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The Catcher in the Rye Truth and Reality - Online Term Paper

The Catcher in the Rye Truth and Reality

The truth is what people believe it to be which is the reason they live life in an artificial manner; they believe what they want to rather than see the actuality of the world. This statement can be proven true in The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger; in the novel, the main character, Holden Caulfield, progresses through life thinking that everything and everyone is deceptive and fake. Holden cannot procure happiness because he sees the world as a place filled with “phonies”. This results in the protagonist being isolated and despondent, which causes his maturation to be suppressed.
In the novel, Holden wants to remain as a young child because he believes that'll shield him from the ...

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his idea of running away. Sally cries over his disrespect towards her, and Holden begins to panic because he cannot understand why it hurt her so much, or how to stop her crying. He also insults her because he is afraid to be hurt by her “phoniness”. The theme of isolation causes the main character more misery due to the fact he desires to be with others, but his opinion of how wretched they are causes him to push them away. Also, Holden cannot realize how astounding the world is because he thinks all adults are “phonies”. He uses the word phony to symbolize his own insecurities because he seems to loathe people who pretend to be something they aren't, or those who ignore their weakness. He also believes lying is also a cruel and aimless part of “phoniness”. But the protagonist is always repeatedly lying (about his age in order to get alcohol, or he lies about his name to a kind woman on a train), and Holden also cannot acknowledge his own imperfections. The main character fails ...

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The Catcher in the Rye Truth and Reality. (2011, July 5). Retrieved February 23, 2026, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Catcher-in-Rye-Truth-Reality/99810

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PAPER DETAILS

Added: 7/5/2011 12:49:42 PM
Submitted By: Extraordinarymes
Category: English
Type: Premium Paper
Words: 766
Pages: 3

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