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Holden Caulfield

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Holden Caulfield
Daniel Fiore
Ms. Schindler
English III
April 2, 2014
Salinger and Holden’s View on Sex
“Did you ask her if she still keeps her kings in the back row” (43). This question shows Holden’s concern of Jane having sex and going from childhood to adulthood. If she does lose her innocence then he will lose his interest in her. J.D. Salinger has the same feeling towards sex as Holden. According to J.D. Salinger and his character Holden Caulfield sex brings about the end of an innocent childhood and the beginning of a phony adulthood. In the novel The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger the main character Holden Caulfield is obsessed with phonies and the loss of innocence. To Him almost everybody are phonies especially those who have lost their innocence. According to Holden there is only one thing that can cause one to lose their innocence and that is sex. Throughout the entire novel Holden is confronted with sex. In every confrontation with sex he “runs away” due to his fear of growing older. Holden never wants to become an adult therefore he never wants to have sex. It is obvious that the only thing in his mind that will make him an adult is sex because he smokes and drinks alcohol throughout the novel. Many believe that those two acts along with other things bring about the change from childhood to adulthood. However Holden commits these acts and still believes he maintains his innocence. Even through all his fear Holden also seems to be fascinated with sex. When he meets up with Carl Luce he constantly ask him questions about sex. This shows that Holden is both fascinated and disgusted with sex. He seems to be more concerned with other people’s innocence, especially Jane. He is so concerned he gets into a fight with his roommate Stradlater because he thinks he had sex with Jane. After this incident Holden continues to contemplate calling Jane but always decides not to. This shows he is worried he will find out that that she did have sex. If she did have sex
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