How Does Holden Lie

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Nico Markham 10/26/16
G band
Brandon Lewis English classof
The Catcher and the lie In J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, Holden uses self destructive behavior to maintain distance from people. Holden does not want to get close to people because he is terrified being hurt while still coping with the death of his brother.

Throughout this story, Holden swears a lot. When he uses this foul language in front of people, his purpose is to establish a barrier of uncomfort to avoid a connection being made. When Holden is dancing with a girl at a nightclub he swears, saying “oh christ” and “chrissake.” The woman’s response shows the outcome of Holden’s use of this foul language as she says to him; “‘Listen. I toleja about that. I don’t like that type language’, she said. ‘If you’re gonna use that type language, I can go’” …show more content…
He masks his true identity with one that he creates. He often lies to the people he meets in the novel, and he admits “I’m the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life” (16). In one example, while talking about his school, Holden says “It’s not too bad. It’s not paradise or anything, but it’s as good as most schools.” While having a conversation with a lady he meets on the train, Holden lies about the woman’s son by saying “he adapts himself very well to things. He really does. I mean he really knows how to adapt himself” (55). Adding on, Holden also admits that he is not seeking to tell this woman his “whole life history.” This is an early example of how Holden keeps from bringing up his dark memories of the past. Lying in this manner keeps him from talking about his brother’s death, and lying creates distance from these subjects which Holden feels reappear during this conversation. People lie to avoid talking of painful things, and therefore becoming vulnerable which can often lead to being

Examples Of Lying In Catcher In The Rye

“I lie to myself all the time. But I never believe me” (S.E Hinton). J. D. Salinger presents the protagonist of the novel- Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye as a lazy seventeen-year-old boy who is trying to figure out the world and expresses himself by lying for entertainment. Once Holden starts with one lie, he continues to do so to defend his last lie and he doesn't know how to get out of it. Holden does it excessively and doesn't care who he is lying to just as long as they believe him…

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like to lie compulsively, and to be scared to make connections with people due to the past? Well in the book “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger, Holden is a very odd character. Throughout the book, the author Salinger really brings out Holden’s traits by using themes. The most important theme and the biggest characteristic of Holden is his ability to lie. All through the book, “The Catcher in the Rye” Holden tries to “fit in” with everyone by lying. Throughout the book, Holden encounters…

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Catcher in the Rye character Holden Caulfield sees the world. In Holden’s journey from Pencey Prep to his home in New York he talks about many people some of whom he met on the journey and others he had met during his time at previous preparatory schools. The one thing that almost everyone he talks about has in common is that according to Holden they are all phony. This includes teachers, friends, acquaintances, and most people that he comes into contact with. Holden is living a phony life because…

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In addition, Holden lies to women because he wants them to pay attention to him, because he does not know how to have a genuine relationship without lying. We see how hard it is for Holden to admit to himself that he likes someone or how hard it is for him to have a normal conversation because if he begins to get too close to someone he thinks he will lose them just like he lost his brother. His greatest fear is becoming too vulnerable and therefore exposing his true self which would be exploited…

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In life, there are different kinds of people, with different perspectives on what is fair and how the world is supposed to work. Due to the many different perspectives of various people, when a person thinks that their life is not fair or they are the only right ones in the world, they are forced to live in their own reality, making their life seem bearable. In J.D. Salinger’s, Catcher in The Rye, Holden is a character who makes his own reality, in which he is a hero, and everyone around him, including…

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How Does Holden Judge Phony

Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye the main character, Holden, faces difficulty during social interactions, often leading in mishaps after getting kicked out from boarding school. With nobody to talk to, Holden often silently judges others for being phony. Holden has a tendency to judge other people’s actions as being phony, but he himself often acts inauthentically to impress/ receive attention from others, making himself phony. This, of course, does not help his social awkwardness, but makes him see…

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Examples Of Growing Up In Catcher In The Rye

Catcher in the Rye”, Holden shows painfulness to growing up. Holden spends an extended amount of time alone and grieving. Holden wants to remain in childhood because at a young age he lost his brother, and feels like growing up is painful, phony, and causes children to lose their innocence. “The best thing though, in that museum was that everything always stayed right where it was.. Nobody's be different.. The only thing that would be different would be you”(157-158). Holden experiences a lot of…

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The Catcher in the Rye Essay

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Holden Caulfield Symbolism

Holden Caulfield which is the main character in J.D. Salinger’s “the Catcher in the Rye.” Holden is a sixteen year old who is expelled for academic failure as a junior from Pencey Prep. Holden is seen as an intelligent yet sensitive boy, who narrates the book. After a fight with Stradlater Holden’s roommate over an old friend named Jane that Holden had feelings for, he leaves school and explores New York for two days before returning home. Having interactions with many people before returning, during…

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Holden's Insecurities: The Catcher in the Rye Essay

Catcher and the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Holden Caulfield begins the book in the same proximity of where he ends the book. Holden being a phony individual never takes into account other people’s ideas and because of his stubbornness, never learns his lesson. In the Catcher and the Rye, Holden clearly is the phony in the form of criticism loneliness, and fallacies. Through out the novel Holden tells lies like it’s his job. At the beginning of chapter 3 Holden even states, “I’m the most terrific liar…

Words 619 - Pages 3