The Catcher in the RyeThe Catcher in the Rye

Chapter 11Chapter 11

Holden leaves the club and sits in the Holden leaves the club and sits in the deserted lobby thinking about Jane deserted lobby thinking about Jane and Stradlater. and Stradlater.

He is still concerned about what He is still concerned about what might have happened between them. might have happened between them.

He remembers how he met Jane and He remembers how he met Jane and thinks about why he likes her so thinks about why he likes her so much.much.

““The way I met her, this Doberman The way I met her, this Doberman pinscher she had used to come over pinscher she had used to come over and relieve himself on our lawn, and and relieve himself on our lawn, and my mother got very irritated about it.” my mother got very irritated about it.”

““She called up Jane's mother and She called up Jane's mother and made a big stink about it.” made a big stink about it.”

““My mother can make a very big stink My mother can make a very big stink about that kind of stuff.” about that kind of stuff.”

““Then what happened, a couple of Then what happened, a couple of days later I saw Jane laying on her days later I saw Jane laying on her stomach next to the swimming pool, stomach next to the swimming pool, at the club, and I said hello to her.” at the club, and I said hello to her.”

““I knew she lived in the house next I knew she lived in the house next to ours, but I'd never conversed with to ours, but I'd never conversed with her before or anything.”her before or anything.”

““She gave me the big freeze when I She gave me the big freeze when I said hello that day, though. I had a said hello that day, though. I had a helluva time convincing her that I helluva time convincing her that I didn't give a good goddam where her didn't give a good goddam where her dog relieved himself.” dog relieved himself.”

““He could do it in the living room, for He could do it in the living room, for all I cared.”all I cared.”

““Anyway, after that, Jane and I got to Anyway, after that, Jane and I got to be friends and all.” be friends and all.”

““I played golf with her that same I played golf with her that same afternoon.”afternoon.”

““I remember this one afternoon. It I remember this one afternoon. It was the only time old Jane and I ever was the only time old Jane and I ever got close to necking, even.” got close to necking, even.”

““It was a Saturday and it was raining It was a Saturday and it was raining like a bastard out, and I was over at like a bastard out, and I was over at her house, on the porch--they had her house, on the porch--they had this big screened-in porch.” this big screened-in porch.”

““We were playing checkers.”We were playing checkers.” ““All of a sudden this booze hound her All of a sudden this booze hound her

mother was married to came out on mother was married to came out on the porch and asked Jane if there the porch and asked Jane if there were any cigarettes in the house.”were any cigarettes in the house.”

““Jane wouldn't answer him when he Jane wouldn't answer him when he asked her if she knew where there asked her if she knew where there was any cigarettes.” was any cigarettes.”

““So the guy asked her again, but she So the guy asked her again, but she still wouldn't answer him. She didn't still wouldn't answer him. She didn't even look up from the game.”even look up from the game.”

““Then all of a sudden, this tear Then all of a sudden, this tear plopped down on the checkerboard. plopped down on the checkerboard. On one of the red squares--boy, I can On one of the red squares--boy, I can still see it.” still see it.”

““She just rubbed it into the board She just rubbed it into the board with her finger. I don't know why, but with her finger. I don't know why, but it bothered hell out of me.” it bothered hell out of me.”

““So what I did was, I went over and So what I did was, I went over and made her move over on the glider so made her move over on the glider so that I could sit down next to her.” that I could sit down next to her.”

““Then she really started to cry, and Then she really started to cry, and the next thing I knew, I was kissing her the next thing I knew, I was kissing her all over--anywhere--her eyes, her all over--anywhere--her eyes, her nose, her forehead, her eyebrows and nose, her forehead, her eyebrows and all, her ears--her whole face except all, her ears--her whole face except her mouth and all.” her mouth and all.”

““She sort of wouldn't let me get to her She sort of wouldn't let me get to her mouth.”mouth.”

““Anyway, it was the closest we ever Anyway, it was the closest we ever got to necking.”got to necking.”

““I never did find out what the hell I never did find out what the hell was the matter. Some girls you was the matter. Some girls you practically never find out what's the practically never find out what's the matter.”matter.”

““There was hardly anybody in the There was hardly anybody in the lobby any more. Even all the whory-lobby any more. Even all the whory-looking blondes weren't around any looking blondes weren't around any more, and all of a sudden I felt like more, and all of a sudden I felt like getting the hell out of the place.” getting the hell out of the place.”

““It was too depressing.” It was too depressing.” ““And I wasn't tired or anything.” And I wasn't tired or anything.”

““So I went up to my room and put on So I went up to my room and put on my coat.” my coat.”

““I also took a look out the window to I also took a look out the window to see if all the perverts were still in see if all the perverts were still in action, but the lights and all were out action, but the lights and all were out now.” now.”

““I went down in the elevator again I went down in the elevator again and got a cab and told the driver to and got a cab and told the driver to take me down to Ernie's.” take me down to Ernie's.”

““Ernie's is this night club in Ernie's is this night club in Greenwich Village that my brother Greenwich Village that my brother D.B. used to go to quite frequently D.B. used to go to quite frequently before he went out to Hollywood and before he went out to Hollywood and prostituted himself.” prostituted himself.”

““He used to take me with him once in He used to take me with him once in a while.” a while.”

Ernie's a big fat colored guy that Ernie's a big fat colored guy that plays the piano. plays the piano.

He's a terrific snob and he won't He's a terrific snob and he won't hardly even talk to you unless you're hardly even talk to you unless you're a big shot or a celebrity or a big shot or a celebrity or something, but he can really play the something, but he can really play the piano. piano.

He's so good he's almost corny, in He's so good he's almost corny, in fact. I don't exactly know what I fact. I don't exactly know what I mean by that, but I mean it. mean by that, but I mean it.

I certainly like to hear him play, but I certainly like to hear him play, but sometimes you feel like turning his sometimes you feel like turning his goddam piano over. goddam piano over.

I think it's because sometimes when I think it's because sometimes when he plays, he sounds like the kind of he plays, he sounds like the kind of guy that won't talk to you unless guy that won't talk to you unless you're a big shot. you're a big shot.

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