Due to his age, he should not be able to take part in certain activities, but because of his spoken word, he enables himself to do so. When he is offered a prostitute by an elevator operator, the man asks for Holden’s age; Holden quickly replies “twenty-two”, and without any need for identification or any thought of untruthfulness, the elevator operator sets up Holden with the prostitute. This event further emphasizes the carelessness of society and the small amount of effort it takes to manipulate the people. The suggestion that it takes a minimal effort to manipulate society is easily conveyed through Holden’s character, and as a result enabled the story to have an “on-the-edge” …show more content…
When he introduces a girl he likes, Sally Hayes, he emphasizes how he finds her personality annoying and loud, although it is clear that he is attracted to Sally because of the way he interacts with her. Holden’s experience with Sally clearly points out his issue with acknowledging the good in people and as a result of his confusion towards society’s actions, Holden’s mind is constantly put under a state of uncertainty. This uncertainty gradually causes him to lose faith in humanity to the point where he can no longer tolerate society and completely loses faith. Through his experiences, society continuously tests Holden to a degree so high that he can no longer handle reality, and goes