How many days does the main action of 'The Catcher in the Rye' cover?

The main action of The Catcher in the Rye covers three days. Holden leaves Pencey Preparatory School earlier than planned and spends the next few days moving through New York City before returning to his family’s apartment.

The story begins on a Saturday, when Holden decides to leave Pencey after fighting with his roommate, Ward Stradlater. He travels to Manhattan and spends Saturday night at the Edmont Hotel and elsewhere in the city. On Sunday, he meets two nuns, goes to a performance with Sally Hayes, visits places connected with his childhood, and becomes increasingly unsettled.

By Monday, Holden’s emotional and physical condition has deteriorated. He visits Phoebe at home, leaves with her when she wants to accompany him, and later collapses after trying to live independently. The novel’s closing frame is narrated from a sanitarium or rest facility afterward, so the retrospective narration extends beyond those events.

A common confusion comes from Holden’s plan to stay away until Wednesday, when his parents would learn of his expulsion. That planned deadline is not the same as the duration of the novel’s central action.