SUMMARY OF “THE CATCHER IN THE RYE”

The story revolves around Holden Caulfield, a 16-year-old boy who is expelled from his school,
Pencey Prep, due to his poor academic performance. Being expelled from school isn't new for
Holden, in fact, he has flunked in three other schools before. Because he has a few days until he
has to go back home, he decides to spend his time outside the dormitory he lives in.
Holden's first stop is at his history teacher, Mr. Spencer's house, to say goodbye, but the visit
turns sour when Mr. Spencer reminds him of his poor academic performance. Holden leaves Mr.
Spencer's house feeling irritated and returns to his dormitory where he is greeted by his
annoying neighbor and roommate. He engages in a heated altercation with his roommate,
Stradlater, over Jane, a girl with whom he was acquainted, but who had now gone on a date
with Stradlater. During the altercation, Holden sustains severe injuries, prompting him to
introspect and conclude that it would be prudent to take a train and seek refuge in a hotel in his
hometown for the night.
On the train, Holden meets the mother of one of the students in Pencey he doesn't like, and he
decides it would be fun to tell her lies about how her son is very shy and highly respected at
school. When he arrives in New York, he takes a cab to the hotel he plans on staying at. On the
way, he asks the driver a question about the ducks in Central Park that has been on his mind for
a long time. However, this question annoys the driver, so he drops it for a while.
When Holden checks into the hotel, he is met with the view of the other guests of the hotel,
who seem to be very weird people by the way he describes them. Feeling lonely, he decides to
call Faith, who has been suggested to him by some random guy at a party for a good time. But
they cannot agree on the time they want to meet, so they end up hanging up without arranging
the meeting.
Holden then decides to go to the bar downstairs where he meets two girls in their thirties with
whom he dances for a while, but he still feels lonely. Upon his return to the hotel, Holden's
troubles escalate when Maurice, the elevator operator, sends a prostitute to his room but then
demands more money than they had initially agreed upon. The next day, he reaches out to Sally,
an ex-girlfriend, and they attend a Broadway play before going ice skating. While on the outing,
Holden suggests they escape together and live in a cabin. However, when Sally declines, he
responds with frustration, calling her a "pain in the ass". As a result, she storms off in anger.
That night, Holden meets with an old friend for drinks and gets quite drunk. In his state, he
decides to sneak into his apartment to see his little sister Phoebe and tells her about his plans
for the future which she doesn’t seem very fond of. He says that he imagines himself as “the
catcher in the rye” a kind of guardian who catches children before they fall off a cliff and are
corrupted by the adult world.
Holden seeks refuge in the home of his former English teacher, but in the middle of the night,
he awakens to find his teacher petting his head, causing him to quickly come up with an excuse
and leave the apartment. He goes to Phoebe’s school and sends her a note saying they should
meet up one last time before he leaves for good. When Phoebe arrives with a bag, ready to go
wherever he goes, he refuses and says hurtful things. To make it up to her, he takes her to the
zoo, where he finally understands the importance of being with his loved ones.
At the end of the book, Holden is in a mental hospital and still refuses to answer questions
about his future. However, he is optimistic about the new school he is going to attend in
September.