I can't sum it up any better than Quagmire from Family Guy did. "Holden Caufield is a spoiled brat." He's also the hero for people who are too insecure to be themselves.
Holden can't grow up-he views anyone who has as "phony". He also seems to think that only he can judge people-odd, given that so many of his fans would scream about someone else being "judgmental".
Holden is the epitome of an ungrateful, petulant child. His little sister is far more mature than he is when, at the end of the novel, she correctly says "You don't like anything!" Holden is detached from the world because he doesn't want to be hurt-that's true-but he's also detached because he thinks he is better than the world that he lives in.
When you think about it, Holden is going to an elite prep school-he's from a wealthy family-and yet he still complains about how bad everything is. Many, many people would have killed to have the opportunities that he does.
We all know people like Holden. I was like him when I was in my teens-in fact, he was sort of a hero to me-becasue I was too insecure to be myself. Looking back, good God I'm ashamed to even admit that. At least I grew out of it. I still see people in their 40's who look to him as an idol. I think it's sad more than anything else.
Jack Kerouac hated beatniks, even though he basically created them. I wonder if Salinger (who was not the cool, hip guy everyone thinks he was) hated the Holden fans that he created.
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