Why does Holden Lie so Much? Unraveling Deception in “The Catcher in the Rye”

In The Catcher in the Rye, the story is told through the viewpoint of Holden Caulfield, who claims everyone around him lies and deceives others. However, throughout the book, it becomes clear that the biggest deceiver is Holden himself. Holden’s lies and deceptive techniques in the book reveal that he lies to escape personal relations and to prevent himself from growing up.

Why Does Holden Lie? The Escape from Personal Relations

Holden Caulfield blatantly states in the very beginning of the book that he is indeed a liar.

It is later revealed that his younger brother had died. His brother’s death caused Holden to lie and deceive others, preventing him from making any personal relationships. As the book continues, it becomes clear that whenever Holden is about to create a personal relationship with others, he lies to them so that he does not feel the same pain he felt when his brother passed away. This can be seen when Holden sits on a train beside a woman whose son goes to Pencey.

Throughout the train ride, as the woman asks questions, he continues to lie and deceive her, even saying his name is Rudolph Schmidt. When he found out that this woman was the mother of one of the meanest guys at Pencey, he lied to her by saying he was a nice guy.

Holden’s Self-Deception: The Struggle Between Innocence and Adulthood

This is one of the many scenes where Holden lies to present himself as someone he is not. By lying, he isolates himself from people and cannot get close to them personally. Although there are multiple examples of Holden deceiving others around him, one of the people he deceives the most is, in fact, himself. Holden’s attempt to not grow up portrays his desire to preserve his innocence. However, Holden is deceiving himself by thinking he is still a kid. Holden prevents himself from succeeding, causing him to switch schools constantly.

Also, Holden’s lack of maturity makes him argue with his peers. When Stradlater and Maurice fight, Holden points out their wrongdoings but fails to see his own. For Holden, the word phoniness is connected to a characteristic of being an adult. Towards the end, it becomes clear that Holden’s wish is to preserve innocence and not grow up, but he needs to realize that being phony is part of what makes people human and becoming an adult. Holden struggles between the phoniness of adulthood and the innocence of childhood. His refusal to grow up causes him to lie and deceive others, keeping him isolated.

When Holden finally understands that giving up is not the solution to his problems, he shows hope that he may become more mature. Holden’s “phoniness” and lying portray his lack of personal connections, his desire to preserve innocence, and his unrealistic thinking of not wanting to become an adult. Salinger used Holden to emphasize how people can deceive themselves the most for something they believe in, but in the end, we need to realize that we are all human and must accept that in the real world, everyone grows up.

Reference

1. Salinger, J.D. (1951). The Catcher in the Rye. Little, Brown and Company.

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