Holden's Sexism
Throughout The Catcher In the Rye, Holden Caulfield confides in the reader/listener in a charming and friendly way. However, he is very ready to pass judgment on the people around him. His friends, family, and even complete strangers often come under Holden’s intense scrutiny over the course of the novel. For this reason, I found myself struggling to like Holden as a character as he himself is incredibly flawed yet has a "holier than thou" way of speaking. The most notable and jarring of Holden's flaws is his sexism. The way he describes and treats women throughout the novel was probably the most frustrating part of the novel. He interprets most of their actions based on sex and only seems to care about them when they are providing him something in return. The first notable instance of Holden’s perception of women is possibly also the most telling. His experiences going on double dates with his roommate Stradlater paint a harrowing picture of dating at the time. Stradlate...