Chapter 16-18 of The Catcher in the Rye

"We horsed around a little bit in the cab on the way over to the theater. At first she
didn't want to, because she had her lipstick on and all, but I was being seductive as hell and she didn't have any alternative." 

-Holden Caulfield

When Holden says this, he talking about him and Sally in the cab on the way to the theater. It had been the first time they had seen each other in a while, and right when they get alone Holden wants to make out and etc. This, to me, just shows that Holden's main intention is just to get with her. Sure, I believe Holden is lonely and he only hangs out with phoney and boring people just so he can have someone to talk to but when he called Sally because he was lonely, he was probably keeping in mind that Sally and him use to "horse around" and he was really just calling her for that. However, when I was reading this part of the book I started cracking up, because I think Holden is hilarious. Like they get in a cab and he is trying to make a move, and she's like, "no thanks," but he's like, "baby, I am so seductive you can't resist." That's how I imagine the conversation would have happened. Like he is kind of in to himself but it is hilarious because he is sarcastic when he is talking about. That kills me. 

I think that this quote means or shows that Holden tries to have a good time regardless if other people are going to. Sally clearly did not want to ruin her lipstick by kissing but Holden just wanted to kiss her and he was going to regardless if he had her consent or not. The truth is, I kind of like this about Holden, he is assertive without being almost arrogant. He is willing to go for it, and he doesn't care what people are going to think. Though out the whole book we have seen Holden dance to the beat of his own drum, meaning that he hasn't really done what any one else is doing. All these places he has gone so far, I bet no other 17 year old would even dare go. Like going to bars, dancing with women in the hotel's Lavender Room, attempting to hook up with a prostitute and then getting into a fight with her pimp, no other 17 year old would even dream of doing that but Holden has already done so. He is willing to have a good time, and most of the time he doesn't want to be having a good time alone, so he ends up trying to have fun with other people. I hope that I am able to see this come up in the book again to prove my theory. Holden is a pretty cool guy, and this quote shows that he is sort or outgoing and he is funny as well.