13

Properties

description

# Chapter 13 ## Overview This entity is a chapter from a literary work, labeled as "13" and spanning lines 2191 to 2464 of its source text. It takes the form of a narrative prose chapter, presented in a digitally extracted format with embedded page references. The chapter was processed on January 27, 2026, as part of a structured document analysis workflow. ## Context The chapter is part of a larger work contained within the [More Classics](arke:01KFXT0KM64XT6K8W52TDEE0YS) collection, which includes canonical Western texts. It is divided into six smaller textual segments known as chunks ([Chunk 1](arke:01KG078CMCS4W7PREKGHBQV66S) through [Chunk 6](arke:01KG078D1ADY6MMVZWPCWFHHZ7)), each representing a portion of the chapter for processing and analysis purposes. The source file, identified as "Rye.pdf," suggests this is a chapter from *The Catcher in the Rye* by J.D. Salinger. ## Contents The chapter follows the protagonist, Holden Caulfield, as he walks forty-one blocks back to his hotel in New York City after a night out. Reflecting on his tendency to avoid taxis and elevators, he recalls childhood memories and dwells on his lost gloves and feelings of personal cowardice ("yellowness"). Depressed and lonely, he accepts an offer from the elevator operator, Maurice, to have a prostitute sent to his room. Upon arriving, the young sex worker, named Sunny, immediately begins undressing, but Holden feels increasingly uncomfortable and depressed rather than aroused. He lies about recovering from surgery to avoid intimacy and offers to pay her just to talk. After a tense exchange, he gives her five dollars, though she demands ten. When she becomes confrontational, he complies with her request to retrieve her dress, and she leaves, calling him "crumb-bum." Throughout, Holden reveals his virginity, insecurity, and deep emotional isolation, particularly in his interactions with women. The chapter captures his internal conflict, moral confusion, and longing for connection amid urban alienation.

