The whole course of the book takes place in a rest home in California. Holden, the narrator, is telling his doctor about what has happened to him during the last Christmas break.
             He is going to school at Pency Prep. He has been kicked out, along with many other schools. He is expected to leave when Christmas break starts and not to come back. It is a Saturday afternoon and he is supposed to be at a game. He decides to talk to one of his teachers. After being lectured for a while, he leaves and goes to the dorm. He tries to read a book when the next door boy comes in and starts bothering him. After a while, Holden's roommate comes in and starts getting ready for a date with Holden's old girlfriend. He leaves after asking Holden to do his homework. Holden eats dinner and gets to work. The roommate gets back and does not like Holden's work. They get in a fight and the roommate leaves. Holden decides to go back to New York, his home town, right now. When he arrives, he gets a hotel and can't sleep. He goes to several bars and comes home. The elevator assistant offers him a girl, Holden accepts and goes to him room to get ready. When she comes he gets nervous and tells her to go. He pays her money. He goes to bed and the elevator assistant wakes him asking for more money. He wakes up, calls a girl he knows to make a date, and tries to kill time before the date. He gets some food and buys a record for his little sister. When his date comes, they go ice-skating and get into a fight so the girl goes home. He calls an old friend from a different school and meets him at a bar. They talk for a while and the friend leaves. Holden then goes to visit his sister. He tries to be unseen. She asks him what he wants to be and he said the catcher in the rye. He calls his old teacher and goes over to his house. They talk and Holden goes to bed. He wakes up and the teacher is patting Holden's head so he leaves. He decides to run away. He goes to his s...