Diego Mercado
Mr. Vechionne
World Literature II
19 November, 2014
Holden Caulfield, the Anti-hero
In the novel “The Catcher in the Rye,” the protagonist Holden Caulfield, does not have the most “heroic” attributes a protagonist should have. Instead of being a hero, we can best identify Holden Caulfield as an “antihero.” We can characterize Holden as a compulsive liar, a craven individual, and having a unique self-inflicted loneliness through being judgmental. Despite these character flaws, Holden has many strengths such as being noble, sympathetic, and having an unstoppable desire to protect those close to him as revealed to us in the true meaning of “Catcher in the Rye.”
One major character flaw that Holden shows us is him being a pathological liar. An example of the character flaw is displayed when he meets a classmate’s
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Throughout the novel, Holden constantly complains about his loneliness. Unlike others that would normally stay away from other people due to their shyness, Holden does the exact opposite. He constantly reaches out to other people getting together, planning dates, etc. in attempt to fill his desperate desire for human-companionship/interaction. Holden fails to fulfill this desire (excluding Phoebe) as everyone he meets falls under the category he created we know as “Phonies” as Holden describes. Holden sets up dates with a girl Sally Hayes, but in the end, he classifies her as a “phony.” Holden also goes into bars and talks with random girls and dances with them. These actions contradict his ideas as in the beginning, Holden wanted nothing to do with people other than the few exceptional people he lifts onto his shoulders. However, these actions clarify Holden’s desperate need to find somebody he likes. A hero would not be so judgmental, rather he would be understanding and open. This again reveals Holden to be an anti-hero as Holden lacks understanding and