In reality, people make social media accounts to conceal who they truly are and how the really feel. J.D Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, is an exquisite novel about Holden Caulfield, a teen, who is having to transition into adulthood, despite wanting nothing to do with it. Holden labels the adult work as fake and phony. He wants nothing to do with the harsh world of reality and longs to preserve his childhood. However, it can be argued that Holden’s phony behaviour is how he covers up his true feelings of depression and loneliness. Despite this, his thoughts, actions and behaviour show that Holden is a phony to himself, others and the readers. Firstly, Holden is a phony to himself. He behaves like an adult despite knowing that he is only …show more content…
a teen. Holden feels sad and depressed after leaving Ernie’s pub because he is lonely. When Maurice the elevator operator, offers to send a prostitute up to Holden’s suite, he immediately agrees. Holden does this to convince himself that he is not lonely. While getting ready for the prostitute Holden thinks about all the times he’s almost had sex. This time he says, “I sort of [figure] this [is] my big chance, in a way. I [figure] if she [is] a prostitute and all, I could get in some practice on her, in case I ever get married or anything” (Salinger, 92). Holden is taking on the role of an adult rather than behaving like a teen. He has aspirations to settle down with someone in the future. Which makes wants to lose his virginity and worry about his future sex life. Teens at his age often worry about school and their future, not their sex lives and marital partners. In addition to calling a prostitute, Holden also smokes and drinks alcohol. He takes part in adult-like activities that will help him forget this loneliness. While doing so, Holden ends up forgetting who he really is and misleads himself. Furthermore, Holden is hypocritical to his beliefs. He does not practice what he preaches. While narrating the recent events to Phoebe. Holden lets his anger take over and starts swearing. Hearing this, Phoebe asks him to, “Stop swearing. All right, name something else.” (Salinger, 172). Holden is setting a bad example for Phoebe despite knowing that she is only a child. Holden is being a hypocrite. Swearing goes against his beliefs. Holden believes that he is the catcher in the rye and that it is his job to protect children’s innocence from the adult world. Even though, he believes this himself, he is destroying a little bit of Phoebe’s innocence by exposing her to such harsh words. Hence, Holden is a phony to himself because he lets his attempts of escaping loneliness and emotions get the best of him. Holden does not stay true to himself, making him a phony. Secondly, Holden is a phony to others.
Holden lies about his identity to the people he encounters. He always changes his personality, actions, and behaviour according to the people he is around. After leaving Pencey Prep early, Holden meets his fellow classmate Ernest Morrow’s mother on the subway. All Holden does during their conversation is lie about himself and Ernest. When Mrs. Morrow asks Holden why is he going home early? Holden replies, “I have to have this operation … I have this tiny little tumor on the brain” (Salinger, 58). Instead of telling Mrs. Morrow the truth about being expelled, he lies and hides the truth. He is inconsiderate of others emotions. He does this because he feels more secure in lying to others about himself rather than telling them the truth. Furthermore, Holden changes his not only his opinion on people, but himself as well. Before meeting Sally Hayes for their date, Holden says that Sally is that she is fake and phony and he does not like her. However, after she arrives for their date he says, “We [horse] around a little bit in the cab on the way over to the theater. At first, she [doesn’t] want to, because she [has] lipstick on and all, but I [am] being seductive as hell and she [doesn’t] have any alternatives … when we [are] turning out of this big clinch, I [tell] her I [love] her and all” (Salinger, 125). Holden is changes his behavior by flirting with Sally. He does this to show her that he “likes” her. He is deceiving Sally into believing that he actually likes her. However, Holden is only acting this way because he needs somebody to spend time and fool around with so he does not feel depressed. Sally is only a mere distraction to Holden. Therefore, Holden is a phony to others because he changes who is really is to create a better and improved version of himself to fit in and be liked by
others. Thirdly, Holden is a phony to the readers. He often lies to the reader’s unknowingly and comes off as a hypocrite. Holden is a misleading narrator because he often contradicts himself, causing the readers not to trust him. When Holden is walking back to the hotel he remembers his gloves that he had back at Pencey. While thinking about the thief he says, “I ought to sock the guy in the jaw or something-break this god damn jaw” (Salinger, 89). Rather than being pacifist that Holden says he is. Holden choses to engage in a fight with the thief that stole his gloves. Through this Holden proves to the readers that he is not really a pacifist. Holden lets his emotions of depression convert into anger and take over him. This causes him to make decisions that prove to the reader, that his words are not reliable. Lastly, Holden is a misleading narrator. He states that people think he looks older than his age. Even though this is a lie, Holden truly believes this. While Holden is trying to get alcohol at the hotels bar. The bartender questions his age and asks him, “do you have some verification of your age? Your driver’s licence, perhaps?”(Salinger, 69). The readers now know that Holden in actual fact does not look older than his age because he is denied the alcohol. Holden has the tendency to exaggerate things. This deems him as an untrustworthy narrator because the readers cannot tell when he is exaggerating or telling the truth. Holden lies to the readers in order to give a strong impression of himself. Holden fails at doing so because he is now being a phony to the readers. In conclusion, Holden labels everyone to be phony and fake but it can be argued that Holden himself is a phony because it is his phony behaviour that he uses to cover up his true feelings of depression and loneliness. While doing so, Holden ends up being a phony to himself, others and the readers. The reality is, that it is very easy to hide your emotions behind the internet but it takes true bravery to show people who you really are.
