Which statement best captures Holden's approach to adopting identities or personas in social situations?

• A. He tells people he is someone else or acts older than he is.
• B. He always tells the truth about his age.
• C. He never pretends to be someone else.
• D. He always acts as himself.

Answer: (B)

Self-presentation and honesty in social life shape Holden’s interactions. He is highly wary of phoniness and prefers to stay connected to his real self rather than adopting a different identity to fit in. Because of this, he tends to be straightforward about who he is, including his age, as a grounding anchor in conversations and encounters. This emphasis on truth about his own age reflects his broader tendency to resist manufactured personas and keep his self-presentation authentic. In this light, the statement about always telling the truth about his age best captures his default approach: he uses honesty about his identity rather than creating or playing a false role.