description_generated_at

2026-01-27T17:21:35.747Z

description_model

Qwen/Qwen3-235B-A22B-Instruct-2507

description_title

Chapter 13

end_line

2464

extracted_at

2026-01-27T17:12:16.502Z

extracted_by

structure-extraction-lambda

source_file

01KFYTG9MG93RTB6YAW34V48XG

start_line

2191

text

2098 13 2099 I walked all the way back to the hotel. Forty-one gorgeous blocks. I didn't do it 2100 because I felt like walking or anything. It was more because I didn't feel like getting in <!-- [Page 48](arke:01KFYTAC5516W211T72G2MWQEF) --> 2101 and out of another taxicab. Sometimes you get tired of riding in taxicabs the same way 2102 you get tired riding in elevators. All of a sudden, you have to walk, no matter how far or 2103 how high up. When I was a kid, I used to walk all the way up to our apartment very 2104 frequently. Twelve stories. 2105 You wouldn't even have known it had snowed at all. There was hardly any snow 2106 on the sidewalks. But it was freezing cold, and I took my red hunting hat out of my 2107 pocket and put it on--I didn't give a damn how I looked. I even put the earlaps down. I 2108 wished I knew who'd swiped my gloves at Pencey, because my hands were freezing. Not 2109 that I'd have done much about it even if I had known. I'm one of these very yellow guys. I 2110 try not to show it, but I am. For instance, if I'd found out at Pencey who'd stolen my 2111 gloves, I probably would've gone down to the crook's room and said, "Okay. How 'bout 2112 handing over those gloves?" Then the crook that had stolen them probably would've said, 2113 his voice very innocent and all, "What gloves?" Then what I probably would've done, I'd 2114 have gone in his closet and found the gloves somewhere. Hidden in his goddam galoshes 2115 or something, for instance. I'd have taken them out and showed them to the guy and said, 2116 "I suppose these are your goddam gloves?" Then the crook probably would've given me 2117 this very phony, innocent look, and said, "I never saw those gloves before in my life. If 2118 they're yours, take 'em. I don't want the goddam things." Then I probably would've just 2119 stood there for about five minutes. I'd have the damn gloves right in my hand and all, but 2120 I'd feel I ought to sock the guy in the jaw or something--break his goddam jaw. Only, I 2121 wouldn't have the guts to do it. I'd just stand there, trying to look tough. What I might do, 2122 I might say something very cutting and snotty, to rile him up--instead of socking him in 2123 the jaw. Anyway if I did say something very cutting and snotty, he'd probably get up and 2124 come over to me and say, "Listen, Caulfield. Are you calling me a crook?" Then, instead 2125 of saying, "You're goddam right I am, you dirty crooked bastard!" all I probably would've 2126 said would be, "All I know is my goddam gloves were in your goddam galoshes." Right 2127 away then, the guy would know for sure that I wasn't going to take a sock at him, and he 2128 probably would've said, "Listen. Let's get this straight. Are you calling me a thief?" Then 2129 I probably would've said, "Nobody's calling anybody a thief. All I know is my gloves 2130 were in your goddam galoshes." It could go on like that for hours. Finally, though, I'd 2131 leave his room without even taking a sock at him. I'd probably go down to the can and 2132 sneak a cigarette and watch myself getting tough in the mirror. Anyway, that's what I 2133 thought about the whole way back to the hotel. It's no fun to he yellow. Maybe I'm not all 2134 yellow. I don't know. I think maybe I'm just partly yellow and partly the type that doesn't 2135 give much of a damn if they lose their gloves. One of my troubles is, I never care too 2136 much when I lose something--it used to drive my mother crazy when I was a kid. Some 2137 guys spend days looking for something they lost. I never seem to have anything that if I 2138 lost it I'd care too much. Maybe that's why I'm partly yellow. It's no excuse, though. It 2139 really isn't. What you should be is not yellow at all. If you're supposed to sock somebody 2140 in the jaw, and you sort of feel like doing it, you should do it. I'm just no good at it, 2141 though. I'd rather push a guy out the window or chop his head off with an ax than sock 2142 him in the jaw. I hate fist fights. I don't mind getting hit so much--although I'm not crazy 2143 about it, naturally--but what scares me most in a fist fight is the guy's face. I can't stand 2144 looking at the other guy's face, is my trouble. It wouldn't be so bad if you could both be 2145 blindfolded or something. It's a funny kind of yellowness, when you come to think of it, 2146 but it's yellowness, all right. I'm not kidding myself. <!-- [Page 49](arke:01KFYTAC886X0RJDXVEND7MGQB) --> 2147 The more I thought about my gloves and my yellowness, the more depressed I 2148 got, and I decided, while I was walking and all, to stop off and have a drink somewhere. 