Madison Dick Maggert English Honors III 3 November 2016 Catcher In J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, Holden, a teenage boy, is simply trying to find himself. He has experienced loss and guilt that has impacted his life in many ways, in turn refusing to grow up and become the adult he is destined to be. As a result of his personal apprehensions, Holden feels the need to protect children from adulthood as to prevent them from experiencing responsibility, phoniness, and change. Holden consistently behaved immaturely, as well as refused responsibility several times while attending Pencey and after he was expelled. He made a conscious decision to fail all of his classes, except for English, because he did not want his peers to know how intelligent he truly was. For instance, Holden behaved irresponsibly by drinking alcohol in several different bars and clubs while he is under the legal age. At one point, the teenager even called on a prostitute, although they only spoke a few words before he sent her on her way. Frustratingly, Holden continually refuses to accept even the simplest …show more content…
He often uses the word to show his way of judgement of others for behaving in a way in which he does not agree. Holden’s strongest belief is that adults are all phonies. Only Phoebe, his younger sister, and Allie, his younger brother, are seen as genuine through Holden’s eyes. He is completely convinced that everything adults do is wrong; especially the ways they live their lives. When Holden calls someone a phony, it is because he believes they act like someone they are not, and he can actually see through all the acts. In reality, Holden’s brain is, in a way, playing tricks on him, because even if some people are a little phony at times, most adults are not completely fake as he believes. Ironically, Holden, is one of the phoniest people in the book, considering the whole time he is trying to be someone he is