Holden Caulfield recounts his story from a hospital, where he has beensent to receive therapy and rest following a mental breakdown. His
story relateshow he was expelled from Pencey Prep, a boarding schoolin Pennsylvania.
He explains that he was obliged to leave the school after failing four of his five classes and having only managed to receive a passing gradein English. Shortly before Christmas break, he was told he could not return to campus for the upcoming semester. After hearing the news, he returned to his dorm and became upset when he heard that his roommate Stradlater would be going on a date with Jane Gallagher, a girl whom Holden used to date. This prompted Holden to attack him, but Stradlater was able to defend himself and break Holden's nose in the process.
After this incident, Holden decided to return to his hometown of Manhattan early. However, instead of going home, he opted to check into the Edmont Hotel and stay on his own for a few days. Alone in the city, Holden wandered around seeking human interaction. He visited a jazz club, but suddenly left after running into his older brother's ex-girlfriend. After that, he reminisced about Jane Gallagher and even attempted to call her several times, but couldn't reach her. Instead, Holden decided to get in touch with Sally, another former girlfriend, and made plans to attend a Broadway show with her. While on their date, he suggested that they run away together, but she refused, which enraged Holden. Disillusioned, he then contacted and visited an old English professor, but left in the middle of the night after suffering an unwanted sexual advance. He then spent the night on a bench at Grand Central Station.