2149 I'd only had three drinks at Ernie's, and I didn't even finish the last one. One thing I have, 2150 it's a terrific capacity. I can drink all night and not even show it, if I'm in the mood. Once, 2151 at the Whooton School, this other boy, Raymond Goldfarb, and I bought a pint of Scotch 2152 and drank it in the chapel one Saturday night, where nobody'd see us. He got stinking, but 2153 I hardly didn't even show it. I just got very cool and nonchalant. I puked before I went to 2154 bed, but I didn't really have to--I forced myself. 2155 Anyway, before I got to the hotel, I started to go in this dumpy-looking bar, but 2156 two guys came out, drunk as hell, and wanted to know where the subway was. One of 2157 them was this very Cuban-looking guy, and he kept breathing his stinking breath in my 2158 face while I gave him directions. I ended up not even going in the damn bar. I just went 2159 back to the hotel. 2160 The whole lobby was empty. It smelled like fifty million dead cigars. It really did. 2161 I wasn't sleepy or anything, but I was feeling sort of lousy. Depressed and all. I almost 2162 wished I was dead. 2163 Then, all of a sudden, I got in this big mess. 2164 The first thing when I got in the elevator, the elevator guy said to me, "Innarested 2165 in having a good time, fella? Or is it too late for you?" 2166 "How do you mean?" I said. I didn't know what he was driving at or anything. 2167 "Innarested in a little tail t'night?" 2168 "Me?" I said. Which was a very dumb answer, but it's quite embarrassing when 2169 somebody comes right up and asks you a question like that. 2170 "How old are you, chief?" the elevator guy said. 2171 "Why?" I said. "Twenty-two." 2172 "Uh huh. Well, how 'bout it? Y'innarested? Five bucks a throw. Fifteen bucks the 2173 whole night." He looked at his wrist watch. "Till noon. Five bucks a throw, fifteen bucks 2174 till noon." 2175 "Okay," I said. It was against my principles and all, but I was feeling so depressed 2176 I didn't even think. That's the whole trouble. When you're feeling very depressed, you 2177 can't even think. 2178 "Okay what? A throw, or till noon? I gotta know." 2179 "Just a throw." 2180 "Okay, what room ya in?" 2181 I looked at the red thing with my number on it, on my key. "Twelve twenty-two," 2182 I said. I was already sort of sorry I'd let the thing start rolling, but it was too late now. 2183 "Okay. I'll send a girl up in about fifteen minutes." He opened the doors and I got 2184 out. 2185 "Hey, is she good-looking?" I asked him. "I don't want any old bag." 2186 "No old bag. Don't worry about it, chief." 2187 "Who do I pay?" 2188 "Her," he said. "Let's go, chief." He shut the doors, practically right in my face. 2189 I went to my room and put some water on my hair, but you can't really comb a 2190 crew cut or anything. Then I tested to see if my breath stank from so many cigarettes and 2191 the Scotch and sodas I drank at Ernie's. All you do is hold your hand under your mouth 2192 and blow your breath up toward the old nostrils. It didn't seem to stink much, but I <!-- [Page 50](arke:01KFYTAC5XKAQA9PQQZWCV6ZRC) --> 2193 brushed my teeth anyway. Then I put on another clean shirt. I knew I didn't have to get 2194 all dolled up for a prostitute or anything, but it sort of gave me something to do. I was a 2195 little nervous. I was starting to feel pretty sexy and all, but I was a little nervous anyway. 2196 If you want to know the truth, I'm a virgin. I really am. I've had quite a few opportunities 2197 to lose my virginity and all, but I've never got around to it yet. Something always 2198 happens. For instance, if you're at a girl's house, her parents always come home at the 2199 wrong time--or you're afraid they will. Or if you're in the back seat of somebody's car, 2200 there's always somebody's date in the front seat--some girl, I mean--that always wants to 2201 know what's going on all over the whole goddam car. I mean some girl in front keeps 2202 turning around to see what the hell's going on. Anyway, something always happens. I 2203 came quite close to doing it a couple of times, though. One time in particular, I 2204 remember. Something went wrong, though --I don't even remember what any more. The 2205 thing is, most of the time when you're coming pretty close to doing it with a girl--a girl 2206 that isn't a prostitute or anything, I mean--she keeps telling you to stop. The trouble with 2207 me is, I stop. Most guys don't. I can't help it. You never know whether they really want 2208 you to stop, or whether they're just scared as hell, or whether they're just telling you to 2209 stop so that if you do go through with it, the blame'll be on you, not them. Anyway, I 2210 keep stopping. The trouble is, I get to feeling sorry for them. I mean most girls are so 2211 dumb and all. After you neck them for a while, you can really watch them losing their 2212 brains. You take a girl when she really gets passionate, she just hasn't any brains. I don't 2213 know. They tell me to stop, so I stop. I always wish I hadn't, after I take them home, but I 2214 keep doing it anyway. 