Chapter 15- Navneet

Catcher in the Rye
Chapter 15: Summary
Holden rings Sally Hayes and makes a date for later that afternoon with her. He checks out of the hotel he’s staying at and leaves his bags at Grand Central Station. He eats breakfast at a sandwich bar where he meets two nuns. They talk about Romeo and Juliet. He donates ten dollars to their charity, however, regrets it later as he needs the money for his date with Sally.
Techniques:
Intertextuality: the reference to Romeo and Juliet: “Oh, Romeo and Juliet!” allows the reader to see Holden’s views on the play/movie and perhaps relate to his opinion. The author is acknowledging that Holden has knowledge of this.
Through Holden’s thoughts in reference to Sally: “She gave me a pain in the ass, but she was very good looking.” This highlights His feeling of loneliness and desire for company. His own shallow nature is also revealed and we see that he himself is a hypocrite, as his own perceptions of other people are superficial.
Hyperbole: “I can even get to hate somebody, just looking at them, if they have cheap suitcases with them.” This adds emphasis to Holden’s judgmental personality as he exaggerates often throughout the novel.
Chapter 15 + Individual and Society:
From this chapter it is evident that Holden’s alienation from society is what causes him most of his pain. His own inability to mature and judgmental nature is what prevents him from interacting with society, and women in particular. This can be seen as his loneliness is what prompts him to make a date with Sally Hayes, however, as he later insults her and pushes her away, we see his need for isolation. We can see that Holden’s alienation gives him strength but at the same time causes him problems.