Chapter 12 Summary

Holden takes a cab to Ernie's nightclub. During the ride, he tries several times to try to strike up a conversation with the cab driver, Horwitz. He asks Horwitz about what happens to the ducks in Central Park during the winter. Horwitz is irritated by Holden's questioning, but Holden presses him for more information. He also asks the cab driver if he would like to join in him for a drink, but Horwitz is not interested. When he arrives at Ernie's, the club is packed with students on their Christmas break. The patrons are watching with reverence as Ernie plays the piano. Holden thinks that if he were a talented pianist, he would play in the closet because he wouldn't want people to clap for him. Holden gets a table and immediately decides that he is surrounded by jerks. He eavesdrops on the...