Adventures in Literature: The Catcher in the Rye, Chapters 13 & 14

Chapter 13

Holden walks 41 blocks back to his hotel. Sometimes I can't tell if he's exaggerating or not, but either way I'm thinking he walked a lot. It's freezing and his hands are cold, because someone at Pencey swiped his gloves. Holden imagines what he would say to the person that took them. He even considers punching the person in the jaw. Alas, he's not at Pencey anymore so he will never get the chance.

Back at the hotel, a man named Maurice asks Holden if he's interested in a hooker - he's charging a mere $5 for her services. Holden goes for it, with a touch of self-loathing. Before the prostitute arrives at his hotel room door, Holden tidies himself up significantly - he decides this will be his big chance to practice in case he ever gets married.

The prostitute arrives, and Holden introduces himself as "Jim Steele." After this clever move, he loses his cool and tries to chat the lady up instead of doing what she was hired to do. The prostitute, who is referred to as "Old Sunny," is unhappy about this. (Since I associate the name Sunny with the youngest Baudelaire child in A Series of Unfortunate Events, this really creeps me out.) Holden continues to run his mouth and lies that he just had a big operation and is unfit for physical activity. He gives her $5 and sends her off, although she tries to argue that he owes her $10.

Chapter 14 

Holden is miserable. When he gets depressed, he talks out loud to his dead brother Allie. Because that's not psychotic or anything. "I'm kind of an atheist," he muses. We learn a lot about his religious views. He likes Jesus but the Disciples "annoy the hell out of him." I want to sit down with this kid and talk about the Bible. Is that weird?

Remember Maurice and Old Sunny? I hope so, they were heavily featured in the last chapter and the very post you're reading. They appear once more in Chapter 14 and things get a little K-razzy up in here. Maurice comes back for the $5 difference between what Holden thought he owed Old Sunny and wheat Sunny said he owed. Maurice claims he told Holden that Sunny cost $10 in the first place. Wow. Who would have imagined that a pimp would be a complete slimeball? Some panic ensues. Sunny grabs Holden's wallet and takes the $5 out herself, and Maurice beats him. Sheesh. Maybe you should have just stayed at school, kid.

-S