The Catcher in the RyeThe Catcher in the Rye

Chapter 16Chapter 16

Holden finishes his breakfast around noon and Holden finishes his breakfast around noon and decides to take a walk since he has two hours decides to take a walk since he has two hours to spare before his date with Sally Hayes. to spare before his date with Sally Hayes.

While he is walking, Holden cannot help but While he is walking, Holden cannot help but think about the nuns and their collection think about the nuns and their collection basket.basket.

This sets him off imagining what his mother, This sets him off imagining what his mother, aunt, and "Sally Haye’s crazy mother" would aunt, and "Sally Haye’s crazy mother" would do if they were given the job of collecting do if they were given the job of collecting money for charity. money for charity.

““I kept trying to picture my mother I kept trying to picture my mother or somebody, or my aunt, or Sally or somebody, or my aunt, or Sally Hayes's crazy mother, standing Hayes's crazy mother, standing outside some department store and outside some department store and collecting dough for poor people in a collecting dough for poor people in a beat-up old straw basket.” beat-up old straw basket.”

““It was hard to picture.” It was hard to picture.” ““Not so much my mother, but those Not so much my mother, but those

other two.” other two.”

““My aunt's pretty charitable--she My aunt's pretty charitable--she does a lot of Red Cross work and does a lot of Red Cross work and all--but she's very well-dressed all--but she's very well-dressed and all, and when she does and all, and when she does anything charitable she's always anything charitable she's always very well-dressed and has very well-dressed and has lipstick on and all that crap.”lipstick on and all that crap.”

““I couldn't picture her doing I couldn't picture her doing anything for charity if she had to anything for charity if she had to wear black clothes and no wear black clothes and no lipstick while she was doing it.”lipstick while she was doing it.”

““And old Sally Hayes's mother. Jesus And old Sally Hayes's mother. Jesus Christ.”Christ.”

““The only way she could go around with a The only way she could go around with a basket collecting dough would be if basket collecting dough would be if everybody kissed her ass for her when everybody kissed her ass for her when they made a contribution.” they made a contribution.”

““If they just dropped their dough in her If they just dropped their dough in her basket, then walked away without saying basket, then walked away without saying anything to her, ignoring her and all, she'd anything to her, ignoring her and all, she'd quit in about an hour. She'd get bored.” quit in about an hour. She'd get bored.”

““She'd hand in her basket and then go She'd hand in her basket and then go someplace swanky for lunch.” someplace swanky for lunch.”

““That's what I liked about That's what I liked about those nuns. You could those nuns. You could tell, for one thing, that tell, for one thing, that they never went they never went anywhere swanky for anywhere swanky for lunch.” lunch.”

““It made me so damn It made me so damn sad when I thought about sad when I thought about it, their never going it, their never going anywhere swanky for anywhere swanky for lunch or anything.” lunch or anything.”

““I knew it wasn't too I knew it wasn't too important, but it made important, but it made me sad anyway.” me sad anyway.”

Holden has no particular Holden has no particular direction in mind, but direction in mind, but finds himself walking finds himself walking toward Broadway and toward Broadway and decides to stop by a decides to stop by a record store and buy a record store and buy a record for Phoebe. record for Phoebe.

He wants to get her a He wants to get her a rare record called ‘Little rare record called ‘Little Shirley Beans’ by "this Shirley Beans’ by "this colored girl singer, colored girl singer, Estelle Fletcher". Estelle Fletcher".

On his way, Holden comes across On his way, Holden comes across "this family that you could tell just "this family that you could tell just come out of some church", and the come out of some church", and the little boy attracts Holden’s attention. little boy attracts Holden’s attention.

The boy is walking behind his The boy is walking behind his parents, who are obviously poor. parents, who are obviously poor.

But the boy is happy and sings to But the boy is happy and sings to himself. himself.

He was singing that song, "If a body He was singing that song, "If a body catch a body coming through the rye." catch a body coming through the rye."

He had a pretty little voice, too. He He had a pretty little voice, too. He was just singing for the hell of it, you was just singing for the hell of it, you could tell. could tell.

The cars zoomed by, brakes The cars zoomed by, brakes screeched all over the place, his screeched all over the place, his parents paid no attention to him, and parents paid no attention to him, and he kept on walking next to the curb he kept on walking next to the curb and singing "If a body catch a body and singing "If a body catch a body coming through the rye." coming through the rye."

It made me feel better. It made me It made me feel better. It made me feel not so depressed any more.feel not so depressed any more.

Robert Burns: Robert Burns: Coming Through The Rye.Coming Through The Rye.

O Jenny is all wet, poor body,O Jenny is all wet, poor body,

Jenny is seldom dry:Jenny is seldom dry:She draggled all her petticoats,She draggled all her petticoats,

Coming through the rye!Coming through the rye!

