Brian Lickenbrock
August 27, 2008
Theology

Holden Caulfield, a Man of Faith

Holden Caulfield possesses the qualities of a man of faith in his trust of Phoebe and his ideals. Holden trusts his sister the most out of everybody he ever meets. He reveals that he is visiting in New York to his sister, believing that she will not tell their parents and because Holden had gotten into trouble. Holden confides with her his feelings about school and all the phonies there. She is the only person he has faith in to listen to him talk about phonies and all the preppy kids. He explains to her his deepest feelings about the outside world that he thinks about endlessly through out his day. Phoebe is the person Holden has faith in to keep his secret about his dream of catching little kids running through the rye and turning them around before they are corrupted by the outside world full of phonies, preppy kids, criminals, and prostitutes. These details about his life reveal his faith in Phoebe.

Holden’s faith extends to his ideals which he stands by in the book. Holden believes that society is corrupt and only the young, innocent children can be saved from this fate. Though Holden’s views may not be correct, he sticks to his beliefs and ideals through most of the book giving him the status of a man of faith. Holden runs across several disturbing incidents easily possessing the capabilities to sway his views but he stays true to his beliefs. Holden stayed true to his faith and did not become a phony when facing the challenge of a prostitute came to his room. Instead of giving in to temptation, Holden believed in his ideals enough to have only a conversation with prostitute. Holden did not conform to the ways of Ward Stradlater in the coach’s car but instead handled himself the way he believed was the right way. The combination of his belief and trust in Phoebe and his ideals makes Holden Caulfield a man of faith.