Catcher In The Rye Lavender Room Scene Analysis

The Lavender room scene describes Holden as a young boy attempting to portray a grown man through his language, actions, and his interactions with the opposite sex. In “The Catcher in the Rye,” J. D. Salinger depicts Holden who hates “phonies” and “moron,” but he is sneaky and deceitful as well. The diction from the lavender room scene describes the way Holden carries himself in a mature atmosphere. The order that he made with the waiter wasn't an easy request to be done. Holden knows he is a minor, yet he still attempts to continue this facade to the waiter in order to receive an alcoholic drink, “I ordered scotch and soda and told him not to mix it. I said it fast as hell because if you um and ah they’ll think you're under 21.” He wants
to set the impression that he is an adult when he states it, himself, “nobody was around my age. They were mostly old, show-offy looking guys.” He stands out in this club as an adolescent, and the waiter refused he knew that he was a “goddamn minor” and he didn’t blame him. This frustration of his to become an adult irritates him because others don’t see him that way. When three women appear in the club Holden sets his eye out on them, but especially the blonde one. He makes an effort to chat them and ask them for a dance,”’ Would any of you girls care to dance?,’ I didn’t ask them crudely or anything, very suave in fact, but goddamnit they thought that was a panic too. They started giggling some more.” He doesn’t seem to know that his “once-over” was quite amusing to them. Holden thinks that he’s a playboy who is wise beyond his years. He calls them morons to put up this wall that doesn’t allow people to get to him.
As he was dancing with the blonde he attempts to conversant with her, but she only ignores him. I’m 12 for christ sake. I’m big for my age!’ ‘I told you about that. I don't like that type of language.’” They way he talks is to appear older than he is and create this appearance that he’s adult enough. He stuck in this imagination that he is more insightful than most proving his lack of understanding of the adult world. Holden believes that his way of how he carries himself is mature. The people, such as the waiter and the three women, doesn’t see that in him. He seem to catch on that they see him as a joke and mock him. His language, actions, and his need for companionship only depicts his low sense of reality.