As the novel opens, Holden stands alone on a hill that separates him from the rest of his peers. His stance is ironically similar to his view of the world; _______________________. Thus, when Mr. Spencer tells him that life is a game he states “if you get on the side where all the hot shots are then it’s a game” (Salinger 8). He believes the world to be a mere collection of all of the so called phonies that he despises, so he "holds" back to avoid becoming a part of the ugliness that surrounds him. Thus his name "Holden" accurately portrays his inability to integrate himself within society due to high ideals for it. His last name, Caulfield, relates to the significant theme of childhood innocence. The first half of his name, “caul”, refers to the amniotic membrane that protects the fetus’s head. But, it only protects the child prior to its birth, then it’s taken away as soon as the child is born, or in Holden’s case as he’s born into the adult world. Without this protection Holden lies between the transition of childhood and adolescence in which he sees the world as a place tainted by cruelty and phoniness.
