One of Holden’s hypocritical actions was to lie just for the fun of it. One example of this was when Holden was on his way to New York from Pencey Prep, the prep school which he attended. He found the mother of Ernest Morrow, a colleague of his from Pencey, on the train, and apparently, Holden was not too fond of this kid. He told her his name was Rudolph Schmidt, because he felt that by giving her his real name, he would be telling her his “whole family story.” He created the most scandalous lie about Ernest, saying that he was one of the most sensitive kids in school, and that he willingly did not accept the position of class president because he was so shy and he thought it better if another kid took the position, which, according to Holden was completely false, “Her son was doubtless the biggest bastard that ever went to Pencey, in the whole crumby history of the school” (54). Towards the end of their conversation, Holden tells the mother that the reason why he was going back home early was because he was getting a brain tumor removed. He then told her not to worry because it will only take about two minutes to remove. “…Just to stop lying. Once I get started, I can go on for hours if I feel like it. No kidding. Hours” (58). These absurd lies that Holden makes up are exactly what makes him the same as all of the “phonies” and “bastards” that he can’t stop criticizing. Holden’s constant lying habit could be a mockery to his society. He is probably just giving them what he feels they give him; dishonesty and fakeness. This is why he felt bad when he lied to Ernest’s mother train after he found out that she was a sincere woman. In spite of this, he does not have the license to judge all of the fake people he goes to school with, if he behaves just like them. Perhaps he thinks himself better than them because he judges them. Perhaps he thinks himself superior, but he does not know that socially, he is at their same level.
Holden, also like a good phony, would lie so that his state of thought would be accepted. He had quite a few teachers that were concerned about his future, and they gave him advice on what his plans for life should be. An example of one of these teachers is Mr. Spencer. He was Holden’s History teacher and he was personally interested in the well being of Holden. He invited him over to his house one day, where they struck up a conversation that Holden found quite insolent and helpless. While Mr. Spencer was giving Holden advice and telling him the “truth about life,” Holden was completely disagreeing with him, but he failed to tell him, and instead of being honest, he lied to him. Spencer said, “ ‘Life is a game my boy. Life is a game that one plays according to the rules.’ ‘Yes, sir. I know it is. I know it.’ Game, my ass. Some game…the other side, where there aren’t any hot-shots, then what’s game about it? Nothing. No game” (8). Holden’s internal dialogue was completely contradictory to his actions here. This was the mentality of the perfect “phony,” saying one thing, and thinking something completely different. Of course, Holden was lying to Spencer because he was seeking acceptance from him. He did not want him to think that he was a complete academic dud, so he pretended to agree with him. This is yet, another characteristic of a phony; lying to be accepted. Holden is fake himself , which he actually admitted to the fact that he was a compulsive liar when he said, “I’m the most terrific liar you saw in your life. It’s awful” (16), yet he still felt he had the right to call the headmaster a “phony” shortly before that episode. Holden made himself feel better than the headmaster by calling him a “phony”, but he could not see that he was acting just like one when he spoke with Mr. Spencer.
Holden, as well as being unable to be honest with people he hardly knew, was also unable to be honest with the people he respected, and respected him back. Another teacher that Holden had a “phony” experience with was with one of his old teachers, Mr. Antolini. He and Holden had a good relationship in the past; “He was about the best teacher I ever had” (174). Holden really liked and respected Antolini for an act of bravery that he once did when a colleague of Holden’s, James Castle, jumped pout of a window, and Mr. Antolini, alone, went to check his pulse, and carried him to the infirmary of the school with his own jacket wrapped around the bloody body. Mr. Antolini was also there for Holden when he called him up asking him for a place to stay, which Antolini very willingly accepted. At his house, Antolini spoke to Holden about his future, pointing out very good points about Holden’s life. Unfortunately, Holden was too busy thinking about how tired he was and about how badly he wanted to sleep, so he yawned in front of Mr. Antolini in the middle of his conversation. It is understandable that Holden was tired, but Antolini was letting him sleep over at his, and considering all of the “respect” that Holden had for him, the least he could have done was listen to him and not be rude. Later that night, Holden finds Mr. Antolini padding his head while he was sleeping. Holden immediately puts his clothes on and leaves, and lies to Antolini telling him that he had to go to the train station to get his bags because he left all of his money in there (192). Holden likes and respects Mr. Antolini, and says that he is best teacher that he’s ever had, yet he can’t even be honest with him. It is understandable that Holden has had several encounters with “perverty” guys, but Holden should know how to differentiate between people that care about him, and people that don’t. He’s just “too good” to make any exceptions, and given that Holden has a lot of respect for Antolini, he is acting quite hypocritical by being so dishonest with him.
The only difference between Holden and “phonies”, is that Holden likes to point out and criticize their “phoniness”, while the “phonies” just live their lives in a more normal way. By doing this, he automatically thinks that he is the “different superior” one, and that nobody else can see what he sees because they are too blinded by their own “phoniness”. Being dishonest, having “compulsive lying disorder”, and being a hypocrite, are all forms of “phoniness”, and all of these features combined together, make up a “phony” person. Criticizing others in things that you do yourself is not going to make you superior; it will make you equal to them., and this, is what Holden failed to see.