Download Catcher Coming Out of the Closet

Schlegel
Melissa Schlegel
LIT 420 Dr. Marck
Seminar Report
11 May 2011
Catcher Coming Out of the Closet: A Gay Criticism
Of J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye
Homosexuality has been throughout history one of the most controversial topics
in America. Until 1974 this sexual orientation was considered a mental disorder and
listed with the American Psychiatric Association (Tyson 319). Even though scientists
have proved that this lifestyle is not a disease, many people still think that gay men and
lesbians have something wrong with them. They are treated differently and often with
discrimination which is known as homophobia. Homophobia has lead to the “privileging
of heterosexuality,” or in other words, the assumption that heterosexuality is the normal
way of life and those who do not engage in this lifestyle are somehow inferior (Tyson
320). Often because of this assumption, literature which contains gay men and women
are read in a way which ignores gay characters and their struggles. One example of this
occurs in J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye. It is often assumed that this novel
highlights the life of a heterosexual adolescent boy who is struggling to accept that he is
becoming an adult. But, throughout the novel there is significant evidence that Holden
Caulfield is a gay man and is restricted from expressing this because of the homophobic
environment in which he lives. Sarah Graham asserts that “Holden is fascinated by
homosexuality” but because he is growing up in the 1950’s he is also repressed in his
feelings (56). The homophobic society in which he is growing up forces Holden to
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accept “his society’s conventional prejudices against homosexuality” (Takeuchi 31).
Holden is portrayed as having homosexual tendencies but is forced to try to hide these
sensations because of his social upbringing; in other words “Holden is a product of his
time” (Graham 2).
The most significant attributes of this text which portray Holden as a gay man are
gay signs. According to Lois Tyson, gay signs are either “characteristics that heterosexist
culture stereotypically associates with gay men or lesbians… [or] are coded signs created
by the gay or lesbian subculture itself” (340). The most predominant gay sign which
Holden displays throughout the novel is his attraction to males. Stereotypically,
heterosexuals assume that gay men judge each male they encounter, gay or straight,
based upon his appearance. Holden does this numerous times throughout the text and his
comments help paint a picture of what he looks for in a partner. Holden pays excessive
attention to each male he encounters and describes them either positively or negatively.
This excessive attention is first noticed in his encounter with Mr. Spencer. When Holden
sees him he admits that he hates seeing old men’s bodies and then goes on to describes
what he was seeing: “ I don’t much like to see old guys in their pajamas and bathrobes
anyway. Their bumpy old chests are always showing” (Salinger 11). When reading this
from a heterosexual point of view, it would seem that Holden is simply expressing his
disgust at the male form. But, a few scenes later, Holden begins to express what he likes
to see in males. When Holden describes Stradlater, both his classmate and roommate, he
uses a much more positive description and implies that he finds him attractive: “He
always walked around in his bare torso because he thought he had a damn good build. He
did, too. I have to admit it” (Salinger 34). This depiction, when taken in contrast to the
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one about Mr. Spencer, begins to show how Holden assess the males he meets based on
how sexually attractive they are to him. When Holden describes Ackley, another
classmate, it is obvious that Holden is not attracted to him:
He was one of those very, very tall, round-shouldered guys…with lousy
teeth…They always looked mossy and awful, and he damn near made you
sick…Besides that, he had a lot of pimples. Not just on his forehead or
chin, but all over his whole face. And not only that, he had a terrible
personality. He was also sort of a nasty guy. I wasn’t too crazy about him,
to tell you the truth. (Salinger 26)
It is clear from theses descriptions that Holden is paying close attention to the physical
features of males and their personalities. He likes Stradlater’s form but is sickened by
Ackley’s features. He hates Ackley’s teeth and pimples but admits that Stradlater “was
pretty handsome” (Salinger 36). Holden also takes the time to study Stradlater’s
grooming habits and admires him because of them: “He always shaved himself twice, to
look gorgeous” (Salinger 40). Although Holden admits that he knew “a lot of guys at
Pencey [that] were a lot handsomer than Stradlater,” he still appears to have a one-sided
crush on him (Salinger 36).
