bacon and eggs, toast and coffee) at a sandwich bar, he meets two nuns who are
schoolteachers from Chicago, newly assigned to a convent "way the hell uptown," apparently
near Washington Heights. They discuss Romeo and Juliet, and Holden gives them a donation of
ten dollars.
Chapter 16
When Holden finishes his conversation with the two nuns, it is almost noon. He has two
hours until he is to meet Sally at the Biltmore Hotel so he goes for a walk toward Broadway. He
wants to buy a recording, for Phoebe, of an old song called "Little Shirley Beans." Along the
way, Holden notices an apparently underprivileged family walking home from church. The
young son is walking in the street and singing.
Fortunately, the first music store that he visits has a copy of the record. Holden tries to
telephone Jane, but her mother answers so he hangs up. Still burdened with the responsibility of
procuring theater tickets, he chooses a play, I Know My Love, for which he thinks Sally will like
because it stars the Lunts. He decides to visit Central Park in hopes of finding Phoebe who often
skates there on Sundays. He almost visits the Museum of Natural History but decides not to go
in. Although he doesn't feel like going through with the date, he catches a cab to meet Sally at
the Biltmore Hotel as planned.
Chapter 17
Sally is ten minutes late but looks terrific in her black coat and matching beret. She is
thrilled that they will get to see the Lunts and is impressed by the performance. Holden is less
than thrilled, first by the performance on stage and then by Sally's performance in the lobby. He
dislikes the way she talks with an Andover student named George. After the show, they go ice
skating at Radio City. Holden tries to talk with Sally about things of real importance to Holden.
He asks her to run off to Massachusetts and Vermont with him. The date ends badly, and he
walks out.
Chapter 18
In chapter 18 of the Catcher in the Rye, Holden thinks about calling but no one answers
the phone at Jane's house. He felt bored and lonely, Holden phones an old friend Carl Lewis -
they agreed to meet for drinks, and to pass the time Holden goes to radio City Music Hall to
watch the Rockettes, one act; which involves people dressed like angels singing come and
faithful people carrying crucifixes, Holden thinks that old Jesus probably would have puked. The
movie is set during wartime while watching, Holden couldn't look away to a woman seated near
him refuses to take her kid to the bathroom and this disgusts him. Holden, who leaves the theater
for the Wicker bar to meet Luce - Holden saw the war's effect on his older Brother D.B, who was
distant during his furlough. Holden imagine serving in war with people like Maurice and
Stradlater. He decides that he would sit right the hell on top of an atomic bomb if he had to,
Holden admits that passing the time at Radio City was a mistake. The place is practically a
metaphor for everything he finds “phony”, the fascination with spectacle has real-world
consequences.
Chapter 19
Holden usually avoided the Wicker Bar, where "two French babes" played piano and
sang "dirty" songs to "drive all the phonies in the place mad with joy." While Holden waits for
Luce, he drinks Scotch and soda and watches the "flits" at the end of the bar. At Whooton, Luce
was a student advisor and gave "sex talks" that were especially informative on the subject of
perverts. Luce gossiped about Hollywood flits and their arranged marriages and scared the boys
by claiming that they could become flits "practically overnight" if they "had the traits." Holden
wonders whether Luce is gay and, when Luce arrives at the bar, teases him about the flits. Luce
tells him to grow up.
Luce, now a student at Columbia, parries Holden's attempts to steer the conversation
toward sex. Holden presses him for advice on sex until Luce insists, "Drop it." Holden finds
Luce's reluctance self-serving. Luce always wanted to ration out information. Luce advises
Holden to talk to a psychoanalyst but adds that he doesn't care what Holden does. As Luce
leaves, irritated by Holden's demands, Holden tells him he's a "real friendly bastard."
Chapter 20
In this chapter, Holden stays at the bar and gets quite drunk. He decides to telephone Jane
Gallagher but calls Sally Hayes instead. She tells him to go home and go to bed. Holden strikes
up a conversation with the piano player. He tells Holden to go home and go to bed. Holden asks
the hatcheck girl for a date. She tells him to go home and go to bed. Ignoring the unanimous
advice, Holden heads for Central Park to look for the ducks. The search is in vain, and he
manages to break Phoebe's record in the process. Holden reflects on Allie's funeral, which he
could not attend because he was in the hospital with his broken hand (and possibly for emotional
evaluation). His memory of Allie's grave at the cemetery depresses him. Finally, he decides to
sneak home and visit Phoebe in case he dies, too.
