Holden Caulfield is a highly noted literary character for the fact that he is steeped in metaphor for teenagers, childhood, innocence and the loss thereof, the differences in familial and romantic love, and cyclical change. He is written in a way that makes it hard not to identify with him in some way, in most cases being stuck between the desire to stay a child (and therefore innocent) and to grow up and be able to fully experience the world. Holden's perception of those around him make up much of his narration, including his peers at school, teenage girls who he has met, and adult women that he interacts with throughout his journey through New York. As mentioned, his perceptions of these people are largely filtered through patriarchal ideals that always have been, and will likely continue to be, taught to boys.
The Alpha Male
While Holden's character is supposed to represent an average teenage boy, he often thinks of himself as an outsider, or compares himself to other boys and takes note of their differences. His roommate, Stradlater, is handsome and constantly going on dates with girls from the area. Holden describes him as "a very sexy bastard", meaning that he had little interest in things other than sex. While Stradlater prepares himself for a date with Holden's old friend, Jane Gallagher, Holden goes on about Jane's interests and habits from the past, but Stradlater doesn't care and only takes interest when Holden mentions lewd things that have happened in her past. Holden is upset that Stradlater will probably try to have sex with Jane, even though he doesn't care about her as a person. He doesn't want someone who sees girls as a conquest to take Jane
Ackley is another peer of Holden's, who lives in the dorm next to him. Ackley is described as pimply, smelly, and ugly. Holden holds himself in higher regard to Ackley, who he never describes as having a positive trait. Holden thinks Ackley is a liar that makes things up about his experiences with girls, as opposed to Stradlater, who actually has experiences. He places himself and the other boys in a hierarchy. Holden feels inexperienced and below Stradlater, but above Ackley.
Holden's insecurity when it comes to other boys is also apparent in his attitude towards "flits" or gay men. He associates gayness with unsanitary conditions, as he suspects that an upperclassman named Carl Luce is gay because he talks to people while using the bathroom. He also thinks Luce is gay because he is always spreading rumors about others being gay, and warning people to stay away from them. This makes Holden wary of him. Gayness was seen as predatory in this time, and the fear was based in the idea that a man would treat another man the way that man would treat a woman.
Ackley is another peer of Holden's, who lives in the dorm next to him. Ackley is described as pimply, smelly, and ugly. Holden holds himself in higher regard to Ackley, who he never describes as having a positive trait. Holden thinks Ackley is a liar that makes things up about his experiences with girls, as opposed to Stradlater, who actually has experiences. He places himself and the other boys in a hierarchy. Holden feels inexperienced and below Stradlater, but above Ackley.
Holden's insecurity when it comes to other boys is also apparent in his attitude towards "flits" or gay men. He associates gayness with unsanitary conditions, as he suspects that an upperclassman named Carl Luce is gay because he talks to people while using the bathroom. He also thinks Luce is gay because he is always spreading rumors about others being gay, and warning people to stay away from them. This makes Holden wary of him. Gayness was seen as predatory in this time, and the fear was based in the idea that a man would treat another man the way that man would treat a woman.
Entitlement
"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. You never know whether they really want you to stop, or whether they're just scared as hell, or whether they're just telling you to stop so that if you do go through with it, the blame'll be on you, not them. "
This quote puts a spin on the entitlement issue. Holden doesn't initially feel entitled to sex with the girls he is with, but because of this he thinks something is wrong with him. He still sees those times that girls told him to stop as "opportunities to lose [his] virginity". Consent essentially a non-issue to him and these "most guys", and shows how there is still little difference between Stradlater, who views women as sexual objects, and Holden, who will take the time to get to know a girl before he views her as a sexual object.
This quote puts a spin on the entitlement issue. Holden doesn't initially feel entitled to sex with the girls he is with, but because of this he thinks something is wrong with him. He still sees those times that girls told him to stop as "opportunities to lose [his] virginity". Consent essentially a non-issue to him and these "most guys", and shows how there is still little difference between Stradlater, who views women as sexual objects, and Holden, who will take the time to get to know a girl before he views her as a sexual object.
Purity and Innocence
Stradlater's date with Jane is a big source of anxiety for Holden, as he doesn't want someone like Stradlater to ruin Jane by having sex with her. In chapter seven, after Stradlater has returned from the date, Holden interrogates him about it and then punches him in the face.
"I kept laying there in the dark anyway, though, trying not to think about old Jane and Stradlater in that goddam Ed Banky's car. But it was almost impossible. The trouble was, I knew that guy Stradlater's technique. That made it even worse. "
Stradlater's "technique" is to whisper to a girl and kiss her until she gives in stops asking him not to. This does make Holden clearly uncomfortable, but we also know that Holden has little regard for consent, and feels that there is "blame" on both sides to having sex. Holden is uncomfortable with the notion that Stradlater is tainting his childhood friend that he remembers so fondly, and with the notion that Jane, who is one of few girls that he really liked and took the time to really get to know, would allow herself to be ruined by Stradlater. He disregards her autonomy and thinks his perfect innocent image of her is shattered now that she has been with another boy.
"I kept laying there in the dark anyway, though, trying not to think about old Jane and Stradlater in that goddam Ed Banky's car. But it was almost impossible. The trouble was, I knew that guy Stradlater's technique. That made it even worse. "
Stradlater's "technique" is to whisper to a girl and kiss her until she gives in stops asking him not to. This does make Holden clearly uncomfortable, but we also know that Holden has little regard for consent, and feels that there is "blame" on both sides to having sex. Holden is uncomfortable with the notion that Stradlater is tainting his childhood friend that he remembers so fondly, and with the notion that Jane, who is one of few girls that he really liked and took the time to really get to know, would allow herself to be ruined by Stradlater. He disregards her autonomy and thinks his perfect innocent image of her is shattered now that she has been with another boy.
Rites of Passage
In chapter 13, Holden gets in touch with a prostitute and invites her up to his hotel room. He sees this as the prime time to lose his virginity, where the girl won't tell him to stop because he's paying her. The entire time he's preparing to meet her, he is anxious and impatient, hoping she will get there quickly so that he can "get it over with". Holden will always stop when a girl asks him to, "can never seem to do it with girls [he] really likes", and is angered to the point of violence at the thought of someone he knows having sex with an old friend. It is clear that he is uncomfortable with the actual act of intercourse, and only really wants to do it for the sake of having done it.