Holden’s attraction for males is not only evident in his desire for Stradlater, but
also in his encounter with a transvestite. While Holden is staying at a hotel in New York
City, he notices two peculiar scenes going on in other rooms. One scene involves a male
and female couple engaged in a possible form of foreplay. In the other room, there is a
man who is cross-dressing. Holden pays little attention to the couple but is intrigued by
the cross-dresser. Pia Livia Hekanaho expresses that even though Holden is surprised by
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this man’s actions, he still likes what he sees: “As much as the transvestite’s solitary
pleasure shocks Holden, his description nonetheless conveys strong feelings of hidden
but intense enjoyment” (93). This is apparent because, although he cannot say what the
couple had in their glasses, he is able to give a complete description of the cross-dressing
man:
I saw one guy, a gray-haired, very distinguished-looking guy with only his
shorts on, do something you wouldn’t believe me if I told you. First he put
his suitcase on the bed. Then he took out all these women’s clothes, and
put them on. Real women’s clothes—silk stockings, high-heeled shoes,
brassiere, and one of those corsets with the straps hanging down and all.
Then he put on this very tight black evening dress…Then he started
walking up and down the room, taking these very small steps, the way a
woman does, and smoking a cigarette and looking at himself in the mirror.
(Salinger 80).
Holden is clearly fascinated by this activity. He could not describe what the couple
looked like but could give very distinct details about the solitary man. It would have
taken him some time to get dressed the way he did and strut around his hotel room, and
Holden apparently watched it all. In comparison to the brief description of the
heterosexual couple, it is obvious that Holden was much more attracted to the crossdressing male.
Holden’s attraction to gay men can also be detected in the scenes with Carl Luce
and Mr. Antolini. Hekanaho points out that “Holden is attracted to—and attracts—gay
men” and is also the one who actively seeks them out (93). According to Holden, Luce
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would often act very “flitty” and engage in activities like goosing or leaving the door
open while he went to the bathroom. Holden mentions that these activities are indications
of someone being gay: “That stuff’s sort of flitty” (Salinger 186). Holden also mentions
that Luce has an extensive knowledge of “every flit and Lesbian in the United States”
(Salinger 186). He opines, “All you had to do was mention somebody—anybody—and
old Luce’d tell you if he was a flit or not” (Salinger 186). Graham suggests that Luce’s
knowledge may indicate that he is a member of the gay community and thus Holden
looks to him as a role model (63-64). Holden has drinks and dinner with Luce and was
the one who made the arrangements; he actively sought out a gay person to speak to.
Holden is also the one to make the arrangements with Mr. Antolini, who later makes a
homosexual pass at him. In both instances, Holden seeks out the people whom he knows
may possibly be gay. This is a telling scenario because although Holden cannot bring
himself to contact women, he has no problem contacting “sexually ambivalent men”
(Graham 86).
Also, in both of these encounters, Holden and the men engage in the use of coded
language. Hekanaho relays that flit is a slang word for a gay male (91). In his
conversation with Luce, this term is used extensively and Holden often tries to get Luce
to tell him which men at the bar are flits. Also, Mr. Antolini addresses Holden as
“handsome” and as a “very, very strange boy” which indicates that he recognizes Holden
“as a fellow queer” (Salinger 248-250; Hekanaho 95). Hekanaho suggests that the speech
that Mr. Antolini gives to Holden about “scholarly fellowship…is reminiscent of the
concept of a gay community that ensures that novices learn the coded language and
behavior of the closeted era” (95). Mr. Antolini tells Holden in his speech that he is not
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alone in being confused and troubled, but over time, he will be able to learn from others
and then eventually teach someone else. This, as Hekanaho relays, may suggest that
Holden is currently confused about what he is feeling, but that he will learn gay code and
other information that will help him, and later he will do the same for another confused,
young, gay male.
Another gay sign found throughout this novel that would easily be overlooked
through a heterosexual reading, is Holden’s anger at Jane for dating Stradlater. When
Holden discovers that Stradlater has a date with Jane Gallagher, Holden becomes vividly
upset. From a heterosexual reading, it would be argued that Holden’s anger stems from
an attraction to Jane. But, the context clues hint that this anger actually stems from his
desire for Stradlater. This is evidence of what Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick, in Between Men:
English Literature and Male Homosocial Desire, refers to as an “erotic triangle” (21).
