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The Football Game and Mr. Spencer's
Holden is home early with the fencing team because he forgot the foils on the subway, so he's watching a little bit of the football game vs. Saxon Hall (a very important game, apparently), but he leaves to say goodbye to Mr. Spencer, his history teacher who's home sick. He goes to Mr. Spencer's house and they talk. Mr. Spencer reads Holden's exam paper aloud, and asks him if he has any concern for his future. As Holden leaves, Mr. Spencer shouts, "Good luck!" -
Stradlater's Date and the English Composition
Holden's roommate, Stradlater, comes back from the game to shave and go out with a girl. Her name is Jane Gallagher and it turns out she and Holden were childhood friends. While Stradlater is cleaning himself up, he asks Holden to write a composition for English for him, something descriptive. When Stradlater leaves for his date with Jane, Holden writes the composition, making it about his brother Allie's baseball mitt (Allie died a few years back at age 11) that had poems written all over it. -
The Fistfight and Leaving Pencey Early
Stradlater returns from his date with Jane, and he and Holden talk about her for a bit. The conversation turns into an argument, and then turns violent when Stradlater loses his cool completely and punches Holden. After everyone else is sleeping, Holden decides to leave for NYC early, since he's already been kicked out anyways. His bags are packed, and he doesn't see the point in sticking around 4 more days. As Holden is leaving, he yells, "Sleep tight, ya morons!" and then boards the train. -
The Central Park Ducks
Holden boards the train to NYC, and gets off at Penn Station. He decides he wants to call someone up, but can't think of anyone, so he just catches a taxi to a hotel instead, where he'll wait a couple of days before going home. In the taxi, Holden asks the driver if he knows where the ducks in Central Park go when the lagoon freezes over. The driver doesn't know, and Holden checks into the Edmont hotel. -
The Lavendar Room and Ernie's
When Holden checks into the Edmont, he's not tired, so he decides to go down to the Lavender Room in the hotel. He dances with three women sitting at a table near him. They get bored of talking with him, so Holden catches a taxi to Ernie's. He gets a table and orders a scotch and soda. His brother D.B.'s old girlfriend walks by, and they chat for a bit. She introduces Holden to her date, some guy from the Navy, but Holden says he was just going to escape, leaving his drink behind. -
Maurice and Sunny
On the way back up to his room in the elevator, Maurice the elevator man offers Holden a prostitute for five dollars. Holden accepts, and goes to his room to wait. A couple minutes later, Sunny shows up, but Holden gets cold feet, so he just pays her five dollars to talk. She leaves, but comes back with Maurice a bit later. They want five more dollars, but Holden won't give it to them. Maurice beats Holden up, and Sunny and Maurice take the five bucks and leave. -
Sally Hayes and the Little Singing Boy
In the morning, Holden wakes up and calls a girl he used to go out with, Sally Hayes. They agree to meet and see a show later in the day. In the mean time, Holden checks out of the Edmont and takes his luggage to Grand Central Station where he puts it in one of the lockers there. He does some walking around to kill time before his date with Sally, and he hears a little boy in front of him singing, "if a body catch a body coming through the rye..." -
Little Shirley Beans and the Date with Sally
While Holden is still killing time before his date, he goes into a record shop and buys an album, "Little Shirley Beans," for his little sister Phoebe. Sally shows up, and see "I Know My Love," starring the Lunts. Afterwards, Sally wants to go skating at Radio City, so they do. While they're at the ice rink, Holden starts ranting about society and conformity, and Sally gets really upset. She storms off after calling Holden crazy. -
Drinks with Carl Luce
After Sally leaves, Holden gets a swiss cheese sandwich by himself, and calls Jane Gallagher. When she doesn't pick up, Holden calls one of his classmates from the Whooton School, Carl Luce, and they agree to meet for a drink. They argue as well, and Carl leaves. Holden proceeds to get very drunk and call Sally, then he wanders to Central Park. As he's walking around, Holden accidentally drops and shatters the album he bought for Phoebe. He decides he wants to see her, and walks to his house. -
Talking with Phoebe
Holden sneaks into his house, and wakes Phoebe. She's excited to see him, and when he tells her how he broke the record he bought for her, she keeps the pieces anyways. Phoebe guesses that Holden has been kicked out of Pencey, so Holden tells her about his plans to go west and how he wants to be the catcher in the rye. Holden gives Phoebe his hunting cap, then leaves to go spend the night at the house of one of his old English teachers, Mr. Antolini, who invited him to stay. -
Staying the Night at Mr. Antolini's
Holden goes to Mr. Antolini's, and Mr. Antolini tells him about the importance of education and of finding what it is that drives Holden. He tells him it's all about expressing one's thoughts effectively. Mr. Antolini writes down a quote and asks Holden to keep it. Holden is very tired, so they make up the couch as a bed and Holden goes to sleep. He wakes up quite early to Mr. Antolini petting his hair. Holden panics and says he needs his luggage from Grand Central Station and leaves in a hurry. -
Going West and Saying Goodbye to Phoebe
Holden walks from Mr. Antolini's to Grand Central, and naps for a bit on the benches. When he wakes up, he decides he has to go west immediately, but he wants to say goodbye to Phoebe first. On his way to her school, he buys a pencil and paper and writes her a note telling her he's going west and to meet him at the Museum at noon. He gives it to the front office to give to Phoebe, and then he goes to the museum to wait. -
Phoebe, the Zoo, and the Carousel
Phoebe shows up to the museum quite late, and she's wearing Holden's hunting cap and dragging a big suitcase. She says she wants to go west with Holden, but he says she can't. Phoebe is very upset and they argue. Holden starts walking to the zoo, knowing Phoebe will follow. They get closer and closer as they walk around the zoo, until they're actually walking together. Holden convinces Phoebe to ride the carousel, and he just watches her go around and around as it starts to rain. He feels happy.
