Catcher in the Rye: Who is the "Hero"?

The "hero" of The Catcher in the Rye is Holden Caulfield. A boy who has grown up in the life of higher-class New York. He has attended many prep schools through out his education career and I say many because he has flunked out of a few of them. Holden sees the world in a different point of view then everyone else. He has opinions about everything and everyone and he does not seem to have any trouble in expressing them (provocatively). Almost everyone he meets, other than his kid sister Phoebe, is a phony. "I was surrounded by jerks. I'm not kidding." (Salinger, 111) All of the boys at school, all his teachers, everyone who was ever involved in the making of a movie, Hollywood, his brother who moved to Hollywood, random people in hotels and clubs, they all are phonies. He was born with a great vision and perception of what beauty is and if something is not beautiful then it is phony. Holden seems to be very intellectual boy but says that he does not want to apply himself at school because of how phony the whole concept of school and everyone in it is, except for him of course. Which is one of his traits, being judgmental.

He seems to also be very giving especially towards his sister Phoebe. He buys her records, likes to talk to her the most, spends a lot of time with her, taking her to the zoo, buying her tickets for rides, and much more. Holden is not mean or cruel in this book he just knows what he likes and does not like at all and Phoebe is someone he cares deeply for.

Holden also has a taste for the good life. He manages to spend all of his money in just three days on drinks, food, taxis, hotels, even a prostitute and he is not use to not having much money(Salinger, ). Holden almost stops eating and has to ask Phoebe for some money just to get him through the other few days(Salinger,232).

Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown, 1951. Print