THE CATCHER IN THE RYE – FINAL TEST Study Guide
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Holden Caulfield is the narrator. He tells his story from a mental institution in Southern
California. The events took place the previous December in 1949 when he was 16 years
old.
Holden has been kicked out of Pencey Prep, which is located in Pennsylvania, for failing
four of his five classes. He only passed his English class.
Before leaving the school, he visits his history teacher, Mr. Spencer.
Holden tells us that he hates the movies.
Holden’s roommate Stradlater goes out on a date with Jane Gallagher, a girl who once
lived next door to Holden and with whom Holden played checkers. He seems to like her
and is annoyed that Stradlater is going out with her.
Stradlater asks Holden to write a descriptive paper for him about a room. Holden decides
to write about his brother Allie’s baseball mitt which had poems written on it. Allie died
of leukemia when Holden was 13.
After Holden gets in a fight with Stradlater, which results in a bloody nose, he decides to
leave Pencey before the official start of Christmas break on Wednesday. (It is Saturday
night when he leaves.)
On the train to New York, Holden meets the mother of one of his classmates, Mrs.
Morrow, and tells her that he has a small brain tumor and that he must have surgery.
While in New York, Holden gets a hotel room. He keeps thinking how much he would
like to visit his younger sister, Phoebe. But he doesn’t want to come home early for fear
of his parents’ reaction to him getting kicked out of Pencey.
Holden meets a man on the elevator who arranges for a prostitute to come to Holden’s
room. When the prostitute arrives, all Holden wants to do is talk with her. He pays her
$5.00, but she says he owes her $10.00. She returns the next day and demands that
Holden pay the additional $5.00.
At a sandwich bar, Holden meets and talks with two nuns. He discusses the Shakespeare
play, Romeo and Juliet and gives them a donation of money.
On Sunday, Holden visits Central Park in the hopes that his sister Phoebe, who goes there
often on Sundays to skate, will be there. He also buys her a record, “Little Shirley
Beans.”
Holden arranges a date with Sally Hayes to go see a theater show. On the date, Holden
asks Sally to move to Massachusetts and Vermont with him.
When Sally gets mad at him, Holden calls her “a royal pain in the ass.”
Eventually, Holden decides to sneak into his house to visit his sister Phoebe. When he
talks with Phoebe, she gets mad at him after she guesses that he was kicked out of school.
Holden tells Phoebe that he plans to go to work on a ranch in Colorado.
Phoebe than asks Holden to name something that he would like to be. He tells her that he
would like to be the catcher in the rye.
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Before he leaves Phoebe, she gives him her Christmas money. Holden then gives her his
red hunting cap.
Holden then visits a former English teacher of his, Mr. Antolini. After talking with him,
he falls asleep on the couch, but is woken up when Mr. Antolini is in the room with him
and patting his head. Holden is creeped out by this and makes an excuse and leaves.
After leaving Mr. Antolini’s house, Holden walks up on Fifth Avenue. He feels anxiety
when crossing the street, and he calls out to his dead brother Allie to help him cross the
street.
Holden visits Phoebe’s school, and he sends a note to her that he wants to meet with her
at lunchtime at the Museum of Art because he is leaving home for good. When Phoebe
meets him, she has a suitcase and tells Holden she is going with him.
Holden tells Phoebe angrily that she can’t come with him and she cries and won’t speak
to him.
He takes her to a carousel and buys a ticket so she can ride it. Holden enjoys watching his
sister ride the merry-go-round.
He ends the story saying he won’t explain the specific reasons how he got sick and ended
up in the mental institution. He does say he plans to return to school in the fall.