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Catcher in the rye holden character analysis
Catcher in the rye holden character analysis
Catcher in the rye holden character analysis
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Holden’s definition of the word “phony” a person who’s fake, a moron, ordinary, or superficial. Although he thinks most people are phony, especially adults, he never considers himself one. Holden wants to prevent the loss of innocence for children. If someone were to be exposed to adulthood, then Holden automatically will view them as phony. Because of this, he tries to seclude himself from the phonies around him, when being an adult is inevitable. In The Catcher in The Rye by J.D. Salinger, Salinger uses Holden’s repetition of the word “phony” as an excuse to isolate himself from the world and an emblem of everyone being posers in Holden’s perspective.
Holden tends to instinctively isolate himself from the people around him due to his self-righteous
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personality. Holden indicates his isolation when he confesses, “You couldn’t see the grandstand too hot, but you hear them all yelling, deep and terrific on the Pencey side, because practically the whole school except me was there…” (Salinger 2). Holden demonstrates his isolation during the Pencey football game when he doesn’t attend the game like everyone else but instead watches from a hill. He claims that he did this because he left the foils and equipment on the subway and his team patronized him for it, which circles back around to the theme of Holden being out of place and isolated. This idea is also proved when Holden talks about the Wicker Bar describing it as, “one of those places that are supposed to be very sophisticated and all, and with phonies coming in the window” (Salinger 141). Holden bad-mouths the wicker bar by saying that the people there are all phonies. Holden calls everyone who goes there, phonies because he can’t fit in with the crowd which seems to bother him which causes him to criticize the bar. Throughout the book, the reader can understand that he longs for an emotional connection with someone, but oftentimes his need for isolation drives him away, and judge people by calling people a phony. Holden tries to interact and form some kind of relationship with anyone, yet isolates himself by judging them right away or from previous encounters. Holden believes that everyone is phony, especially adults.
While Holden goes to Ernie’s bar, he gets irritated that Ernie was playing “show-off” high notes, and comments, “When he was finished, and everybody was clapping their heads off, old Ernie turned around on his stool and gave this very phony, humble bow” (Salinger 84). Ernie had a big mirror in front of the piano with a spotlight on him so that everyone could see his face which pained Holden to see because he felt that it was superficial to him. He later calls the people who clapped for Ernie after he played, morons who are just clapping for the wrong things. If Holden doesn’t approve of something or if they act like an adult in any way, they are seen as phonies to Holden. When Holden’s calls Sally for a date and asks if she would care to see The Lunt’s, his response when she used the word “grand”, aggravated Holden and he states, “If there’s one word I hate, it’s grand. It’s so phony. For a second, I was tempted to tell her to forget about the matinee” (Salinger 106). He was bothered by the word and claimed that if someone were to use it, it would often mean that they were phony. He shows his instinct to isolate himself from people when he says he was close to canceling the plans after she used the
word. It’s easy for Holden to alienate himself from the world because of his judgmental personality to label people phony. Even though Holden ties the words, lonely and depressed together, his depression seems to be the thing that is pushing people away and judging people as phony. Holden repeats the word phony to describe people that he doesn’t like as an excuse to alienate himself from the fake people in the world.
Holden struggles with himself mightily and cannot fulfill his responsibilities. One of Holden’s struggles is that he has a bad attitude towards everyone. For example, at the school he goes to, he hates his roommates and his teachers. In addition to not liking anyone, Holden
Holden constantly referring to others, throughout the book, as being phony. In The Catcher in the
Holden uses the word phony to identify everything in the world that he rejects or encounters with. People are too talkative, too quiet, or dissimilar. Holden, himself, believes he is this perfect person, but no one believes that he is. This is why Holden believes he is surrounded by "phoniness." For example, Ossenburger of Pencey Prep, emphasizes that "he talked to Jesus all the time, even when he was driving his car." Holden thinks this is a load of crap and asserts, "'that killed me. I just see the big phony bastard shifting into first gear and asking Jesus to send him a few more stiffs" (17). Holden sees why he would pray to Jesus, only to send him some more dead bodies to get more business. Not only do phonies bug Holden, but liars and crooks. Another example is Sunny and Maurice, the elevator boy. Maurice offers Holden a prostitute for the night, "Innarested in having a little tail t'night" (90)? Holden decides to take up on this offer, and later that night, as promised Sunny knocks at his door. After entering the room, Holden cannot make a decision to sleep with the prostitute, an example of Holden clinging on to his childhood. He instead pays the prostitute for her trouble getting to his room, but after leaving, she barges back in with Maurice, complaining of how little she got. Maurice roughs up Holden and gets to his money, where Holden thinks more deprecate towards phonies and liars. Realizing what a real phony and liar people bound to be growing up, he decides to avoids the real world
Page 38 is a typical example of how Holden values the qualities of purity and innocence. He attempts to throw a snowball against a car and fire hydrant, but quickly refrains from doing so, “the fact that he does not throw the snowball is “an attempt to preserve innocence (graham 2007:39). I strongly agree with this statement, as Holden’s fear of change is highlighted throughout the novel, which in turn paints a clear picture to the reader of Holden’s deepest desire, which is to preserve the innocence of childhood that gets hopelessly lost in the“phony” world of adulthood. Holden’s constant referral to adults as being “phony” is rather ironic as he says that one “wouldn’t” know If one was “being phony” this clearly means that he himself does not realize weather or not he himself is phony.
