How might you refute the argument that Holden's plight derives from him simply being a misanthrope and/or hypocrite?
In the Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield is discontent emotionally and has to deal with his issues continuously. Holden appears to be unable to enjoy many things in life due to his cynicism and hypocrisy. As Holden narrates the story, he has a tendency to make himself appear to be much more superior than most other people he encounters. He claims other people are ‘phony,’ however; he secretly criticizes most people he sees but does not have the guts to confront them and accuse those certain people. This shows his hypocrisy, which consistently prevails throughout the novel. In addition to that, as I have said, he complains about other people and their fraudulence. Holden, however, continues to insult certain things in society, such as movies, which he declares that it promotes the corruption of society. His cynicism towards society appears all throughout the book. Therefore, it is doubtless that Holden is a hypocrite and misanthrope. Many may argue that this impacts his emotional well-being. However, there are many other reasons that may disprove this consensus. Holden’s plight may be due to his loneliness. Throughout the story, he attempts to connect with anybody and even tries to associate with people he thought of as inferiors. Such examples of his desperate need for social interaction was with Ackley after his fight with Stradlater, Sally Hayes and Carl Luce while venturing alone in New York City. An additional example of where Holden feels the need to connect with people is in the museum. He attempts to connect with the children, which he believes are the essence of innocence and purity, something that he admires heavily. However, the children eventually abandon him as he was showing them the museum. This left him all alone and unwanted, even by children, those who he admires for not knowing much about the world. Consequently, these examples show that Holden’s inability to feel needed and wanted is a major cause for his troubles.
