2.2 Lying and Deception
Lying and deception are one of the most obvious elements of the large category of phoniness. They can be seen everywhere in the phony world in Holden’s eyes. Holden himself is also a liar. Lying to others is also a kind of phoniness, but given the phony world Holden lives, his random and repeated lying and deception also can be considered as a kind of rebellion against the phony world.
Earlier, Holden has characterized himself as a “terrific liar” (20; ch. 3) he admits that he is “the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life. . . If I’m on my way to the store to buy a magazine, even, and somebody ask me where I’m going, I’m liable to say I’m going to the opera” (20; ch. 3) and at this point he reaffirms what have already suspected. Namely, he is an inveterate liar. The first person Holden lies to is Mr. Spencer in Pencey Prep. He himself admits that: “when I told old Spencer I had to go to the gym to get my equipment and stuff that was a sheer lie. I don’t even keep my goddam equipment in the gym” (20; ch. 3). In order to sneak back home to see his sister Phober and avoid being known by anybody, Holden lies to the new elevator boy that he wants to visit the Dicksteins which in the other department on the same floor as Holden’s home. When the elevator boy asks him to wait in the lobby, he lies again: “I’d like to I really would, but I have a bad leg. I have to hold it in a certain position. I think I’d better sit down in the chair outside their door” (164; ch. 21). After he gets off at his floor, he pretends to limp and starts walking over toward the Dicksteins’ side. Then, “when I heard the elevator doors shut. I turned around and went over to our side” (164; ch. 21). 麦田里的守望者霍尔顿的叛逆心理(3):http://www.751com.cn/yingyu/lunwen_9997.html