Catcher in the Rye Chapters 12-14

Chapter 12

On the way to the bar in a taxi, a depressed Holden mentally complains that he always gets "those vomity kind of cabs." Once again Holden tries to strike up a conversation with the driver and find out where the ducks take refuge in winter.

"Well, you know the ducks that swim around in it "Well, you know the ducks that swim around in it? In the springtime and all? Do you happen to know where they go in the wintertime, by any chance?“ "Where who goes?" "The ducks. Do you know, by any chance? I mean does somebody come around in a truck or something and take them away, or do they fly away by themselves--go south or something?"

Old Horwitz turned all the way around and looked at me Old Horwitz turned all the way around and looked at me. He was a very impatient-type guy. He wasn't a bad guy, though. "How the hell should I know?" he said. "How the hell should I know a stupid thing like that?" I stopped having a conversation with him, if he was going to get so damn touchy about it. But he started it up again himself.

He turned all the way around again, and said, "The fish don't go no place. They stay right where they are, the fish. Right in the goddam lake." "The fish--that's different. The fish is different. I'm talking about the ducks," I said.         

"What's different about it? Nothin's different about it," Horwitz said. Everything he said, he sounded sore about something. "It's tougher for the fish, the winter and all, than it is for the ducks, for Chrissake. Use your head, for Chrissake.“

As earlier, Holden asks the taxi-driver to have a drink with him and is again rejected.

Even though it was so late, old Ernie's was jampacked. It was pretty quiet, though, because Ernie was playing the piano. It was supposed to be something holy, for God's sake, when he sat down at the piano. Nobody's that good.

About three couples, besides me, were waiting for tables, and they were all shoving and standing on tiptoes to get a look at old Ernie while he played. He had a big damn mirror in front of the piano, with this big spotlight on him, so that everybody could watch his face while he played. You couldn't see his fingers while he played--just his big old face.

You should've heard the crowd, though, when he was finished You should've heard the crowd, though, when he was finished. You would've puked. They went mad. They were exactly the same morons that laugh like hyenas in the movies at stuff that isn't funny.

I swear to God, if I were a piano player or an actor or something and all those dopes thought I was terrific, I'd hate it. I wouldn't even want them to clap for me. People always clap for the wrong things. If I were a piano player, I'd play it in the goddam closet.

Anyway, when he was finished, and everybody was clapping their heads off, old Ernie turned around on his stool and gave this very phony, humble bow. Like as if he was a helluva humble guy, besides being a terrific piano player. It was very phony--I mean him being such a big snob and all.

While Holden sits there smoking and drinking, a girl named Lillian Simmons comes up to him and asks about his brother D.B., whom she once dated. She introduces the sailor who is with her and asks Holden if he would like to join them. Holden refuses the offer, saying he is about to leave. Holden is immediately sad that he told this lie, for he now feels compelled to leave since he has said he was going.

Chapter 13

Holden walks back towards his hotel in the cold, lamenting the loss of his gloves, which he thinks were stolen by someone at Pencey. He explains that he is “yellow.” To regain some of his warmth, Holden puts on his hunting hat and decides to stop in another bar. He changes his mind when he sees two tough looking guys emerging from the bar and goes back to his hotel.

The first thing when I got in the elevator, the elevator guy said to me, "Innarested in having a good time, fella? Or is it too late for you?" "How do you mean?" I said. I didn't know what he was driving at or anything. "Innarested in a little tail t'night?" "Me?" I said. Which was a very dumb answer, but it's quite embarrassing when somebody comes right up and asks you a question like that.   

"How old are you, chief?" the elevator guy said. "Why?" I said. "Twenty-two." "Uh huh. Well, how 'bout it? Y'innarested? Five bucks a throw. Fifteen bucks the whole night." He looked at his wrist watch. "Till noon. Five bucks a throw, fifteen bucks till noon."

Holden agrees to the offer, but regrets his decision almost immediately. He cleans up and then paces nervously around the room, waiting for the girl.

Sunny (the prostitute) soon arrives, and Holden introduces himself as Jim Steele. He tries to act suave, but no matter how hard he tries, Holden, still a virgin, is still extremely uncomfortable. The girl’s businesslike manner only makes him feel more awkward. When he tries to strike up a conversation, Sunny wants to know what he is waiting for.

She came over to me, with this funny look on her face, like as if she didn't believe me. "What'sa matter?" she said. "Nothing's the matter." Boy, was I getting nervous. "The thing is, I had an operation very recently." "Yeah? Where?" "On my wuddayacallit--my clavichord." "Yeah? Where the hell's that?" "The clavichord?" I said. "Well, actually, it's in the spinal canal. I mean it's quite a ways down in the spinal canal."

The Clavichord An early keyboard instrument producing a soft sound by means of metal blades attached to the inner ends of the keys gently striking the strings.

She sits on his lap and tries to seduce him. It is more than Holden can handle. He apologizes, pays her five dollars, and tells her to leave. Sunny tells Holden the price is ten dollars. He refuses to pay her more than he agreed on with Maurice, and she leaves with an insult and a veiled threat.

Chapter 14

After Sunny leaves, Holden smokes a few cigarettes and thinks about a time he refused to take his little brother Allie with him somewhere. The thought depresses him, and he unexpectedly gets into bed with the urge to pray.

“I felt like praying or something, when I was in bed, but I couldn't do it. I can't always pray when I feel like it.” “In the first place, I'm sort of an atheist. I like Jesus and all, but I don't care too much for most of the other stuff in the Bible.” “Take the Disciples, for instance. They annoy the hell out of me, if you want to know the truth. They were all right after Jesus was dead and all, but while He was alive, they were about as much use to Him as a hole in the head.” “All they did was keep letting Him down.”

“Anyway, when I was in bed, I couldn't pray worth a damn.” “Every time I got started, I kept picturing old Sunny calling me a crumb-bum.” “Finally, I sat up in bed and smoked another cigarette. It tasted lousy.” “I must've smoked around two packs since I left Pencey.”

All of a sudden, while I was laying there smoking, somebody knocked on the door. I kept hoping it wasn't my door they were knocking on, but I knew damn well it was. I don't know how I knew, but I knew. I knew who it was, too. I'm psychic.

Maurice demands another five dollars from Holden, insisting that the price was ten dollars. Holden refuses to pay in a voice that was "shaking like hell". As Maurice threatens him, Sunny goes into the room and takes an additional five dollars from Holden’s wallet.

Totally frustrated, Holden bursts into tears and challenges Maurice to a fight. Maurice punches Holden in the stomach. He falls to the floor, crying and hurt, as Maurice and Sunny leave.

When Holden gets off the floor and collects his thoughts, he imagines himself killing Maurice in the elevator. He also fantasizes that he is a tough guy from the movies, who has been shot in the abdomen, and he pictures himself committing suicide by jumping from the window.

Holden tries to calm himself by taking a bath He then attempts to go to sleep.