Who does Holden arrange a date with, and why does he call her if he suspects she might be phony?

• A. Jane; he wanted companionship.
• B. Sally; he wanted companionship and a matinee, hoping she wasn't a phony.
• C. Stradlater; he wanted to confront him.
• D. A teacher; he wanted a tutoring session.

Answer: (B)

Holden seeks company and a simple way to break his isolation, so he arranges a date with Sally Hayes because she’s someone he knows well enough to be comfortable with and who can offer a light, social outing. The plan for a matinee shows he’s after an easy, low-stakes way to pass the time, not a serious confrontation or anything heavy. At the same time, he’s wary of phoniness and uses this invitation as a way to test whether she can be genuine in person; if she isn’t phony, the outing could feel real and give him a brief sense of connection. This combination of wanting companionship and checking for authenticity fits best.