Examples Of Sexism In Catcher In The Rye

646 Words2 Pages

In The Catcher in the Rye, the main character, Holden Caufield, shows signs of him being sexist towards women, he depicts it directly and indirectly. The author J.D Salinger wrote this book at the era of the women’s movement, but he decided that Holden keeps his views traditionally. J.D Salinger depicts sexism through Holden in scenes such as where he judges a girl at Ernie’s place, the Lavender room scene and seeing women as sex objects. Throughout the novel sexism doesn’t quiet seem like a major event that’s because Holden doesn’t ever think that he is being sexiest. Holden has a weird trait throughout the novel and that is judging everyone by the slight acts they do, Holden eardrops a captivating couple’s conversation and obviously criticises the conversation. The “boring” man is telling his girlfriend about a football game and all its plays, Holden says the reason why the girl has to listen is because she is an “ugly girl” and that they have it tough in this world. Holden is being directly sexiest because he is pointing at a girl and calling her ugly, he …show more content…

Holden meets three girls from Seattle visiting New York, Holden is new to approaching girls, so he tries to act cool by ordering them drinks and starts to smoke, however they aren’t interested in Holden they are looking out for celebrity’s. After this scene the girl’s reaction causes Holden to judge them and call two of the girls unattractive and that the other “okay” looking one is “dumb”. Holden shows that he is showing hidden signs of sexism, he does this because he didn’t get what he wanted. Holden then asked for a dance with the blond “okay” looking girl, Holden still might have been angry at what he didn’t get and mentioned that “girls who are dumb can actually dance”. Holden didn’t appreciate the dance, he just mentioned that dumb girls can dance, this shows signs of sexism as he criticizes the blond

Show More
Related

  • Examples Of Holden's Authentic Self In Catcher In The Rye

    881 Words  | 2 Pages

    Holden really listens to women and he pays attention to what they have to say or do. When Holden found out that Stradlater was going on a date with Jane, he kept talking about her. He was telling Stradlater about the things they did as kids. Holden was telling Stradlater about the time they were playing checkers. Holden

    Read More

  • Catcher In The Rye Selfish Quotes

    936 Words  | 2 Pages

    It is made evident that Holden is enamored with Jane Gallagher, and this first manifests itself when Holden talks about her to Stradlater. “I used to play checkers with her,” Holden recounts. “ ‘She’d get [her kings] all lined up in the back row. Then she’d never use them. She just liked the way they looked when they were all in the back row.’ Stradlater didn’t say anything. That kind of stuff doesn’t interest most people” (41). In a world where almost everything is so “goddam depressing,” thinking about Jane’s minor traits actually makes Holden happy, even if it is the kind of stuff that does not interest most people. It allows him to channel his childhood, where he was oblivious to the phoniness around him. However, this silly nostalgia cannot get across to Stradlater, who is more interested in Jane as a sexual being than trivialities such as her checker tactics or struggles with ballet. This physical interest eventually becomes the root of their brawl in their dorm. Although Holden’s interrogative mood agitates Stradlater, Holden is only showing his genuine care for Jane. Unlike Stradlaer, Holden has enough sense to know that Jane, being the humble, intelligent girl she is, deserves to be treated right. So, even though Holden lets his anger get the better of him and eventually start a fight, he has reason to do

    Read More

  • Catcher in the Rye Essay: Powerless Holden

    992 Words  | 2 Pages

    Around every corner Holden sees evil.  He looks out on a world which appears completely immoral and unscrupulous.  The three days that the novel covers place a distressed Holden in the vicinity of Manhattan.  The city is decked with decorations and holiday splendor, yet, much to Holden's despair "seldom yields any occasions of peace, charity or even genuine merriment."3.  Holden is surrounded by what he views as drunks, perverts, morons and screwballs.  These convictions that Holden hold waver very momentarily during one particular scene in the book.  The scene is with Mr. Antolini.  After Mr. Antolini patted Holden on the head while he was sleeping, Holden jumped up and ran out thinking that Mr. Antolini was a pervert as well.  This is the only time during the novel where Holden thinks twice about considering someone a pervert.  After reviewing Mr. Antolini, Holden finally concludes that maybe he was not making a "flitty" pass at him. He wonders if he just like patting guys heads as they sleep.  This is the only time in the novel where Holden actually considers a positive side to something.  However, this event does not constitute a significant change.  As Holden himself says, "It's not too bad when the sun's out, but the sun only comes out when it feels like coming out."4. The sun, of course, is a reference to decency through the common association of light and goodness.   His perception of the world remains the same.

