Chapter 17

Sally arrives ten minutes late, but looks beautiful in her black coat and beret, and Holden is enamored. She loves the play because it stars the Lunts. Holden, however, is not impressed. Sally runs into George, a student from Andover, and Holden dislikes the way she talks to George. They later go skating at Radio City.

At the rink, Holden assumes that Sally had wanted to go skating because she wants others to admire the short ice-skating skirt she is wearing. Holden tries to talk to Sally about things he feels are important, but he fails to connect with her. He even asks her to run away with him to Vermont. When she refuses, Holden tells her that she is a royal pain in the ass. Holden tries to make amends by apologizing, but ends up laughing at her when she says that no one has said anything like that to her before.

The date ends disappointingly. Though Holden is charmed by her appearance, they are not compatible. He is annoyed by the way she behaves, and is often impatient with and rude to her, which urges readers to wonder why he would ask Sally out on a date. He not only mistreats Sally but also seems to truly care only for Jane. Holden seems terrified of meeting a grown-up Jane, and his decision to spend time with Sally hints at his growing loneliness and desire for human interaction.