Holden just got on the train and he sat in the front by himself. But another lady came on the train and sat right next to him even though there were plenty of other seats. Holden and her started talking about her son who also went to Pencey. Holden said " It really took everybody quite a long time to get to know him. He's a funny guy. A strange guy in lots of ways---- know what I mean? " (63). Holden was not afraid to talk to this women who he did not know. He really opened up to her and told her the truth about what he thought of her son. This shows how comfortable he was around her. Later on in the story Holden just woke up and was laying in his bed in the hotel with nothing to do. So Holden decides to call his old friend Sally Hayes. Without saying much to her before, Holden says " I was wondering if your busy today. It's Sunday, but there's always one or two matinees going on Sunday. Benefits and that stuff. Would you care to go? " (118). Holden was was not afraid to ask her out. This reveals how comfortable he was talking with her and he opened himself up to her. Later on in the book, readers find another reason why Holden shows his true self to
Holden’s childhood was far from ideal, with Allie dying, his dysfunctional parents and the revelation that he had some “perverty” stuff happen to him when he was a kid. Due to this, he isn't ready to step into adulthood and leave his childhood behind. This is why Holden is mostly alienated from adults and connects more to the innocence of children like the girl at the park and his sister, Phoebe. However, Holden is disillusioned with both adulthood and childhood. He already knows how it feels to be an adult; drinking alcohol, being independent, living by himself and caring for Phoebe, but isn’t ready to immerse himself in it.
Holden struggles to make connections with other people, and usually resorts to calling them phonies whenever they upset him. He finds natural human flaws in people and runs away from connection immediately. His date with Sally shows this. Near the end of the date, Holden tells Sally about his plans to run away from life. When Sally gives him practical advice, Holden is quick to escape connection by calling her “a pain”. Sally’s advice would definitely guide Holden in a more realistic direction, but that is not what he wants to hear. Conflict always arises in his mind even if there is little in reality. His struggles with finding connection also make him too apprehensive to call his old friend Jane. Holden likes to think of Jane as a pure and perfect girl that he can
After spending some time at Mr. Spencer, his history teacher's house and getting lectured regarding his poor efforts in school, Holden fabricates a story to leave his teacher’s house without seeming rude. On his way to his dormitory at Pencey, Holden claims that he is an exceptional liar, and would lie even about the most insignificant facts, such as where he is going. He then goes into detail about whom his dormitory is named after, and how much of a phony the man is.
of them, but he doesn’t see he is already a phony. Holden finds hypocrisy in almost everything he sees but does not yet even realize. that he too is part of that corrupt world the minute he stopped being a child and wanted to be an adult. Holden fears becoming an adult in mind and heart, but wants to become one. one in his actions, he said.
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.
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.
Holden doesn?t like people who are phony but he acts phony himself all the time.
The world today is very deceptive and phony. J.D. Salinger’s well known novels, The Catcher in the Rye and Franny and Zooey attack this fake and superficial society which is evident through the lives, ideas, actions, and words expressed by the characters in these literary pieces. The transition from childhood, through adolescence and into adulthood is inevitable. The protagonist of The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield goes through this stage and finds himself in a crisis. He alienates himself from everyone who is around him and tries his best not to grow up. Holden often dwells upon his childhood and the life he had with his family. Franny in Franny and Zooey has already passed this stage but finds it difficult to live in a world where everyone she is surrounded by is only concerned with outward appearances. In these worlds, both characters, Holden and Franny, reveal their struggle of growing up and trying to live as an adult in a world full of deception and shallow-minded people who only care about appearances.
Many young people often find themselves struggling to find their own identity and place in society. This search for self worth often leaves these young people feeling lonely and isolated because they are unsure of themselves. Holden Caulfield, J.D. Salinger's main character in the book The Catcher In the Rye, is young man on the verge of having a nervous breakdown. One contributor to this breakdown, is the loneliness that Holden experiences. His loneliness is apparent through many ways including: his lack of friends, his longing for his dead brother, and the way he attempts to gain acceptance from others.
Holden's problems in the real world were too much for him, he had to make up things to make himself seem better than what he was.
This proves that Holden finds “phoniness” repulsive and that it sickens him. Even though Holden has no tolerance for “phoniness”, he often shows it himself. Holden says he “shoots the bull” quite often. Furthermore, he rarely tells people what he really thinks when they ask him about something. Lying comes naturally to Holden, and he enjoys it as shown when he is talking to the woman on the bus and says, “Then I really started chucking the old crap around. ‘Did he tell you about the elections?’ I asked her. ‘The class elections?’ She shook her head. I had her in a trance, like. I really did.” (Salinger, 56). Later on, Holden states that he could lie for hours if he felt like it. Those who lie often, easily and enjoy it cannot be honest people. Therefore, even people who dislike being two-faced and being “phony” can easily show it themselves. This is most apparent in peoples personalities at home with their family, compared to how they act with different groups of friends at school. Since moving last year, I have realized this myself while meeting new people at school. I had made a new friend who seemed like a decent person, although soon enough it became more fun to laugh
In J.D. Salinger’s, “Catcher In The Rye,” Holden classifies people into categories that he comes in contact with. Of these groups, Holden expresses an intent interest in phonies, and continues to ridicule them even though they all appear to be doing well in society.
Although Holden is 16, he still acts and thinks like a child. An example of this is when after Maurice, an angry pimp,
In the novel The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger we see life through the 16-year-old teenage boy Holden Caulfield’s eyes and we learn about what he wants to pursue in life as well as what troubles have made him the way he is. Holden Caulfield views his surroundings with negativity and contempt with the purpose to avoid the corruption of adulthood. He is stuck between the bridge of childhood and adulthood and he fears the responsibility he must take to fully cross the bridge. Holden isolates himself from all adults and places himself in a separate crowd, one that will avoid corruption and will save the innocence of the young. Holden believes all adults possess traits of that of a "phony” and when he encounters people they strike him as