Supporting Characters in "The Catcher in the Rye": Sally Hayes

Another very important character in The Catcher in the Rye is Sally Hayes. Sally was important to the story because she had dated Holden Caulfield off and on for quite some time. When Holden came back to New York, he called her up one morning because he was bored and wanted some company. He ended up meeting her for a show, which he paid for. He had never liked shows or movies, but he knew that she would really enjoy seeing the show, so he went ahead and bought tickets for it anyway. He was right, she did really enjoy the show, and he suggested that they go ice skating. She agreed, for ice skating was something else that Sally really enjoyed. They went ice skating for a while and had a very good time. Soon they went inside and started talking. Holden became extremely animated, and Sally did not like that very much. Holden then started talking ridiculously, and he asked her to leave New York with him and eventually marry him. Sally did not take to that idea very well, and Holden and Sally started arguing. He called her a pain in his rear end, and she started crying. She wanted nothing to do with him after that, and after apologizing for a long time, Holden finally left. Sally Hayes was the kind of girl that is used to getting what she wants. She is overly dramatic, and will cry at the smallest things. She is also pretty simple-minded and does not always think very hard, but since she is pretty, she gets away with quite a bit. She would be more of a trophy than a girl to have an intelligent, stimulating conversation with. She seems more like a stereotypical blond that likes to keep up with the latest fashions but is not always worried about everything else. While Sally Hayes was not the smartest girl in the book, she was still a very important character in The Catcher in the Rye.