What does it mean to be phony, according to Holden? Is Holden himself guilty of being a phony? Explain.

What does it mean to be phony, according to Holden? Is Holden himself guilty of being a phony? Explain.



Holden is very judgemental about everything and everyone. To be phony it means that you are fake, that you don't act like yourself. A lot of people in this book, Holden refers to as phony. The girl he likes; Jane Gallagher is someone that he even calls phony. The only person he doesn't call phony in this book is his sister Phoebe. He really likes his little sister and can pretty much tell anything to. He also doesn't call his brother Allie phony, but he is not alive in this book.
In a sense Holden is being phony in this book because he doesn't act like himself around peoples parents that their kids go to his school. He always seems to tell the parents that their child is a very nice kid and that he gets along with them very well some of the time. But really he doesn't like their child at all and he doesn't want to say anything to them about what he really thinks because he wants them to like him.

Is it possible to protect everything that matters to you.

Is it possible to protect everything that matters to you...
With one person there are many things that would matter a lot to you. I think it would be difficult to be able to protect every little thing, but you can and will always try. Holden really likes Jane Gallagher and trys to figure out what her and Stradlater did when they went out. Stradlater wouldn't tell him what they did it makes Holden worried. He keeps asking Stradlater what they did, but he never answers. If you cant completely protect something then you can always just look out for that person or whatever is it. If its something or someone that matters a lot to them you will do what ever you can to make sure they are alright. Holden has a baseball glove from his brother, the one he used to use when he played baseball with. The glove is something that is important to him because its from the brother that passed away(Allie). Holden always has it where he goes, not like everywhere but its always comes with him if hes moving around like going to different schools. He wrote Stradlaters paper on it cause it is something that he can talk about and be descriptive about.

Be true to yourself.

To me, when someone says "be true to yourself" I think you would have to be loyal to yourself everyone else around you. Being true to yourself is going to make your life better for you and for the people around you. Always thing positively and believe in yourself. Never be afraid to be to accept yourself and who are you are. Being true to yourself means to act in accordance with who you are and what you believe. We must all be true to ourselves. If we are not true to ourselves we cannot be true to others. Also by living your life to the fullest you will be able to be true to yourself. Always be yourself, even if it means that someone wont accept you for who you are. If someone doesn't accept you for who you are then really there is no point in waisting your own time trying to be someone else just to make them happy. They are not a good of a friend if they wont accept you for who you are. Do anything that makes you happy and not someone else.


“Above all, be true to yourself, and if you cannot put your heart in it, take yourself out of it.”