While Holden is stumbling back to his apartment one night, he hops in the elevator at the Edmont Hotel where he is staying, and he has a strangely adult encounter. Since this is quite an old book, there is an elevator operator in the elevator. However, this elevator operator just so happens to be a pimp. When I say pimp, I do not mean that he is just a cool guy, but I mean that he actually sells Holden a prostitute named Sunny. When I first read this section, I was quite shocked because Holden just played it off as if it were just everyday business. I am not sure if everybody in the forties bought prostitutes, but this seemed extremely sketchy to me. Anyway, this prostitute shows up at Holden’s room in the middle of the night. Holden says that he kind of feels bad for her because she looks so young and scared. He is such a nice guy that he makes up a lie about his health so they do not have to have sex. Holden really just wanted somebody to talk to in the first place. They talk casually for a while, Holden pays the previously specified price, and Sunny leaves. Holden feels strange for a while, but he finally gets to bed. All of a sudden, there is a loud knock on the door. Maurice the pimp walks in looking for Holden to cough up some more money. They have a little verbal fight, and Holden ultimately gets beat up pretty badly. This scene really made me sad because I do like Holden, and to think about him getting beat up by some elevator pimp just makes me depressed. Finally, Holden just leaves to hotel because he is so scared of seeing Maurice again. This section of the story really brings out the childish nature of Holden. His denying the sex that he paid for just to talk, and his getting in a fist fight over money tells me that he is just a lost and lonely boy.
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