The Catcher in the Rye: Influences in Holden's Life
Everyone in the society can have some influences in any way, negatively or positively. In the novel The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Holden encounters many people throughout his journey. These relationships he has influence his view of the world, allowing him to mature from someone who dislikes the shallow cruel world to understanding this is how life is. This development is shown through "phonies" he meets throughout the novel, his brother Allie, and his sister Phoebe.
The relationship between Holden and the "phonies" shows how Holden despise the society at first. Whenever he meets people he thinks they are "phony" he would criticize them. For instance during the intermission of the play, the conversation between Sally and George cause Holden to say "It was the phoniest conversation you ever heard in your life... I was all set to puke … I really was" (127-128) in his mind. This shows how he views the world negatively as people act differently in front everyone. From how his perspective of the world becomes negative he wants to isolate himself from the society. When he wants to detach from his surrounding he "took [his] red hunting hat out of [his] pocket and put it on - [He] didn’t give a damn how [he] looked" (88). This reveals how he wants to be different and not be the "phonies" he experiences such as Stradlater being different in the outside from how he is in the inside. This is how much he despises people in his surroundings. Because of how he sees the world and what he does, it causes him to feel depressed and continues to disgusts the society that he is in. Whenever he meets any "phonies" he would constantly point out that "It was very phony... Anyway, it made me feel depressed and lousy again." (84) This shows from Holden 's point of view of the world which is shallow and unreal as well as how he is not able to avoid being in this society he is in causes him to be depressed. This will worsen as he continues to detest the society. Therefore, the
The relationship between Holden and the "phonies" shows how Holden despise the society at first. Whenever he meets people he thinks they are "phony" he would criticize them. For instance during the intermission of the play, the conversation between Sally and George cause Holden to say "It was the phoniest conversation you ever heard in your life... I was all set to puke … I really was" (127-128) in his mind. This shows how he views the world negatively as people act differently in front everyone. From how his perspective of the world becomes negative he wants to isolate himself from the society. When he wants to detach from his surrounding he "took [his] red hunting hat out of [his] pocket and put it on - [He] didn’t give a damn how [he] looked" (88). This reveals how he wants to be different and not be the "phonies" he experiences such as Stradlater being different in the outside from how he is in the inside. This is how much he despises people in his surroundings. Because of how he sees the world and what he does, it causes him to feel depressed and continues to disgusts the society that he is in. Whenever he meets any "phonies" he would constantly point out that "It was very phony... Anyway, it made me feel depressed and lousy again." (84) This shows from Holden 's point of view of the world which is shallow and unreal as well as how he is not able to avoid being in this society he is in causes him to be depressed. This will worsen as he continues to detest the society. Therefore, the