The Catcher in the Rye Group

Question:


chaoticresolve
Student
High School - 11th Grade

Are there any instances of "sexism" expressed as a theme in "The Catcher in the Rye"?

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Posted by chaoticresolve on Tuesday November 25, 2008 at 5:06 PM and tagged with sexism, the catcher in the rye, theme.

Answers:

  1. slchanmo1885
    slchanmo1885 Teacher
    High School - 10th Grade

    eNotes Editor

    Holden is unable to relate to females, and in his false bravado he sees women as sex objects only. Holden meets several females in the book, but most of his encounters with them are surface encounters, like meeting the girls at the Lavender Room. He is critical of the girls, who are acting superficial, looking for celebrities. Holden also meets Sunny, the prostitute, who argues with him over the amount of money he owes her, even though they don't do anything together. These encounters just help to secure Holden's belief that women are "phony" and no good. Even when he pours his heart out to Sally Hayes, he receives no sympathy, and this just makes him more angry at women. Holden is an adolescent who is struggling with his budding sexuality and struggles to understand women, and in this struggle he comes across as being very sexist at times.

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/catcher/themes

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    Posted by slchanmo1885 on Tuesday November 25, 2008 at 8:28 PM