Catcher in the Rye Analysis

Right as Holden exits Penn Station, he feels the need to emotionally connect with someone. Holden was just kicked out of Pencey Prep. and he needs somewhere to go and someone to talk to. He realizes it's too late at night and decides not to call up anyone. 10:00 PM Saturday

The Edmont Hotel is Holden's first major stop in Manhattan. He is too depressed to care that he has been given a crumby room. While he is here the reader also receives some very interesting thought on women from Holden. He spends the night there and tries to get in touch with a girl, but he can't find the courage to actually see her. 1:00 AM Sunday

Really bored, Holden goes to the Lavender Room in the lobby of the hotel. He gets a crumby table, but he doesn't mind so much. He asks three girls sitting near him if they would like to dance, and they all agree. Holden does not get much of an emotional connection out of this, but he has something to do and that is fine for him. 2:00 AM Sunday

When Holden arrives at Ernie's, he asks the cab driver for a drink, another connection Holden is trying to make because no one wants to be with him. Holden asks the waiter to ask Ernie if he'd like to join him. Then Holden has the thought that nobody passes on your messages to anyone. This is one example of someone not wanting to be with Holden. 3:00 AM Sunday

For breakfast, Holden heads to a "little sandwich bar". While he's there, he meets these two nuns, one of which is an English teacher, Holden's best subject. They get into a conversation about novels and plays, and Holden actually has a good time. Later on in the novel, he will list this time as one of the few things he likes, mainly because he actually got to talk with someone. 10:00 AM Sunday

Holden is supposed to meet Sally Hayes at 2 o' clock and tries to kill the time by going to Broadway. He sees this kid walking along the sidewalk singing "If a body catch a body coming through the rye". He likes the way the kid is walking, with some freedom and bliss around him, and it brightens him up so he is not as depressed anymore. 12:00 Noon Sunday

While at the park, Holden does not really feel like going in because it looks pretty messy. He is heading to the park to look for Phoebe, his kid-sister, and, once again, someone to talk and connect with. Except he cannot find her there. He does find someone who knows her, though, and helps her out with her skate. 12:30 PM Sunday

Holden had called up Sally on Saturday so they could hang out and watch a movie together. Holden bought two tickets to see the Lunts, knowing Sally would like them. While he is waiting for Sally to arrive, he has the time to observe people; girls and their legs and guys and their personalities. Holden is once again looking for a connection and he gets one, for a while with Sally. 2:00 PM Sunday

After going to the theater, Sally and Holden go to the ice rink at Radio City. Holden starts to think that he likes Sally again, because she's so cute. They decide to go inside to get a drink when Holden messes it up. He calls Sally a pain in the butt, which gets her really mad, and so Holden loses his connection. 4:00 PM Sunday

Carl Luce used to go to school with Holden, but Holden hadn't figured to call him up until recently for a chat at the Wicker bar. Holden has been to the Wicker bar before and knows of the two dancers/singers there. He finally meets up with Carl, whom he starts a conversation with. Carl recognizes what he is saying and asks "if this is going to be a typical Holden conversation", signifying that Holden used to be very immature. 7:00 PM Sunday

Holden drinks too much at the Wicker bar, and he knows it, too. After Carl had left, he staggers outside to a phone booth to call up Sally. He asks her if she still wants him to come over to trim the tree, but his words are slurred and she can barely understand him. This is a failed attempt by Holden at a connection not only because he is drunk but because of the time. 10:00 PM Sunday

Holden is relieved from his drunkenness and heads over to Central Park. He walks around the lagoon he has been asking the cab drivers about and cannot find the ducks, even in the reeds. This is a bad sign for Holden, as he doesn't really know what to do with himself now. Sitting on a park bench, Holden passes out, a sign of rebirth for him. 12:00 Midnight Sunday-Monday

Home is where Holden goes to get a special connection with his sister, Phoebe. He knows he can talk with Phoebe because she'll be in bed, and she will be excited to see him. He goes from having a nice conversation with her to being chastised for being kicked out. In the end, he feels emotionally better. 2:00 AM Monday

Mr. Antolini was one of Holden's old teachers, one of his favorite. Holden can't stay at his place, so he calls up Mr. Antolini to ask if he could spend the night there. Once he is there, he gets settled in and soon goes to sleep. In the middle of the night, though, he is woken up by Mr. Antolini patting him on the head. Holden almost pukes and leaves as fast as he can, never to return. 4:00 AM Monday

Holden is looking for a breakfast restaurant to go to when he passes two men unloading a Christmas tree from a truck, and they are swearing like crazy. Holden doesn't like it, but he begins to laugh anyways. As soon as he starts laughing, he feels like he is going to puke, a major sign from his body from his body that something needs to be done about the way he lives, but he does not notice this. 7:00 AM Monday

Holden needs to tell Phoebe what he plans to do, so he goes to her school to give a letter to her. This is supposed to be his last goodbye, but he can't say a proper goodbye in a letter. While he is there, he sees some unpleasant words written on the walls, and he tries to erase them but he can't. He strongly dislikes this because now all of the kids can see it. 11:30 AM Monday

Holden is trying to kill time waiting for Phoebe at the museum when he decides to go inside. This is one of the few places Holden likes, because of the Indian exhibit. He likes the Indian exhibit because they stay right in the same place, they can never move. We also find out that Holden actually knows a lot about them, another reason why he likes them. 11:45 AM Monday

Holden has told Phoebe in the letter to meet him at the museum so he can give a proper goodbye and tell her about his plan. Phoebe ends up packing her stuff to go with him, and becomes very mad when Holden tells her she cannot go. Holden is trying to protect his sister, but she would rather be with him than their parents. 12:15 PM Monday

Phoebe storms to the other side of the road where she walks parallel with Holden to the park. Holden calms Phoebe enough so that she goes on the carousel. While Holden is watching her, it begins to rain and he doesn't even cover up. This is the second sign of Holden's rebirth, a cleansing of his past life, and for him to start new. 1:00 PM Monday