Catcher in the Rye

Holden Caulfied is a young man who attends Pencey prep school in Agererstown, Pennsylvania. Holden failed four schools including Pencey. Therefore he sets off on a train to go to back to his hometown in New York where he tries to live on his own with the money he saved up. On the train, Holden meets the mother of his old schoolmate. Although he strongly dislikes what type of guy her son is, Holden makes up stories about how well respected he is at school. Finally he arrives at the Penn Station, between 31st and 33rd streets. Holden gets a cab and the driver takes him to 34th St to the Edmont Hotel where he checked himself in.

From his room, Holden can see different variety of people. He sees the oddest things ever. Such as a man and a woman taking turns spitting drinks into each others faces and laughing hysterically. He interprets the couple's behavior as a form of sexual play and is both upset and aroused by it. He then goes downstairs to the Lavender Room and sits at a table, but the waiter refused to serve him because he was a minor. Holden flirts and dances with three elder women who he just met. Later, Holden leaves the Edmont and takes a cab to Ernie's jazz club in Greenwich Valley. There he ran into Lillian Simmons and she invites him to sit with her and her date but he says he has to meet someone, leaves, and walks back to Edmont.

Feeling lonely, the next day he calls Sally Hayes and they decided to meet at Radio City to ice skate. They both skate poorly and decide to get a table instead. Holden explains to Sally why he is unhappy at school and urges her to run away with him to Massachusetts or Vermont and live in a cabin. Sally refuses to his request and Holden insults her. He laughed at her when she reacts angrily. She refuses to listen to his apologies and leaves.

Holden goes to the lagoon in Central Park which reminds him of his childhood days. Then he sneaks into his own apartment building and wakes his sister Phoebe. He confessed that he was kicked out of school and he tried to explain why he hates school, but Phoebe throws a fit and accuses him of not liking anything. Such as his fantasy of being "the catcher in the rye", a person who catches little children and they are about to fall off a cliff. Later Holden calls his former English teacher, Mr. Antolini, and invites him over to his apartment. There Mr. Antolini tried to counsel Holden about his future which made him think about what he wanted