I. Holden and "Girls"
“I mean most girls are so dumb and all. After you neck them for a while, you can really watch them losing their brains. You take a girl when she really gets passionate, she just hasn’t any brains” (The Catcher in the Rye, Chapter 13)
- What attitudes does Holden reveal in this passage?
- Also, have you been surprised or possibly offended by Holden’s view of women at any particular point in the text. If so, what part of the text was this and what was it that offended you or surprised you?
II. Dating in the 1950s:
- When it comes to dating, do you think Holden is a child of the 1950s?
- What do you think girls and boys were like in the 1950’s? (Do you know anyone you could interview for extra credit? See me if you do.)
- What do you think dating or a typical date was like?
III. Let's watch a video on dating: Dating Do’s and Don’t. As you watch fill out the organizer.
IV. Exit Ticket/Notebook Entry:
What mistakes did Holden make on his date, AND how might these "mistakes" reflect his views of women, dating and sex?
Did we cover any of the questions below?
- Why does Holden sabotage himself every time he has the opportunity to have sex?
- What is Holden's attitude toward women as sexual beings? Toward men?
- What does Holden consider "perverty" behavior? Is this a reasonable definition?
- Is Holden in love with Jane Gallagher? Does he even want to have sex with her? Is Holden able to distinguish between love and lust?
True or False?
- Although Holden is obsessed with sex, he wants to preserve innocence more than he wants to gain carnal knowledge.
- Holden's view of any sexual act as "crumby" and degrading is the result of his experiences with sexual abuse.