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Is Holden a unreliable narrator Why or why not?
Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye is the ultimate unreliable narrator. Reeling from a personal trauma, his narrations provide a caustic take on the world around him. His observations of people and events are veiled in pessimism. That’s key to a good unreliable narrator.
What indications do we have that Holden might not always be the most reliable narrator of his own story?
The obvious signs that Holden is a troubled and unreliable narrator are manifold: he fails out of four schools; he manifests complete apathy toward his future; he is hospitalized, and visited by a psychoanalyst, for an unspecified complaint; and he is unable to connect with other people.
What is an example from Chapter 1 where Holden is being an unreliable narrator?
He contradicts himself by calling himself a peaceful person. These are the kind of contradictions that the author uses to show how unreliable Holden is. Furthermore, another example of Holden’s unreliability is his exaggerations. In his school, he feels the need to hate everyone because he is uncomfortable there.
What are Holden’s issues?
Holden Caulfield has extensive psychological problems that are revealed through his depressive thoughts, delusional fantasies, and extreme cynicism. Holden’s thoughts indicate a personal struggle with depression, a psychological malady that strongly influences him.
Who does Holden call phony?
Holden expands his definition of phony to include anyone who is not 100% genuine at all times or that he doesn’t like. People who are charismatic, wealthy, attractive, friendly to others, or superficial are phonies according to Holden.
What makes Holden Caulfield a phony?
Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, a novel about a teenager’s many frustrations with the world, 16-year-old Holden Caulfield constantly encounters people and situations that strike him as “phony.” This is a word he applies to anything hypocritical, shallow, inauthentic, or otherwise fake.