Robert- Chapter 22 Holden tries to explain to Phoebe why he was expelled from Pencey. He tries to explain to her that all the students were 'phony' and mean but ends up admitting that he 'can't explain'. Phoebe challenges him to name one thing that he likes. Holden struggles and becomes distracted. All he can think about is the two nuns, a boy from Elkton Hills, James Castle, who killed himself, and Allie. He finally tells Phoebe that he likes Allie and also that he likes talking to Phoebe but Phoebe thinks that neither of those two things count. In response to Phoebe's suggestion that he should become a lawyer, Holden outlines quite honestly his problems. Phoebe does not understand. Holden then tells her that he would like to be 'the catcher in the rye'. Holden imagines that there are children playing in a field of rye but they are in danger of falling off a cliff. Holden wants to be the person who stops them from falling. "I’m standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff—I mean if they’re running and they don’t look where they’re going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That’s all I’d do all day. I’d just be the catcher in the rye and all".Holden his fantasy of idealistic childhood and of his role as the protector of innocence. His fantasy world is based on the idea that children are simple and innocent while adults are superficial, hypocritical and phony. His catcher in the rye fantasy reflects his innocence, his belief in pure, uncorrupted youth. It also represents his extreme disconnection from reality and his view of the world.
"It was one of the worst schools I ever went to. It was full of phonies". When Phoebe asks Holden why he got the ax from his school he replied by saying it was full of phonies. People being phonies is one of the main reasons why Holden doesn't like the outside world. This is shown in this quote. He dislikes phonies alot. "You don't like anything that's happening. Name one thing".Phoebe asks Holden to name one thing he likes and he struggles to come up with an answer. He thinks about the nuns and James Castle, who killed himself. He finally tells Phoebe that he likes Allie and also that he likes talking to Phoebe but Phoebe thinks that neither of those two things count. The things he thought about and said are weird as he hardly knows the nuns or James Castle and Allie is dead. This shows that the more he knows about people the more faults he recognises in them. The nuns are an obvious symbol of purity. Allie, having never reached adulthood, will always be pure and innocent in Holden's mind. This chapter shows Holden excluded from society when he struggled to come up with something he liked and the reasons why. When he says that he hated school because it was full of phonies and that he wanted to cath the children before falling from the cliff into adulthood, shows what he thinks of adulthood and the society.