But rather than the two males being rivals, because Holden is gay, he becomes Jane’s
rival. Holden feels like he is competing against her for Stradlater’s affection. It is
apparent that Holden is not attracted to Jane because the way in which he describes her is
drastically different from the way in which he describes Stradlater. He expresses that he
thought Jane was pretty, but just before this compliment, he states that he “wouldn’t
exactly describe her as strictly beautiful…She was sort of muckle-mouthed” (Salinger
100). There is little physical description of her and only rarely does he call her pretty or
beautiful. This is in direct contrast to the elaborate description of Stradlater and the
numerous times Holden calls him handsome and sexy. Holden also admits that he and
Jane have never had any sexual advances in their relationship. When she was upset about
her stepfather, Holden kissed her to make her feel better, but he only kissed her face: “I
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was kissing her all over…her whole face except her mouth and all” (Salinger 102).
Kissing her lips is a heterosexual action and Holden cannot do this. He is clearly not
attracted to Jane, and thus the only reason he is upset about the date is because of his
attraction for Stradlater. As he is trying to express his anger about the date, he once again
mentions Stradlater’s features: “The reason she did that, she probably just didn’t know
what a handsome, charming bastard you are” (Salinger 44). Holden seems to be trying to
express his desire to Stradlater but he is not interested. Holden is not upset about
Stradlater taking advantage of Jane, but rather he is upset that Stradlater is going out with
someone else. Holden is therefore, caught in a triangle where he is competing for
Stradlater’s attention but fails to obtain it because Stradlater is attracted to Jane.
Holden’s attraction to males is not the only gay sign in this novel. Another sign
which would again be easily overlooked by a heterosexual reading is his lack of attention
to female characteristics. As mentioned previously, Holden gives little description of Jane
Gallagher, a girl whom he has known for a very long time. After mentioning Stradlater’s
“gorgeous locks,” Holden tries to describe Jane but gets sidetracked by talking about her
stepfather (Salinger 42). Holden once again focuses on a male and describes how the man
liked to walk around naked: “[He was a] skinny guy with hairy legs…He wore shorts all
the time…And [he ran] around the goddamn house, naked” (Salinger 42). Even though
Holden began the conversation talking about Jane, he once again went into detail about a
male. In fact, the only female that he describes in any great detail is his younger sister
Phoebe. He describes her with the same amount of detail that he dedicates to Ackley and
Stradlater. He describes how intelligent she is and describes her as having “red hair…she
sticks…behind her ears” (Salinger 87-88). He talks about how she roller skates, her
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favorite movies, her conversation habits and how she likes to write (Salinger 88-89).
According to Robert Bennett, “instead of developing sexual or… intimate relationships
with women, Holden seems to focus most of his emotional energy on his younger sister,
Phoebe.” Holden is able to talk about her in this fashion and connect to her emotionally
because it is safe to pay this much attention to her. The attention cannot be misconstrued
as sexual because she is his sister. If he did this with other females, it would seem as
though he were interested in them. But, because his desire is for males, he holds this type
of attention for them and his sister, and pays little attention to other women.
Another gay sign found throughout The Catcher in the Rye is Holden’s
femininity. Holden knows that he is supposed to have a masculine demeanor but is
unable to display one. For example, when he discusses the fact the he wishes he knew
who took his gloves, he expresses how he would like to confront that person. He would
like to approach him and say something “cutting and snotty” and threaten him (Salinger
116). But in reality, Holden realizes he would not be able to do such a thing: “I wouldn’t
have the guts to do it…I’m partly yellow” (Salinger 116-117). Holden is just too
effeminate to do such a thing.
Holden’s femininity is also present when he gets into a fight with Maurice, the
pimp. Instead of being concerned with how to defend himself, Holden is overly
concerned about being seen in his pajamas: “It wouldn’t have been so bad, I don’t think,
if I hadn’t had just my goddamn pajamas on” (Salinger 133). Rather than trying to think
of ways to overcome Maurice, Holden is focused on his appearance. Also during this
scene, instead of fighting, Holden tells Maurice that he will yell and wake everyone up.
After this statement, he simply starts to cry: “All of a sudden I started to cry” (Salinger
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134). At no point in this confrontation does Holden do anything masculine; he does not
even think about trying to protect himself. Instead, he focuses on his appearance and
starts to cry.
A final example of Holden’s femininity is evident when he is out with Sally
Hayes. While they are spending time in New York City, he relays to her how cars are
used as status symbols. Traditionally, cars are a masculine symbol, and in this scene,
Holden rejects them: “I don’t even like old cars. I mean they don’t even interest me. I’d
rather had a goddamn horse” (Salinger 170). Horses are animals and animals are usually
a female interest. But in this case, they are more appealing to Holden. This can be seen as
a rejection of the masculine lifestyle and all things associated with it as well as his
embracement of the feminine. According to Sarah Graham, “Holden recognizes and
rejects…passive acceptance of the social norms in women and men” (10). In other words,
Holden knows as a man, what he is supposed to like and be interested in, but realizes that
he is not like everybody else. This not only helps to portray Holden’s femininity but also
is an example of Holden’s gay sensibility.
