Holden's Love In P. 'A Scene With The Hotel Prostitute'

The scene with the hotel prostitute demonstrates that this is true for Holden. A hotel elevator approaches Holden as to whether he is interested in the services of a prostitute. Although it was against his principles, the prostitute was sent to his room anyway. Holden was waiting for her alone in the room feeling nervous to see prostitute. He keeps walking around his room, waiting for her to show up. Obviously, something bothers him about the situation he just wants to get it over with. When the prostitute finally does arrive, he feels peculiar when she starts to undress and wants to get right to the sex act without getting to know one another first. He asks her to talk with her, which made prostitute very surprised. Suddenly, he does not feel very much like himself and does not want to go through with it. Those, sincerity is not simply making intentions clear, as in “Let's be clear”. I'm using you and you are using me.” Beyond simple clarity, sincerity in human relationships involves a lack of selfishness and the valuing of the other. If these things are not present, then Caulfield cannot engage in sexual intimacy.
Caulfield further explains his attitudes toward sex and sincerity in his conversation with Luce. Caulfield tells Luce that he regards sex as a physical and spiritual experience and that his ability to have sex depends on the woman and whether or not he loves, likes her. Sex cannot be spiritual with every girl. “I can never really get sexy – I mean really sexy – with a girl I don't like a lot. I mean I have to like her a lot. If I don't I sort of lose my goddam desire for her and all,” he explains. Liking someone is tantamount to sincerity, and in regard to sex, mutual sincerity is necessary. Not likin...

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...quivering. He was extremely nervous and “has a feeling that something had gone funny.” “What'd you do?” he finally says. “Give her the time in Ed Banky's goddam car?” Finally, Caulfield turns violent and tries to strike Stradlater, outraged over Stradlater's phoniness and possible abuse of Jane,
Holden Caulfield is disgusted by the constant phoniness in the world and by phoniness we mean the deceitful ways that people manipulate other people to selfish ends. This incredibly strong objection to phoniness in Holden's mind stems from its violation of intimacy. Intimacy is a sacred trust between two people and that trust is betrayed when people lie and manipulate with phoniness. Phoniness treats people as means, not ends, and that is the greatest sin and although Caulfield does not use that exact word, he has conveyed it through his actions, thoughts and words.