Post World War II America experienced an economic boom never before seen in the United States. Despite this prosperity, discontent and alienation were becoming a common experience for American youth. J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye portrays its protagonist, Holden Caulfield, as a disenfranchised youth who can no longer function in the world in which he resides. The novel became an instant success among young people. The Catcher in the Rye's portrayal of a society that had become a moral and spiritual wasteland rang true for many young people. So true for so many that the novel became a popular icon for the youth of the 50's and 60's.
             The Catcher in the Rye shows that sex is another one of life's beautiful things corrupted in this society. Sex in the traditional sense is a physical expression of love by two consenting partners in a monogamous relationship. None of the sexual encounters portrayed in The Catcher in the Rye meets any of these qualifications. Holden is a virgin, but his virginity is not due to lack opportunity. According to Holden, he has had "quite a few opportunities to lose [his] virginity". (pg. 92) Holden wants to have sex but he is unable to abandon his morals, as he remarks, "when they tell me to stop, I stop." (pg. 92) Holden's morals are put to the test when he has an opportunity to have sex with a prostitute. When the prostitute undresses, "sexy was about the last thing [he] was feeling" (pg. 95), so Holden asks to prostitute to leave.
             Stradlater, Holden's roommate at Pencey Prep, is known for his sexual exploits. When his dates asked him to "stop, please"(pg. 49), Stradlater would ignore their initial pleas and he would eventually wear them down until they were willing to have sex. Stradlater's actions demonstrate that he perceives sex strictly as a means of physical gratification. Carl Luce, another friend of Holden's, coldly proclaims his o...