Holden is a compulsive liar. There's no denying it because it is a constant theme in the story “Catcher in The Rye” . However an argument that can be made is “Is Holden a Reliable or Unreliable Narrator? “. Holden can be a reliable narrator even though he is compulsive liar. This is so because he still tells us the truth, even though he lies too many characters throughout the story. Holden can also be an unreliable narrator.You can say that pretty much all first person narrators will be a little bias usually in their own favor. Holden is a reliable narrator because he tells the reader that he lied every time he lies throughout the novel. "Oh, how lovely! Perhaps you know my son, then, Ernest Morrow? He goes to Pencey." "Yes, I do. He's …show more content…
An example of this shows up after his fight with Stradlater. “I'd only been in about two fights in my life, and I lost both of them. I'm not too tough. I'm a pacifist, if you want to know the truth.”(Salinger 25) This can prove Holden to be an unreliable narrator because he obviously recently was in a fight and a “pacifist” would not initiate a fight as he did. Therefore he lied about being a pacifist which shows his bias opinion on himself being a pacifist even though he really is not. Another prime example from the text is when he arrives at the hotel he will be staying at “I didn't know then that the goddam hotel was full of perverts and morons. Screwballs all over the place. They gave me this very crumby room, with nothing to look out of the window at except the other side of the hotel. I didn't care much. I was too depressed to care whether I had a good view or not. The bellboy that showed me to the room was this very old guy around sixty-five. He was even more depressing than the room was. He was one of those bald guys that comb all their hair over from the side to cover up the baldness. I'd rather be bald than do that.” (Salinger 33). This could also prove Holden to be an unreliable narrator because he believes that everyone in the hotel is a pervert and a moron, but he is the one who flunked
Again, this is one of the few people that Holden likes and doesn’t consider a phony like everyone else. He talks highly of her and he sees himself in her in the way that she alternates between behaving like an adult and behaving like a child, the way he says he also does. It bothered him greatly when she asks him if he “got the ax again,” referring to his expulsion. She starts asking him questions about his future and what he likes (if he likes anything at all) and it forces him to wake up. Everyone has been telling Holden to realize his situation and put more effort into schoolwork and relationships and to start caring. Holden’s reality is very simple: he wants to be the catcher in the rye to protect children’s innocence and stop them from growing up because all adults are phonies. Again and again, being told that that isn’t plausible annoys him. He feels betrayed, when his own sister, someone who he thought would understand him, joins everyone else in telling him to put forth more
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
Holden Caulfield is the narrator of the novel The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. At first introduction, Holden is very judgemental about different characters and seems annoyed about his life. At times, the narrator is rude and has a sarcastic tone towards others when speaking. Holden would be a friend of mine because I enjoy the company of a friend who makes corny jokes.
Holden is an unreliable narrator for many reasons. Holden tells the reader that he lies all the time and sometimes does not even notice that he is lying. Holden does not see things beneath the surface. Finally he is not mentally stable and feels very insecure about many things.
He also exhibits honesty; as a child, he chopped a cherry tree by accident but confessed and told the truth when asked by his father. Now, let’s view at Holden and see how he fits in when compared to one of the most known hero of the United States. Holden lacks honesty as he confesses to the reader how, he’s the “most terrific liar” (16). Another clear example is when Holden talks to Ernie’s mother at the train station. From when they first met, Holden already lied by telling her that his name was Rudolf Schmidt, an obvious phony lie.
...’s habitual lying relates back to times where he is hypocritical about his environment being full of phonies. Salinger provides these small details of deceitfulness in order to further advance Holden’s character and the work as a whole.
In conclusion, it is quite safe to say that Holden indeed has delusional disorder. Just by going through his daily schedule, Holden Caulfield discreetly tells the readers that he has this particular mental disability. All throughout J.D. Salinger’s novel, the thoughts and beliefs that Holden holds dear, little snippets of his past life, and his current personality along with his relationship with the people around him and the feelings that he goes through indicate that he obviously has delusional disorder. Due to the many similarities between The Catcher in the Rye’s Holden Caulfield and the many things known about delusional disorder, one can clearly link Holden to being a victim to this mental illness.
that he is trying to hide his true identity. He does not want people to know who he really is or that he was kicked out of his fourth school. Holden is always using fake names and tries speaking in a tone to persuade someone to think a cretin way. He does this when he talks to women. While he is talking to the psychiatrist he explains peoples reactions to his lies like they really believe him, when it is very possible that he is a horrible liar and they are looking at him with a “what are you talking a bout?” expression. Holden often lies to the point where he is lying to him self.
Holden Caulfield, the main protagonist in the book “Catcher in the Rye”, is usually described as an uncouth, impolite, inappropriate character, who has little to no respect for anyone but himself. However, after I completed the book, I realized that while Holden did a poor job of establishing his positive characteristics to the readers, his behavior often proved he was a respectable, honest human being that was often misjudged. My opinion is that Holden possessed contrasting characteristics that were both undesirable and admirable qualities. I believe that because the book was written in the first person point of view, Holden is often judged based on his thoughts and not on his actions. Throughout the entire book the reader was given a perspective
Holden is a pessimistic, remote, and miserable character and he expresses this attitude through dialogue, tone, and diction. Throughout the book he has remained to be a liar, a failure, a loner, and lastly, a suicidal guy who feels like he has no purpose in life. Perhaps Salinger expressed his perceptions and emotions of his teen years in this book and it was a form of conveying his deep inner feelings of his childhood. Readers can see this clearly shown in The Catcher in the Rye written by J.D. Salinger.
Compulsive lying is another characteristic that Holden exhibits. Holden would tell people lies just so they could not become closer to the real Holden. Holden tells lies on numerous occasions to gain. Holden pathetically tells Mrs. Morrow, " I have to have a tiny operation… it isn't very serious. I have this tiny little tumor on my brain" (58). She tells Holden that she is very sorry and she is hopeful that he shall be well soon. Holden then catches him self in a lie and he remarkes, "Once I get started, I can go on for hours if I feel like it," (58). This compulsive lying shows that Holden is not satisfied with himself and that he feels that people will judge him critically.
However, as I read the book, I found his sarcastic, cynical voice to be quite annoying. Holden is a complex central character. He is judgmental, criticizing everybody, often labeling people as “phony”. He is pessimistic, and sees nothing in a positive light. Holden does not care much about anything, and he seems to hate everyone except for himself and his sister, Phoebe.
Holden is “the most terrific liar you ever saw,” when it comes to people wanting to assist him in finding his way in life.... ... middle of paper ... ... Holden’s inability to have faith in anyone has led him to witness everyone as “the phoniest (people he) ever met” (13-14) in his life. Sadly, Holden’s depression leaves him with psychological problems that are not easily dealt with alone.
Holden constantly referring to others, throughout the book, as being phony. In The Catcher in the
Many of the times that Holden criticizes people, it is something he does himself. (Pg 13) “. one of the reasons I left Elkton was that I was surrounded by phonies.” Holden himself is many times what he refers to as a “phony”. He knows that he lies and pretends to like people that he would rather not be with.