Oh, Lord!

Holden Caulfield. He truly thinks he is superior to all around him. He picks out who’s the horn dogs, who the sleaze, who just fake, but I don’t think he ever looks at himself. He is trying to numb himself with all this crap so he can see himself as perfect. He’s the one who is phony; he is on max with hypocrisy. Does he need a shrink?

He is so worried about pointing out all the people around him that have these problems, but who is he to do that. I’m sure that others look at him the way he does for them and he’d be appalled is he knew. He’s in denial of himself having issues. Or he may just be drinking to numb his true feelings or so he may view himself differently. He wants to be known by his parents for something, I honestly don’t believe that he is doing it the right way. He is hiding from reality and won’t face it.

He mainly is just lost and confused. Holden is extremely pessimistic and critical of others. Any flaw that he himself possesses will be pushed onto another person and criticized by him. We are not certain whether or not he really sees that these are his faults. Holden is especially angered by the way that he sees people as being "phonies", yet he himself often becomes what is expected, to the extent that he is able, smothering anything that he thinks is not socially acceptable. I don’t think he knows who he really is, and for many teens, that is true. He does, inside, have a huge heart for girls, but then goes back on what he says when he talks about fooling around with girls. He hates truly when people swear, but he says goddamn every other word. Is he just doing it for a show? Who knows? He manipulates people with his little lies, which truly only proves him to be phony. So, in a way he is and a way he isn’t.

He reveals in the story that he has depression. He numbs him self by drinking. He has “middle child disorder” it seems to have left him feeling invisible and constantly craving attention, both positive and negative. This also leads to him not having any understanding of the affect his actions can have on others. He has gone through several traumatic events that appear to have been left undealt with. First off beginning, with the death of his brother Allie, whom he was beyond close to. Caulfield also saw a schoolmate die after being teased mercilessly by the other boys. The young man backed up and out through a window, falling to his death. When he is staying in a hotel, he sees a cross-dresser and two lovers spitting in each others' faces through his window and is at once disgusted and aroused. Holden hates this part of himself that he doesn't understand. His self-loathing is evident.