Holden Caulfield Characterization

Holden is the biggest hater of phonies, and at the same time, he is the biggest phony in the novel. In this novel, being phony is somewhat equivalent to being an adult. Holden wants to be seen like an adult. For this reason, he smokes and drinks heavily, and goes as far as being involved with prostitution. For people like Stradlater and adults, these are rather normal from their perspective. However, for Holden, they become paradoxes, as he absolutely loathes phoniness. Nearly all aspects of society, including movies, matinees, people’s behaviors, and even simple social interactions like conversations, are criticized by Holden for being phony. For example, during his date with Sally, Sally’s conversation with a guy they met at the matinee “killed [Holden]…it was the phoniest conversation you ever heard in your life” (Salinger 127). In a hope to make Sally understand his views on phonies, Holden says, “‘Take cars,’… ‘I don’t even like old cars. I mean they don’t even interest me. I’d rather have a goddam horse. A horse is at least human, for God’s sake’” (Salinger 130). Then again, Holden becomes the phoniest person shortly after. He asks Carl Luce,

This novel was not seen as a strong growing up story until the end of the novel when

From the very beginning of the novel, Holden is seen to be moody, cynical and not the typical protagonist of a coming of age novel. He believes that the adult world is full of phonies and has a certain misconception which results in him alienating himself from society as he struggles through the rocky passage from childhood to adulthood. His angry and disenchanted view of the world does not stop us from sympathising and even relating with him through the story.

The Catcher in the Rye is a book by J.D. Salinger. It talks about a teenage boy who has mental issues. He is never happy because he thinks everybody is phony. His parents do not care at all about him, and that makes him very sad so he gets expelled from all school.

And so, Holden left school planning to spend some time on his own in New York City, where he lives. On the train to New York, Holden meets a mother of his fellow Pencey student. Though he thinks that this student is a complete “bastard”, he tells a woman made-up stories about her son. He lied to the woman. But lying to others is also a kind of phoniness, right? A type of deception that indicates insensitivity or even cruelty. Holden proves that he is just guilty of phoniness as the people he criticizes.

At the time, he didn't have a proper support system nor did he know the correct way to mourn his brother's death as he recounts, “I slept in the garage the night he died, and I broke all the goddamn windows with my fist” (50). He doesn't want an experience similar to his to deprive any other children of their adolescence, especially his sister, Phoebe. When asked how he would like to spend his life, Holden answers, "I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody's around – nobody big, I mean – except me. And I'm standing on the edge of some crazy cliff… I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff - I mean if they're running and they don't look where they're going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them…

Holden has very high standards for people in this society. He calls everyone a ‘phony’-meaning fake, not genuine or essentially anyone that's an adult. Before he left to go to New York, he visited his favourite professor,

Holdens alienation is the cause to all is pain, he thinks he is better than everybody else that’s why he expresses himself through his actions, just like when he wears his red hunting hat to show his uniqueness. Alienation is the stability holden holds, but its destroying him, that is shown when holden tells Mr Spencer that he feels trapped on the other side of life, where he doesn’t belong. Holden’s identity can be seen through his alienation from other people, Holden is shown as an unconnected person, showing that his interactions confuse him and overwhelm him. Holden often feels lonely and sad and that’s why he gets motivated to go on a date with Sally Hayes but his need for isolation causes him to insult her and drive her away. That

He knows he is flawed, especially mentally, but still thinks he has a bit of innocence left in him through all the obstacles he experiences throughout the novel.

J.D. Salinger is best known for his character Holden Caulfield, who is recognized as a symbol for rebellion and anguish. He is rebellious because he wants to fit in but always ends up doing the opposite thing. He also in anguish because of his emotional distress. Holden really liked this girl named Jane who was going on date with his roommate Stradlater. When Stradlater comes back from the date he tells Holden all about it. This brings out the first sign of anger that Holden has. He try’s to punch him in the face but Stradlater dodges it and gives Holden a bloody nose. This makes Holden depressed even more. Holden is a very emotional person and being bullied at school is not helping him. He does not want to be like the preppy phony kids at his school. He wants

Holden Caulfield, the protagonist in J. D Salinger's novel The Catcher in the Rye, is a conflicted young man, being pulled between the life adults want him to live and the life he still hasn’t figured out yet. While teachers tell him school is the path to success, he remains disgusted with the entire institution itself. While people try to make connections with him, he pushes them way as if they were nuclear missiles waiting to blow up his entire world. All of these emotions tied up into one teenage boy have the makings for a disaster. What kept Holden from reaching this point, during his journey back home after flunking school at Pencey Prep, was his encounter with two nuns at breakfast one morning .

Holden likes to isolate himself. His isolation is what causes most of his pain. He isolates himself so he can protect himself from all the phonies in the world. Holden doesn’t really like phonies. He calls everyone phonies so he won’t feel bad when they reject them. He desperately wants love and attention like other teens but everyone gets rejected. Holden relates to most teens because they all want someone to love them.

Another theme portrayed in this novel is psychological alienation. Holden not only alienates other people but himself. He does not allow himself to go to anything trendy within the normality of his school. He does not put himself out in open, for other students to get to know him. For example, he doesn’t go to the football game against Saxon Hill, even though the entire school is going, “The game with Saxon Hill was supposed to be a very big deal,” (2). Holden does not go to this game, not because he doesn’t want to, but because he won’t allow himself to. Holden feels bad for himself because he isn’t popular, even though he does not allow himself the opportunities to become popular. “If you get on the sides where the hot-shots are, then it’s a game,” (8), he tells this to Mr. Spencer because he feels bad for himself. He does not believe in a chance for him to become a hot-shot and thereby his life must not be a game, and does not need to be played by any rules. The novel is of retold events from a boy, Holden, in a psychiatric ward. He

“Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger is, in simplest terms, a book about life. A novel about what it means to exist, to be human, and to live – and a sixteen-year-old boy mercilessly critical of the world of 1950’s New York he lives in. The movies, the music, the people are all meaningless to him, even despicable. He hates the way life works – the divisions between the rich and the poor, the endless walking in circles and the inability to understand one’s purpose. Holden feels that life is sad and empty because of unfair economic inequities, the fragmentation of society into different groups and the boringness of adult life.

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger is a novel based on the life situations of a teenage boy named Holden. He does not reveal much about himself in the beginning; eventually he reveals his character when he is describing past experiences. His encounters are very eye-opening making him more aware of his actions. The reader might connect to the situations Holden has gone through.Holden starts to find his place in society everywhere life takes him.Also, he tries being the catcher in the rye which means he will save children from losing their innocence.