HOLDEN CAULFIELD THINKS YOU'RE A PHONY T-Shirt

CATCHER IN THE RYE ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Catcher_in_the_Rye) An easier question to answer is "what was Holden not critical of"...there would be a lot fewer things! Anyhow, look at that word: phony. Loosely, this means someone (or something) that is not acting genuinely, or in a fraudulent way. Holden finds many people in the story guilty of violating this code of conduct. He has in his head a set of behaviors that he feels are genuine and when people don't act according to them they become, in his head, a phony. The interesting point is trying to determine where Holden draws that "line" for people to cross. There is no universal code for "non-phonyness," so he invents one of his own. It appears to include people, like Stradlater, who: Put a false face on in public Think highly of themselves Tell exaggerated stories Think they are better than others Act immodestly Are suave with women Are hypocritical Have hidden, disgusting habits. "Sell out" to money, power, etc. This is not an all-inclusive list, but it gives you an idea. It is also useful to look at the kind of people that Holden does not call phony, like his sister Pheobe, his brother Allie, and Jane. These people all share some common characteristics that Holden seems to think of as "genuine": They are sympathetic and friendly toward him They are intelligent They are fun to be around They are talented (in some cases) they have come to tragic ends, or have suffered through some tragedy in their lives They are modest So there you go. He is critical of any person or institution that violates his inner code of what makes a person "genuine." Unfortunately for the world, that includes most things. I suppose we should be glad for this fact or else Catcher in the Rye would have been one heck of a dull read!