The Judgmental Caulfield of The Catcher in the Rye The Catcher in the Rye, by JD Salinger, is a classic novel about a sixteen-year-old boy, Holden Caulfield, about a disconcerting period in his life. Holden only has a few days until he is expelled from Pency Prep School. At first he is the kind of person who can't stand "fake" people. He believes his school and everyone in it are fake, so he leaves early. He then spends three days aimlessly in New York City. During this time, Holden discovers more about himself and how he relates to the world around him. He thinks he's the rye catcher: "I keep imagining all these little kids playing some game in a big rye field and all that. Thousands of little kids, and there's nobody around - nobody big, I mean - except me. And I'm on the edge of a crazy cliff. What do I do, I have to catch everyone if they start falling off the cliff..." (173). He briefly enters what he believes is adulthood and becomes a "fake" himself. At the end of the story, Holden realizes that he doesn't like the kind of person he has become, so he returns to being an idealist; a negative and judgmental person. Holden's idealism is first highlighted when he describes his life at Pency Prep. It's full of fakes, idiots and bastards. His roommate, Stradlater, "was at least a pretty friendly guy, some of it was a fake friendship kind of thing..." (26) and his other roommate, Ackley is "a very nosy bastard" (33 ). Holden can't bear to be with either of them for long. Later, he argues with Stradlater over his date with Jane. Holden is upset because he thinks Stradlater "gave her time" and that he doesn't care about her; “The reason he didn't care was because he was a damn stupid moron. All idiots hate it when you call them idiots' (44). Holden not only sees his roommates as phonies and bastards, but he also sees his principal at Pency Prep as a "phony slob" (3). This kind of person is exactly what Holden doesn't want to be. He strives to be a mature adult; caring, compassionate and sensitive. Even when Holden goes out or reads a story, it is simply full of falsehoods, ".