    Read More

  • Catcher In The Rye Quote Analysis

    923 Words  | 2 Pages

    Holden struggles to make connections with other people, and usually resorts to calling them phonies whenever they upset him. He finds natural human flaws in people and runs away from connection immediately. His date with Sally shows this. Near the end of the date, Holden tells Sally about his plans to run away from life. When Sally gives him practical advice, Holden is quick to escape connection by calling her “a pain”. Sally’s advice would definitely guide Holden in a more realistic direction, but that is not what he wants to hear. Conflict always arises in his mind even if there is little in reality. His struggles with finding connection also make him too apprehensive to call his old friend Jane. Holden likes to think of Jane as a pure and perfect girl that he can

    Read More

  • Alienation In Catcher In The Rye

    590 Words  | 2 Pages

    Holden alienates himself by believing he is better than everybody else. Every time Holden meets or talks about someone he is judgemental. Even when he is talking about someone he spends time with, he cannot help but ridicule them, “I never even once saw him [Ackley] brush his teeth....he had a lot of pimples. Not just on his forehead or his chin, like most guys, but all over his whole face. And not only that, he had a terrible personality. He was also sort of a nasty guy. I wasn't too crazy about him, to tell you the truth.”(Salinger,14 ). Ackley is probably the closest thing to a friend Holden has. Yet he criticizes him is a very nitpicky way, convincing himself he does not like

    Read More

  • Judging Others in J.D. Salinger´s The Catcher in the Rye

    599 Words  | 2 Pages

    When looking at a person, one automatically judges him/her based on their overall appearance. Holden does this often, starting with Selma Thurmer. He declares, “she had a big nose and her nails were all bitten down and bleedy-looking and she had on those damn falsies” (Salinger 3). He instantly judges her because he inquires that she appears ugly and trying too hard to look pretty when, but in his opinion, she is not. Holden’s judgment is slightly based on the fear of the unknown; “he places women on a comfortably distant pedestal” and never thinks twice about it (Maple). However, fears not the only aspect driving Holden's judgment; it is his idea of having to live up to the standards of you don't well that is nearing his future.

    Read More

  • Holden Caulfield Judging People Analysis

    668 Words  | 2 Pages

    In addition, he also meanly commented on Marty’s dancing stating that, “Old Marty was like dragging the Statue of Liberty around the floor.” Old Marty was not a bad person and could’ve been hurt by the comments Holden was thinking. Another time Holden judges actions done is when Holden was at the club and sees some people he knew. They invited Holden to sit with them but holden declines. Holden then states, "...I'd told her I had to meet somebody, I didn't have any goddam choice except leave...I certainly wasn't going to sit down at a table with lillian simmons and that Navy guy...I left...People are always ruining things for you." (98). Lillian and the Navy guy did not do anything wrong. Invited him to their table is even really kind of them. Yes, they may have been interested in his brother but, it’s only natural since it's been so long since they had seen each other. However, Holden was so upset about what they did and even though it wasn’t anything really

    Read More

  • The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

    963 Words  | 2 Pages

    Holden never seems interested in anything that he does. When he goes back to New York, he goes to all kinds of shows and movies and ends up uninterested half way through. When Holden goes to see a movie at Radio City Music Hall he tells a little bit about the movie and then says, “I’d tell you the rest of the story, but I might puke if I did. There isn’t anything to spoil, for Chrissake” (Salinger, 139). This shows that Holden becomes easily uninterested in normal things, which is a common cause of depression. The whole time Holden is in New York, he goes out to things but ends up uninterested extremely fast. The first night he is in New York, an elevator operator gets Holden a prostitute and he is excited and felt sexy. Once the girl arrives and takes off her dress, his mood completely changes and he wants her to leave. He says “The trouble was, I just didn’t want to do it. I felt more depressed than sexy, if you want to know the truth” (Salinger, 96). Just like being uninterested in normal activities is a symptom of depression, so is being uninterested in sex. Holden gets excited and nervous when he talks about sex, but w...