Tyson relays that gay sensibility is an acute feeling that one is different from other
people in society: “[G]ay sensibility includes an awareness of being different, at least in
certain ways, from the members of the mainstream dominant culture and the complex
feelings that result from an implicit, ongoing social oppression” (330). James Lunquist
points out that throughout the novel, Holden “realizes how different he is from other
people” (38). This is evident early on in the text when he is seen watching the football
game from afar. All of the other boys at the school are completely intrigued and
fascinated by the game, but Holden cannot get interested and so, according to Thomas
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Reed Whissen, he alienates himself. Whissen expresses that Holden’s reason for doing
this is because he “cannot stand the company of others” simply because he cannot relate
(55). Holden knows that he is different from the majority of the boys at the game and
chooses to alienate himself because of this.
Holden’s gay sensibility is also evident in his insistence on wearing his red
hunting hat backwards. These hats are normally worn with the peak facing frontwards.
But, Holden rejects the normal way of life and wears his differently. Thus, his hat can be
seen as a symbol of his sexual orientation, and by wearing it backwards, he is showing
that he does not follow the heterosexual lifestyle. Holden relays, “The way I wore it, I
swung the old peak around to the back—very corny, I’ll admit, but I liked it that way. I
looked good in it that way” (Salinger 24). Holden knows that others may not like what he
is doing because it is different, but he is going to do it anyways because he likes it. He
knows he is different but enjoys who he is.
Holden also acknowledges his differences while watching a play with Sally
Hayes. The play they view involves a typical, married couple and Holden admits that he
could not enjoy it because of the heterosexual characters: “The husband and wife were a
pretty nice old couple—very witty and all—but I couldn’t get too interested in them”
(Salinger 163). After the first act, Holden expresses that the majority of the audience was
engrossed with the play but he was in the minority; he did not like what he was seeing.
This is indicative of how Holden feels in general society. He knows he is in the minority
because he does not follow the heterosexual lifestyle. He should be interested in married
couples because that is supposed to be his future. But, Holden understands that he is
different. He cannot follow that lifestyle because he is gay.
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Homoerotic depictions can also be found throughout the novel. Homoerotic
“denotes erotic (though not overtly sexual) depictions that imply same-sex attraction or
that might appeal sexually to a same-sex reader” (Tyson 321). The first example of this
occurs when Stradlater playfully slaps Holden: “He came over to me and gave me these
two playful as hell slaps on both cheeks.” (Salinger 33). This type of activity denotes
playfulness between the two boys can be considered slightly sexual because Holden
appears to have a crush on Stradlater. Another homoerotic instance occurs with Stradlater
in their bedroom: “He got up from the bed, in just his damn shorts and all, and started
getting very damn playful. He came over to my bed and started leaning all over me and
taking these playful as hell socks at my shoulder” (Salinger 55). This type of activity
would be sexually appealing to a same-sex reader. Stradlater is almost naked and begins
to get “playful” with Holden. He is leaning over Holden which indicates that they are
close and touching and Stradlater begins roughhousing in a playful manner with Holden.
When these actions are coupled with the evidence that Holden finds Stradlater attractive,
it forms a very erotic scene.
Not only is there evidence of homoeroticism, but one can also find homosocial
bonding throughout the text. Homosocial refers to the “social bonds between persons of
the same sex” which involve strong emotions (Sedgwick, Between Men 1). There are
numerous occurrences of these bonds being formed throughout the novel. These include
Holden playing football with his male companions and roughhousing with Stradlater, as
well as going out to dinner and playing pinball with Mal Brossard and Ackley. These
activities helped to forge the bonds that Holden laments about at the end of his narrative.
He relays, “I sort of miss everybody I told about. Even old Stradlater and Ackley, for
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instance. I think I even miss that goddamn Maurice. It’s funny. Don’t ever tell anybody
anything. If you do, you start missing everybody” (Salinger 277). Holden engaged in
activities with these people that created emotional ties. He was close to each of these men
in a different way and has feelings for each of them. As he is alone in the sanitarium, he
realizes the depth of his feelings and how he misses them.
