Character Analysis of Holden Caulfield Since its publication in 1951, J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye has served as a storm of controversy and debate. Salinger's portrayal of Holden, which includes incidents of depression, nervous breakdowns, impulsive spending, sexual exploration, rudeness, and other erratic behavior, are all attributed to the controversial nature of the novel. Holden embarks on a journey and at every turn of the road he faces inner conflicts in search of the truth in a society full of falsehoods. Holden is by far the most complex character in the book. His role is surrounded by 2 main themes which serve as his inner conflicts: a critic towards society and an adolescent stuck between the world of childhood and that of adulthood. These two themes are linked to him through the two children in his life whom he respects the most: his brother Allie and his little sister Phoebe. They play the greatest role in Holden's self-realization. There are two Holdens in this room. One is the character and the other is the narrator. His honesty is entirely internalized. He admits his faults and lies in the narration, but cannot do the same to others. Personally, I like reading stories where the main character narrates the story. In this way, I noticed some contradictions in Holden's personality. He criticizes everyone in society for being impostors while he lies all the time, which leads him to be an imposter himself. From the beginning of the story, he begins to "shoot the bull" with his history teacher, Mr. Spencer, who failed him. In chapter 3, his first sentence is "I am the most terrible liar you have ever seen in your life." Even as he leaves Pency Prep, he gives a false name to the mother of one of his classmates. It seems to me that his criticism of the world resides first and foremost in himself. He has isolated himself from the world, which makes him an outcast. And by criticizing everything around him, it seems like Holden's way of justifying how the world is a bad place and that growing up and leaving teenagers behind is something no one should do. Holden's journey takes him through a cross-section of American society.