One of the most debated aspects of JD Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye is whether or not Holden is a victim of sexual abuse. Holden specifically mentions that “poverty things” have happened to him “about twenty times,” but it is difficult to know whether or not he is exaggerating, especially since the allegedly sexual incident that unfolds with Mr. Antolini is extremely ambiguous to the reader. (The fact that Holden may or may not be narrating from a mental institution certainly does not clarify matters.)

Perhaps the strongest evidence to support the idea that Holden has been abused is his catch-22 philosophy on sex: For one thing, Holden doesn’t want to “get sexy” with anyone he cares about because he feels that sex is inherently degrading. But on the other hand, it doesn’t feel like you should sleep with someone you don’t respect. Suffice it to say, Holden isn’t having much success with the ladies at this point in his life.

This conflictive attitude manifests itself repeatedly throughout the novel. Just think of Holden’s annoying blonde dance partner who can barely hold a conversation because she’s too busy looking for celebrities. Holden repeatedly complains that she “was really an idiot”, but then he can’t help but fall in love “half in love with her by the time [they] he sat. “The cause? Her amazing dance moves. That’s right: Holden can’t resist the girl whose” cute butt moved so well and all. “This is not one of the Catcher in the Rye quotes that come to my mind. mind when we think of Holden as a thoughtful and sensitive young protagonist.

The obvious reading of the incident is that Holden can’t help but feel physically attracted to his dance partner despite his superficial stupidity. However, another much more interesting reading is that Holden finds it easier to objectify because he does not respect her (according to his philosophy). This may seem finicky, especially considering we’re talking about a seventeen-year-old man, but let’s compare this incident to Holden’s various descriptions of Jane Gallagher.

Possibly the most important of all the other characters in Catcher in the Rye, Jane Gallagher is Holden’s childhood crush. Although she never appears to us in person, we learn the following about her: a) she plays golf; b) practice ballet for two hours every day; c) when he plays checkers, he always keeps his kings in the back row; d) she has an awesome red sweater; e) is excellent for holding hands; and f) has a strained relationship with her stepfather. In this list you will not find: g) any description of Jane’s butt, nervous or otherwise.

However, you will find that: h) if Holden suspects that he has forcibly approached Jane, he will punch her “right on the toothbrush” to open her “damn throat”. In other words, I’d rather you keep a respectful distance. The closest thing to a steamy description of Jane you’ll find in The Catcher in the Rye is this: “She had a kind of slimy mouth. I mean, when she talked and got excited about something, her mouth went in about fifty directions, with her lips and all that. That killed me. ” Candy? Definitely! Hot? Not even close.

Out of nowhere, Holden announces that Jane has a “fantastic figure”, but only as an afterthought to her hobbies, quirks, personality, and crooked mouth. In fact, and this is where it gets interesting, Holden only mentions her body in relation to the possibility that her stepfather is sexually abusing her. Holden explains, “He was pretty young, but he had a great figure, and I wouldn’t have passed him off as that bastard Cudahy.” Right, as if physical attractiveness was somehow to blame for pedophilia.

The insanity of this statement shows just how much guilt Holden harbors towards all things sexual – in his mind, finding someone sexually attractive is not that far from actual sexual abuse, and may indeed be your catalyst. This brings us back to Holden’s original assumption that sexual gratification is inextricably linked to sexual objectification. Such a dark attitude towards someone so young definitely speaks to the possibility of Holden having a painful sexual past.