The Catcher in the Rye Essay: Confused HoldenJ. D. Salinger presents the image of an atypical teenager in The Catcher in the Rye. Holden is much more than a troubled teenager going through "a phase." Indeed Holden is a very special boy with special needs. He does not understand and does not want to understand the world around him. In fact, most of the book details his guilty admissions of all the knowledge he knows but wishes he hadn't. Although his innocence regarding issues related to school, money, and sexuality has already been lost, he still hopes to protect others from learning about these adult topics. Holden, unlike the usual imaginary teenager, does not express normal rebellion. He distrusts his teachers and his parents not because he wants to separate from them, but because he cannot understand them. In fact there is little in the world that he understands. The only people he trusts and respects are Allie, his deceased brother, and Phoebe, his younger sister. Everyone else is fake in some way. Holden uses the word false to identify everything he rejects in the world. He rejects his roommate Stradlater because Stradlater doesn't appreciate the memories Holden holds so dear (Allie's baseball glove and Jane's kings in the back row). Even Ernie, the pianist, is fake because he is too skilled. Holden automatically associates skill with arrogance (no doubt from past experiences) and therefore fails to separate the two. Even Holden's most trusted teacher, Mr. Antolini, turns out to be a fraud when he tries to pet Holden. So the poor boy is left with a series of memories, some good but mostly bad. Yet, thanks to these memories, Holden has developed the unique ability to speak candidly (though not articulately) about the people he meets. Although he seems very skeptical about the world, he is actually simply baffled. His vocabulary often makes him seem harsh, but he is actually a very strong-willed individual. Holden has no concept of pain and often likes to think of himself as a martyr for a worthy cause. This is demonstrated after the fight with Maurice, after which he imagines his guts spilling out onto the floor. The end of the book demonstrates significant growth on Holden's part. Although Holden is initially quick to condemn those around him as fakes (such as Stradlater and Ackley), his more recent encounters with others demonstrate that he is becoming more tolerant and less judgmental..