As he begins the train ride to New York, Holden makes one of his many observations on “phony” art and literature. This time the target is the kind of slick magazine that features stories of romance or adventure, with girls named Linda or Marcia lighting pipes for guys named David. Sometimes, he confesses, he can actually read such tripe without puking, but not tonight. He puts his hunting cap in his pocket and just sits there until a lady boards at Trenton, choosing the front seat next to his because she is carrying a large bag.
Mrs. Morrow is the mother of Ernest, whom Holden immediately recognizes as “doubtless the biggest bastard that ever went to Pencey.” Ernie is the kind of jerk who enjoys snapping his soggy towel at the other boys’ butts. He really likes hurting people, and Holden suspects that Ernie will continue to be a “rat” for the rest of his life. Although he despises her son, that is not what Holden tells Mrs. Morrow, who sees her son as a “sensitive” boy who perhaps takes life too seriously.