2215 Anyway, while I was putting on another clean shirt, I sort of figured this was my 2216 big chance, in a way. I figured if she was a prostitute and all, I could get in some practice 2217 on her, in case I ever get married or anything. I worry about that stuff sometimes. I read 2218 this book once, at the Whooton School, that had this very sophisticated, suave, sexy guy 2219 in it. Monsieur Blanchard was his name, I can still remember. It was a lousy book, but 2220 this Blanchard guy was pretty good. He had this big château and all on the Riviera, in 2221 Europe, and all he did in his spare time was beat women off with a club. He was a real 2222 rake and all, but he knocked women out. He said, in this one part, that a woman's body is 2223 like a violin and all, and that it takes a terrific musician to play it right. It was a very 2224 corny book--I realize that--but I couldn't get that violin stuff out of my mind anyway. In a 2225 way, that's why I sort of wanted to get some practice in, in case I ever get married. 2226 Caulfield and his Magic Violin, boy. It's corny, I realize, but it isn't too corny. I wouldn't 2227 mind being pretty good at that stuff. Half the time, if you really want to know the truth, 2228 when I'm horsing around with a girl, I have a helluva lot of trouble just finding what I'm 2229 looking for, for God's sake, if you know what I mean. Take this girl that I just missed 2230 having sexual intercourse with, that I told you about. It took me about an hour to just get 2231 her goddam brassiere off. By the time I did get it off, she was about ready to spit in my 2232 eye. 2233 Anyway, I kept walking around the room, waiting for this prostitute to show up. I 2234 kept hoping she'd be good-looking. I didn't care too much, though. I sort of just wanted to 2235 get it over with. Finally, somebody knocked on the door, and when I went to open it, I 2236 had my suitcase right in the way and I fell over it and damn near broke my knee. I always 2237 pick a gorgeous time to fall over a suitcase or something. <!-- [Page 51](arke:01KFYTACATTJ3H8HCMN0J0M8QC) --> 2238 When I opened the door, this prostitute was standing there. She had a polo coat 2239 on, and no hat. She was sort of a blonde, but you could tell she dyed her hair. She wasn't 2240 any old bag, though. "How do you do," I said. Suave as hell, boy. 2241 "You the guy Maurice said?" she asked me. She didn't seem too goddam friendly. 2242 "Is he the elevator boy?" 2243 "Yeah," she said. 2244 "Yes, I am. Come in, won't you?" I said. I was getting more and more nonchalant 2245 as it went along. I really was. 2246 She came in and took her coat off right away and sort of chucked it on the bed. 2247 She had on a green dress underneath. Then she sort of sat down sideways on the chair 2248 that went with the desk in the room and started jiggling her foot up and down. She 2249 crossed her legs and started jiggling this one foot up and down. She was very nervous, for 2250 a prostitute. She really was. I think it was because she was young as hell. She was around 2251 my age. I sat down in the big chair, next to her, and offered her a cigarette. "I don't 2252 smoke," she said. She had a tiny little wheeny-whiny voice. You could hardly hear her. 2253 She never said thank you, either, when you offered her something. She just didn't know 2254 any better. 2255 "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Jim Steele," I said. 2256 "Ya got a watch on ya?" she said. She didn't care what the hell my name was, 2257 naturally. "Hey, how old are you, anyways?" 2258 "Me? Twenty-two." 2259 "Like fun you are." 2260 It was a funny thing to say. It sounded like a real kid. You'd think a prostitute and 2261 all would say "Like hell you are" or "Cut the crap" instead of "Like fun you are." 2262 "How old are you?" I asked her. 2263 "Old enough to know better," she said. She was really witty. "Ya got a watch on 2264 ya?" she asked me again, and then she stood up and pulled her dress over her head. 2265 I certainly felt peculiar when she did that. I mean she did it so sudden and all. I 2266 know you're supposed to feel pretty sexy when somebody gets up and pulls their dress 2267 over their head, but I didn't. Sexy was about the last thing I was feeling. I felt much more 2268 depressed than sexy. 2269 "Ya got a watch on ya, hey?" 2270 "No. No, I don't," I said. Boy, was I feeling peculiar. "What's your name?" I asked 2271 her. All she had on was this pink slip. It was really quite embarrassing. It really was. 2272 "Sunny," she said. "Let's go, hey." 2273 "Don't you feel like talking for a while?" I asked her. It was a childish thing to 2274 say, but I was feeling so damn peculiar. "Are you in a very big hurry?" 2275 She looked at me like I was a madman. "What the heck ya wanna talk about?" she 2276 said. 2277 "I don't know. Nothing special. I just thought perhaps you might care to chat for a 2278 while." 2279 She sat down in the chair next to the desk again. She didn't like it, though, you 2280 could tell. She started jiggling her foot again--boy, she was a nervous girl. 2281 "Would you care for a cigarette now?" I said. I forgot she didn't smoke. 2282 "I don't smoke. Listen, if you're gonna talk, do it. I got things to do." <!