Themes - The Catcher in the Rye

• Youth and Innocence
• Loneliness and Isolation
• Sexuality and Sexual Identity
• Madness, Depression, and Suicide
• Wisdom, Knowledge, and Academic Success
• Lies, Deceit, and Phoniness

*  “Phony” is the most frequently repeated word in this novel. Holden applies “phony” to anything hypocritical, shallow, superficial, inauthentic, or otherwise fake. “Crazy,” “madman,” and “depressed” rank close behind it.