Coming through the rye, poor body,Coming through the rye, poor body,Coming through the rye,Coming through the rye,

She draggled all her petticoats,She draggled all her petticoats,Coming through the rye!Coming through the rye!

Should a body meet a bodyShould a body meet a bodyComing through the rye,Coming through the rye,

Should a body kiss a body,Should a body kiss a body,Need a body cry?Need a body cry?

Should a body meet a bodyShould a body meet a bodyComing through the glen,Coming through the glen,Should a body kiss a body,Should a body kiss a body,

Need the world know?Need the world know? Should a body meet a bodyShould a body meet a body

Coming through the grain,Coming through the grain,Should a body kiss a body,Should a body kiss a body,The thing is a body's own. The thing is a body's own.

Holden enters a store and buys the Holden enters a store and buys the record he wants to take Phoebe. record he wants to take Phoebe.

Then he goes to a nearby drugstore Then he goes to a nearby drugstore to give Jane Gallagher a call. to give Jane Gallagher a call.

This time he really does call her This time he really does call her house, but hangs up without asking house, but hangs up without asking for her because her mother answers for her because her mother answers the phone. the phone.

Holden then buys a newspaper, Holden then buys a newspaper, checks to see what is playing, and checks to see what is playing, and buys tickets for "I Know My Love". buys tickets for "I Know My Love".

It was a benefit performance or It was a benefit performance or something. I didn't much want to see it, something. I didn't much want to see it, but I knew old Sally, the queen of the but I knew old Sally, the queen of the phonies, would start drooling all over phonies, would start drooling all over the place when I told her I had tickets the place when I told her I had tickets for that, because the Lunts were in it for that, because the Lunts were in it and all.and all.

She liked shows that are supposed to She liked shows that are supposed to be very sophisticated and dry and all, be very sophisticated and dry and all, with the Lunts and all. with the Lunts and all.

I don't. I don't like any shows very I don't. I don't like any shows very much, if you want to know the truth. much, if you want to know the truth. They're not as bad as movies, but They're not as bad as movies, but they're certainly nothing to rave about.they're certainly nothing to rave about.

Next, Holden takes a taxi up to Central Park Next, Holden takes a taxi up to Central Park to look for Phoebe and give her the record. to look for Phoebe and give her the record.

““It was lousy in the park. It wasn't too cold, It was lousy in the park. It wasn't too cold, but the sun still wasn't out, and there didn't but the sun still wasn't out, and there didn't look like there was anything in the park look like there was anything in the park except dog crap and globs of spit and cigar except dog crap and globs of spit and cigar butts from old men, and the benches all butts from old men, and the benches all looked like they'd be wet if you sat down on looked like they'd be wet if you sat down on them.” them.”

““It made you depressed, and every once in a It made you depressed, and every once in a while, for no reason, you got goose flesh while, for no reason, you got goose flesh while you walked. It didn't seem at all like while you walked. It didn't seem at all like Christmas was coming soon.” Christmas was coming soon.”

““It didn't seem like anything was coming.” It didn't seem like anything was coming.”

““But I kept walking over to the Mall But I kept walking over to the Mall anyway, because that's where anyway, because that's where Phoebe usually goes when she's in Phoebe usually goes when she's in the park. She likes to skate near the the park. She likes to skate near the bandstand.” bandstand.”

““It's funny. That's the same place I It's funny. That's the same place I used to like to skate when I was a used to like to skate when I was a kid.” kid.”

Though Phoebe often visits Central Though Phoebe often visits Central Park, she is not there, so Holden Park, she is not there, so Holden starts walking toward the Museum of starts walking toward the Museum of Natural History, reminiscing about Natural History, reminiscing about past trips he has made there. past trips he has made there.

““The best thing, though, in that museum The best thing, though, in that museum was that everything always stayed right was that everything always stayed right where it was. Nobody'd move.” where it was. Nobody'd move.”

““You could go there a hundred thousand You could go there a hundred thousand times, and that Eskimo would still be just times, and that Eskimo would still be just finished catching those two fish, the birds finished catching those two fish, the birds would still be on their way south, the would still be on their way south, the deers would still be drinking out of that deers would still be drinking out of that water hole, with their pretty antlers and water hole, with their pretty antlers and their pretty, skinny legs, and that squaw their pretty, skinny legs, and that squaw with the naked bosom would still be with the naked bosom would still be weaving that same blanket. Nobody'd be weaving that same blanket. Nobody'd be different.” different.”

““The only thing that would be different The only thing that would be different would be you.” would be you.”

When he arrives, he When he arrives, he changes his mind changes his mind about going in. about going in.

Instead, he hails a Instead, he hails a taxi and heads for taxi and heads for the Biltmore to meet the Biltmore to meet Sally Hayes. Sally Hayes.