What is one lie Holden tells Mrs. Morrow?

• A. That his son is adaptable, modest, kind, etc.
• B. That he is getting intense surgery in his brain!
• C. That he is from a wealthy family.
• D. That he is planning to travel to Europe.

Answer: (B)

Holden often lies to adults to shape how they see him or the people around him, using fiction to navigate awkward conversations and cover his own discomfort. In this scene on the train, he tells Mrs. Morrow that her son is “getting an operation in his brain.” It’s a dramatic, obviously untrue claim meant to flatter her by making her son seem brave and important, and it also gives Holden a kind of control over the interaction—he can steer the conversation away from ordinary, boring details and toward something sensational.

This lie is a clear example of Holden’s unreliable narration and his pattern of fabricating stories to get a reaction or to mask vulnerability. It demonstrates how he uses deception not just to mislead, but to manage impressions in the moment, revealing his mix of cynicism about adults and his underlying desire to be seen as perceptive and kind.