Holden..A Hypocrite?

       Some people reading The Catcher in the Rye may think that Holden’s plight derives form him simply being a misanthrope. However, past traumas and events in Holden’s life greatly affected him and resulted to cause his depression and pessimism. From Allie’s death, Holden had been through difficult situations that made him realize and experience the corrupted world. Since he was young, he had been physically and mentally hurt from others around him. Although Salinger did not state directly what Holden was effected by, readers can reach to conclusions from Salinger’s use or repetition. In the novel, parents are mentioned often, for instance, Mrs. Morrow. She was one of the few people Holden didn’t call a “phony”, and she was especially a good listener. Although she was a stranger, Holden took the time to have a conversation with her. He even lied about how popular Ernest was to keep her “glued to her seat” (56). This portrayed how desperate Holden was for companionship. Holden just wanted someone who would listen to him and give attention to him; however, he couldn’t find any companionship in Pencey school. This conversation also showed how Holden liked people who were motherly. On page 115, Holden watches a kid walk down the street and he mentions about parents again, and says, “He and his wife were just walking along, talking, not paying any attention to their kid.” Holden thought the kid was “swell” and he felt as if he had found a kid who grew up similar to him. Holden called people who didn’t care or listen to him, “phonies.” Furthermore, Holden had memories of him as a child being abused. On page 192, Mr. Antonlini patted Holden on the head, and Holden was shocked and left the house.  Holden was really nervous and said, “That kind of stuff’s happened to me about twenty times since I was a kid. I can’t stand it.” This quote conveys how Holden had been physically abused since he was young, which caused him to think of the past and be in depression. Since Holden experienced the corrupted world, he felt as if people were “phonies” and had an evil side within them.