In his cab ride to New York, the cabbie is pretty obviously annoyed with Holden, but the boy still asks him to stop and get a drink with him. Stradlater then had the nerve to yell and insult Holden about the composition (which Holden was very pleased with and put his real thoughts into it (after all, it was his brother, Allie, that he was writing about). Stradlater is sincere in his narcissism, which bribes Holden. Holden yells at Stradlater, angry that he would take advantage of a girl whose first name he didn't know. Mental Health in the Mid-Twentieth Century. Here are some quotations from Chapter 6 about Holden's fight with Stradlater: After asking if Stradlater gave Jane "the time" in Ed Banksy's car, this is what Holden says: "The next part I don't remember so hot. Scene from Catcher in the Rye CAST: Holden: Leo Perlstein Stradlater: Jason Wexler. After his fight with Stradlater, Holden put the hat on "and turned the old peak around to the back, the way I liked it, and then I went over and took a look at my stupid face in the mirror." In this quote, then, Holden criticizes Stradlater for being emotionally distant and overly preoccupied with his appearance. “I kept sitting there on the floor till I heard old Stradlater close the door and go down the corridor to the can, then I got up. After a lot of name-calling (on Holden's part) Stradlater smacks Holden a good one in the nose, resulting in quite the bloody mess. Holden gets up and goes into Ackley’s room, his face covered in blood. Holden sees Jane as a sensitive, imaginative girl who transcends the cruelty of … Holden seems to be of the opinion that Stradlater is a "phony" - now he thinks he is a "moron" as well. Holden has followed Stradlater into the bathroom and has been attempting to get his attention, both by tap dancing and by trying to start a wrestling match. Posted on October 12, 2014 by briannachavez. Stradlater’s physical attractiveness comes up many times in the book’s early chapters, and this rambling passage exemplifies Holden’s borderline obsession with his roommate’s physique. Whereas his roommate pursues his sexual desires with confidence, Holden remains confused and full of trepidation. What does Holden's fight with Stradlater in The Catcher in the Rye say about Holden's character as a person? Holden is jealous, so semi-deliberately writes the essay on the wrong subject, then further irritates Stradlater when he comes back by smoking in the college room, demanding details of the date, and generally winding up Stradlater until the guy attacks him. Fight with Stradlater. Stradlater often times talks to Holden about his sexual relationships with other women. Already a member? When he leaves Pencey and takes a train, he has a conversation with Ernest Morrow's mother and lies the entire time. ...light. What does Holden reach for after his fight with Stradlater? Like an idiot, Holden does. He is talking to Stradlater about Jane Gallagher, whom he idealizes and used to play checkers with over the summer. Jane is an early example of Holden's devotion to those he sees as innocent. Because Stradlater is much bigger, he easily wins, though this doesn’t stop Holden from persisting in calling him a “moron.” It is this fight that finally inspires Holden to leave Pencey once and for all, setting off for New York City in the middle of the night. Holden's character is revealed even more when Stradlater has straddled Holden and is holding him down. He sits on the floor until Stradlater leaves the room, then puts on his hunting hat and stares at himself in the mirror. Holden turns on the light, and Ackley sees the blood on Holden's face from the bloody nose Stradlater gave him. Lying is another example of Holden's social skills problems. Chapter 7 Ackley complains that Holden's fight with Stradlater woke him up. Stradlater then becomes worried that he has hurt Holden and will get into trouble. This turning point is found in the physical struggle between Holden and Stradlater. Once more, Holden says he should go downstairs to say hello to Jane, and Stradlater asks him why he keeps saying that but not doing anything. Holden refuses to accept Jane as a sexual being and prefers to think of her as the girl who always kept her kings in the back row, and the idea of Stradlater potentially seducing her, as he implies in this quote, violently angers him. I told him he didn't even care if a girl kept her kings in the back row or not, and the reason he didn't care was because he was a goddam stupid moron.". This offends Stradlater, who refuses to answer. If girls seem him pretty and sexy, then only a few realize dirty laundry and untidy room. Holden, and readers, infer that Stradlater and Jane have sex, which is heartbreaking to Holden. Stradlater isn't necessarily stupid, but wanted Holden to write an essay as he was going on a date with a woman Holden likes. Holden tries to fight his larger, stronger roommate, but, of course, he has no chance. Holden Caulfield. Start your 48-hour free trial and unlock all the summaries, Q&A, and analyses you need to get better grades now. Holden gives this description of Stradlater in Chapter 4. ... Holden is describing Stradlater. Stradlater, Holden’s super-sexual roommate, goes on a date with Jane. His assessment of the quid pro quo nature of adult life is not incorrect, and his observation about Stradlater shows he understands that some people feel entitled to take more than their share. He calls Stradlater a moron so many times that Stradlater …