Every human being has a different view of the world, a different view of those around him or her. Some may have a positive view, while others may think oppositely and have a negative view. Holden Caulfield, the main character in J.D. Salinger’s novel The Catcher in the Rye (New York: Little, Brown and Company, 1951) is a peculiar teen boy with a pessimistic view on life, who sees other people in the world as “phony”. He goes through his life judging others, putting himself above them by distancing himself and not connecting with them. Holden’s characterization as a peculiar, judgmental, insecure teen boy helps exemplify how one’s false perceptions of others may lead him to distance and alienate himself from those around him, in order to protect himself from becoming like those whom he finds different. Holden is a teen boy who is extremely judgmental of everything and everyone around him. He sees those around him as phony, acting like or trying to be something that they are not. Holden says of his roommate, “Stradlater was more of a secret slob. He always looked all right, but for instance, you should’ve seen the razor he shaved himself with. It was always rusty as hell and full of lathers and hair and crap. He never cleaned it or anything… he was a secret slob anyway, if you knew him the way I did,” (27). He is very judgmental and critical about something so simple as a man’s shaving razor. In a way, Holden sees Stradlater as phony because he appears well-groomed and handsome, but he knows that he uses a dirty razor to shave himself. Holden’s commentary on this topic shows how his character is judgmental and critical of others. His views on other people may lead him to be seen as insecure, since he must put others down possibly to make him feel better about himself. Because of who Holden is, and how he thinks, he distances himself from other people. He does this in order to protect himself from becoming like them, as he thinks they are “phony”. When recalling one of his experiences, he says:
… I went into this phone booth. I felt like giving somebody a buzz… but as soon as I was inside, I couldn’t think of anybody to call up. My brother D.B. was in Hollywood. My kid sister Phoebe goes to bed around nine o’clock- so I couldn’t call her up… Then I thought of giving Jane Gallagher’s mother a buzz… but I didn’t feel like it… Then I thought of calling up this guy that went to the Whooton School when I was there, Carl Luce, but I didn’t like him much. So I ended up not calling anybody. (59)
Holden is well aware of many different people that he could call, yet he calls none of them. Whatever his excuse is for not calling someone, he remains isolated from all of them. He is trying to connect with someone, but hesitates and is ultimately unable to make a call any of the people that came to his mind. His hesitation to make a call shows how he is judgmental, and keeps him isolated from anyone else in his life. Every individual has their own way of looking at life, and the people that are in it. Just as they have different views on life, they may also act differently in accordance to their views. Holden Caulfield, from The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, is a teenage boy who has a cynical outlook on life, and views many people around him as “phony”. His judgmental personality leads him to see others as inferior to him. His actions and comments throughout the story exemplify how one’s personal perceptions of the world and those in it may lead him to distance himself from others in order to keep him from becoming like those whom may be different in some way(s).