Catcher In The Rye Compare And Contrast

When two people are desperate for “interaction”, they might have a liking for each other. This is especially true if these people are acquainted with each other. This is what could happen between Holden Caulfield from The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger and Lee Fiora from Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld if they knew each other. As said by The Washington Post, “Holden Caulfield would love this heroine.” Holden would undoubtedly “love” Lee because of his and Lee’s neediness for sex. In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield consistently thinks about sex and interacting with others. In one part of the novel, Holden says, “In my mind, I’m probably the biggest sex maniac you ever saw. Sometimes I can think of very crumby stuff I wouldn’t mind doing

I was feeling pretty horny. I have to admit it… I was starting to feel pretty sexy and all, but I was a little nervous anyway. If you want to know the truth, I’m a virgin. I’ve had quite a few opportunities to lose my virginity and all, but I’ve never got around to it yet… The thing is, most of the time when you’re coming pretty close to doing it with a girl—a girl that isn’t a prostitute or anything, I mean—she keeps telling you to stop. The trouble with me is, I stop. Most guys don’t. I can’t help it.” (Caulfield 63 Chapter 12) Since Holden is still a virgin and is starting to feel horny, he would be inclined to have sex with a girl and lose his virginity. However, Holden will always stop when a girl says “stop”, which could make it harder for Holden to actually have sex with a girl. Holden also said, “Anyway, while I was putting on another clean shirt, I sort of figured this was my big chance, in a way. I figured I she was a prostitute and all, I could get in some practice on her, in case ever get married or anything.” (Caulfield Chapter 13) Since Holden hired a prostitute at the age of 16, it indicates that he really wants sex. Also, the fact that he is just going to use the prostitute for practice reveals that he still wants sex after he is done

Lee described her first time having sex in the following way: “After a long time, he said, ‘You have nice hair. It’s really soft.’ He ran his knuckles along the line of my jaw, over my lips. ‘Are you awake?’ ‘Sort of,’ I murmured. It was an effort to speak. ‘Can I kiss you?’… I pursed my lips toward him; we were kissing… Over my nightgown, he gripped my breasts, squeezing one, then pressing his face to it, sucking the nipple though the cotton… ‘Do you like this?’ he asked… I said quietly, ‘Yeah.’… He used two fingers, and I bucked against his hand, as if I were trying to help him find something inside me.” (Sittenfeld 289-291) Throughout the first time Lee had sex, she never once said “stop”, which means that it would be easier for Holden to have a sexual relationship with Lee since Holden would always stop when a girl tells him to stop. Both Holden’s and Lee’s want of sexual intercourse will cause Holden to express love for Lee. Because of The Catcher in the Rye’s Holden Caulfield’s and Prep’s Lee Fiora’s similar behavior and feelings, The Washington Post’s quote during their review of Prep, “Holden Caulfield would love this heroine.” is valid. After all, if two people crave for sex and are acquainted with each other, they might eventually do it with one