The Catcher in the Rye Chapters 18-21
Towards evening, Holden calls Carl Luce, a friend from a previous school they had attended. Carl was Holden’s student advisor, and is three years older than Holden. They make plans to meet at 10PM, at a bar. Thus is still a few hours away, so Holden goes to a performance by the Rockettes, and then attends a movie as well. He finally heads to the bar where he is to meet Carl, where he orders, and receives, an alcoholic beverage.
Carl arrives soon, and the teens talk. Carl claims to be dating an older woman—in her late 30’s— of Chinese descent, who lives in Greenwich Village. Holden is fascinated, and considers the notion of moving to China in order to espouse Chinese philosophy. After speaking for a while, Carl leaves to go on a date. Holden remains at the bar, continuing to drink, and becomes very intoxicated.
Holden decides to call Jane, but then changes his mind, and calls Sally instead. Holden’s intoxication, however, is evident, so she tells him to go to bed. He is also given this advice by the piano player in the bar, as well as the hatcheck girl (who he unsuccessfully asks for a date).
However, instead of going to bed, Holden heads for the park, looking for the ducks. He finds none, succeeding only in accidentally breaking the record he had purchased for his sister. His thoughts then turn to Allie’s funeral, which Holden had been unable to attend. He is saddened by the image of Allie’s grave site, and begins to consider his own mortality. Thinking that he could die of pneumonia, and concerned over how devastating this might be to Phoebe, he decides to try to sneak into his parents’ house in order to visit Phoebe.
He arrives at the family apartment building, where Holden is glad to see that the elevator man is new, and does not recognize him. Holden claims to be visiting another family on the floor of his own family, then uses his key to slip into the apartment without being noticed.
Phoebe is awakened, and lets Holden know that the parents are out for the night. Only the family maid is on hand. They talk, and Phoebe determines that Holden has been expelled, something his parents are still not aware of. Phoebe is upset, thinking that their father is going to kill Holden. Holden attempts to placate her by telling her that at the worst, their father will send him to military school. However, Holden has other plans, specifically those of moving to Colorado to be a ranch hand.
Holden tries to convince Phoebe that his dislike of Pencey is justified, but she tells him that she believes he does not like anything at all. When she challenges him to name one thing that he likes, he is unable to answer with anything that Phoebe agrees is valid, and his mind drifts. But when Phoebe asks him instead to tell her what he would eventually like to BE, instead, he answers thoughtfully that he would like to be a “catcher in the rye.”
Analysis:
The irony of Holden attending yet another show, and a movie, both things that he typically finds repulsive, further shows Holden’s confusion, and perhaps his boredom. He finds both the performance and the movie to lack authenticity. Even more ironically is Holden’s seeming respect and admiration for Carl, whose sexual exploits appear to be phony boasting. Carl does not demonstrate a loyalty or a deep understanding of things, but Holden fails to mentally condemn him, as he has done with so many others.
Holden does not call the girl who he appears to love. Even in his intoxicated state, he respects her, but, lacking the same level of respect, calls Sally instead.
At the park, Holden’s decision-making appears to be less rational. He gets somewhat lost in the park, and then, in spite of his dire financial situation, he skips coins across the pond.
He turns to Phoebe, a source of emotional comfort to him. In spite being six years his junior, the two are very close. They speak as peers, perhaps alluding to Holden’s immaturity, in addition to Phoebe’s young wisdom. Phoebe is a good student, and a budding author. However, she is still a child, and is another example of the youthful purity and innocence that Holden cherishes, and will work to protect. Phoebe, too, is compassionate, perhaps following her brother’s example.
