Examples Of Sex In Catcher In The Rye

In J.D Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, relationships, sex, and sexuality are ideas that often appear. Holden’s obsession with them reveals his distant perspective of these subjects, which demonstrates that relationships, sex, and sexuality are factors that can cause someone to be alienated from the rest of society. The adults at the hotel in New York, The Edmont, have a relationship that, to Holden, is perverted; he would rather be away from that type of relationship. Holden says, “I’m not kidding, the hotel was lousy with perverts. I was probably the only normal bastard in the whole place- and that isn’t saying much. [...] The trouble was, that kind of junk is sort of fascinating to watch, even if you don’t want it to be” (62). The couple

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). Holden has had several opportunities to have sexual intercourse with another female yet he keeps avoiding it, therefore unlike the rest of the teen population who have had intimacy with another being, he is an outcast, an alien. In this case, Holden is alien to sex and what intimacy truly is; his little knowledge on this is causing him to avoid going through with having an intimate relationship or sex with someone, even a prostitute who will charge him more than what she was worth.

Fear can also play a role in alienation from society. Holden has a fear of human behavior and arguably even sickened with the human behavior. When Holden goes for the night to Mr. Antolini 's house, Mr. Antolini says, "Among other things, you 'll find that you 're not the first person who was ever confused and frightened and even sickened by human behavior"