He only displays his loneliness when nobody is paying attention. He’ll only reach out to people when he’s feeling bad for himself. Holden keeps pushing people away because they fall short of his expectations, but continues to feel lonely. “Then I went over and laid down on Ely’s bed. He is insincere, and only presents his charming self for his own benefit. Although Holden claims to hate phonies, he exhibits the exact traits he describes a phony to have. He tells her what a wonderful boy Ernest is, for his own amusement. Then I really starting chucking the old crap around”. You take somebody’s mother, all they want to hear about is what a hot-shot their son is. Morrow didn’t say anything, but boy you should’ve seen her. Despite his great distaste for Ernest he indulges her. Holden meets Ernest Morrow’s mother, a boy he describes as, “doubtless the biggest bastard that ever went to Pencey”. Holden often shows the same behavior as many of the “phonies” he claims to resent. He feels threatened after they laugh at him, and begins making several excuses why it doesn’t matter to comfort his fear of being rejected. That annoyed the hell out of me… I should’ve given them the freeze”. “They probably thought I was too young to give anybody the once-over. Before he has even said anything to them, he’s already decided they are unworthy of his time. While at the lavender room, he sees three older women, after not being able to get drink at the bar, he decides to ask them to dance. His harsh view of everyone surrounding him displays his fear of rejection and being emotionally hurt. He’s so unhappy with himself he goes on to create conflict to prevent himself from moving forward after the death of his brother Allie. His loathing toward “phonies” leads to isolation and self-destruction. Holden continues to get kicked out of schools. “One of the biggest reasons I left Elkton Hills was because I was surrounded by phonies. The internal and external conflict of Holden Caulfield may only be resolved when allows himself to move forward with his life and let’s go of his harsh judgments of himself and others. As the people surrounding him lose hope, he continues to lash out and push people away because nobody can hurt you if you don’t let them, right? Holden’s actions betray more and more of the“madman” that he claims to be. In the beginning of the book he relies on the “falsity” of others to continue his unsatisfying lifestyle, he later realizes he may also be a contributor to the falsity as well. Holden tries to suppress his misery with a dislike towards most everything. D Salinger writes of a young man, whose childhood experiences have led him into a deep hole of grief. In the book, The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield’s life is consumed by the battle going on inside himself.
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