Catcher in the Rye
Holden Caulfield is one of the most memorable characters in literature because he is a wealth of contrasts, which in the turmoil of adolescence and emerging manhood he takes them to extremes. His daily battle against "phonies" and all that is wrong with society drastically draws attention to his own "phoniness" and mental anguish, although typical of his age, is extreme in that he does not tend to look past the "phoniness" to the inherent good in others. He is a walking contradiction. "Holden Caulfield: tragic and funny, innocent and obscene, loving and cruel, clear sighted yet viewing the world from a warped viewpoint, expert in identifying phonies, and the greatest phony himself" (Literature Resource Center 4). The loneliness of Holden Caulfield is in fact a phony loneliness as shown through his characteristics, his feelings, and his experiences in the novel. In order to truly understand the nature of the contradictions that make up Holden Caulfield exploring the many characteristics of his personality is necessary. One of his traits is that of imperfection. Holden demonstrates this quality with pride as he proclaims, "I'm the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life" (Salinger 16) referring to the incidents in which
he would be willing to tell someone that he is on his way to the opera, when in fact he is going to buy a magazine. Holden recalls the time when he was excusing himself from Mr. Spencer's company by conjuring up the tale that he had to go to the gym to get his equipment when in reality he does not even keep his equipment in the gym, thus proving that Holden has acquired this "phony" skill to be able to squirm his way out of uncomfortable situations. Holden is also characterized as, "...a teenage slacker who has perfected the art of underachievement" (Literature Resource Center 1). He demands for himself not di! Equally important to recognize is Holden's pessimistic standpoint which demonstrates his highly negative feelings. Salinger, J.D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company, 1951. and he allows it to oppress and depress him. In his inability to cope, Holden remains a child, incapable of being mature enough to deal with anything troubling (Literature Resource Center 2) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Longstreth, T. Morris. "New Novels in the News." The Christian Science Monitor. 19 July. 1951: 1. Holden's experiences and drastic decisions in the novel show his search for an escape and his wonderment when it comes to finding happiness. He escapes from himself by liquor, sex, night clubs, movies, false sociability, anything and everything (Burger 1). "Holden suffers from loneliness because he has shut himself away from the normal activities of boyhood, games, the outdoors, and friendship" (Longstreth 1). He is constantly creating for himself an imaginary dreamworld through lying and what he likes to call, "shootin' the crap." Holden also deals with this loneliness that he makes for himself by getting up and leaving any situation where he is either feeling slightly uncomfortable or is not completely happy. He leaves because he is afraid. The one and only person that brings Holden joy is his younger sister, Phoebe. "Phoebe is the single person who supplies-and just in time-the affection that Holden needs. Her disappointment devast
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Approximate Word count = 1455
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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