"Slight Rebellion off Madison" is a short story written by

J. D. Salinger Jerome David Salinger (; January 1, 1919 January 27, 2010) was an American author best known for his 1951 novel ''The Catcher in the Rye''. Salinger got his start in 1940, before serving in World War II, by publishing several short stories in '' ...

in 1941 and first published in the December 21, 1946 issue of ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...

''. It would become the basis for his famous novel ''

The Catcher in the Rye ''The Catcher in the Rye'' is an American novel by J. D. Salinger that was partially published in serial form from 1945–46 before being novelized in 1951. Originally intended for adults, it is often read by adolescents for its themes of angs ...

'', which contains a modified version of ''Slight Rebellion off Madison'' as chapter 17. It includes a few early versions of characters from ''

'' such as Carl Luce (then portrayed as a fat, unattractive boy from Pencey) and George Harrison of Andover, who later becomes a "jerk in a dark gray flannel suit and checkered vest. Strictly Ivy League".

Summary

In the story, a young

Holden Caulfield Holden Caulfield (identified as "Holden Morrisey Caulfield" in the story "Slight Rebellion Off Madison" , and "Holden V. Caulfield" in ''The Catcher In The Rye'') is a fictional character in the works of author J. D. Salinger. He's most famous ...

first meets up with Sally to go ice skating. After a bit of small talk with her, Holden reveals his true thoughts about his perceived pointlessness of preparatory school, telling her he's "in bad shape." He continues and brings up the idea of moving with her far away from the city, but Sally dismisses this as an absurd fantasy. Later, Holden and Carl Luce appear at the Wadsworth bar, where they drink scotch and sodas. Holden addresses Carl as an "intellectual guy" and asks him hypothetically what he would do if he hated school and wanted to "get the hell out of New York." Holden receives a response similar to Sally's, and is dismissed. Alone, Holden drunkenly calls Sally twice on a payphone. Then, after chatting with the piano player at the bar in the bathroom, Holden waits for a bus on the corner of Madison Avenue, with tears in his eyes.

History

This short story marked Salinger's debut in ''

'', and he was elated when the news came from his agent, Dorothy Olding, that the editors had accepted it. However, publication was postponed due to the war. }

References

1946 short stories Short stories by J. D. Salinger Works originally published in The New Yorker {{1940s-story-stub