Encyclopedia of Opinion
Question
What are the themes of The Catcher in the Rye?
Position‹4 of 5›
The Catcher in the Rye is about sexuality
Argument‹2 of 3›

Holden Caulfield hires a prostitute

In chapter 13, Holden accepts an offer from an elevator operator to have a prostitute sent to his hotel room. Before she arrives, Holden contemplates his history of failed sexual experiences. When he is unable to have sex, he gets angry and frustrated and blames Sunny for making him depressed.

The argument

The closest Holden Caulfield gets to having sex is hiring a prostitute, but he cannot follow through with the act. If he does not feel emotionally connected to someone, he cannot have sex with them. As soon as she arrives at his hotel room, Holden's mood changes to nervous and uncomfortable. Holden can't separate love and sex, meaning he rejected the prostitute because he doesn't know anything about her. He wishes to be like other teenage boys, who date plenty of girls. His lack of experience leads him to become further isolated. Instead of seeking sex, Holden asks the prostitute for something he desperately needs: a friend to talk with. Despite being friendly, the prostitute is confused by his request and leaves without comforting him.

Premises

[P1]When Holden hires a prostitute, he cannot go through with it because he cannot separate sex from emotional connection. [P2] His nervousness and his wish to be like other dating teenagers reveal his anxiety about sex and inexperience. [P3] This struggle with intimacy deepens his isolation. [C] Therefore, Holden's encounter with the prostitute shows that The Catcher in the Rye is about sexuality.

Counter-arguments

Holden is afraid to have sex because the prostitute is the same age as him. He views her as innocent, so he does not want to corrupt her. Like Jane Gallagher, he struggles to see the prostitute as mature and capable of handling her own decisions. Because Holden wants to preserve her innocence, he is not able to have sex with her.

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P1] This is not why he doesn't have sex with the prostitute.