"God Damn Phonies"

Anyone read The Catcher in the Rye? Most people either love it or hate it.

The book follows a short portion of a sixteen year old boy named Holden Caulfield's life. Holden is a perfect example of an antihero, people can either totally relate to him, or think he's just a big baby. He walks through life with a terrible attitude towards the people around him, thinks everyone is out to get him, and is always lonely. He constantly calls everyone "phony" because he thinks that everyone is out to get him, or only interested in themselves.

The first time I read it, I loved it. I read the whole book comparing myself to Holden and constantly feeling like he was just like myself. Not that I have a poor attitude towards other people, but I often find myself a little bit down on the inside and felt like Holden was that part of me.

After processing the book, and talking to one of my teachers about some of the symbolism involved and some of the deeper meanings, I realized that this book was written to relate to me, at that perfect age and maturity. During our teenage years, it is easy to feel like we are alone. We have parents, we have our friends, but we never feel like anyone truly understands us. I know my early teenage years were plagued with loneliness. Not because I had any special issues, or because I am chronically depressed, but because of my age. I now see that almost every teenager feels like this. It is normal to feel sad sometimes when your a teenager. With puberty taking hold, our bodies are changing so fast that, at times our emotions can be simply erratic.

When I read the book now, I identify Holden as that sad, immature, antihero. I see that he only feels that way because of his age, not because he has a magical perspective on life that applies to so many. Reading the book helped me to identify these faults in my own personality. I see that while most people really are only out to benefit themselves, that, that is OK. It is just as self-centered to think that everyone else is out to harm you.

I think every teen should read The Catcher in the Rye. Not because they have to, to pass some class, but because, for some, it can be a great tool for self improvement.

Anyone else read the book?
Anyone else feel this way?


Know of any serious phonies?
Talk shit about them in the comments.
They will probably never see it.