“Phoniness” in The Catcher in the Rye by: Muhammad Raza

 “Phoniness” in The Catcher in the Rye

by: Muhammad Raza

The Catcher in the Rye is a book that seems to have been read by almost every American high schooler and college student. It entails the confusing and miserable life of Holden Caulfield, a pessimistic 16 year old old student who is having trouble growing up and finding his place in the world. While many (including myself) dislike the book due to its haphazard plot, whiny protagonist, and inappropriate scenes, there are still themes present throughout the book that provide great insights into human nature and how difficult it can be to find oneself in society. One of themes that is perhaps extremely relevant to children entering adulthood–and one that I believe is sometimes unjustly over-shadowed by other ideas in the book–is the theme of "phoniness".

Phoniness in The Catcher in the Rye is Holden’s belief that someone or something is superficial and inauthentic. He often uses this word to refer to people who believe they are acting fake in order to please others or gain some other personal benefit. He employs this word for many people throughout this book: Principle Thurmer, the school headmaster, is phony because he acts proper and polite with the parents of rich kids despite actually being a caustic and mean individual; Sally Hyes, one of Holden’s love interests, is also phony because she only cares about aesthetics and materials rather than emotions and truly having love for Holden. The reason why this concept of phoniness is so important to the book is because it relates to the central theme of loss of innocence. As part of maturing and entering the adult world, Holden comes to realize that so many people in his life wear masks, hide their true intentions and put up facades at the cost of others. This phoniness is also the reason why Holden believes that innocence and youth are so valuable, because young children are much more likely to talk about their true feelings and be authentic than their older counterparts (as evidenced by the straightforward personality of Holden’s kid sister Phoebe). One reason why I personally value this theme of phoniness in the book is because I have experienced first-hand how many older teenagers and adults act differently in front of their teachers, their bosses, their parents, relatives, and some of their friends in order to appease them or gain personal benefit. Though one can argue that this is unavoidable, it does not negate the fact that it is a sickening aspect of our society as we cannot even be our real selves except to a small number of people, and that almost no one is who you think they are. While I do not enjoy this novel as a whole, I still think this theme that Salinger developed was especially relevant to me and so many other young teenagers, and one that does not receive as much attention as it should.