Phony Encounters In JD Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, the protagonist Holden Caulfield critiques people for being deceptive or, as he would say phony. He uses the word "phony" to describe people that are false, counterfeit, or untrue to themselves. Holden has a broad definition of the word "phony". Many characters, in Holden's mind, can be classified as phony in the novel. For example, his classmates at Pency Prep, Elkton Hills, people who use …showed first 75 words of 1818 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1818 total…It is during adulthood that people create an image about themselves. They go to excessive heights to maintain that image, sometimes changing their principles or beliefs, thus making themselves phony. This sickens Holden as he is brought up with Kogut 7 honesty and virtue and as Holden sees people for what they really are, he realizes that only a handful of righteous people exist. Kogut 8 Work Cited Salinger, J.D. The Catcher in the Rye. Little