Holden Caulfield is driven by jealousy. His inability to be a “ladies man” or an academic success causes him to label these types of people as being “phony” in order to overcome his own insecurities and faults. The word “phony” is correctly applied in some cases throughout Catcher in the Rye but is mostly used incorrectly when Holden is making reference to someone he has come in contact with. This paper will discuss the way …showed first 75 words of 526 total…

…showed last 75 words of 526 total…reality he has probably only heard of Ernie but never saw him. The use of the word “phony” as Holden uses it is nothing more than a confused teenager’s way of pushing aside the people he feels inferior to. By doing this he can live his life without focusing on the mistakes he has made which have put him in the situation he is in. In reality it is Holden who is the “phony”.