Holden holds strong opinions about ethics and morality, but throughout the novel ends up defying those principles, which indicate his hypocrisy. For example, Holden is very much against profanity, and when encountering swear words on the walls of his younger sister’s school, immediately ‘rubbed it out..finally’ (181). However, throughout the novel, and ironically even while Holden explains the writing on the wall, he constantly makes use of terms classifiable as expletives. ‘It drove me damn near crazy. I thought how Phoebe and all the other little kids would see it and how the’d wonder what the hell it meant...days’ (180). Holden’s actions and words oppose each other. Holden’s intention is to put an end to the curse words in the school, but by doing so, he utilizes those words in his speech, and ends up adding to them.
As a person who holds characteristics of a hypocrite, Holden often draws attention to the flaws and hypocrisy demonstrated by other people, his most commonly used word being ‘phony.’ Holden sees adulthood as the place of phoniness, and as a result resists growing up. For example, Holden considers his brother D.B. a sellout, because he writes scripts for the over exaggerated Hollywood, instead of raw and serious material. In addition, Holden finds phoniness in the character Sally Hayes. Sally tends to flit from one thing to another in the moments she notices them, and over-exaggerates her emotions. For example, she constantly uses Holden’s most despised word, ‘grand.’ This, in Holden’s mind, automatically classifies her as a phony.
Holden’s actions denote his hypocrisy. From the beginning until the very end of the novel, Holden continually finds fault and phoniness in the people around him. What Holden does not realize from his own words, is that he too can be considered a phony and hypocrite. For example, Holden frequently comes across opportunities to reunite with his somewhat love interest, Jane Gallagher, but always ends up making excuses to himself to not to. For example, in the beginning of the novel, Holden has the chance to see Jane, as she is waiting to go on a date with Holden’s roommate Stradlater. ‘I kept thinking about Jane’ (53). This shows Holden’s own phoniness, because despite the number of chances he has to see Jane, he never does due to his fear of rejection.
In conclusion, Holden is a hypocritical character. His personal phoniness is manifested through his contradiction of his own moral standards. Holden claims to be an ethical character, yet violates so many of his self contrived principles. In addition, Holden’s own hypocrisy is reinforced in his condemnation of other characters. With the exception of a handful of individuals, throughout the novel, Holden finds and blatantly mentions the imperfections of every character he interacts with. Moreover, Holden’s actions reflect his hypocrisy. He practices in many activities he considers phony, and does not undertake the ‘suitable’ ones. These elements fortify the idea that Holden is a hypocrite, which makes him an emotionally conflicted character.
