On the surface Holden Caulfield may appear wise, however, upon closer examination of his actions it becomes apparent that his true nature is very foolish. He told us the story of when he left Pencey and we had the chance to travel around New York with him. Throughout the story, we witnessed many of Holden's actions and heard the thoughts that crowded his head. The way he calls people “phonies” and acts as if he is not a fake liar, or the way he has great manners, can give you the impression that he is wise (Salinger 6). But the truth is that he is also a fake. Behind his polite manners and intelligent, critical thoughts, Holden is just a silly boy. Based on Holden's actions throughout the story, you can tell that he didn't think through what he was doing. Holden knew he would fail four subjects and that he needed to “start applying himself,” but he never did (Salinger 6). He rarely tries to succeed and leaves when the situation becomes difficult. Holden ran away from school, even though he knew he had nowhere to go. He was staying in a hotel in New York City and spending money frivolously. This shows that he runs away from problems instead of facing them, which is an immature quality. When faced with a choice, he chooses the easy path instead of committing to the more difficult choice. Ultimately, this deprives him of achieving goals that could bring him gratification. He convinces himself and the reader that he is smart in the short term, but in the long term he has achieved nothing and has a shallow, empty existence. Holden makes many wise statements throughout the story. He states that “people always think something is all true” (Salinger 13). In a way, the person reading the story is one of those "people" that Holden talks about... middle of paper... doesn't consider whether his plans are realistic or not. leaving is because he wants to escape from all his problems and “crazy things” at home (Salinger 3). He thinks they will vanish along with the scared and confused boy he truly is if he leaves town. The truth is, they won't. Problems will never go away unless you face them and solve them. The message to the reader actually becomes that Holden's seemingly intelligent and carefree attitude only masks the truth that he is lazy and underachieving. Unfortunately he doesn't use his intelligence in a positive way because he doesn't face reality. Therefore, his intelligence and intelligence are wasted and he is not happy or contented. Works Cited Salinger, J.D. The Catcher in the Rye. New York: Back Bay Books/Little, Brown and Company, 2010. Print