How Is Holden Caulfield A Complex Character

J.D. Salinger, the author of The Catcher in the Rye once said, “An artist's only concern is to shoot for some kind of perfection, and on his own terms, not anyone else's.” Holden Caulfield, the main character in The Catcher in the Rye, does not seem to be shooting for any type of perfection, seeing as he was recently expelled from his high school, Pencey Prep and doesn’t generally pursue anything anymore. Ever since his brother passed away, Holden lacks motivation in school, relationships, and life. Even though he tries, Holden is also unable to have a real relationship with a woman since he doesn’t seem to understand the complex mental and physical aspects of a relationship. He has dated girls in the past but has never had a real long-term …show more content…
In Holden's mind, she is the purest, most perfect girl for him. Jane is younger than Holden, and he feels that in some way he has to protect her for the impurities of the world. It seems like Holden is in love with Jane because he continually talks about calling her up and gets jealous when Stradlater takes her on a date, but he never does anything about his feelings for her besides superficial hand holding and “necking” (Salinger 78). He realizes that, even though he likes her, their relationship would be too complicated, especially because of all of the assumed sexual abuse by her stepfather (Salinger 78). Despite his desire to be with Jane, Holden does not have the maturity or mental stability to handle the complexities of a romantic relationship with her. Holden is not intellectually capable to handle a relationship with …show more content…
Women, Holden believes, want a man who can assert power and control. Holden tries to do this when he calls the prostitute, Sunny, for a night of adult fun. She is a cynical young girl with a high voice. Holden thinks that she is too young to be doing this, so he asks to talk instead of having sex, which most men who hired a prostitute wouldn't do. Holden's excuse for not being able to have sex is that he is “recovering from an operation on his clavichord” (Salinger 96). When Holden mentions that he is recovering from an operation on his musical instrument, it is apparent that he is not ready or eager to engage in any sexual behavior. Holden becomes flustered and asks her to leave after she sits on his lap and tries to seduce him. Holden is not like other men; if a man hires a prostitute, it is to sleep with them, not to talk. Holden is so lonely that he actually pays someone to talk to because he is deprived of this wish countlessly. He also is not able to handle a sexual encounter, let alone a relationship, because he is not mentally mature or stable enough to do