Consider The Catcher in the Rye as a tragedy.

Holden, who feels he has written about a subject dear to him, finds that Stradlater cradely rejects it. Holden tears the composition up and gets into a fight with stradlater who gives him a bloody nose. Holden decides he cannot stay in pencey any longer.

Holden goes to say goodbye to Mr. Spencer, his nice old history teacher. He tells Mr. Spencer that, though he could not do well in the school, he liked him. He then gets worried that while his teacher is saying edifying valedictory things to him, he becomes acutely concerned about the quarters of the ducks in central park lagoon.