Holden On To Faith

When you think of the notorious character of Holden Caulfield, the protagonist of J.D. Salinger’s Catcher and the Rye, faith is not exactly the first thing that comes to mind. Actually, moping and complaining probably rush into your memory immediately when you recall the sixteen-year-old’s surly demeanor. However hard it may believe, though, Holden possesses an incredible amount of faith. Throughout the entire book, the pessimistic Holden condemns nearly all who surround him for their phoniness, which seems very judgmental and critical, but in actuality shows how much faith he really does have.
Holden uses the word “phony” when criticizing the people who get on his nerves. This word implies that these certain people are not acting as they are meant to be acting. And since this term is used in describing sleazy, condescending types, Holden, perhaps even inadvertently, believes that people are meant to be good. Holden, however, does not have proof that people are naturally good, in fact, Holden has every reason to believe that people are actually malicious: it was people who kicked him out of school, abused his best friend, defaced the cherished places from his childhood, and beat him up to get five dollars. If Holden can still view people as good at heart despite lack of proof and, furthermore, with every reason to believe the opposite (very Anne Frank-like), then he is the living definition of faith.