The Catcher in the Rye Chapters 24-25
Holden sleeps for a couple of hours on a bench at the train station. At 9AM, he awakens. He sets out on a search for an affordable breakfast, but begins to feel anxious. The stress and sleeplessness of the past couple of days is wearing Holden’s psyche down, as he second-guesses himself, and seems to almost hallucinate. When he steps off of a curb, he feels as though he might keep falling forever. He seeks guidance and assistance from Allie.
Holden decides that he should head west. He considers living as a deaf-mute, so that he won’t have to interact with people in the same ways he’s gotten tired of. He seeks out Phoebe, in order to say goodbye to her before embarking on his journey west, but during their conversation, she insists on coming with him. He knows that this is simply not possible, and he consequently agrees to just stay home with her.
The closing scene is that of Holden imagining an amusement park carousel, with kids, including Phoebe, happily riding. He marvels, in rapt joy, at the merry-go-round’s motion, but without ever actually changing, or going anywhere.
Finally, we learn that Holden and Phoebe returned to the house after the carousel event. Then, per his recounting, he got sick, and ended up in California, but no details or reason are given.
He concludes by stating that he misses all of the people in his past, even the jerks and the bullies.
Analysis:
We may be seeing the beginning of the end, when it comes to Holden’s sanity. The confusion and insecurity he has experienced throughout the book have accumulated, and now he dwells on the worry of things like his own decision-making, his ability to become a man, and even how death may be knocking at his door. He is unsure about leaving home, and he worries , to the point of obsession, over the protection of innocent lives. He wishes for the security of the past, but realizes that even the second best option, that of time standing still now, is not an option.
All of these thoughts, in addition to real-world trauma (such as the loss of his brother, or being bested in fights a few times, or sleep deprivation issues), may have been too much for Holden to comprehend and process. The fact that all of his recollections of this harrowing weekend are made from a mental health facility somewhere hint that perhaps he was simply unable to deal with it emotionally.
