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Catcher In The Rye Chapter Summaries

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Catcher In The Rye Chapter Summaries
Chapter 1 begins with the main character, Holden, talking about his family. His busy parents and his Hollywood writer brother D.B.. Holden then discusses his school Pencey Prep which he believes to be overrated. Holden is the fencing teams manager and is ostracized by the team for forgetting the fencing gear. Every year Pencey Prep has a big football game, but Holden does not attend it because he planned to meet with his history teacher Old Spencer. The reason for this meeting is that Holden had been kicked at of school because of his low grades. Holden runs to Spencer’s house in the cold December weather and is greeted by Mrs. Spencer. Holden enters Spencer’s study and describes his life as depressing with all the medicine and pills along …show more content…
Holden then attempts to read, but is rudely interrupted by Robert Ackley. Ackley is described as this socially awkward 18 year old with bad hygiene and a terrible personality. Ackley goes around Holden’s room and picks up all his personal things and cuts his nails in Holden’s room. Ackley also has a lot of disdain towards Holden’s roommate Stradlater. Stradlater then comes back to the dorm in order to get ready to go out with a girl and asks to borrow Holden’s jacket and asks Holden to write his English paper. He is described as a secret slob who is madly in love with himself. As Stradlater shaves, Holden dances and acts and then tries to wrestle Stradlater. Eventually the conversations turns to Stradlater’s date, Jane Gallagher. Jane Gallagher was Holden’s old neighbor and Holden seems to have a crush on her. He describes her life in great detail such as that they played checkers together, she was a dancer, and that she had a lousy childhood. Holden seems too scared to go and see Jane so he instead asks Stradlater to say hello for him even though he knows he won’t. Eventually Stradlater leaves and Holden is left in his room thinking about
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