Which character most clearly embodies phoniness, according to Holden, and why?

• A. Holden's teacher, who is hypocritical.
• B. Sally Hayes, who is polite but shallow.
• C. Stradlater, who is self-centered.
• D. D. B., Holden's Hollywood brother, representing the glamorous but hypocritical adult world.

Answer: (D)

Holden’s distrust of phoniness centers on how the adult world pretends to be glamorous and meaningful, while often lacking real substance. D. B., Holden’s brother who writes for Hollywood, embodies that veneer of glamour and success. To Holden, the Hollywood world is all surface—fame, money, and polished appearances—yet it often operates on fakery and expediency rather than genuine feeling or integrity. By pointing to D. B., Holden highlights the stark contrast between his own straightforward, if messy, youth and an adult world that values image over truth. The other characters show flaws and self-interest in smaller, more personal ways, but D. B. stands out as the clearest symbol of the big, pervasive phoniness Holden resents in the adult world.