Catcher In The Rye: Main Character Conflicts

In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield is a teenage boy whose conscience and personality somewhat conflict with the social and moral values of his society. In the novel, he over-reacts to many everyday problems by over analyzing situations, placing blame and passing judgment. Through conflicts such as arrogance, sexual ignorance, and compulsive lying, Holden realizes that he does not fit into the basic standards of society.

One of Holden’s problems is his tendency to lie about everything even when unnecessary. “I am the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life” (16) was how he explained himself. “If I’m on my way to buy a magazine, even, and somebody asks me where I’m goi

ng, I’m liable to say I’m going to the opera” (16). This is just one example of a lie that is unnecessary. This problem of Holden’s makes it very hard for him to be a dependable person and in his society, dependability is highly valued.

While Holden is a very in-depth thinking and perceptive individual, his over-analysis quick judgments frequently get him into trouble. He exhibits two conflicting personality traits with his insecurity and his arrogance. He is insecure about the way he comes across to others, but at the same time he is judging them on whether or not they themselves are “real” or “phony”. Throughout the novel it becomes apparent that Holden himself is the phony.

Holden’s biggest conflict with society is

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