Free Catcher in the Rye Essays: The Fake Holden

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Fake Holden in The Catcher in the Rye

In The Catcher in the Rye, a boy named Holden Caulfield is faced with the obstacles of both society and life as he struggles to find direction as well as his relationship with the world. From page one, the reader can both understand and relate to what Holden has to say about the society in which we live and the way in which people in that society govern themselves. The more we read the more we identify with Holden Caulfield.

It seems like the typical, adolescent dilemma: How do I find my place in this life? Well, in most respects, Holden is not unlike the typical teenager. He, too, is on his own quest in order to find himself. He needs to find acceptance. Going to school at Pency, Holden becomes the manager for the fencing team. In doing so, he tried to gain friends as well as social status within his peers. Even then the whole team ostracized" (pg. 3) him. Like most teens at that age, Holden was having trouble gaining acceptance and making friends.

It seems like the typical, adolescent dilemma: How do I find my place in this life? Well, in most respects, Holden is not unlike the typical teenager. He, too, is on his own quest in order to find himself. He needs to find acceptance. Going to school at Pency, Holden becomes the manager for the fencing team. In doing so, he tried to gain friends as well as social status within his peers. Even then the whole team ostracized" (pg. 3) him. Like most teens at that age, Holden was having trouble gaining acceptance and making friends.

I'm the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life. It's awful. If I'm on my way to the store to buy a magazine, even, and somebody asks me where I'm going, I'm liable to say I'm going to the opera. It's terrible. (pg.16) Holden's ability to lie is one of the first traits that he reveals about himself. He takes pride in saying that he is a good liar. His inability to have normal conversations and relationships is possibly one of the factors that has him shunned by his peers. Holden's insecurity is one of the reasons for his compulsive lying. This, in turn, is why he can't find his place in the world.

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