Holden alienates himself by believing he is better than everybody else. Every time Holden meets or talks about someone he is judgemental. Even when he is talking about someone he spends time with, he cannot help but ridicule them, “I never even once saw him [Ackley] brush his teeth....he had a lot of pimples. Not just on his forehead or his chin, like most guys, but all over his whole face. And not only that, he had a terrible personality. He was also sort of a nasty guy. I wasn't too crazy about him, to tell you the truth.”(Salinger,14 ). Ackley is probably the closest thing to a friend Holden has. Yet he criticizes him is a very nitpicky way, convincing himself he does not like
Holden often talked about how phony people in his life were, however, he was also a phony, which made him a hypocrite. Holden would often mention things he hated that someone did, but sooner or later Holden was guilty of doing the exact same thing. In chapter one Holden is hypocritical towards his older brother, D.B. He says “Now he’s out in Hollywood, D.B., being a prostitute.”(Salinger
Holden is intelligent and sensitive, but his thoughts and feelings are full of cynicism and negativity. He sounds bored and tired with almost everybody and everything. Holden constantly focuses on the hypocrisy and social rules of the world around him, and judges them to be oppressive and phony. Holden uses his cynicism and negativity to distance himself from almost everyone. However, Holden has good memories and thoughts about his younger sister, Phoebe, and of his younger brother Allie, who died a couple of years ago.
The Theme of Hypocrisy in The Catcher In The Rye & nbsp; & nbsp; In the novel The Catcher In The Rye, the protagonist Holden Caulfield views his surroundings with hypocrisy and contempt in an attempt to avoid the corruption of adulthood. Holden places himself above the crowd because he believes everyone acts phony. In the process, Caulfield reveals his true problem: his refusal to change. & nbsp; Holden fears adulthood because it brings responsibilities and trouble. He believes all adults possess an aurora of "phoniness."
Holden makes reference to the word "phony" forty-four separate times throughout the novel (Corbett 68-73). Each time he seems to be referring to the subject of this metaphor as -- someone who discriminates against others, is a hypocrite about something, or has manifestations of conformity (Corbett 71). Throughout The Catcher in the Rye, Holden describes and interacts with various members of his family. The way he talks about or to each gives you some idea of whether he thinks they are "phony" or normal. A few of his accounts make it more obvious than others to discover how he classifies each family member.
In life there comes a time when everyone thinks that they are surrounded by phoniness. This often happens during the teen years when the person is trying to find a sense of direction. Holden Caulfield, a 16-year-old teen-ager is trying to find his sense of direction in J.D. Salinger's, "The Catcher In The Rye." Holden has recently been expelled from Pency Prep for failing four out of his five classes. He decides to start his Christmas recess early and head out to New York. While in New York Holden faces new experiences, tough times and a world of "phony." Holden is surrounded by phoniness because that is the word he uses to identify everything in the world that he rejects.
that he is trying to hide his true identity. He does not want people to know who he really is or that he was kicked out of his fourth school. Holden is always using fake names and tries speaking in a tone to persuade someone to think a cretin way. He does this when he talks to women. While he is talking to the psychiatrist he explains peoples reactions to his lies like they really believe him, when it is very possible that he is a horrible liar and they are looking at him with a “what are you talking a bout?” expression. Holden often lies to the point where he is lying to him self.
J.D. Salinger's novel Catcher in the Rye revolves around Holden's encounters with other people. He divides all people into two different categories, the "phonies" and the authentics. Holden refers to a "phony" as someone who discriminates against others, is a hypocrite, or has manifestations of conformity. A person's age, gender, and occupation, play a key role in how Holden interacts with them.
Many of the times that Holden criticizes people, it is something he does himself. (Pg 13) “. one of the reasons I left Elkton was that I was surrounded by phonies.” Holden himself is many times what he refers to as a “phony”. He knows that he lies and pretends to like people that he would rather not be with.
"`I'm just going through a phase right now. Everybody goes through phases and all, don't they?'"( pg. 15) In The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, Holden Caulfield is a sixteen year-old who is disgusted at all the phony people in the world. For example where artists sacrifice their art for fame and mothers cry fake tears in movies. The importance of not being phony and being honest is the theme that Salinger presents in this story. Holden had difficulty fitting in at school and around the real world.
The term “phony” reoccurs over the course of the novel; Salinger informs the reader, “you’ll find that you’re not the first person who was ever… sickened by human behavior.”(189) Initially, Holden is portrayed as an extremely judgmental individual; however, the reader cannot help but ignore the underlying truth to what Holden observes around him. Overall, Holden is disgusted by the superficial and hypocritical world that is evolving around him. Holden Caulfield encounters numerous “phony” people. Many of his acquaintances have traits that make them easily capable of being labeled as pretentious, much like Ward Stradlater and Carl Luce. Yet, there are other individuals that the common reader would not consider “phony”, for instance the actors of the play. He describes the actor as doing more showing-off than real acting, and makes them appear conceited. Additionally, when he is conversing with other viewers, he also believes they are superficial in the way they are discussing the play. By Holden’s quick perceptions of people, Salinger presents Holden as a hypocritical, disapproving villain. Alternatively, Holden describes people for what they really are and wishes that the world could be a much simpl...