Studyworld Studynotes: The Catcher in the Rye Chapters 6-10

___________________________

Stradlater returns from his date, reads the composition that Holden wrote for him and becomes annoyed saying that it wasn't good. In anger Holden tears it up and one thing leads to another until they both end up in a fist fight. Holden is particularly angry when Stradlater refuses to tell him any details about his date with Jane. Holden ends up with a bloody nose and goes into Ackley's room.

Holden seems to be under tremendous pressure and everything and everyone appears to bother him. He is annoyed when Ackley comes into his room and doesn't have anything to say and when Stradlater struts around as conceited as ever and wont tell him about Jane. Holden feels rebuffed and alienated and exhibits uncontrollable behavior.

After the fight, Holden goes into Ackley's room to find some solace. Instead, he becomes even more frustrated and decides to leave school earlier that he had intended.

He packs his belongings, puts on his hunting cap, and begins to cry. In the hallway he yelled "Sleep tight, ya morons!" and walked out of Pencey.

The reader again sees Holden acting irrationally and undergoing an emotional strain. He cannot find comfort anywhere, not even with his family.

Holden finds that it is too late to call a cab and walks to the train station. After a short wait, he catches a train to New York.

On the train he meets a woman who turns out to be the mother of one his classmates at Pencey. He lies to her as to who he is and why he is on the train. He tells her that his name is Rudolf Schmidt, the name of the Pencey janitor and that he is going to New York because he needs to have an operation. He also tells her that her son Ernie is very popular and well liked.

Before she gets off the train she invites him to visit Ernie during the summer at Gloucester, Massachusetts and wishes him a lot of luck with the operation. He thanks her but tells her that he will be going to South America with his grandmother during the summer.

This chapter illustrates how glibly Holden lies. The point that is particularly sad is that there is no rhyme or reason to the lies that he tells Mrs. Morrow. They simply show a need to impress others.

After reaching New York, Holden is at a loss as to what to do. He takes a cab to the Edmont Hotel which is a rather "sleazy" place. Being bored, he calls Faith Cavendish, a girl who was recommended to him as being free and easy and always available. She refuses to meet him and he is annoyed at himself for not having been able to make any arrangements with her. He wants to call Jane Gallagher , a girl that he likes and respects, but hesitates and apparently is too nervous to do so.

Holden's loneliness and need for companionship becomes obvious when he engages the cabdriver in small talk and when he tries to make a date with Faith Cavendish. It is also interesting to note that even though he wants to call Jane Gallagher , he doesn't.

Not being tired, Holden decides to go to the Lavender Room, the nightclub in the hotel. He is very tempted to call his sister "old Phoebe", but doesn't want to take a chance because it is late and she is probably asleep. He describes her as being pretty and smart and it sounds very similar to the one he gave of Allie. In the Lavender Room he order a drink but the waiter refuses to serve him liquor unless he verifies his age. He then flirts with three women but they laugh at his advances and after a while leave him holding the bill.

This chapter demonstrates Holden's strong desire for companionship. Even though he dislikes the women he meets in the Lavender Room, he tries to impress with lies about himself and prolong their stay as long as possible.