Deciding whether or not someone is a phony or genuine person is based on his or her upbringings. Holden Caulfield, a teenage screw up, who learned to be self sufficient from a young age. Ever since his brother, Allie, died Holden became morose and closed himself off to the people around him. He refused help and rebelled against superiors such as, teachers, which lead him to be kicked out of yet another school. In the book, Catcher In The Rye, Holden believes he is a genuine person, yet he is a compulsive liar and pretends to be someone who he’s not; his fear of being wrong attributes to his deterioration of his mental state. Understanding the difference between a mistake and a lie is difficult for Holden.
Holden knows where he wants to go …show more content…
Holden has the habit of grouping people in categories based on how they act towards him. He believes that if he can get one person to perceive him one way, then all people will see him that way. Holden has started to become captivated with gore and manliness. Holden explained, “You never saw such gore in your life… it partly scared me and it partly fascinated me. All that blood and all. Sort of made me look tough. I’d only been in about two fights in my life, and I lost both of them. I’m not too tough. I’m a pacifist if you want to know the truth” (ch 6 pg 45-46). Holden wants to be seen as something that he is not, tough. His infatuation with gore shows that he is slowly losing who he used to be, innocent. his ability to make decisions, such as whether or not to take part in a fight, becomes impaired as his cognitive state deteriorates. Given his history of defeats in brawls, Holden should have known to not partake in this activity, however, all he wants is to be is something that he is not, and he achieves this by lying. He said, “I almost was once in a movie short, but I changed my mind at the last minute. I figured that anybody that hates the movies as much as I do, I'd be a phony if I let them stick me in a movie short” (ch 11 pg 77). Holden is trying to show off and convince the reader that he was once asked to be in a movie. Most likely false, this radiates his false confidence. Holden is making a conscious effort to avoid being a phony, which is hypocritical since he is being phony by lying and attempting to be someone who he is not. Holden is slowly becoming the person he hates most,
Holden knows where he wants to go …show more content…
Holden has the habit of grouping people in categories based on how they act towards him. He believes that if he can get one person to perceive him one way, then all people will see him that way. Holden has started to become captivated with gore and manliness. Holden explained, “You never saw such gore in your life… it partly scared me and it partly fascinated me. All that blood and all. Sort of made me look tough. I’d only been in about two fights in my life, and I lost both of them. I’m not too tough. I’m a pacifist if you want to know the truth” (ch 6 pg 45-46). Holden wants to be seen as something that he is not, tough. His infatuation with gore shows that he is slowly losing who he used to be, innocent. his ability to make decisions, such as whether or not to take part in a fight, becomes impaired as his cognitive state deteriorates. Given his history of defeats in brawls, Holden should have known to not partake in this activity, however, all he wants is to be is something that he is not, and he achieves this by lying. He said, “I almost was once in a movie short, but I changed my mind at the last minute. I figured that anybody that hates the movies as much as I do, I'd be a phony if I let them stick me in a movie short” (ch 11 pg 77). Holden is trying to show off and convince the reader that he was once asked to be in a movie. Most likely false, this radiates his false confidence. Holden is making a conscious effort to avoid being a phony, which is hypocritical since he is being phony by lying and attempting to be someone who he is not. Holden is slowly becoming the person he hates most,