Pat Boyle

Jr. Theology

August 23, 2006

Was Holden a Person of Faith?

                        Holden Caulfield is one of the most famous characters in American literature, and although many people consider Holden a bad person, he is still the “hero,” of the novel.  However, Holden lacks one quality that is found in almost all heroes in literature, that quality being faith. 

                        Throughout the novel, Holden is constantly complaining about society, and the “phonies,” that make up that society.  One thing that Holden does not realize, however, is that he himself adds to the phoniness in society.  One of the major reasons that Holden hates society so much is because of his lack of faith.  Not just a lack of faith in God, but in people that every teenager can depend on, such as parents, friends, and teachers.  This shows up a lot in the novel, as Holden does not tell anyone that he is kicked out of school, and goes to New York fully on impulse.  These events, which are at the beginning of the novel, show that Holden has so little faith in his parents that he is too scared to even tell them his situation, out of fear that they will be mad at him. 

            When Holden finally arrives in New York, he shows more and more unfaithfulness by continually lying about who he is, and continuously bickering about society, even though he is being completely phony himself.  All of these events have to do with Holden’s faith with an “f,” but Holden also lacks “Faith.”

           

As Holden walks the streets of New York City, he comes upon a group of nuns at a restaurant.  He talks with the nuns for a while, and eventually gives them $5.00 for charity.  This seems like a good deed, and Holden talks about how he respects the nuns’ selflessness, but he also complains about a boy from Pencey who was Catholic, who, according to Holden was phony because of his faith in God.  All of these things are examples of Holden’s unfaithfulness, but that brings up the question: What is accountable for Holden’s lack of faith. 

            There could be many answers to this question that the reader could not answer, but one thing that definitely could explain Holden’s unfaithfulness, is the death of his brother Allie.  This is logical, because too many times you hear about a friend, or relative, or someone close to a friend who lost someone close to them, and simultaneously lost their faith in God.  If this is the case, then there is still hope for Holden, as many people often find their faith again after losing a loved one, even if it takes a long time. 

            The fact that Holden is unfaithful does not automatically condemn him to hell.  He is still shown as a good, caring person, who is intellectually competent, and very socially mature, even if he doesn’t trust anyone.  Many teenagers go through difficult times in their lives, and I would bet that a good number of SLUH students are questioning their faith right now.  However, there is always time for change, and the ending of the book gives us hope that Holden will change, as he suddenly realizes that

he will accept the society he lives in, and he will be a “catcher,” to all of the kids that are just like him; scared, confused, and on the verge of adulthood. 

           

So essentially, the answer to this question of Holden’s faith is “no,” Holden is not a person of faith.  However, since Holden represents teens of even this generation, the chance for faith is still there, and we can only hope that his newfound attitude will eventually provide him with some kind of faith.