Holden Caulfield, the main character in J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, has many characteristics that are all his own, such as the way he views the world, his friends and his family.

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Holden Caulfield, the main character in J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, has many characteristics that are all his own, such as the way he views the world, his friends and his family. One of the main things that characterizes Holden, is that way that he thinks the entire world is "phony."

Holden's view of the world as "phony" is a very strong one, and in most cases, is correct. Holden thinks that the majority of the people in the world are putting on some sort of an act to impress or befriend people. In a way, Holden is probably correct in thinking that most of the people he came in contact with are "phony," such as his roommate at Pencey, Ward Stradlater. In one instance, Holden refers to Stradlater as a "secret slob." He describes how Stradlater always tries to be neat and tidy on the outside so as to impress people, but how he is not when you get to know him. In the scene where Holden and Stradlater are in the "can," and Stradlater is getting ready for a date, Holden describes Stradlater's razor as "rusty as hell and full of lather and hair and