Although Holden has a strong attraction to males and the homosexual lifestyle, it
is apparent that he must be restrained in his feelings. Holden lives in a society which is
based upon heterocentrism. In this type of society, citizens believe that the “universal
norm” is based upon male-female relationships and does not include male-male or
female-female relationships (Tyson 320). The society enforces “obligatory
heterosexuality” which creates a strong pressure on everyone to be straight and often
leads to homophobia (Sedgwick, Between Men 3). Unfortunately, Holden appears to live
in this type of community. This is first evident in an apparent gay slur by Stradlater. After
Stradlater comes back from his date with Jane, he becomes angry at Holden for not
writing his paper the way he would have written it. He gets very upset with Holden and
tells him that he never does anything the right way, or in other words, the way he does
things: “God damn it…You always do everything backasswards” (Salinger 53).
Stradlater not only tells him that he is backwards, which in itself is an insult, but the fact
that he uses ‘backasswards’ may be considered a reference to gay sexual activities.
Stradlater wanted Holden to be like him in writing the paper and in relationships, but he
realizes that Holden is completely different and he does not like it.
Holden’s society is further portrayed as heterocentric due to his desire to hide his
sexual orientation. Holden explicitly states that he needs to do or say certain things so
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that he can survive in his community: “If you want to stay alive, you have to say that
[type of] stuff” (Salinger 114). He knows that certain things must be said or done to be
accepted in society. One way in which he tries to gain this acceptance is by trying to
cover up his homosexuality. He portrays this through the ways he wears his red hunting
cap. As previously mentioned, his hat can be considered a symbol of his sexual
orientation. At the beginning of the story, Holden is comfortable with wearing his hat
backwards and showing how he is different: “I put it on, and turned the old peak around
to the back, the way I liked it” (Salinger 59). But, as he progresses through New York
City, he become less and less comfortable with others learning his sexual orientation.
Before he goes into a hotel he mentions that he takes his hat off because he does not want
to look like a “screwball” (Salinger 79). He is fearful that people will know that he is
different and will judge him. Even though he is fearful of this discovery, it is also evident
that he becomes frustrated with the pressure society has put on him. At one point, he
mentions that after taking his hat off to try to fit in, he put it back on and did not care how
people perceived him: “I didn’t give a damn how I looked. I even put the earlaps down”
(Salinger 115). Holden knows he cannot live up to the heterocentric society’s
expectations and tries to not care that people will judge him. But later, the pressures get
to him once again, and he again takes off his hat so that he appears normal: “I’d already
taken off my hunting hat, so as not to look suspicious or anything” (Salinger 204). This
constant taking off of his hat is representative of Holden’s confusion about his sexuality.
He knows that he is supposed to be interested in females. But, he also has gay
sensibilities and cannot follow the lifestyle of everyone else. He wants to be comfortable
with who he is but also knows that there is a lot of discrimination against homosexuals.
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Another example of Holden understanding the need to hide who he is, involves
his comment about piano playing. Holden opines, “If I were a piano player, I’d play it in
the goddamn closet” (Salinger 110). According to Sedgwick, in Epistemology of the
Closet, “The closet is the defining structure for gay oppression in this century (71).
Holden’s statement about playing in the closest can be seen as an expression of his need
to hide is homosexuality. Playing the piano is a talent that anyone should be proud of, but
rather than Holden wanting to show everyone his abilities, he would play in the closet.
This is the same way in which Holden views his sexual orientation. He knows that he
should be allowed to be proud of his homosexuality, but cannot because of the society he
lives in; he must remain in the closet about his homosexuality due to the homophobia
which surrounds him.
Holden’s attempt to fit in with conventional society is also evident in his effort to
date girls. The heterocentric society in which he lives, demands that men date and have
sex only with women. Thus, Holden feels pressured to engage in such acts. Holden has
two major attempts at engaging in relations with females. The first is with a prostitute
named Sunny and the second is with Sally Hayes. After the scene where he watches the
transvestite, Holden seems to be sexually excited and does not know what to do. The only
thing that he can think of is to call a female because that is what any other male would
do. Holden first tries to call Faith Cavendish but fails to get her to come to his hotel
room; he does not know how to woo a female: “Boy, I really fouled that up. I should’ve
at least made it for cocktails or something” (Salinger 86). He tried to get her to come to
his hotel room but he had no idea how to do so. He did not even know how to ask her on
a date, let alone to bed. He next enlists the services of a prostitute. He knows that she will
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not turn him down, even if he is gay. But, when she actually comes to his room and is
ready to have sex, Holden panics. As Sunny starts getting undressed, he gets more and
more nervous until he resorts to lying. He tells her that he is recuperating from surgery on
his “clavichord” and cannot have sex (Salinger 124). This “panic at the prospect of sex”
displays how even though Holden tries to act the way he thinks he should, he still cannot
bring himself to abandon his true feelings (Graham 28). He knows that he should want to
have sex with a female but he cannot abandon his attraction for males.
