Holden Caulfield Hypocrite

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What is the true meaning of a hypocrite? A hypocrite is someone who opposes their own view by not acting upon what they are saying. For example, in J.D Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield, the protagonist, is a hypocrite because of how he contradicts his words with his actions. Holden's hypocrisy towards everyone around him is a result of being isolated from his family, continuing to cope with the death of his brother Allie, and not being able to accept hypocrisy in general. Since Holden was isolated from his family, in order to not get hurt again he tries to find hypocrisy in people to stop himself from trusting others. Holden feels isolated after being sent to a boarding school that “was full of phonies” by his parents (Salinger 90). Salinger’s message to the audience with this quote is that when …show more content…

For example, when Holden was talking to the mother of a former Pencey Prep student on the train, Ernest, she asked for his name. He responded by saying that his name was Rudolf Schmidt, because “[he] didn’t feel like giving her [his] whole life story.”(Salinger 30) What this quote is trying to prove, is that Holden does not understand what a hypocrite is, because right before Holden told the woman her name, he was saying how he hated people that lied. Then right after he said that, he went on to lie about what his name was. Ernest’s mother went on to tell Holden how he was a very sensitive boy. On the outside, Holden agreed with her, but on the inside, he was thinking about how “that guy Morrow was about as sensitive as a goddam toilet seat.”(Salinger 30) Holden knows on the inside that Ernest is not sensitive at all, but his mother thinks he is, so Holden’s response is to lie right in her face and tell her that she is right. This quote is showing the readers how Holden is being complete phony by being a hypocrite and contradicting

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