Holden Caulfield is clearly an unreliable narrator that
often does not tell us the whole truth. He is very distrusting of the adult
world, which has caused him to build up an outward facade that does not accurately
represent him, his opinions, or his character. We should be able to sympathize,
because in our lives, we often hide things from people, in order to appear a
certain way to our friends and family. Holden just takes that natural human
tendency to the extreme. Luckily though, in certain passages and phrases,
Holden’s sweeter inner nature shines through his sardonic, sarcastic, cynical
veneer. It shines through on pages 38 and 39 when he talks about his dead
brother Allie, in chapter 11, when he digresses about Jane, and on pages 67 and 68 when he talks about his kid sister
Phoebe.
On page 92, we are treated to another one of those moments
where we see what I’ve dubbed “the real Holden”. Holden says, “I’ve had quite a
few opportunities to lose my virginity, 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…she keeps telling you to stop. The trouble with me is, I stop.” This is one of those moments where the considerate, compassionate, respectful
Holden shines through. He understands that when a girl tells him to stop, he
ought to stop. He never comes out from behind his metaphorical mask for long, though, and I believe he’s lying to seem tough when he says, at the end of
page 92, “I always wish I hadn’t,
after I take them home, but I keep doing it [stopping] anyway.” I believe Holden
sincerely cares about the wishes of the girls he is with, understands what “no”
means, and knows how difficult rejecting peer pressure is. He isn't always the greatest role model, but he offers a good example on page 92.
There is some troubling research out there regarding young women being
pressured into sex. While conducting a study at three Indianapolis clinics that
helped young women with sexual issues, The Indiana University School of Medicine found that 40.9% of 279 questioned girls between the ages of 14-17 reported
being pressured into sex they did not desire. This is obviously a small sample
size and a very delicate issue, but that research raises red flags, at least
for me. What do you think are the dangers of pressured sex? What do you think about Holden’s inner character? Is he right to stop
when guys like Ward Stradlater don’t? Why or why not? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Pressured sex is both dangerous and sickening. It can indicate a culture full of horny guys, violated girls, and vie versa. When people do things as in sex for popularity or under the pressure of someone else, it can be very demising to the self-confidence and self-esteem of someone. Of course this topic is very controversial, but in my opinion being a girl, Holden is right to respect the simple word "no". As a woman, feeling empowered and confident in your self as well as your abilities is EXTREMELY important for a successful life. When being pressured into something your not comfortable, this sense of importance can be affected.
ReplyDeleteI think Holden's inner character is softhearted and extremely caring. I feel like he puts up walls to protect himself from being hurt by the world, when he lies or pretends not to care.
I agree pressured sex is both alarming and a delicate issue. I also agree that Holden respects girls and "when a girl tells him to stop, he ought to stop." I find that Holden externally portrays himself in a way similar to the social norm for teenage boys of his time, yet internally Holden is a gentleman that respects women and their boundaries. Holden further shows that he respects women when he shows his distaste for guys like Ward Stradlater, as Ward Stradlater "gives girls the time" with no consent for the girl's opinion. The fact that Holden get angry at Ward Stradlater for the way he treats girls further shows that he does respect women and is right to call out Stradlater.
ReplyDeleteVery well put, Zach. I find this topic to be very touchy and controversial in Holden's teenage life. I do agree that Holden is right to stop while his other friends, like Stradlater, don't. However, it also shows his respect to woman and their needs. Holden is a very kind boy on the inside to almost every woman he has meet unless they seem "phony" to him. In addition, the dangers of pressured sex can be extreme. First, usually some females are not ready to become that intimate while many guys are willing to do it. This causes a huge drop in status for young girls since many are not able to fight a guy and they eventually have to cater to the man's needs which is terrible. Overall, I believe that inside Holden's hard shell toward the real world, he is truly caring, loving, and respectful to woman and their desires.
ReplyDelete