Vivian Chen

AP English 3
Summer Assignment

The Catcher in the Rye: Lying as a Motif

1. After Holden leaves Pencey, he meets a woman on the train, who happens to be a classmate’s
mother. While they converse about Pencey, Holden realizes he is lying excessively: “Then I
started reading this timetable I had in my pocket. Just to stop lying. Once I got started, I can go
on for hours if I feel like it” (58; ch. 8).

Holden introduces himself as Randolf Schmidt, showering Mrs. Morrow with flattering stories
about her son, none of which are true. He finds it rather humorous to trick the gullible woman,
seeming to draw enjoyment from it. Because Holden claims that he has a tendency to lie, it
demonstrates his inability to articulate himself honestly. This suggests that Holden fails to
communicate with adults, or does not feel comfortable with it. In most literature, names are
usually associated with the concept of identity. Because Holden chooses not to reveal his true
name, he expresses dissatisfaction with his identity and his life. He is afraid to recognize his
flaws and accept his misfortunes, such as expulsion from Pencey and the tragic death of Allie.
Holden is not content with his current situation, nor does he admit that it is the result of his
careless, irresponsible behavior. While he approaches strangers with the intention of becoming
friends, he hesitates to be truthful with them. It seems that every time Holden is on the verge of
developing a deeper relationship with someone, he suddenly flees from it with insecurity.
Perhaps this can be justified by his fear of the adult world. He refers to most adults throughout
the novel as “phonies.” According to Holden’s paradigm, the adult lifestyle and way of thinking
is polluted with hypocrisy, corruption and shallowness. This may be judgmental on Holden’s
part, for he speaks with a tongue of critique and disapproval. Shortly after his encounter with
Mrs. Morrow, Holden feels an urge to chat with someone over the phone, and even invites the
taxi driver to have a drink. The driver declines on the offer, and Holden cannot reach anyone
through the phone. Isolated and lonesome, Holden is desperate for a companion who understands
him. At the same time, his attempts to bond with strangers fail due to his lying and introversive
behavior.
2. At the Edmont Hotel, Holden requests the company of a prostitute for the night. Maurice, the
bellboy, sends Sunny, a girl who is surprisingly young. Because he feels uncomfortable with
Sunny’s presence, he tells her that he underwent a surgical operation: “Boy I was getting
nervous. ‘The thing is, I had an operation very recently’” (96; ch. 13).

Besides lying about the operation, Holden falsely claims his name is Jim Steele. He is partly
disgusted with himself for requesting the company of prostitute. By omitting his name, Holden
believes that it will somehow protect him from the immorality of his actions. Holden’s parents
are of an advantageous background, and provide him with everything except affection, care and
emotional support. Growing up of loving parents and the traumatic experience of Allie’s death
fuels Holden’s need for love. Sunny arrives at Holden’s room, ready to engage in intimacy.
Although Holden is aware that he did ask for the prostitute, it was not because he wanted sexual
pleasure. Lacking a nurturing mother figure and suffering from his reminiscent thoughts of Jane
Gallagher, he is desperate to feel the love deprived from him. Holden turns to a prostitute in
hopes to fulfill this need. However, Holden soon realizes that this is not the kind of love he is
searching for. Whereas Sunny removes her dress and behaves with vulgarity, Holden requests
that they simply talk. Holden’s desire is innocent in comparison to Sunny’s intentions. By lying
about his operation, he protects himself from sexual pleasure, which is an action Holden
associates with the corruption of adults. Holden maintains his innocence on a by guarding his
virginity. On a symbolic level, he remains untainted by the corrupt adult world. Earlier in the
novel, readers assume that Holden’s are a habit, or part of his personality. At this point, the motif
of lying can be considered as a developed reflex. Holden responds with lies in a situation where
his innocence is threatened; it serves as a defensive barrier. He indirectly protects Sunny’s
innocence as well. She is described as a youthful, nervous girl with an “itty bitty voice” (98; ch.
13). Holden expresses his emotions of distress and depression when considering Sunny’s
degrading job as a prostitute, proving himself as an empathetic character. His rejection of sexual
indulgence supports the overarching theme of the preservation of innocence.
3. Holden secretly visits Phoebe at his house late at night, while his parents are out. When their
mother questions Phoebe about the strange scent of cigarettes that are from Holden, Phoebe lies
to conceal Holden’s presence:
“Phoebe, have you been smoking a cigarette in here? Tell me the truth, please, young
lady.”
“What?” old Phoebe said.
“You heard me.”
“I just lit it for one second. It was just one puff. Then I threw it out the window.”

