1. Phonies - Holden thinks a lot of things that deal with the adult world are fake or “phony”. For example Holden thinks Pencey Prep School is phony. He thinks the ads for the school are misleading. Pencey advertises wealthy families. Holden is upset when someone steals his good fur coat at a football game. He questions why rich people steal when they can have anything they want. He calls his schoolmates actors. He thinks his teachers are fake. He hates administration and anyone that has anything to do with the school. He mainly thinks everyone at the school is ignorant and conceded. He feels like no one cares. He hates the school because he isn't successful there. Holden thinks the whole world is phony including himself. Holden is a negative teenage boy who wants to run away from society because he wants to get away from all the phonies. Holden feels like he needs to protect his sister Sally and the younger kids from all the phonies in the world.

2. Movies - Holden hates to see movies. He hates movies because he says the actors are phony and the movie isn't real. He thinks the theater where they show the movie is also phony because they’re not telling people the truth.He thinks the whole experience is just phony and to theatrical.. Holden says that movies are like poison to him and don't even get him started about the topic of movies. I think his hatred for movies is because Holden feels like his brother D.B sold out to Hollywood. He has a career in writing for the movies. He thinks it’s fake that his brother has wealth and fame from the movies. Holden is upset with his brother cause he feels like he abandoned Holden and his family. When Holden meets three women at a bar he shows his hatred towards these women because they are only interested in movies and famous actors. When Sunny, the prostitute, tells Holden she spend most of her time at the movies, he calls her the "queen of phonies". I think this shows Holden's jealously and he really would like the attention from other people.

3. School cliques-Holden doesn't like the stereotypical jock or frat boy. He feels everyone sticks together in these little cliques. The guys that are on the basketball team stick together. Certain religions stick together, the smart people stick together, the guys that have hobbies stick together. Kids in school clubs stick together. He thinks these people are phony and they’re just following what everyone else is doing. They don’t have their own opinions and views on life. They’re all the same and have the same interests and values. That makes everyone boring to him. He keeps to himself and ends up being lonely most of the time. If Holden was in a group with friends maybe he wouldn't feel so alone and would be happier and not depressed and miserable all the time.

4. Growing up/ childhood-Holden comes from an upper middle class family. His family wants him to be successful and send him to several prestigious prep schools. Holden is not close with either of his parents. His mother has not gotten over the death of her youngest son Allie. Holden describes his mother as fragile and nervous person. He feels guilty about being a burden to her. His older brother DB sold out to Hollywood. Holden feels left out and lonely. Holden doesn't want to be home when his parents find out he was kicked out of another prep school. He cant confide in his parents and tell them how he really feels. Holden is close to his sister Sally. He is upset Sally is growing and not the little kid he remembered. Holden wishes certain things could stay the way they were.Holden has no faith in the stability of his family. He wants to run off with Sally to save her. Holden is a naive teenager who wants to save the little kids from all the phoniness of the adult world. He's trying to shelter Sally.

5. Abrupt endings - Holden talks about how he left certain schools and places and didn’t have a proper good-bye. He didn’t like just leaving. He needed the closure and was sensitive about saying good-bye. He wanted to make some sort of connection with people. Mr Spencer was Holden’s favorite teacher at Pencey. Holden decides to go to his house and say good-bye to Mr. Spencer. Mr. Spencer begins to lecture Holden about getting a good education and Holden gets annoyed and cuts his visit short, When he left Pencey he stood on the top of the hill and yelled goodnight morons! I think he was upset about leaving and wanted to blame someone else. Holden is truly sensitive and hates not getting closure. I think he has had so many changes in his live and needs more stability.