Examples Of Masculinity In Catcher In The Rye

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J.D. Salinger’s most famous novel The Catcher in the Rye features a sixteen-year-old boy named Holden who is being kicked out of yet another prep school. Throughout the novel, Holden expresses his masculinity in several different ways. One of the most striking and what I believe makes the book so popular is his perpetuation of toxic masculinity. Toxic masculinity in a nutshell definition is types of masculinity that are harmful to both men and women. Toxic masculinity is a direct result of the social constructs upheld by a patriarchal society. Holden’s expression of toxic masculinity happens consistently throughout the novel but I am only going to focus on two specific instances of his behavior. The first is before he is supposed to meet with the prostitute, and the second is when he meets with Phoebe and reflects about his friend committing suicide being his favorite thing. The aforementioned instances exemplify Holden’s obsession and perpetuation of toxic masculinity.
In the first example Holden’s masculinity is fragile, and being a man is based solely on not being a woman. For instance, when Holden is first due to meet with the prostitute he has told the reader that he is a “sex maniac”. Only to reveal that just shortly before the prostitute arrives he is still a virgin. Holden tells the reader that he has had plenty of chances to have sex however, something always happens and he cannot. He starts to …show more content…

Holden instead of challenging these ideologies chooses to perpetuate them. Holden’s obsession with the objectivation of women and death exemplifies that the masculinity he practices is toxic. Male readers of this novel can then cling to these stereotypes as well, and continue to perpetuate rape culture and toxic masculinity. In the above examples, Holden shows that he is a product of negative social constructs upheld by a patriarchal

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