Holden Caulfield Humor

Humor in The Catcher in the Rye In The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Holden Caufield attempts to protect himself from his impending adulthood by visiting New York to escape his fate. The novel follows Holden as he travels New York City in order to get away from his responsibilities of going to school. Holden suffers throughout the novel, from feeling irritated by the “phonies” at Pency Prep, to being beaten up, and even contemplating suicide, but yet he perseveres. Holden lets the reader know his deep thoughts, and gives the reader his frank opinion on life. In his many adventures in the city, Holden’s innocence gets the best of him, as he attempts to casually chat with a prostitute, or when he tries to strike a conversation with an

Salinger writes with a humorous, sarcastic tone throughout the novel, causing a sharp contrast with the traumatic events Holden endures. Salinger uses humor to portray Holden’s woes in a light-hearted way, a childish way, in order to express that Holden is not fully an adult. Holden’s main fault is his fear of change, which causes him to react to certain situations unusually. The novel’s humor also stems from Holden’s ability, or lack thereof, to act appropriately in public settings. Salinger created Holden as a sarcastic, innocent teenager whose wild actions and ironic situations mirror his unpredictable mind, using humor to tell the story of the human condition in the vulnerable emotional state of adolescence, to make Holden seem more real and relatable.
Salinger’s use of humor is evident from the beginning of the novel, as Holden sarcastically refuses to talk about his early childhood. With the opening lines of “If you really want to hear about it [his childhood]…but I don’t feel like going into it” (1), Holden comes across as an arrogant teenager. Holden’s character is an exaggeration, or hyperbole, or a teenager’s life. Teenagers are transitioning to becoming adults, and while they don’t

Irony is a big part of the novel, and Holden is the victim of dramatic irony. Holden’s idea of a phony is someone who is not genuine and fake because they want to seem appealing to the public, rather than being themselves. However, in a twist, Holden is the real phony, as he is hypocritical and fails to see his true image. When he takes Sally to the movies, he admits that he does not really like her. He is clearly being a phony to her, because he is not telling her the truth. Holden also uses verbal irony that makes him seem phonier. When he meets up with Luce at the bar, he engages in a conversation about women. Holden, who has not had sex, exclaims: “I regard [sex] as a physical and spiritual experience…it depends on who the hell I’m doing it with” (162). The humor behind Holden’s phoniness is apparent throughout the novel, as he constantly reminds the reader of his hypocritical attitude. With reminders to the reader that he is a “tough guy”, Holden is adding to his ironic idea that everyone around him is a phony. When examining the novel, irony is the main source of humor and makes Holden a more fallible character; a teenage boy confused about