The Catcher in the Rye Group

Question:

skittlez0617
skittlez0617
Student
High School - 11th Grade

Why is Holden Caulfield so contemptuous of D.B. in The Catcher in the Rye?

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Posted by skittlez0617 on Friday November 6, 2009 at 9:00 PM and tagged with brother, character, contemptuous, d.b., holden caulfield, personal judgement, the catcher in the rye.

Answers:

  1. parkerlee
    parkerlee Teacher

    eNotes Editor

    Holden considers that his older brother has sold himself out by sacrificing his artistic talent to acquire bourgeois status and a comfortable life. The reader cannot know, though, if this is really true or not since Holden is not exactly a reliable narrator. To him most everybody is "phony" and it seems as if Holden is subconsciously jealous of the success he himself has not attained. Since success is beyond his reach (or at least for the time being), he give it and most everybody associated with it "the sour grapes treatment."

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/catcher-in-the-rye/characters
    http://www.enotes.com/catcher-in-the-rye/tell-truth
    http://www.enotes.com/catcher-in-the-rye/themes

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    Posted by parkerlee on Saturday November 7, 2009 at 12:34 AM