Examples Of Phony In Catcher In The Rye
“The Catcher In the Rye”
J.D. Salinger
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 teenager was trying to find his sense of direction in J.D. Salinger's, The Catcher In The Rye. Holden had been expelled from Pency Prep for failing four out of his five classes. He decided to start his Christmas break early and head out to New York. While in New York, Holden faces new experiences, tough times and a world of "phony." Holden was surrounded by phonies because that is the word he uses to identify everything in the world that he rejects. Holden Caulfield, the narrator and main character of The Catcher in the Rye, seems to be torn between two realms of reality, a dream world of a childhood for which he longed …show more content…
Allie, Holden’s brother, died of leukemia at a fairly young age, and this tragic event in Holden’s life slowed down his ability to mature and to progress in his life. The irony of is that the only thing Holden truly loves is no longer alive. This may be the reason Holden feels the need to protect children. In the scene right after Holden sneaks into his parents’ house, his sister Phoebe is trying to show him that nothing in this world can make him happy. “Allie’s dead--You always say that! If somebody’s dead and everything, and in Heaven, then it isn’t really-” “I know he’s dead! Don’t you think I know that? I can still like him, though, can’t I? Just because somebody’s dead, you don’t just stop liking them, for God’s sake-especially if they were a thousand times nicer than the people you know that’re alive and all” (Salinger 171). This shows the Holden still missed his brother, and even though he’s dead, Holden still misses him. Phoebe attempts to show Holden that he is trapped, but he ignores what she
J.D. Salinger
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 teenager was trying to find his sense of direction in J.D. Salinger's, The Catcher In The Rye. Holden had been expelled from Pency Prep for failing four out of his five classes. He decided to start his Christmas break early and head out to New York. While in New York, Holden faces new experiences, tough times and a world of "phony." Holden was surrounded by phonies because that is the word he uses to identify everything in the world that he rejects. Holden Caulfield, the narrator and main character of The Catcher in the Rye, seems to be torn between two realms of reality, a dream world of a childhood for which he longed …show more content…
Allie, Holden’s brother, died of leukemia at a fairly young age, and this tragic event in Holden’s life slowed down his ability to mature and to progress in his life. The irony of is that the only thing Holden truly loves is no longer alive. This may be the reason Holden feels the need to protect children. In the scene right after Holden sneaks into his parents’ house, his sister Phoebe is trying to show him that nothing in this world can make him happy. “Allie’s dead--You always say that! If somebody’s dead and everything, and in Heaven, then it isn’t really-” “I know he’s dead! Don’t you think I know that? I can still like him, though, can’t I? Just because somebody’s dead, you don’t just stop liking them, for God’s sake-especially if they were a thousand times nicer than the people you know that’re alive and all” (Salinger 171). This shows the Holden still missed his brother, and even though he’s dead, Holden still misses him. Phoebe attempts to show Holden that he is trapped, but he ignores what she