Catcher in the Rye
...s unmentionable. Holden indeed had an odd outlook on the subject of sex for he often tells of his arousal towards girls he hates, does not like, and does not respect. All the meanwhile being Catcher’s protagonist he is strangely entranced by forms of kinky foreplays that include degrading his partner; such as spitting in their face. At one time he hires a prostitute through and elevator-working pimp. A young girl shortly arrives at his hotel room door. He is fascinated that she is so young and so casual about the act of sex. Very fleetingly does she show any of the child innocence that Holden holds to such high esteem. When this young girl ‘fell’ she was without her ‘catcher’ to save her. His passing affections usually began with great desire but always ended with his own great disgust. When Holden first re-unites with Sally Hayes: “She looked really terrific. She really did.” “The funny part is, I felt like marrying her the minute I saw her. I’m crazy. I didn’t even like her much, and yet all of a sudden I felt like I was in love….” He depicts the end of his ambivalent relationship with Sally as such: “ I sort of hated old Sally by the time we got in the cab….” She gives him, “ a royal pain in the ass”. “I was pretty goddamn fed up by that time.” He desires human affection yet rejects it at the same time. His inability to achieve a happy median leaves Holden often fed up with humanity. Through out the narrative Holden contradicts himself over and over again at times such as: his ambivalent relationship with Sally Hayes, telling that he refuses to tell the reader about his past and anything having to do with his childhood. Stradlater begins as a pretty good guy but after finding about his promiscuous acts with his Jane, Stradlater is portrayed as nothing more than a “sexy bastard”. These run-on sentences proved an outlet for Holden’s erratic thoughts. These leave room to reveal the disparity between what he sees and what he perceives. His thoughts reinforce what he sees as his own noble child innocence. All of this unfortunately adds to his inner battles and emotional turmoil. Holden never throughout the novel forgets his few if only sources of happiness. He reminisces Allie’s death and the poetry he left behind. As well Phoebe’s insightfulness, unwavering affection and lastly Jane and her kings all in the back row. Times when he describes them or is in their presence the negative, erratic thoughts give way as he gives them his uninterrupted focus. These are the few times when he is happy. Phoebe in the end becomes a very vital character. Up to that point the reader had only Holden’s views to rely upon to come to a conclusion about the society that he encounters. One evening while still pondering the disappearances of the Central Park ducks, though temporarily cheered up by a young boys singing, Holden feels he needs a break from his own ever-depressing thoughts decides he needs to ‘shoot the bull’ with Phoebe by discreetly stealing back into the old apartment. Phoebe is young yet understands much, such as knowing that maturing and moving on is all part of growing up. At one point she challenges her brother’s views on life. She asks him what wants to be? What is something he really likes? Holden remembers Robert Burns’ poem and states if he could do anything in the world he’d “…catch a body coming through the rye.” Phoebe is quick to correct the verse goes, “If a body meet a body coming through the rye…”. Holden goes on to describe his fantasy of being the savior for all misguided kids. To protect them should they go astray in the rye that is life and to catch them before they fall off the cliff. Fall from their innocene into a jaded, cruel and phony adult world. Phoebe changes the subject. He loves Phoebe dearly but to further the view that he cannot interact with others at a deeper level, he accuses her of sometimes being too affectionate when once she throws her arms around him. Phoebe is introduced as Holden’s foil for who deeply contrasts with his own emotionally stunted views. On the way out while trying to avoid getting caught he secretly wishes that he would be. This is a helpful metaphor for Holden’s capacity for human interaction. While wanting to avoid it, simultaneously secretly yearning for all that can offer. By introducing Phoebe, Salinger provides the audience a new, more objective view of Holden. One that finally analyzes his faults, faults where Holden rarely admitted having any. After a near miss with being found in her room by his unknowing parents, he resolves to escapes to a former teacher who he holds with high esteem (well at least never labeling him a phony) for Holden admires Mr. Antolini for once being the only who would help a deceased suicide victim. Mr. Antolini shows that he obviously is not like the rest of the people Holden knows. Antolini welcomes Holden even with short notice, invites him to stay and introduces him to his older wife. He does not seem to hide his thoughts or mask them with facades. His smoking and heavy drinking relates him to the pupil. Mr. Antolini immediately sits him and futilely attempts to describe a ‘great fall’ headed for Holden if he doesn’t realize the significance of education, maturing and moving on. “This fall I think you’re riding for- it’s a special kind of fall, a horrible kind. The man falling isn’t permitted to feel or hear himself hit bottom. He just keeps falling and falling.” He clumsily attempts to articulate h...