Holden Caulfield: The Onion Returns

So, after over two weeks of reading Catcher in the Rye, what may be deduced about Holden Vitamin Caulfield? It may be concluded that he is an onion--just like the rest of us! Yes, with his many layers of complexity, he is an onion. He is a complex human being who constantly teeters from ingeniousness to insanity, just like other humans. He is not encapsulated by any one thing. He is a chromous, exotic flower that blooms at night. Holden Caulfield may be a cussing, indifferent seeming teenager, but he has layers that have not been accounted for: he is the catcher in the rye. He rescues and protects the innocence of children so they will not be indoctrinated by phonies. Everyone has strong opinions about something, and Holden has a strong opinion about phonies, fakes who hunt down the real people. Holden refuses to acknowledge he is a phony, though. He criticizes other people based on intricate details as well, like some of us. But he also has principles. He defends Jane and then is beaten to a pulp by Stradlater. That takes real dedication. He also loves like us humans. He is a bit over the moon for Jane Gallagher, always holding hands with her in a friendly way and kissing her when she cries. Holden, like the rest of us, fights battles that occur inside him, and his faults and talents are inextricably intertwined to each other.