Holden and Phoebe
In a frenzy of sadness and frustration on the night that Allie died, Holden smashed all the windows in his garage with his bare fists.
I was only thirteen, and they were going to have me psychoanalyzed and all, because I broke all the windows in the garage. I don't blame them. I really don't. I slept in the garage the night he died, and I broke all the goddam windows with my first just for the hell of it. …. My hand still hurts me once in a while, when it rains and all, and I can't make a real fist any more…"
Although Holden is innocent, he is not naive. Society has affected him to the extent that he is aware of the cost of things, but wastes his money on taxis, as he wants to avoid the phoneys on buses. He refers to the value of his coat, his cases, his typewriter and even his pens, but he does not cherish his possessions as he gives his typewriter away and lends his coat to Stradlater. When his gloves were stolen, the only thing he cared about was that he became cold. When he was a child he lost his belongings - so now as a teenager he fails to take his change and hates people who spend time at posh restaurants and popular bars; yet there is a hypocritical side to him which makes him take taxis, go to bars, cinemas and theatres, and stay in hotels.
Society has taken everything from Holden, both of his brother's presence and his parents´. Stradlater borrows all he owns, his clothes and even the girl he loves. His possessions are stolen at school. Because of all of this, he feels he must reject society. It is not surprising that he feels he must turn to children; after all, they are a symbol of innocence, and they have not rejected him. He says that he would like to be 'The Catcher in the Rye', who is a fictional character in a
Burns poem, who stops children running off the edge of a cliff whilst playing in rye fields. This analogy epitomises the only future Holden can see for himself. Phoebe is the only person Holden trusts. Her sanity and naturalness restores confidence of society in Holden. Due to his love from Phoebe a complete breakdown by the pond, and from a pointless escape later.
Holden hates hypocrites and phoneys, but meets few people who are honest, so he generalises and says there are phoneys all around him, another thing that makes him an outcast of society. Even his teachers are phoneys; Mr Spencer acts in front of the headmaster, and the headmaster performs in front of the rich parents and Mr Antolini appears to have crooked morals.
Holden’s parents are absent in his life, his dad is a lawyer who is very strict as seen in “Daddy will kill you” he also doesn’t show affection towards Holden. Holden’s mother isn’t very interested in neither his nor Phoebe’s lives as when she catches Phoebe smoking, as all she says is “I don’t like that, Phoebe. I don’t like that at all.” (159)
I was only thirteen, and they were going to have me psychoanalyzed and all, because I broke all the windows in the garage. I don't blame them. I really don't. I slept in the garage the night he died, and I broke all the goddam windows with my first just for the hell of it. …. My hand still hurts me once in a while, when it rains and all, and I can't make a real fist any more…"
Although Holden is innocent, he is not naive. Society has affected him to the extent that he is aware of the cost of things, but wastes his money on taxis, as he wants to avoid the phoneys on buses. He refers to the value of his coat, his cases, his typewriter and even his pens, but he does not cherish his possessions as he gives his typewriter away and lends his coat to Stradlater. When his gloves were stolen, the only thing he cared about was that he became cold. When he was a child he lost his belongings - so now as a teenager he fails to take his change and hates people who spend time at posh restaurants and popular bars; yet there is a hypocritical side to him which makes him take taxis, go to bars, cinemas and theatres, and stay in hotels.
Society has taken everything from Holden, both of his brother's presence and his parents´. Stradlater borrows all he owns, his clothes and even the girl he loves. His possessions are stolen at school. Because of all of this, he feels he must reject society. It is not surprising that he feels he must turn to children; after all, they are a symbol of innocence, and they have not rejected him. He says that he would like to be 'The Catcher in the Rye', who is a fictional character in a
Burns poem, who stops children running off the edge of a cliff whilst playing in rye fields. This analogy epitomises the only future Holden can see for himself. Phoebe is the only person Holden trusts. Her sanity and naturalness restores confidence of society in Holden. Due to his love from Phoebe a complete breakdown by the pond, and from a pointless escape later.
Holden hates hypocrites and phoneys, but meets few people who are honest, so he generalises and says there are phoneys all around him, another thing that makes him an outcast of society. Even his teachers are phoneys; Mr Spencer acts in front of the headmaster, and the headmaster performs in front of the rich parents and Mr Antolini appears to have crooked morals.
Holden’s parents are absent in his life, his dad is a lawyer who is very strict as seen in “Daddy will kill you” he also doesn’t show affection towards Holden. Holden’s mother isn’t very interested in neither his nor Phoebe’s lives as when she catches Phoebe smoking, as all she says is “I don’t like that, Phoebe. I don’t like that at all.” (159)