After breakfast he decides to buy a record for his Phoebe called
"Little Shirley Beans." He continues walking and meets a boy singing,
"If a body catch a body coming through the rye." It makes him feel
good and he decides to call Jane. He looses his nerve and hangs up the phone
when her mother answers. He then buys theater tickets to a show called "I
Know My Love."
He then decides to look for Phoebe in the park thinking that
she likes to roller-skate there on Sundays. He is not successful and then
walks to the museum, remembering how much he enjoyed going there as a child.
He realizes that the fascination that he felt when he was younger no longer
existed for him now that he was older and he did not into the museum.
Review:
Holden shows the first sign of realizing that he has changed
and matured when he remarks that the exhibits in the museum are the same as
they were when he was a child. At this point in his life and they no longer
hold the same fascination for him as they did then.
Chapter Seventeen:
Holden goes to meet Sally at the Biltmore Hotel and is happy to see her.
After the play, he takes her ice-skating at Rockerfeller Center. He enjoys
watching her and thinks that she is quite attractive. In the midst of it all
he starts to talk to her about how he feels and his voice rises to the point
where he is almost shouting. When she doesn't seem to understand what he means
about the "phonies" and asks him to stop shouting, he becomes even
louder and proposes to Sally to run away with him and live somewhere alone
in a cabin. When she tries to tell him that his ideas are absurd, he becomes
more agitated and raises his voice to even a louder pitch. She eventually
becomes so frustrated with him that she begins to cry. Even though he tries
to apologize, she is very angry and he walks away from her.
Review:
Holden's behavior in this chapter shows how he is heading towards a nervous
breakdown. His desire to run away indicates how unrealistic he is becoming.
Chapter Eighteen:
After he left the skating-rink, he had a sandwich and again thought of calling
Jane. When there is no answer, he calls Carl Luce, a guy he knew from the
Whooton School to make arrangements for the evening. Since he has lots of
time, he goes to a movie. He find the movie boring but remembers how he and
Allie enjoyed going to Radio City Music Hall when they were both younger.
After the movie he walks to the Wicker Bar to meet Luce. On the way he reflects
on war and the army as he has just seen a movie on the military.
Review:
Holden's thoughts about war and being killed by an atom bomb foreshadow his
state of mind and frightened he feels.
Chapter Nineteen:
Holden arrives at the Wicker Bar before Luce and the reader learns about
the place from Holden's description. He recalls how he frequented the place
a lot and liked a show that featured Tina and Janine, two "French babes."
He then recalls that even though Luce was his Student Adviser at Whooton,
he always gave his sex talks to the guys. When Luce arrives, Holden tries
to engage him in a sexual conversation, but Luce doesn't get drawn in and
tells Holden to get psychoanalysis.
Review:
Luce is a boy who is a bit older than Holden and effeminate tendencies. Holden
seeks sexual advice from Luce as he used to in prior years when they both
attended the Whooton School. This time however, Luce does not want to talk
about sex and becomes annoyed at Holden's questions.
Chapter Twenty:
Holden remains at the bar after Luce leaves and gets very drunk. He thinks
of calling Jane but calls Sally instead. His call is received very poorly
as it is very late and he is quite drunk. He then tries to make a date with
some women but is not successful. He then decides to walk to the duck pond
in Central Park. On the way he accidentally drops the record he had bought
for Phoebe and becomes very upset.
Since it is very cold and his hair begins to freeze, his thoughts become
very morbid and he thinks of catching pneumonia and death. He remembers that
he had been unable to attend Allie's funeral because he had been in the hospital
after breaking the windows of the garage and how he never wanted to place
flowers on allie's grave.
Review:
The chapter reveals again how unstable Holden acts and how little control
he has over his behavior. The reader also gains some insight as to how upset
Holden is whenever he thinks of Allie and his trips to the grave site.
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