Even though Holden goes out on dates with girls and tries to convince himself
that he is having a good time, he always lies to them in an attempt to hide his true
identity. He lies to Ernest Morrow’s mother by telling her a wrong name and also that he
has a tumor (Salinger 75-76). He also gives the wrong name to the three girls he dances
with at a night club and also to the prostitute, Sunny. Holden knows that a normal male
would try to flirt with all of these women but because that is not the behavior he would
engage in, he gives a fake name. He feels the pressure to fit in but also feels like he needs
to protect and hide his true sexual identity.
Further evidence to support the fact that Holden is living in a hetercentric society
revolves around the fact that multiple people tell him that he needs to be psychoanalyzed.
During the 1950s, homosexuality was considered a disease that could be corrected with
psychoanalysis. Holden tells the reader that his parents think that he needs to speak to a
psychoanalyst and he also hears this from Carl Luce. According to Holden, Luce used to
act like a ‘flit’ but, as they are having dinner, Holden notices that he has somehow
changed. He no longer wants to speak about who is gay or not and gets very angry at
Holden for asking. After Holden asks him about his sex life, Luce tells him to “drop it”
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(Salinger 190). Luce goes on to tell Holden that his father sent him to a psychoanalyst
who helped to change his attitude: “He’s helped me to adjust myself to a certain extent”
(Salinger 192-193). Due to the emphasis on the word adjust and because, according to
Holden, his demeanor has changed, it appears that the psychoanalyst has helped Luce
overcome his homosexuality. He proceeds to tell Holden that he needs to be
psychoanalyzed so that he can “recognize the patterns of [his] mind” and begin to fit in
(Salinger 192). Luce, who apparently used to be as interested in gay men and lesbians as
Holden, no longer has that interest due to psychoanalysis. He is now disgusted with
Holden’s conversations and wants him to see a psychoanalyst. Luce now lives in the
heterocentric world and cannot stand that Holden is a reminder of who he used to be.
A final piece of evidence to prove that Holden is living in a heterocentric society
involves the detail that while telling his story, he is in a sanitarium. During the time that
this story takes place, homosexuality was considered a mental disease and listed with the
American Psychiatric Association (Tyson 319). It was a documented disorder and people
were put into institutions because of their sexual orientation. While Holden is telling his
story, he hints to the reader that he is in an institution. In the beginning he mentions that
he is away from home but not at school. At the conclusion of his story, he mentions that
he is surrounded by psychoanalysts. It seems that Holden has been put into the institution
due to the stresses of the heterocentric society and their inability to understand his sexual
orientation. He mentions that he can not tell his whole story because his parents would
not appreciate it:
My parents would have about two hemorrhages apiece if I told
anything pretty personal about them. They’re quote touchy about anything
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like that, especially my father. They’re nice and all—I’m not saying that—
but they’re also touchy as hell. (Salinger 3)
Holden’s parents appear to be embarrassed that their son has ended up in this
predicament and do not want anyone to know that they are associated with a homosexual.
They have the same heterocentric beliefs that the rest of society has and they have
distanced themselves from their son: “The brief comments on his parents…imply
distance” (Graham 33). In fact, when Holden is visiting Phoebe at his parent’s apartment,
he hides in the closet to avoid his mother: “I grabbed my shoes and got in the closet and
shut the door…I heard my mother go out and close the door. I waited a couple of
minutes. Then I came out of the closet” (Salinger 229-231). Holden cannot be open with
his parents because they will not accept who he is. Around his parents, he must remain in
the closet. He can only come out to those who will accept him, like his sister.
The pressures of the heterocentric world not only caused Holden to remain in the
closet around certain people, but also caused him to experience internalized homophobia.
