Holden is a virgin, and he is very uncomfortable with the idea of sex. He sees sex as something that is dirty and corrupting, and he is repelled by the idea of losing his virginity. Holden reveals that he has “had quite a few opportunities to lose [his] virginity and all,” but he “never got around to it yet” (Salinger 92). Holden claims to have had many chances to lose his virginity but his attitude towards sex reflects his desire to hold onto his innocence.
While reading the Catcher in the Rye, Holden exhibits depressive acts and focuses on the past. Salinger portrays Holden as a sixteen year old who has the inability to grow up, but is still interested in the adult life, with sexual venture and drinking. While also being focused on holding on to his innocence, and the innocence around
JD Salinger’s novel The Catcher in the Rye is about a boy named Holden Caulfield and his struggle with life. As a teenager, he has one goal and that is to simply find his place in the world. Unlike an ordinary teenager he has a severe case of depression, and displays many signs to exhibit this mental illness. As we escalate through the novel, we notice that his depression seems to be getting worse and that he is feeling despondent more often.
His “phony” lawyer dad and the disappearances of his two brothers have left Holden alone, with no healthily attached role model male figure in his life that he can look up to in his life. To conclude, his childhood has left him with this naivete and has also left him to tend to these fanatic and ideal beliefs of sex and
Is Holden still relatable to teens in 2016? Is it possible that the classic “Catcher in the Rye” has an underlying message that many bypass? The answer to both is a solid yes. Teenagers in the modern years find it hard to relate to the way Holden and the other characters speak or the actions they perform, like going to a bar and ordering a drink. I agree with how hard it is to relate to a book that was written over 65 years ago would be harder for teens to connect to in some ways, I still believe that J.D Salinger’s ideas on isolation, the pressure of conforming to the social norms of today, and the stress Holden feels can be relatable.
Being a teenager is a difficult time in anyone’s life. The teens body is changing, they’re starting to make decisions on their own, and even beginning to enter the real, adult world. This time may be most difficult for a teenager when someone so close to them dies. This event happens to the main character Holden Caulfield In the novel, The Catcher In The Rye, written by J.D. Salinger. The author develops the main character Holden, as an immature teenager whose rational decision making skills seem to lack in comparison with those who surround him.
Holden’s failure to embrace the masculine stereotype is epitomized in his idealized and naive views on romance and sexulaity. When Holden enters the upscale Edmont Hotel and sees a young couple on a date, he remarks, “I think if you don't really like a girl, you shouldn't horse around with her at all …. It's really too bad that so much crumby stuff is a lot of fun sometimes” (Salinger 70). Holden’s belief that a man should not engage in a casual relationship with a woman unless he truly loves her, stands in stark contrast to masculine standards which encourage and congratulate men’s sexual exploits. Holden’s asexual beliefs
Sex is something I just don't understand. I swear to God I don't” (Salinger 63). We can see Holden has clash of his emotions as he is trying to find himself out. He does not understand sex and tries to get it out of his life. Yet he is overtaken by his emotions to have relationships with girls because he is getting older and thinking about things like that.
Teen depression is a real clinical issue that affects the emotions and behavior of a teen. This mental struggle has many serious symptoms to it. This problem is usually not temporary and needs long term treatment by medication and psychotherapy. In the novel Catcher In The Rye, we follow the story of a teenager named Holden and his two day adventure after failing school again. Throughout the story he displays many of the symptoms associated with teen depression.
His lack of understanding of sex and relationships make him different from the rest of society. Holden tells the reader that "If you want to know the truth, I 'm a virgin. I really am. I 've had quite a few opportunities to lose my virginity and all, but I 've never got around to it yet. Something always happens" (92).
is a common battle for many high schoolers and it is even tougher when you are faced with depression. The main character from Catcher in the Rye, Holden, who is a junior in high school, depicts various internal struggles including entering adult society, which is what ultimately scares him the most. His mental instability and depression make almost everything in his young life seem even more difficult. “Certain things, they should stay the way they are. You ought to be able to stick them in one of those big glass cases and just leave them alone.”
In the Catcher in the Rye, Salinger depicts the immature mentality of typical teenagers through Holden’s childish curiosity. Teens experience
A common disorder all teens have is depression. The state of depression causes many different effects on a person’s thoughts and their behaviors. When a person has been through a lot and has seen things, they start to feel empty inside and feel different, for example, having to deal with a death in the family. J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye tells the story of the young Holden Caulfield, a teenage boy who is not your ordinary character.
Apart from his state of isolation, Holden faces difficulties in his ventures to acquire sexual confidence. Throughout his painful hiatus, Holden portrays his inability to develop lasting romantic relationships. In a clever manner, “the novel provides… a realistic expression of some of the most terrifying fears and anxieties experienced by its adolescent protagonist—essentially a simultaneous fear of… the anticipated responsibilities of adult sexuality” (Bloom 183). Despite Holden’s attempts for affection, he proceeds to destroy all possibilities for love. Holden ultimately identifies as a child thrust into a realm of adult values due to his absence of maturity.
Holden thinks of sex as "a spiritual experience" where he can 't do it with a girl "[he] don 't like a lot" (Salinger 162) (Salinger 163). He needs to be with a girl how he has feeling for, not just a random stranger. This shows he don 't take advantage of