    Read More

  • Examples Of Insecurity In Catcher In The Rye

    884 Words  | 2 Pages

    Vin Diesel once said, “It's insecurity that is always chasing you and standing in the way of your dreams.” In The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Holden struggles with insecurity and accepting his personality and intellect. We get glimpses of these very traits Holden is insecure about through his observations of certain people he looks up to, namely his brother Allie and his old friend Mr. Antolini. It can’t be a coincidence that the people he admires happen to have certain ideal traits on which Holden expresses self-doubt. Salinger uses the description of characters that Holden holds in high regard to represent key traits that Holden is insecure about within himself.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Denial In Catcher In The Rye

    410 Words  | 1 Pages

    Throughout the whole novel Holden has always been in denial of everything. As stated by Freud, denial is the “Refusal to recognize a threatening impulse or desire” (Sigmund Freud). When he visited his ten year old sister Phoebe, she was trying to communicate with Holden but she was nervous that it would displease him. She stated “Because you don't. You don’t like schools. You don't like a million things. You don't…Why the hell do you have to say that?” I said. Boy was depressing me” (Salinger 169). Even though Holden is very fond of Phoebe he didn't bother to listen to what she had to say, this demonstrates that Holden is very in denial because he got very upset when Phoebe said that he dislikes everything. Which furthers shows how he is unable to recognize that what Phoebe is

    Read More

  • Examples Of Masculinity In Catcher In The Rye

    732 Words  | 2 Pages

    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

    Read More

  • Holden’s Sexual Confusion in The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger

    1295 Words  | 3 Pages

    Holden’s sexual struggles are visible through his interactions with Sunny, Sally Hayes, and Carl Luce. Holden’s fascination with sex interferes with his elevated morals; as much as he wants to engage in intercourse, he voices his need to establish an emotional connection with his partner first, which prevents him from having casual sex. As much as physical intimacy is important to him, Holden needs to be taken care of and understood emotionally, as well, displaying that he holds sex in high regards and does not view it as something to be done carelessly. Holden just needs to be loved; but, unfortunately, his romantic life is sub-par at best, and until that changes, he’ll always feel confused – and very, very lonely.

    Read More

  • Holden's Perception of Others in Catcher in the Rye

    1179 Words  | 3 Pages

    Holden has a respect for women that he views as unnatural. He feels that his sexual desires should be similar to those of his roommate Stradlater and peer, Luce. Holden shows his confusion by saying, "The thing is, most of the time when you're coming close to doing it with a girl, a girl that isn't ...

    Read More

  • The Influence of Women in The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger

    686 Words  | 2 Pages

    Holden's nervous impulse to protect women seems to have sprung up in his psyche from a very young age. After his brother, Allie, started to experience more severe symptoms of leukemia, Holden notes that his mother seemed "nervous as hell." His own mother's emotional problems (Lombardi) transfer to Holden on a very deep, psychological level because he feels partially responsible for his brother's fate in the first place. Seeing his mother in such a distraught state makes him feel even guiltier. The unintended consequence of this is that Holden grows up with a constant fear that he is going to hurt any woman that he grows close to. This manifests itself many times during his time in New York, with one of the earliest examples being his meeting with Sunny in the hotel room. Holden protects her innocence, but not for any particularly noble reason. He hangs her dress back up and insists that he just wants to talk, but Holden did not do this in an attempt to be some paragon of righteousness. Holden, on a deep, psychological lev...

    Read More

  • Catcher In The Rye Transition Into Adulthood Essay

    914 Words  | 2 Pages

    He complains about his school, saying that it is just like any other school and uses language that makes him sound very obnoxious. Holden seems to focus on girls quite a bit, just like any other teenage boy. He seems to focus on one girl in particular, a girl named Jane. We soon learn that Holden’s personality is not your average personality. Holden does seem to have some friends but he does not fall into many peer groups with the type of personality he has. Holden isn’t able to read social cues like most teenagers learn to do. For this reason, he seems to play around a lot in the wrong situations. Even his friends have matured enough to recognise that Holden needs to ‘grow up’. Holden’s resistance to emerging adulthood is the cause of many of the problems he is faced with during the

    Read More

More about Examples Of Sexism In Catcher In The Rye

Open Document