Holden’s ‘Phonies’ vs. Phoebe’s Truth
Holden has a habit of deeming almost everyone as “phonies” and, in doing so, gradually destroys most of his relationships. This trait leaves Holden incredibly lonely—ironic for a guy with so many connections. He pushes people away the moment he senses an ounce of insincerity, like when he casually cuts off Sally Hayes, or when he basically disowns his own brother, D.B., for selling out to Hollywood. That’s right: he’s so allergic to “phoniness” that he can’t stomach someone—even his brother—writing scripts for movies. As Holden famously states, “If there’s one thing I hate, it’s the movies. Don’t even mention them to me.”
However Holden has a golden trio of people he genuinely respects and even idolized: Allie, Jane, and Phoebe. Out of these three, however, Holden only maintains regular contact with Phoebe. For Holden, their relationship is both refreshing and necessary. Holden sees Phoebe as incredibly smart, funny, and respectable, and unlike Holden's opinions on most characters, his opinion of Phoebe agrees with the Phoebe we see during his interactions. However, Phoebe shares flaws like everyone else in the book, they are just less apparent and Holden is less ready to immediately point them out or amplify them. While it may seem that he holds Phoebe in too high of a regard, I think it only somewhat feels that way because of how Holden continuously puts down everyone else. Phoebe's "flaws" are mainly in-line with Holden's own flaws or childlike behavior, so are less apparent and harder for Holden to point out.
Holden's relationship with Phoebe is not without hiccups, as no non-phony relationship is. However, the only major dispute they have was out of love and ends in a better situation for both of them. After Holden tells Phoebe he's leaving and asks to meet with her, Phoebe comes with her suitcase begging to go with him and becoming a big nuisance for Holden. Phoebe says that she will quit school and go on the ridiculous adventure with him. By showing him his own reflection, Phoebe makes him realize the stupidity in his actions. While I don't think Phoebe perfectly calculated the plan--as it felt like an emotional and impulsive--I do think she intended on forcing Holden to stay by being insensible. Phoebe has shown that she is cunning and understanding, even in the short time she is actively in the story. When Holden's parents come home, she is able to convincingly lie about how she thinks Holden is away, even saying "Holden comes home on Wednesday right?"
Holden’s loneliness stems from pushing people away, but Phoebe doesn’t give him that option. She’s the anchor that keeps him from drifting off into his own self-imposed isolation. When he’s with her, we get a small glimpse of how Holden could be if he weren’t so hung up on everyone’s “phoniness.” Her very presence reminds him that not everything—and not everyone—has to be written off.
That’s why the ending resonates so strongly. After the chaos and self-sabotage, Holden stands watching Phoebe on the carousel, almost moved to tears. He starts to think maybe life isn’t just one big phony act, after all. As he says near the end, “Don’t ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody," perfectly capturing that strange paradox of closeness and distance he’s always grappling with.
- Kyle Fan
I think your analysis of Holden's unique relationship with Phoebe does a great job of highlighting how she serves as his lifeline. It's interesting that he pushes everyone away but feels obliged to unconditionally respect Phoebe because they're so similar and he doesn't want to dislike Phoebe. I also like how you pointed out that this relationship is what allows his stubborn mindset to become more reasonable.
ReplyDeleteI think your analysis of Holden's hatred of "phonies" as one of the reasons he sometimes gets into arguments with Phoebe is very accurate. Her ability to disagree with him while making him think he's wrong is very unique, and something that sets her apart as a character. She's definitely one of the most important people in Holden's life, and you did a good job of highlighting their complex relationship.
ReplyDeleteHello Kyle. Phoebe is certainly an interesting character, and a central one at that. With other people, like Spencer, Holden is able to tune their criticisms out, dismissing them as phony and unworthy of respect. However, Phoebe's status as the only non-phony Holden regularly contacts makes it impossible for him to push her away like the rest of the world. To Holden, who had been living in his own world, Phoebe's criticism was a jarring awakening. Great work!
ReplyDeleteThis is a great analogy using Phoebe as mirror to the childishness that Holden's sees in himself. That scene at the end where Holden is mentally finished and sees Phoebe leaving her nice life, abandoning future plans and consequences, he lashes out in anger, I think ultimately at himself for the stupidity of his and Phoebe's actions. He respects her because there's a small version of Holden he sees in her, one that hasn't been tainted by horrific experiences.
ReplyDeleteKyle, you really captured how Holden’s obsession with phoniness isolates him, even though he craves connection. His quick dismissal of people like Sally and D.B. highlights how his own actions lead to his loneliness. I love how you pointed out that Phoebe is the one person who consistently grounds him, and how he doesn't see her flaws the way he does with others. The moment where she tries to join him on his "escape" shows how well she understands him, forcing him to face his own behavior. The ending, with Holden watching Phoebe on the carousel, shows a small but important shift in his perspective, where he starts to question if life is really as "phony" as he thinks.
ReplyDeleteHi Kyle, great essay! I think that Holden and Phoebe’s relationship is such a crucial part of the book. Holden holds Phoebe in such a bright light and really respects her, and Phoebe is smart enough to really see and understand Holden. This is what allowed Phoebe to pull Holden out of the unrealistic “manic” stage he was in.
ReplyDeleteI really like your analysis of Holden’s relationship with Phoebe and how she challenges his perspective. It’s interesting how she’s one of the only people he doesn’t label as a phony, which says a lot about how he views authenticity. Great post!
ReplyDeleteIt's true that Holden seems to be very let-down by D.B. and his recent career choices, and indeed it is one of the rare marks in Antolini's favor that his view on D.B.'s move to LA is the same as Holden's. But it's not quite right to refer to Holden "basically disowning" his older brother: he has a new skepticism toward his judgment (as when he disputed D.B.'s take on the movie of _Hamlet_), and he views Hollywood as inherently "phony," so of course it means that D.B. has to write a screenplay about something he knows nothing about ("Annapolis, for chrissake"). But he also (classic Caulfield Contradiction) seems pretty impressed with his Jaguar, and we get clear indications that he is closely in touch with D.B. during his time out west, where he's "taking it easy." D.B. is going to pick him up when he's released (they can tour Universal Studios together! Holden will love it!), and they've been talking about the "madman stuff" that Holden went through the previous Christmas.
ReplyDeleteDo we even know if D.B. is aware that he has fallen so far in his younger brother's estimation? There's no indication that Holden has voiced his skepticism toward Hollywood at any length, and even if he has, D.B. might see it as simply a source of honest disagreement.
Your main point still stands, of course--we get the general impression that Holden is a VERY hard-to-please judge of character, and that even someone as impressive and cool as D.B. will inevitably let him down. Some skeptical readers might even suggest that he EXPECTS to be let down, so he is predisposed to this state of perpetual disappointment.