Pony Encounters Essay Research Paper Phony EncountersIn

Pony Encounters Essay, Research Paper

Phony Encounters

In JD Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, the protagonist Holden Caulfield critiques people for being deceptive or, as he would say phony. He uses the word “phony” to describe people that are false, counterfeit, or untrue to themselves. Holden has a broad definition of the word “phony”. Many characters, in Holden’s mind, can be classified as phony in the novel. For example, his classmates at Pency Prep, Elkton Hills, people who use the word “grand”, and showoffs are all considered phony because they try to be something that they are not. As the novel progresses, and as Holden comes closer to adulthood he undergoes a change that impacts the rest of his life. Holden experiences new things that change his mind and give him a new outlook on life as he searches for people that are not phony. Holden’s realization suggests that only a few characters contain a level of integrity, which classify them as not phony. Holden gives the most respect to James Castle because he takes his life for a cause he believes in. He also views adolescents and adults as phony because they generally do not abide by their beliefs when maturing. Holden believes adolescents and adults want to create a self-image that will not be looked down upon by other adults, so they change themselves and become phony.

Many times, students try impressing one another by trying to be something they are not. Holden critiques Pency Prep, because it is an expensive prep school filled with

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phonies. Holden sees the school as phony because all the kids try to act the same in order to associate with the in crowd . In an advertisement for the school it is written, “Since 1888 we have been molding boys into splendid, clear thinking young men” (Salinger 2). Holden strongly disagrees with this quote because instead of teaching people to think for themselves, Pency is molding mindless, uniform people. He thinks many of the students are phony and he only knows of two guys who are righteous and they probably came there that way. All the others are crooks and phonies that use people to get things they want. They want the respect without earning it. They want to impress other students by creating a false character or pretending to be something they are not. The more Holden ponders about these phonies the more upset he becomes. Naturally it would depresses anyone that affiliates with artificial students. One that is associated with the crowd usually follows the crowd. At this point Holden is confused as well as despondent and wants to depart elsewhere in order to find people with integrity that will give him hope about maturing and becoming an adult.

Holden feels there is no hope in society because so many individuals are phony. Even at Elkton Hills, Holden is surrounded by phonies. He can not get away from them as they flood through the windows. Holden talks of the phoniest individual he has met, Mr. Haas. He describes him as: “this headmaster, Mr. Haas that was the phoniest bastard I ever met in my life. Ten times worse than old Thurmer” (14). Holden classifies Mr. Haas as a phony because he would avoid certain people when meeting parents. Holden notices that Mr. Haas only affiliates with the well dressed, well liked, and well known; anyone else is left with a phony handshake and smile. Mr. Haas only associates with

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parents of high status in order to build his reputation as the infamous adult. He lies to himself that he has class, wealth, and fame because he only converses with the people that he admires. He feels accepted even though he has to be a phony. Holden is sickened that someone could be this way. He eventually learns that society behaves in unique ways. Holden clings to his childhood innocence because he does not want to become a phony adult. He believes that people should be honest and if they are not, they are phony because they are being untrue to themselves.

Another one of Holden’s falseness indicators is the way people speak. For example, Holden strongly dislikes the word “grand”. Anytime someone uses this word he immediately classifies him as a phony. Holden explains, ” Grand. There’s a word I really hate. It’s a phony. I could puke every time I hear it” (9). Holden is against the word “grand” because it sets a negative image about someone’s personality. People that are affluent use the word “grand” to rise over society. His view of people that use the word grand is that they are trying to be even better than the wealthy class by being very snobby and making everything seem grandiose. Holden believes that the word “grand” holds untrue value in a person’s character. Holden interprets people trying to be better than others by using the word grand. This is a major reason why grand sounds entirely phony. He has a close encounter with grand when he awakens in a hotel and decides to give Sally Hayes a phone call. Sally answers, “I’d love to. Grand” (106). Holden then explains,

Grand. If there’s one word I hate it’s grand. It’s so phony. For a second, I was tempted to tell her to forget about the matinee. But we chewed the fat for a while. That is she

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chewed it. You chouldn’t get a word in edgewise. First she told me about some Harvard guy (106)

Sally tries to impress Holden by talking about the Harvard guy calling her night and day. Sally see