Though Holden is the main liar in the novel, there are instances when others lie as well. By
risking punishment for Holden’s wrongdoings, Phoebe illustrates the brother-sister relationship
between them. At only 10 years old, she is the only person who genuinely listens to Holden and
cares for him when he has no one to turn to. She plays the role of the mental counselor to
Holden, as there exists a mutual understanding between the two. Throughout his night escapades
in New York, Holden constantly feels compelled to call Phoebe because he enjoys talking to her.
She is the epitome of purity and innocence, the concepts Holden values so highly. While he
protects her from corruption, she heals his loneliness and offers him love. Upon discovering
profanity written on the halls of Phoebe’s school, Holden responds with disgust. His attempt to
erase the profanity on the wall is an attempt to rid the world of all that threatens purity and
virtue. Phoebe is unlike the other characters in the novel because she is openly displays
emotional need and attachment to her brother. Phoebe’s affection causes Holden to feel valued
for once. Rarely does anyone care for Holden at the degree Phoebe does. When adults criticize
him for his expulsion from Pencey, he dismisses them as “phony.” However, Phoebe is able to
reach Holden: when she hears of her brother’s expulsion, she is irritated with his irresponsibility
yet fears that their father will punish him. Aside from her childlike qualities, Phoebe is in fact
much like a mother to him. Towards the end of the novel, she will not allow Holden to leave her,
insisting that she follows him. Through analyzing their close sibling relationship, it reveals a
facet of Holden’s character. Phoebe is the only sibling that he can communicate with. He fiercely
misses Allie, for he is dead and the loss continues to haunts him. Holden considers Allie’s death
at a young an age as a loss of innocence. Perhaps Holden’s dedication to protecting Phoebe’s
purity is a result of guilt that he could not prevent Allie’s death; he partly feels that it is his fault.
In this sense, his protective behavior towards his younger sister is an act of redemption for his
loss of Allie. Holden feels abandoned by all his siblings except for Phoebe. Allie is lost
physically, and D.B., though still alive, is lost through his Hollywood career. Holden feels that
his older brother truly has a talent for writing, but it is a wasted talent because he writes for the
corrupt movie business. From Holden’s view, this is a form of prostitution, as he sacrifices his
genuine talent for money.

4. “Then, just to show you how crazy I am, when we were coming out of this big clinch, I told
her I loved her and all. It was a lie, of course, but the thing is, I meant it when I said it. I’m crazy.
I swear to God I am” (125; ch. 17).

Holden arranges a date with Sally Hayes, a girl he used to see. Despite that Holden invited her to
accompany him to the movies, he continually judges her behavior the whole day. He analyzes
her every word for traces of phoniness, and grows increasingly irritated by her as their date
progresses. Holden clearly states at the beginning of the novel that he cannot stand the movies;
they represent an ideal he disagrees with. Films are stories with idealized people in fantasy
situations that would not occur in real life. For this reason, Holden is opposed watching movies
because they are brainwashing. Yet when he chooses to watch the Lunts show with Sally, the
reader wonders why he betrays his values. Likewise, during the taxi ride, he pleases Sally with
affection and a declaration of love. Holden later admits that it was a lie and that he does not love
Sally at all. According to Holden’s standards, Sally’s character simply radiates phoniness.
Phonies are hypocritical social climbers who are snobbish and egotistic. The few people Holden
loves are limited to his dead brother Allie and younger sister Phoebe. Other than those two,
almost every person Holden encounters is subject to critique. Perhaps the reason for his cynical
comments is that is provides an excuse for his own faults, misfortunes or jealousy. Adults and
adolescents alike cannot get along with Holden; labeling them makes it easier to accept that he
has no friends. The problem resides within Holden’s own self-deception, not the people he
criticizes. It is rather contradictory that Holden Caulfield, who believes the film business is
superficial, would arrange a date with Sally Hayes. This is not too different from D.B.’s so-
called “prostitution.” Holden is so desperate to bond with someone that he resorts to sacrificing
his own values and ideals as an exchange, again demonstrating his personal pain of loneliness.