C. David Jones
Holden Caulfield Essay
In the classic novel Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger, the protagonist, Holden Caulfield, believes that the world is a “phony” place full of fakes, but we see from Caulfield that he himself is a fake because he does not accept himself and continues to regress into childhood.
While Caulfield is in New York, he decides to go to Ernie’s, an upscale bar in the middle of the city. After meeting one of his older brother’s ex-girlfriends and her boyfriend, he decides to leave Ernie’s because as he describes, “it’s too phony.” In this passage, Caulfield contradicts his beliefs because as a sixteen year old, he should not be in a bar in the middle of the night. Holden displays himself as a young adult, but he is nothing more than an adolescent.
When Holden is talking to his friend Sally over some hot cocoa indoors after skating with her at the ice rink, Holden imagines a world to her where they could leave the city life, live off the land, and “get married or something.” As he goes deeper and deeper into depression, he decides to act on his imagination, leave his life in the city, and run west. In this passage, Holden is running away from his challenges, struggles, and difficulties. Instead of growing and learning, he decides he wants to flee. In the world that he envisions, everyone is trying to hide and cover up their problems. Is Caulfield doing the same by running?
Throughout the book, Holden Caulfield exhibits himself as a hypocrite. He talks about the world around him as if it is fake, yet he tries to act like someone who he is not and runs away from his problems. A person of faith is someone who exhibits faith both to the outside world and within themselves. Holden contradicts his faith and therefore is not a person of faith.
