Holden Caufield and his author J. D. Salinger both had parents of different religious faiths, so
they are sensitive to religious phoniness and stereotyping
. Salinger had one parent who was Catholic and one who was Jewish, so there was some religious identity issues and confusion.
What does Holden dislike about religion?
Holden admits that he didn’t “go to church or anything” because his parents are of different religions; as a result, he contends that all of the children in his family “are
atheists
.” Furthermore, he disdains ministers because they have “Holy Joe voices” that make them sound “phony” when they talk.
Why does Holden say that asking people about their religion is just like those suitcases What do the two situations have in common?
Holden Caulfield recognizes
that there are social and religious barriers among people that cannot be crossed
. The suitcases symbolize these unspoken barriers.
What are Holden’s views on religion?
He says
he sees himself as an atheist, but admits to liking Jesus
. He says he doesn’t like the other people in the bible, but he likes Jesus. He talks about how the world is not pure anymore, and this goes to show that he has form of knowledge of bible teaching.
What does religion symbolize in Catcher in the Rye?
The Catcher in the Rye treats religion much the same way as it does education. There may be an intrinsic value to it, but who can tell? It’s been ruined by institutions and the phony people who run them. To Holden, religion is just one more way of creating
social barriers
and encouraging people to be phony.
Who is Holden’s favorite biblical character?
It is telling that, other than Jesus, Holden’s favorite character in the Bible is “
that lunatic and all, that lived in the tombs and kept cutting himself with stones
.” He refers to Mark 5: 1-20, in which Jesus meets the troubled soul whose “name is Legion: for we are many.” Holden himself is a troubled soul and, like …
Why did Holden say he didn’t like the disciples?
Holden doesn’t like the disciples of Jesus therefore because,
to him, they sum up what is wrong with the various people in his world that he tries to connect with: they are phony and cannot be trusted, as they kept “letting
[Jesus] down.” Holden is desperately trying to find somebody who he can connect with in a …
Why do cheap suitcases make Holden feel sad and angry?
He feels bad when people have cheap
looking suitcases- we see that Holden is from the upper class and he realizes the difference between him and others. … Holden gives the nuns money- they have cheap suitcases.
What is Holden really talking about when he discusses the suitcases?
Holden is talking about
prejudices that are deeply ingrained in people
. Having a nice suitcase identifies an individual as belonging to a high social class, something to which most people aspire even while pretending that they don’t.
How does Holden hide his feelings?
He decides to hide
in a seedy hotel that is filled with undesirable people
. Holden’s experiences at this hotel, including getting beat up by Maurice, the pimp/elevator operator, cause him to get closer and closer to an emotional breakdown.
What religion is Holden’s family?
Holden’s parents are “different religions, and all the children in [his] family are
atheists
” (112). He even goes as far as complaining about how “[ministers] sound so phony when they talk” (112). Even though his attitude towards religion is so negative, Holden stills goes back to it when he feels alone.
Why does Ackley annoy Holden?
For instance, Holden indicates his awareness that Ackley behaves in annoying ways because he
is insecure and unpopular
, but instead of trying to imagine what Ackley wants or why he does things, he focuses on Ackley’s surface—literally, his skin.
What does Holden think about the truth?
‘(page 1) Throughout the novel, he avoids telling the truth about anything too “personal” or “boring.” This suggests he thinks
nothing of being economical with the truth for his own convenience
. He certainly seems eager to decide for himself how much he’s going to tell you.
What does Holden say about Jesus?
“
In the first place, I’m sort of an atheist. I like Jesus and all, but I don’t care too much for most of the other stuff in the Bible
. Take the Disciples, for instance. They annoy the hell out of me, if you want to know the truth.
Why does Holden spoil the conversation?
Holden feels that once people have classified you as being of a certain religion, it changes the way they relate to you; their ability to see you as you really are is
clouded
by the attributes they begin to ascribe to you because of the group with which you are affiliated.
Why does it bother Holden that Catholics are always trying to find out if you’re a Catholic?
He concludes the same about people from different religions; Catholics are always trying to find out if you’re a Catholic too, he says,
because they’d enjoy the conversation more if you were
. In Holden’s mind, all these constructions create social barriers.
