The Catcher in the Rye Summary of Chunk 7 (Chapters 18 - 20)
by J.D. Salinger

Still lonely, Holden calls up an old acquaintance of his from Whooten, Carl Luce, whom he describes as a "very intellectual guy." Luce agrees to meet him later that night for some drinks, and in the mean time Holden continues to blow off his money by going to the movies. What follows is a lengthy criticism of both movies and war.

Chapter 19 opens at the Wicker Bar, described as a "swanky" bar filled with phonies. Over drinks, Holden tries to discuss sex with "Old Luce," but Luce simply chides Holden for being childish and immature, and leaves. Depressed, Holden decides to get drunk, and when he finally exits the bar (pretending to have been shot) he calls and wakes up Sally Hayes. His intoxication, however, prevents any real conversation.

Finally, Holden makes his way to the park in an effort to discover where the ducks have gone. Depressed, drunk, and cold, he sits down by the pond and thinks about dying. At the section's end, he decides to go home and have a talk with Phoebe.