Examples Of Phoniness In Catcher In The Rye

Selma Thurmer is a girl that goes to Holden’s school, and who happens to be the Headmaster’s daughter. Holden thought she was a nice girl but not all that attractive. The reason she is important, to mention, is because she seems to be one of the few people, at Pency, that Holden finds genuine. She also knew what a great phony her dad was.

The word “phony” shows up, continually, throughout in the book; the word is used, in the book, as a way of saying hypocrite. For example, Mr. Spencer is a phony. He pretends to be concerned about Holden, but actually does not. He even picks of Holden by making Holden read his essay out loud. Phoniness is, in Holden’s mind, what is wrong with world, and what makes people less innocent. To Holden, phoniness strips people of their humanity and is the reason he views the world as such a cruel place.

Throughout the book Holden lies; in fact his lying became a major theme of the book. Most of the time he never intended to hurt anybody, the truth is the opposite. He lied because he cares about everyone, but himself. At the time Holden did not understand that it was a terrible thing to do, and that he never should have lied to begin with, to himself and to others. Because lying is one of reasons he ended up where he is now.

When Holden purchased his red hunting hat, he was not thinking, nor did he care, about what he would look like or what other would think about him when they saw it. He had just lost all of the fencing foils and was exiting the subway when he spotted it. The fact that it is a red hunting hat and that he does not even wear it properly shows how Holden has an inner desire for attention and a need to fell unique, or stand out from the rest of the phonies.

Holden enjoys reading, and in c...

... middle of paper ...

...agrees to write Stradlater’s composition.

Holden's inability to reach out to Jane Gallagher, a girl Holden has had feelings toward for a long time, is a big reminder of his passivity and indecisiveness. When he finds out she's downstairs waiting for Stradlater, he says over and over that he'll go down to say hello, but never does. He repeatedly contemplates calling her once he's in New York, but can't bring himself to go through with it. And then, when he finally does pick up the phone, she's not there. Once again, failing to make a connection and further isolating him from the world.

When Jane and Holden play checkers Jane keeps her kings lined up in the back row. Jane's notion of keeping the kings in the back row symbolizes her inability to come out of her shell. Also kings have more mobility than regular pieces, but they can also be captured. By leaving them back