Catcher in the Rye Chapter 17

The Catcher in the RyeThe Catcher in the Rye

Chapter 17Chapter 17 Holden is early for his date with Holden is early for his date with

Sally, so he waits for her and Sally, so he waits for her and indulges in a bit of girl watching. indulges in a bit of girl watching.

““A lot of schools were home for A lot of schools were home for vacation already, and there were vacation already, and there were about a million girls sitting and about a million girls sitting and standing around waiting for their standing around waiting for their dates to show up.” dates to show up.”

““Girls with their legs crossed, Girls with their legs crossed, girls with their legs not crossed, girls with their legs not crossed, girls with terrific legs, girls with girls with terrific legs, girls with lousy legs, girls that looked like lousy legs, girls that looked like swell girls, girls that looked like swell girls, girls that looked like they'd be bitches if you knew they'd be bitches if you knew them.”them.”

SallySally Sally arrives ten minutes late, but Sally arrives ten minutes late, but

since she is looking extremely nice, since she is looking extremely nice, Holden decides not to be upset with Holden decides not to be upset with her. her.

““Finally, old Sally started coming up Finally, old Sally started coming up the stairs, and I started down to the stairs, and I started down to meet her. She looked terrific. She meet her. She looked terrific. She really did. She had on this black coat really did. She had on this black coat and sort of a black beret.”and sort of a black beret.”

““She hardly ever wore a She hardly ever wore a hat, but that beret hat, but that beret looked nice.” looked nice.”

““The funny part is, I felt The funny part is, I felt like marrying her the like marrying her the minute I saw her. I'm minute I saw her. I'm crazy. I didn't even like crazy. I didn't even like her much, and yet all of her much, and yet all of a sudden I felt like I was a sudden I felt like I was in love with her and in love with her and wanted to marry her.” wanted to marry her.”

““I swear to God I'm I swear to God I'm crazy. I admit it.”crazy. I admit it.”

The ShowThe Show They watch the play for which Holden They watch the play for which Holden

has bought tickets, and he reluctantly has bought tickets, and he reluctantly admits the show is not bad. admits the show is not bad.

““The show wasn't as bad as some I've The show wasn't as bad as some I've seen. It was on the crappy side, seen. It was on the crappy side, though.” though.”

““It was about five hundred thousand It was about five hundred thousand years in the life of this one old couple. years in the life of this one old couple. It starts out when they're young and It starts out when they're young and all, and the girl's parents don't want all, and the girl's parents don't want her to marry the boy, but she marries her to marry the boy, but she marries him anyway.”him anyway.”

““Then they keep getting older and Then they keep getting older and older. The husband goes to war, and older. The husband goes to war, and the wife has this brother that's a the wife has this brother that's a drunkard. I couldn't get very drunkard. I couldn't get very interested.” interested.”

““They were all just a bunch of actors. They were all just a bunch of actors. The husband and wife were a pretty The husband and wife were a pretty nice old couple--very witty and all--but nice old couple--very witty and all--but I couldn't get too interested in them.” I couldn't get too interested in them.”

““For one thing, they kept drinking tea or For one thing, they kept drinking tea or some goddam thing all through the play. some goddam thing all through the play. Every time you saw them, some butler Every time you saw them, some butler was shoving some tea in front of them, was shoving some tea in front of them, or the wife was pouring it for or the wife was pouring it for somebody.”somebody.”

““And everybody kept coming in and And everybody kept coming in and going out all the time--you got dizzy going out all the time--you got dizzy watching people sit down and stand up.” watching people sit down and stand up.”

““Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne were Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne were the old couple, and they were very the old couple, and they were very good, but I didn't like them much.” good, but I didn't like them much.”

““They were different, though, I'll say They were different, though, I'll say that. They didn't act like people and that. They didn't act like people and they didn't act like actors.” they didn't act like actors.”

““It's hard to explain. They acted It's hard to explain. They acted more like they knew they were more like they knew they were celebrities and all.” celebrities and all.”

““I mean they were good, but they I mean they were good, but they were too good.” were too good.”

““When one of them got finished When one of them got finished making a speech, the other one said making a speech, the other one said something very fast right after it.” something very fast right after it.”

““It was supposed to be like people It was supposed to be like people really talking and interrupting each really talking and interrupting each other and all.”other and all.”

““The trouble was, it was too much The trouble was, it was too much like people talking and interrupting like people talking and interrupting each other.” each other.”