-- [Page 52](arke:01KFYTAC58ECK9YXFDN9R4RDNT) --> 2283 I couldn't think of anything to talk about, though. I thought of asking her how she 2284 got to be a prostitute and all, but I was scared to ask her. She probably wouldn't've told 2285 me anyway. 2286 "You don't come from New York, do you?" I said finally. That's all I could think 2287 of. 2288 "Hollywood," she said. Then she got up and went over to where she'd put her 2289 dress down, on the bed. "Ya got a hanger? I don't want to get my dress all wrinkly. It's 2290 brand-clean." 2291 "Sure," I said right away. I was only too glad to get up and do something. I took 2292 her dress over to the closet and hung it up for her. It was funny. It made me feel sort of 2293 sad when I hung it up. I thought of her going in a store and buying it, and nobody in the 2294 store knowing she was a prostitute and all. The salesman probably just thought she was a 2295 regular girl when she bought it. It made me feel sad as hell--I don't know why exactly. 2296 I sat down again and tried to keep the old conversation going. She was a lousy 2297 conversationalist. "Do you work every night?" I asked her--it sounded sort of awful, after 2298 I'd said it. 2299 "Yeah." She was walking all around the room. She picked up the menu off the 2300 desk and read it. 2301 "What do you do during the day?" 2302 She sort of shrugged her shoulders. She was pretty skinny. "Sleep. Go to the 2303 show." She put down the menu and looked at me. "Let's go, hey. I haven't got all--" 2304 "Look," I said. "I don't feel very much like myself tonight. I've had a rough night. 2305 Honest to God. I'll pay you and all, but do you mind very much if we don't do it? Do you 2306 mind very much?" The trouble was, I just didn't want to do it. I felt more depressed than 2307 sexy, if you want to know the truth. She was depressing. Her green dress hanging in the 2308 closet and all. And besides, I don't think I could ever do it with somebody that sits in a 2309 stupid movie all day long. I really don't think I could. 2310 She came over to me, with this funny look on her face, like as if she didn't believe 2311 me. "What'sa matter?" she said. 2312 "Nothing's the matter." Boy, was I getting nervous. "The thing is, I had an 2313 operation very recently." 2314 "Yeah? Where?" 2315 "On my wuddayacallit--my clavichord." 2316 "Yeah? Where the hell's that?" 2317 "The clavichord?" I said. "Well, actually, it's in the spinal canal. I mean it's quite a 2318 ways down in the spinal canal." 2319 "Yeah?" she said. "That's tough." Then she sat down on my goddam lap. "You're 2320 cute." 2321 She made me so nervous, I just kept on lying my head off. "I'm still recuperating," 2322 I told her. 2323 "You look like a guy in the movies. You know. Whosis. You know who I mean. 2324 What the heck's his name?" 2325 "I don't know," I said. She wouldn't get off my goddam lap. 2326 "Sure you know. He was in that pitcher with Mel-vine Douglas? The one that was 2327 Mel-vine Douglas's kid brother? That falls off this boat? You know who I mean." 2328 "No, I don't. I go to the movies as seldom as I can." <!-- [Page 53](arke:01KFYTAC54B5VKXG9T2JAMA26J) --> 2329 Then she started getting funny. Crude and all. 2330 "Do you mind cutting it out?" I said. "I'm not in the mood, I just told you. I just 2331 had an operation." 2332 She didn't get up from my lap or anything, but she gave me this terrifically dirty 2333 look. "Listen," she said. "I was sleepin' when that crazy Maurice woke me up. If you 2334 think I'm--" 2335 "I said I'd pay you for coming and all. I really will. I have plenty of dough. It's 2336 just that I'm practically just recovering from a very serious--" 2337 "What the heck did you tell that crazy Maurice you wanted a girl for, then? If you 2338 just had a goddam operation on your goddam wuddayacallit. Huh?" 2339 "I thought I'd be feeling a lot better than I do. I was a little premature in my 2340 calculations. No kidding. I'm sorry. If you'll just get up a second, I'll get my wallet. I 2341 mean it." 2342 She was sore as hell, but she got up off my goddam lap so that I could go over and 2343 get my wallet off the chiffonier. I took out a five-dollar bill and handed it to her. "Thanks 2344 a lot," I told her. "Thanks a million." 2345 "This is a five. It costs ten." 2346 She was getting funny, you could tell. I was afraid something like that would 2347 happen--I really was. 2348 "Maurice said five," I told her. "He said fifteen till noon and only five for a 2349 throw." 2350 "Ten for a throw." 2351 "He said five. I'm sorry--I really am--but that's all I'm gonna shell out." 2352 She sort of shrugged her shoulders, the way she did before, and then she said, 2353 very cold, "Do you mind getting me my frock? Or would it be too much trouble?" She 2354 was a pretty spooky kid. Even with that little bitty voice she had, she could sort of scare 2355 you a little bit. If she'd been a big old prostitute, with a lot of makeup on her face and all, 2356 she wouldn't have been half as spooky. 2357 I went and got her dress for her. She put it on and all, and then she picked up her 2358 polo coat off the bed. "So long, crumb-bum," she said. 2359 "So long," I said. I didn't thank her or anything. I'm glad I didn't.

title

13