Re: Some questions and observations...

Tim O'Connor (oconnort@nyu.edu)
Wed, 29 Dec 1999 15:11:57 -0500

On Wed, Dec 29, 1999 at 05:52:10PM +0000, Lucy Pearson wrote:
 
> I'm  in love with Holden but not in a way which necessitates being a girl
> (if you get what I'm saying) so I don't really think that would encourage
> other girls.

It's funny, though.  Someone like Holden (however screwed-up he is at 
the moment in time we see him in the book) seems to be a perfectly 
decent guy -- the proverbial "nice boy" -- and as such, the type women
always say they want.  

However, I've seen again and again that the proverbial "bad boy" often 
wins out, breaks the woman's heart, and the woman bemoans how there are 
no "nice guys" out there, and so the cycle goes, and guys like Holden 
are always on the sidelines.

That's not just women, of course.  I've seen it in men, too.  The allure
of danger and unpredictability seem universally attractive to both
sexes, and the rebound to "I want a nice boy/girl" seems equally
universal.

It's a funny bit of human nature.  Am I the only person who sees this
facet of the discussion?  I'm genuinely curious.

--tim (who never managed to be a "bad boy") o'connor