When I initially began writing, I wanted to explore Holden's sexuality in terms of gender attraction. I couldn't really find a way to start and a way to end, so instead I decided to explore the theme of demisexuality, that is, the sexual orientation in which you feel sexual attraction only after forming a strong emotional bond with someone. This allows me to not put binaries of Caulfield while still having something to write about!
I want to begin with an important quote I found that sets up this argument altogether. He practically defines the term demisexual in his ramble of feelings while talking with Luce in chapter 19, saying, "You know what the trouble with me is? I can never get really sexy--I mean, really sexy--with a girl I don't like a lot. I mean, I have to like her a lot. If I don't, I sort of lose my goddam desire for her and all. Boy, it really screws up my sex life something awful. My sex life stinks" (191). This quote is very revealing as it shows that for Holden, sexual desire goes deeper than the superficiality that it's tied to with people like Stradlater. Though the non-objectification of women is not exclusive to demisexuals, Holden’s way of approaching attraction really highlights this aspect of himself. That’s why someone like Stradlater, who is noted to be superficial and self-absorbed, isn't someone he can relate to, and it even causes conflict between the two when Stradlater brings that personality into a date with Jane Gallagher. Yes, there could be a sense of jealousy with Stradlater, but it's more of a clash of values. He cares deeply about Jane, and the thought of someone like Stradlater treating her like a prize or conquest makes him feel powerless and outraged.
This leads into his sense of demisexuality in relation to Jane. Jane is someone whom Holden knows and cares deeply about, not just a face in the crowd nor a casual fling. His feelings are rooted in the memories and emotional connection he developed with her, and that's why he obsesses over small details about her: because those memories are the foundation he needs for attraction.
Another moment where Holden expresses a demisexual attraction is with Sunny, where his internal dialogue states, "... then she stood up and pulled her dress over her head. I certainly felt peculiar when she did that. I mean she did it so sudden and all. I know you're supposed to feel pretty sexy when somebody gets up and pulls their dress over their head, but I didn't. Sexy was about the last thing I was feeling. I felt much more depressed than sexy" (123). He immediately follows this feeling with a mix of guilt and awkwardness, desperately attempting to connect on a human level rather than a sexual one. Even in a situation basically 'designed for sex,' he experiences emotional disconnect first, which completely blocks any physical desire. What’s also apparent is how self-aware he is in this moment. He acknowledges the “norm” of how someone is supposed to react, yet he can’t force himself to conform. That tension between expectation and his actual feelings makes his discomfort more understandable.
In short, reading Holden as demisexual helps explain a lot about his behavior and feelings throughout the book. His conflict with Stradlater, his obsession with Jane, and his awkward encounter with Sunny all show that emotional connection is central to how he experiences attraction.
In future blogs, I hope to go deeper into WHO he is attracted to, but for now, I dove into HOW he feels in terms of attraction. Thanks for reading!
Hey Lucas, this is a theory that I initially hadn't thought about at all, but now that I hear of it it definitely makes a lot of sense. He fits the capabilities of being demisexual, but isn't quite connected to everything. The general possibility is that he's scared of things like sex, because they imply growing up and change, but I think this adds another layer to it that we may have not thought about. Jane is definitely more of an ambiguous part of all this, because he attempts to call her several times and doesn't work up the nerve to. Great idea!! I think this is a fantastic point :)
ReplyDeleteThis is a really interesting and original take on Holden's ambivalence about what he perceives as normative male sexuality in his time period. Of course, he would never have heard the term "demisexual," so again we get the ironic sense that he feels like something is wrong with him because he keeps having to care about the person he is with in order to feel sexual attraction. Stradlater, of course, has no such scruples, and everything in Holden's culture is telling him that the ideal way for a boy to develop is to basically become a Stradlater. And it's not as if Holden is immune to these forces--he does a decent amount of objectifying of girls and women throughout the book, as is "normal" for a boy his age in his time and place. But what is less "normal," even embarrassing, for Holden, is to admit that he doesn't actually understand sex at all, and he feels more confused the more he learns. Your generation is much more conversant in this subject than Holden's (or mine!), and I relate strongly to this feeling of perpetual confusion as a boy with little experience or knowledge, contending with a social and cultural context that requires you to always ACT like you understand everything and have much more experience than you do (laughing along to some obscure joke about sex, silently praying that no one calls you out and asks you what the terms actually mean!). Holden literally feels like he can't talk to anyone about this topic, so as you point out, he's left to simply state that he feels "peculiar" when faced with what he takes to be normal everyday sexuality. (I want to tell him that it's totally understandable that every single thing about his reactions to that scene with Sunny make perfect sense, and there's nothing wrong with him!)
ReplyDeleteI like your point. I hadn’t thought about Holden’s attraction in terms of demisexuality before, but it makes a lot of sense. He really has to know and care about someone before he feels that kind of attraction. With Sally, he feels performative and fake, but with Jane, he knows her, which is why he notices all the small details. Holden isn’t just jealous of Stradlater; he’s upset because Stradlater doesn’t see Jane as a person. Even with Sunny, he feels disconnected, which shows that emotional connection comes first for him and how he doesn't objectfiy women compared to Stradlater and the other men he knew at the time.
ReplyDeleteWhile this is a take I hadn't thoroughly considered, I did feel some almost queer adjacent vibes when reading of Holden's experiences with romance and sexuality. Considering how strongly Holden rejects social norms throughout the book, its not a leap to consider why he may feel inadequate or "other" from society. I think so often in history, queerness is tied to the experience of being outside of the norm, of pursuing relationships that are much deeper that surface level, which goes along with Holden's criticism of guys like Stradlater, who get with a bunch of different girls all of the time for shallow sexual relationships. The more I think about it, the more falls into place once you observe Holden through a queer lens, with his yearning for emotional relationships and a community that understands him and his "otherness". As a queer person myself, I love analyzing literature with queerness in mind, and I think it often brings so much interesting nuance into the conversation.
ReplyDeleteHi Lucas! I love how original this take is, it really caught my eye. Reading Holden through the lens of demisexuality actually explains so many of his reactions. It makes his conflict with Stradlater feel less like simple jealousy and more like a values clash. I also think your point about Sunny is really strong. That scene shows how disconnected he feels when there’s no emotional bond even when he thinks he’s supposed to feel something. great blog!
ReplyDeleteLate to the party and not making a lengthy comment as I've already done my 6 for TCitR. Ohmygosh you're totally right. Knowledge stored.
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