Internalized homophobia is defined as “negative feelings about one’s own
homosexuality” (Herek et al. 18). This internalized hatred is first noticeable when Holden
is discussing the fact that he is in a sanitarium. He relays that not only can he not talk
about his parents because they are embarrassed of him but he also cannot tell most of his
story to his brother: “I mean that’s all I told D.B. about, and he’s my brother and all”
(Salinger 3). Holden cannot bring himself to tell his brother the whole truth about why he
is in the institution because he is embarrassed. Even though D.B. is his brother and he
should be comfortable around him, Holden cannot talk to him openly because of his
Schlegel 18
internalized hatred for his homosexuality. He is embarrassed about whom he is and afraid
that, like his parents, his brother will abandon him.
His self-hatred is also evident in his numerous references about wanting to
commit suicide. This first begins after his advances towards Stradlater are turned down.
Stradlater left Holden to go on his date with Jane and Holden begins to feel lonely and
down. He states, “I felt so lonesome, all of a sudden. I almost wished I was dead”
(Salinger 62). Holden is so upset that Stradlater left that he cannot even sleep in their
room. He decides to stay in Ackley’s room but he still cannot stop thinking about
Stradlater and Jane having sex: “I thought about her and Stradlater parked somewhere in
that fat-assed Ed Bankey’s car. Every time I thought about it, I felt like jumping out the
window” (Salinger 63). Stradlater’s rejection of Holden causes him to begin his
downward spiral. He is upset at the rejection and begins to hate who he is which triggers
thoughts of suicide. He mentions at one point that the only thing keeping him from
jumping out a window is that people would once again be looking at him and judging
him:
What I really felt like, though, was committing suicide. I felt like jumping
out the window. I probably would’ve done it, too, if I’d been sure
somebody’d cover me up as soon as I landed. I didn’t want a bunch of
stupid rubbernecks looking at me when I was all gory. (Salinger 136)
Holden is upset that he cannot be accepted for who he is and hates himself for his
sexuality so much that he willing to commit suicide. But, once again, he knows that as
soon as he jumps, he will be judged and even death will not allow him to escape the
pressures of his society and his internalized hatred.
Schlegel 19
A final example of Holden’s internalized homophobia involves Mr. Antolini.
While Holden was staying at his apartment, Mr. Antolini made an apparent homosexual
pass at him. Holden becomes very agitated due to this action and leaves in a hurry. As
Holden thinks back upon this situation, he gets angry at himself for leaving. He regrets
lying to him and thinks of all the nice things that he had done for him. He relays, “The
more I though about it, the more depressed I got. I mean I started thinking maybe I
should’ve gone back to his house…The more I thought about it, the more depressed and
screwed up about it I got” (Salinger 253). Holden hates the way he treated Mr. Antolini
after he’d been so nice to him. He keeps finding more and more reasons to hate himself
and wants nothing more than to commit suicide. He has rejected Mr. Antolini in the same
way that Stradlater rejected him and he feels guilty for the treatment he has given to his
friend. As a gay man, he should have understood the difficulties that are endured after
such a rejection. But, Holden, in a panicked state, turned him away and now feels guilty
for committing such an act. He wants to be comfortable with his sexuality but has lived in
a heterocentric society for so long, that it is difficult for him to accept who he is. He
knows he is different and wants to embrace his sexuality but also hates himself for it
because of the difficulties he must endure.
Holden Caulfield is a prime example of a gay character who must face the
difficulties of growing up in a heterocentric society. Not only are his differences rejected
in his own world, but today, readers often overlook and ignore his obvious
homosexuality. When J.D. Salinger wrote The Catcher in the Rye, he lived in a time of
oppression. Homosexuals were institutionalized rather than accepted just because of their
preferences for life partners. Although today we do not institutionalize gay men and
Schlegel 20
women, there is still obvious discrimination. Salinger’s novel displays the difficulties
which were faced by gay men and how they had to live in codes and fear, which still
exists today. Holden had to hide his identity, even from his own family, and had to deal
with feelings of self-hatred. Unfortunately, perhaps the only safe place for Holden is in
the rye; the place where he can be accepted for whom he is and rescue others from the
same discrimination he suffered through.
Schlegel 21
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Graham, Sarah. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye. New York: Continuum, 2007. Print.
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2007. Print
Herek, Gregory M., Jeanine C. Cogan, J. Roy Gillis, and Eric K. Glunt. “Correlates of
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Whissen, Thomas Reed. “The Catcher in the Rye is a Cult Novel.” Readings on J.D.
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