The Catcher in the Rye Theme of Lies and Deceit

Deception in The Catcher and the Rye takes the form of what narrator Holden Caulfield calls "phoniness." This refers to anything and everything from pretense to social snobbery to language to appearances – all elements of the adult world as opposed to the world of phoniness. Disgusted with this falsity, Holden seeks to escape what he sees as the prescribed path of education, jobs, and money-making.

1. What does Holden mean when he uses the term "phony?"
2. Is Holden often "phony himself?" OK, he doesn't think so, but what about to us, the reader?
3. It seems that all adults are phony in The Catcher in the Rye, and all kids are genuine. Is this just the way things are in the world of the novel, or do we attribute Holden's biased point-of-view for such categorizations?

Although Holden appears to judge only adults as "phonies," it is clear from his pronouncements about the topic that anybody can fall into his category of phony.