Chapter 21
Holden wants to visit Phoebe at the family apartment, in the middle of the night, without
his parents' knowledge. Fortunately, there is a new elevator operator on duty who does not
recognize him. Holden pretends to be visiting the Dicksteins who have an apartment on the same
floor as his parents. Using his key to enter, Holden sneaks to Phoebe's room only to realize that
she now is sleeping in D.B.'s room because he is away in Hollywood; she likes the huge desk
and bed. Holden peruses items on her desk, by lamplight, until he wakens Phoebe. She reveals
that their parents are out for the evening and will return very late. The maid is in the apartment to
care for the girl. As they talk, Phoebe guesses that Holden has been expelled and concludes that
their father will kill him. Upset, she hides her head under a pillow. Holden goes to the living
room for cigarettes.
Chapter 22
Chapter twenty-two opens when Phoebe continues to be terribly upset over Holden's
dismissal from Pencey Prep. She is sure that their father will be very upset with her brother.
Holden says he'll merely be sent to a military school, if he is still around; he plans to head for
Colorado to work on a ranch. Holden tries to explain to Phoebe what a terrible place Pencey is.
He doesn't like anything there. But she concludes that he doesn't like anything anywhere and
challenges him to name one thing that he likes. Holden tries to focus on the issue, but his mind
drifts. Phoebe interrupts and repeats the challenge to think of one thing that Holden likes. He
says he likes Allie, but Phoebe counters that Allie is dead and doesn't count. He says he likes
talking with her, but Phoebe answers, "That isn't anything really." Phoebe changes the topic and
asks Holden to name something he would like to be. After some consideration, he says he would
like to be the catcher in the rye and explains to her what that means to him.
Chapter 23
On the telephone, Mr. Antolini tells Holden to come right over if he wants. Holden
returns to D.B.'s room, now inhabited by Phoebe. She has the radio on, and they dance. Holden
lights a cigarette, and Phoebe explains how she can fake a fever.
Suddenly, they hear their parents entering the apartment. Holden turns out the lamp, jams
out the cigarette, and hides in the closet. His mother checks on Phoebe and, smelling the
cigarette, scolds her for smoking. After the mother leaves, Phoebe loans Holden her Christmas
money, which makes Holden cry. He gives her his treasured red hunting cap and exits down the
building's back stairs.
Chapter 24
After what happened, Holden arrives at the Antolinis' "swanky" apartment on Sutton
Place very late. The couple hosted a party earlier in the evening, and Mr. Antolini is still drinking
heavily. Mrs. Antolini (Lillian) makes coffee and goes to bed. Holden feels dizzy and has a
headache. The coffee does not help Holden. Mr. Antolini ignores his coffee and fixes himself
another highball. Holden discusses an Oral Expression course, taught by Mr. Vinson at Pencey,
which Holden failed. Antolini defends the instructor.
Mr. Antolini is about the same age as Holden's brother, D.B., and usually seems like a
great guy. Tonight he wants to discuss pedagogy more than Holden cares to. He also offers long-
winded theories concerning Holden that the boy could do without. Holden is very tired. He has
slept only two or three hours since Saturday morning, two days ago. It has been an exhausting
weekend. He and Antolini make up the couch, and Holden falls asleep.
Suddenly, Holden is awakened. He is shocked to find Antolini sitting on the floor by the
couch, patting Holden's head. Holden becomes very upset and insists on leaving. He decides that
Mr. Antolini is a pervert.
Chapter 25
Holden wakes up at dawn on a Monday having slept on a bench at Grand Central Station.
He crosses Fifth Avenue, and thinks about how he can't leave without saying goodbye to Phoebe
- he goes to her school to write a note, on the way upstairs, he gets faint and sits down, as he was
sitting he saw an obscenity written on the wall where kids can see it. He becomes enraged
because their innocence might be destroyed by looking at this word. In the school office, he
arranges for the note to be delivered. He leaves by a different staircase and sees more words and
realizes it's a hopeless situation to him.
He spots Phoebe wearing the bright red hunting hat a blue coat and lugging a suitcase.
They talked and she states that she is going to go with him. her stubbornness angers Holden She
cries and takes off the hat and throws it at him when he says she can't come with him, Holden
puts the hat in his pocket afterwards.
They reconciled and walk to a carousel, she chooses a brown horse to ride while Holden
watches the kids ride and tried to grab the gold ring. After the ride, Phoebe kisses Holden and
puts his hat back on his head rain starts to fall Phoebe asks if Holden wasn't going anywhere
Holden assures her that he meant it, he wasn't lying. She rides again as the rain falls harder
Holden is soaked, but is happy watching her ride.
Chapter 26
The final chapter tackles about a long monologue from his crazy days before Christmas
and doesn’t want to talk about how he got sick and went home either. D.B visited Holden with
lots of questions to him but Holden can’t answer the questions. He just knew that he is sorry for
sharing his story with so many people, as telling his story made him miss all the different people
he talked about and advices, “Don’t ever tell anything. If you do, you start missing everybody.”
It wasn’t a long chapter but Holden concludes the story by telling us that he doesn't know what
he thinks about everything that has happened, except that he misses the people he has told us
about.