““They acted a little bit the way old They acted a little bit the way old Ernie, down in the Village, plays the Ernie, down in the Village, plays the piano. If you do something too good, piano. If you do something too good, then, after a while, if you don't watch then, after a while, if you don't watch it, you start showing off.” it, you start showing off.”

““And then you're not as good any And then you're not as good any more.”more.”

““But anyway, they were the only But anyway, they were the only ones in the show--the Lunts, I mean--ones in the show--the Lunts, I mean--that looked like they had any real that looked like they had any real brains. I have to admit it.”brains. I have to admit it.”

The LuntsThe Lunts

Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne were the Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne were the pre-eminent Broadway acting couple.pre-eminent Broadway acting couple.

They have a Broadway theater named They have a Broadway theater named after them (The Lunt-Fontanne).after them (The Lunt-Fontanne).

Celebrated for their sophisticated comic Celebrated for their sophisticated comic skills, they were known for their ability to skills, they were known for their ability to swiftly overlap dialogue with such swiftly overlap dialogue with such adroitness that every word was adroitness that every word was understood. understood.

They appeared together in over 24 They appeared together in over 24 plays - and most recently on an plays - and most recently on an American postage stamp. The couple American postage stamp. The couple also made one film together (The also made one film together (The Guardsman 1931), starred in several Guardsman 1931), starred in several radio dramas for the Theatre Guild in radio dramas for the Theatre Guild in the 1940s and starred in a few the 1940s and starred in a few television productions in the 1950s television productions in the 1950s and 1960s. They retired in 1966. and 1960s. They retired in 1966.

Afterward, Sally suggests they go ice Afterward, Sally suggests they go ice skating at Radio City, mostly because skating at Radio City, mostly because she wants to rent one of those little she wants to rent one of those little skating skirts to show off her legs. skating skirts to show off her legs.

However, both Holden and she are However, both Holden and she are miserable skaters, and they finally miserable skaters, and they finally retreat to the bar for cokes. retreat to the bar for cokes.

While having refreshments, Holden is While having refreshments, Holden is suddenly roused from his depression suddenly roused from his depression with the thought of running away. with the thought of running away.

He asks Sally to go with him, but she He asks Sally to go with him, but she dismisses his idea, thinking he is dismisses his idea, thinking he is being weird. being weird.

"Look," I said. "Here's my idea. How "Look," I said. "Here's my idea. How would you like to get the hell out of would you like to get the hell out of here? Here's my idea. I know this guy here? Here's my idea. I know this guy down in Greenwich Village that we can down in Greenwich Village that we can borrow his car for a couple of weeks. borrow his car for a couple of weeks. He used to go to the same school I did He used to go to the same school I did and he still owes me ten bucks.” and he still owes me ten bucks.”

““What we could do is, tomorrow What we could do is, tomorrow morning we could drive up to morning we could drive up to Massachusetts and Vermont, and all Massachusetts and Vermont, and all around there, see. It's beautiful as hell around there, see. It's beautiful as hell up there, It really is." up there, It really is."

I was getting excited as hell, the more I I was getting excited as hell, the more I thought of it, and I sort of reached over thought of it, and I sort of reached over and took old Sally's goddam hand. and took old Sally's goddam hand.

What a goddam fool I was. "No What a goddam fool I was. "No kidding," I said. "I have about a kidding," I said. "I have about a hundred and eighty bucks in the bank. hundred and eighty bucks in the bank. I can take it out when it opens in the I can take it out when it opens in the morning, and then I could go down and morning, and then I could go down and get this guy's car.” get this guy's car.”

““No kidding. We'll stay in these cabin No kidding. We'll stay in these cabin camps and stuff like that till the dough camps and stuff like that till the dough runs out.” runs out.”

““Then, when the dough runs out, I Then, when the dough runs out, I could get a job somewhere and we could get a job somewhere and we could live somewhere with a brook could live somewhere with a brook and all and, later on, we could get and all and, later on, we could get married or something. I could chop all married or something. I could chop all our own wood in the wintertime and our own wood in the wintertime and all. Honest to God, we could have a all. Honest to God, we could have a terrific time! Wuddaya say? C'mon! terrific time! Wuddaya say? C'mon! Wuddaya say? Will you do it with me? Wuddaya say? Will you do it with me? Please!"Please!"

They fight and Sally leaves with hurt They fight and Sally leaves with hurt feelings. feelings.