Holden Caulfield - Hypocrite?
Often when reading The Catcher in the Rye, it's pretty easy to notice the high standards that Holden Caulfield, the main character, sets upon people around him, and almost always judging them due to the fact they don't meet his expectations. It's also fairly obvious that Holden rarely sets these standards upon himself, and has done things that he's criticized others over, without holding himself accountable in any way. I've personally noticed this happening multiple times in the book, especially during the earlier chapters. Due to this, it can be assumed that it's no longer apparent in the later parts of the book due to Holden's development as a character. But by definition, Holden Caulfield is a hypocrite due to his early practices of acting similar to what he judges others for doing.
The first instances I saw of this are in chapters 3 and 4. It starts off with the first interaction Holden has with Ackley. In the chapter, Holden has just returned from Mr. Spencer's house, and is spending his time reading in his dorm room while the football game is going on. Ackley barges into Holden's room, and continues to try to talk to Holden while he attempts to read. Caulfield clearly expresses his discontent with his behavior, and with the fact that he isn't able to focus on reading the book, and gives out hints to Ackley to try to get him to leave him alone. He does all this while making frequent comments judging and critiquing Ackley's social unawareness, and overall carelessness, seen in the way he always grabs stuff and doesn't put it in the same place it was before (Salinger 26-33). When Stradlater arrives and goes to the bathroom to shave, Caulfield goes with him into the bathroom and proceeds to talk with him as he begins shaving. Similarly to Ackley, Holden begins to subconsciously distract Stradlater while he shaves, all because he's bored (Salinger 38). He continues by tap dancing, putting him in a half nelson, standing in Stradlater's light, and carelessly sitting on his towel (Salinger 35-41). Holden acts similarly to Ackley in this scene, who he judges for being obnoxious, distracting, careless and socially unaware, all of which are traits that holden shows while bothering Stradlater in the bathroom. His standards make him expect others to leave him alone and concentrate on the things he does, but can't do that himself.
I saw another example of this in chapters 4, 7 and 13. After talking with Stradlater, Holden clearly shows his concern over Stradlater's date with Jane Gallagher. Holden states that Stradlater is a "sexy bastard" (Salinger 45). In this context, I'm guessing the term "sexy" likely refers to someone who's often seeking to have sexual intercourse. Holden also implies that Stradlater is someone who's only seeking to have sex with the girls he dates. He rightfully makes a few judgmental comments about this. Despite Holden's worry about someone who's actively seeking to have sex with every girl he dates, he proceeds to accept an offer from Maurice, who would send a prostitute up to his room (Salinger 119). Despite only attempting to have a serious conversation with her, it's pretty clear what Holden's intentions really were when accepting Maurice's offer. Though the argument that Holden's worry with Jane and Stradlater roots to the fact that they were childhood friends could be made, Holden's acceptance of a sex worker mimics Stradlater's behavior.
Hi Samuel,
ReplyDeleteI really like the idea behind this blog. Although Holden keeps calling other people "phonies", we can also see how Holden can be a "phony" sometimes too. My favorite display of this is when Holden wouldn't move when he was blocking the light when he himself got pissed at his roommate for doing the same thing. I think that something like this happening is totally normal and that Holden should really lower his standards of others.
Hi Samuel! These are well thought out examples of Holden essentially being the "phony," he hates so much. The Ackley/Stradlater comparison is really compelling because the two moments are literally minutes apart. I also like how you brought up the way Holden had actively just fought Stradlater to "protect" Jane, and then proceeded to hire a prostitute just as he would've criticized Stradlater for. Great post!
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteI too think that Holden is a hypocrite. He does the things he complains about, I would even say he can be a phony sometimes. Such as when he simply tells people what they want to hear like Spencer or the mother on the train, which in particular feels kind of similar to the headmaster said that the kids are having steak. Honestly Holden needs to realize that he does the same things that he complains about, including being a phony, and come to terms with that.
Hey Samuel, great post! I definitely agree that Holden in some sense is a hypocrite and rarely practices what he preaches. Another example of this was his conversation with Mr. Spencer where he was saying one thing to him and in reality was completely uninterested in what Mr. Spencer was saying, which is the epitome of being a phony (something he constantly criticizes). I think more generally Holden has this hatred for many parts of the adult world, and if you asked him he'd say he's only a hypocrite because the adult world is rubbing off on him.
ReplyDeleteI would say that Holden's use of the word "sexy" here is more or less analogous to the slang usage of a word like "horny," if that helps. And yeah, he's pretty threatened by Stradlater's "sexiness," and we see through a number of Holden's comments that he's deeply uncomfortable with male sexuality, especially as it pertains to guys on dates with Jane Gallagher. So is Holden doing the "same thing" when he procures the services of Sunny for the evening? Yes and no. When Sunny arrives in his room, Holden is unable to act like Stradlater would in this situation, and characteristically, he berates himself for not doing it "right." He really just wants someone to talk to, and he's quickly repulsed by the idea of anything too sexual--and we can imagine Stradlater's response, if Holden were to narrate this scene to him. Remember how he reacts to Holden referring to playing checkers with Jane? ("Checkers, for Chrissake!"). I can easily picture Stradlater saying, "TALKING, for Chrissake!" Who would want to just TALK to someone like Sunny? Holden Caulfield, for starters. In many ways, I see him in this sad scene NOT being a hypocrite but actually reflecting his values in a pretty valid way: he feels bad for Sunny, laments the loss of her childhood innocence, and wants to ask her sympathetic questions about her life. It's oddly sad when she shoots him down--as if talking were so much more intimate than sex.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Holden is a hypocrite. I think that this adds to his characterization as a teenage boy going through a crisis of identity. An important part of his arc is being torn between his dedication to his values and the points where he falls short of those values. I think that the fact that he often fails to uphold his own principles is an important factor in his journey through the story.
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