Chapters 1-11
Holden Caulfield seems to be a troubled kid who keeps having to leave the school he is attending. He has just flunked out of Pensey Prep School because he was not applying himself. Holden goes to tell his former history teach Mr. Spencer goodbye. Mr. Spencer annoys Holden by reminding him that he flunked him and forces him to read his horrible essay he had written. Holden is in his room reading Out of Africa when one of the students Ackley comes into his room. Ackley stays for a while until Holden’s roommate Stradlater returns home, Ackley hates him. Stradlater gets ready for a date and asks Holden to write his English essay for him. Holden is concerned when he realizes he knows the girl that Stradlater is taking out. Holden goofs around with some of the other students having a snowball fight and going to see a movie. Holden writes the essay about his brother Allie who had died of Leukemia. Stradlater comes home from his date and asks Holden if he had written the essay. When he finds out what the essay was about he gets mad at Holden, Holden then rips up the essay and they get into a huge fight. Holden, after the fight goes into Ackley’s room full of blood and keeps him up. It really bothers Holden with the thought of his roommate with Jane. He decides to not wait until Wednesday to leave school and takes off in the middle of the night. On the train to New York he visits with a lady who turns out to be the mother of one of his classmates. He tells her some lies and does not give his real name. Once he gets to the hotel he goes down to the bar and meets some girls that he doesn’t find all that attractive but has some drinks and he dances with them. Holden gives a very descriptive account of his sister Phoebe. He has a lot of respect and loves her very much.