Chapter 11, Holden's attitude on Jane

In  this chapter the only feature really is, "Old Jane Gallagher". Holden remembers a lot about Jane, the main memory though is of Holden and Jane when they are playing checkers on Jane's porch. Her drunk stepfather came out and asked Jane if there were any cigarettes. She refused to look up or answer, even when he asked repeatedly. Finally, after he went back into the house, Jane started crying. Holden moved over so sit right next to her and started kissing her everywhere – her nose, eyes, ears – everywhere except her mouth. Jane then goes into her house, gets a jumper and then they go to the movies. Jane is extremely important to Holden, as Jane is the closest he's ever been to a girl. Holden wants to meet another girl like Jane, but he can't seem to find one.

Chapter 9

Holden gets off the train at Penn Station in New York, he thhen goes to a pay phone to call someone. The only thing is is he doesn't know who to call. He lists off a string of people, but just like the time with the snowball at the window, he can't decide, so leaves. This tells me that Holden is very indecisive, and can never make is mind up. this relates to the amount of schools he has attended. Instead, Holden gets a cab and accidentally gives his home address. About halfway there, he remembers he can't go home until Wednesday. He asks the Taxi man to take him to the Edmont Hotel.

Holden looks out of his hotel room window and discovers over the way is a man, dressing in womens clothes, walking around in them, whilst having a smoke. He then finds a young couple squirting water from there mouths onto eachother. Holden finds both sights to be perverted. Stradlater, he thinks, would have been the King of a sexed-up place like this. Holden moves off topic, he says if you really care about a girl, you shouldn't horse around with her at all in such a crumby way. At the end of his digression Holden tells us that he "doesn't understand" sex.

Holden's "felling pretty horny" by now, so he gets his wallet and finds the address of a girl who he says isn't a whore but "didn't mind doing it once in a while". Holden tries to get with this girl but it ends up at a dead end, it's too late for her (even though it's a saturday night).

Chapter 6

At the start of this chapter, Holden says, "Somethings are hard to remember". He is sitting in his room waiting for Stradlater to get back from his date with Jane, Holden is nervous. Stradlater finally arrives and reads Holden's composition while undressing. Stradlater hates it, so Holden tears it up and puts it in the bin, they don't talk "for a long time". Holden lights up a cigarette, which he informs us is something Stradlater hates. It's against the rules, and Stradlater never breaks any rules. Finally, Stradlatertells us he didn't go anywhere with Jane – they just hung out in Ed Banky's car, (he's the basketball coach, Stradlater is "one of his pet"). Holden asks outright: "What'd you do? Give her the time in Ed Banky's goddamn car?". Again, Stradlater refuses to answer. Holden flips out and tries to hit him. Stradlater pins him down, demanding to know what's wrong with him. Holden keeps insulting him. It's clear that Stradlater doesn't want to hurt him, once Stradlater finally lets him go, Holden calls him a "dirty stupid sonuvabitch of a moron." Stradlater smacks Holden, giving him a nasty nose bleed. He goes to the mirror, Holden thinks he looks tough, and remarks that he's only ever been in about two fights in his life, and lost both. He then goes to Ackley's room.

Chapter 3, 4 & 5 - School.

Holden at School.
Holden opens Chapter Three with a short coversation on lying, then we learn that Holden lives in a dormitory donated by a former student named Ossenburger. Holden tries to relax, he puts on his Cap and starts reading Out Of Africa (which he borrowed from the library by accident). A few pages into Out of Africa, this guy Robert Ackley "barges" in. He's a tall guy with dirty teeth and pimples. Holden isn't "too crazy about him". Ackley is a senior, so likes to act in charge around Holden, Ackley also hates Stradlater (Holden's room mate) A school "hot-shot" as Holden calls him. Stradlater runs into the room where Holden is horsing around and asks him if he could borrow Holden's hound's-tooth jacket. Holden tells him not to stretch it with his "godamn" shoulders.

In chapter 4 Holden goes to the Bathroom with Stradlater to watch him get ready and "horse around". Later, Stradlater asks Holden to do him a favour and write him a "descriptive as hell" composition (essay) but he askes him to not make it amazing and asks him to put the commas in the wrong place, so it looks like Stradlater has written it. This annoys Holden. Holden then asks who His date is, it turns out Holden knows her. Holden worries about jane as he admits that Stradlater is "a sext bastard".

The start of chapter 5 involves Holden telling us that on a saturday night, the boys at Pency all get Steak for tea, to impress the parents the next day. Holden describes the steaks as "these little hard, dry jobs that you could hardly even cut. Holden decides he wants to go into town, he asks Mal Brossard  (a friend) and Ackley to go with him, Holden packs a Snowball which he plans on throwing out of the window at something, but can't decide, so keeps it until the bus driver tells him to ditch it before getting on the bus. However, the only film that is on is one that Mal and Ackley have already seen, and as Holden hates the Movies, they end up going back to the dorm. Holden puts on a bathrobe and his red cap and writes Stradlaters composition. Holden ends up writing about his brother - Allie, who died of Leukemia in 1946. Holden tells us that he as out of control when Allie died and went into the garage and broke all the windows with his fist – "just for the hell of it." He still can't make a good fist, but whatever – it's not like he's going to be a violinist or something, he says. Holden then goes to bed and  listens to Ackley snoring and feels "a little sorry for the crazy sonuvabitch."

Chapter 2

So i've just read more of The Catcher In The Rye, i will be talking about Holden at school in this blog amongst other things.
In chapter 2 Holden visits Mr Spencer, but as soon as he walks into his room, he regrets coming in the first place. Spencer gives Holden a lecture about life, he tells him: "Life is a game that one plays acording to the rules." Spencer later on in chapter 2 makes Holden read out his History essay, about the Egyptians and, holden gets very annoyed and embarrassed. Deep down, i believe Holden does care about what Spencer has to say and listens to him. However Holden makes an excuse to get away from Spencer's house and goes back to his room.

Chapter 1 - The Catcher In The Rye

So i've just read chapter 1 of the catcher in the rye, where we learn the main characters name is "Holden". J.D. Salinger introduces many characters in the first chapter. Lastly he introduces Mr Spencer, Holden goes to Mr & Mrs Spencer's house towards the end of the chapter, this is where the chapter ends. We learn that Holden 'used' to be a heavy smoker and he tells us he"practically got T.B" and he tells us he has"check ups and stuff". At the end of the chapter Holden goes into Mr Spencers room and leaves us at a cliffhanger as to who Mr Spencer is and what holden's relaitionship is to him.
Ilook forwarsd to starting Chapter 2.
Bye for now!

1st blog

My first ever blog, here it goes. I'm going to blog about all things english literature.

Currently reading: The Catcher In The Rye.