the CATCHER in the RYE J D SALINGER

the CATCHER in the RYE J. D. SALINGER

ABOUT THE AUTHOR J. D. SALINGER - JEROME DAVID SALINGER BORN: January 1, 1919 Manhattan, New York City, NY Went to Valley Forge Military Academy in Wayne, PA Studied Ursinus College and New York University Served in the Army during World War II from 1942 -1944 1951 Publishes The Catcher In The Rye Marries Claire Douglas in 1955 had two children divorces after 12 years - Lives a reclusive lifestyle until his death on January 27, 2010

SUMMARY CHAPTER 18: This chapter begins with Holden leaving the ice skating rink. After a little contemplation he calls Jane but to no avail because she doesn’t answer. So he decides to call up Carl Luce a boy he went to school with at Whooton. Luce couldn't make it to dinner but decides to meet up with Holden for drinks. To kill time Holden goes to Radio City Music Hall to see a movie he hates everything from the Rockettes to the movie. After the movie while he is walking to the Wicker Bar Holden thinks about what D. B. told him and comes to the conclusion that he could never be in the military.

SUMMARY CHAPTER 19: Holden makes it to the bar which he explains is in a very swanky place so a lot of phonies go there. He is early and has a few scotch and sodas before Luce shows up. He remember luce as the guy that was supposed to be hs student advisor when he was a Whooton but the only thing he ever did was give him and all the boys sex talks. So Holden tries to engage in these kind of sex talks but Luce isn't biting he actually gets annoyed of Holden and tells him that he needs to see a psychoanalyst and leaves.

SUMMARY CHAPTER 20: Holden proceeds to get belligerent drunk, makes a drunk phone call to Sally and hits on a singer from the lounge and the hat-check girl. In his drunken stupor he decides to go to Central Park because he wanted to see if the ducks were still there but he breaks the record he got for Phoebe on his way and gets pissed. While he is at the Park he gets so colled he imagines getting pneumonia and his funeral. He starts to get even more sad when he thinks about visiting allies grave. He decides that he wants to see Phoebe so he starts to walk home.

SUMMARY CHAPTER 21: Holden makes his way to his family's apartment Phoebe isn't in her room but he finds her sleeping peacefully in D. B. ’s room he notes that children unlike adults actually look peaceful when they sleep. Holden starts to go through and read Phoebe's school notes and books he finds them amusing. Phoebe eventually wakes up and she is so excited to see him when she does. Phoebe tells Holden all about what is going on with her at school but then she realizes that Holden is home early which means he got kicked out of school again and tells him that daddy will kill him! She kind of freaks out and puts a pillow over head Holden tries to reason with her but he can't so he just leaves her be and leaves the room to go get some cigarettes.

SUMMARY CHAPTER 22: Phoebe is still really pouty when he comes back but they continue to talk. Holden tries to justify himself but Phoebe just accuses him of hating everything and asks him to name one thing that he likes. It takes Holden a while to come up with a response because he starts to think about the Nuns he saw in the morning and the James Castle the boy that commit suicide by jumping out of a window he finally says I like Allie and I enjoy this sitting here talking to you. She gets mad and reminds him that Allie is dead and he always says that. Phoebe then asks what he wants to do with his life he responds with a quote from a poem which he actually misinterpreted but he says that he wants to be The Catcher In The Rye saving the little children from running off the cliff. After this conversation Holden excuses himself to make a phone call to Mr. Antolini

SUMMARY CHAPTER 23: Mr. Antolini was super shocked when Holden told him that he had flunked out of Pencey he said “good god” and invited him to come over right then if he wanted. Their conversation was short and after Holden recalls Mr. Antolini as the best teacher he ever had and the only one that displayed any courage and kindness as he was the one that went to pick up James Castle's body after he jumped out the window. When Holden comes back to Phoebe's room she has the radio on and wants to dance he dances with her a little bit until they hear their parents come home. Holden hides while his mom tucks Phoebe in when she leaves Phoebe gives him her Christmas money and Holden gives her his hunting cap and she put it on to sleep.

ANALYSIS I believe that in this section so much is revealed we finally have this confrontation with Phoebe where she really questions him which gets him to question himself. And there in chapter 22 was perhaps the most important part of the book where he says that his life's purpose so to speak is to be The Catcher In The Rye.