VOTE: THE CATCHER IS THE RYE:Holden corrupted and cold hearted, or is he a confused innocent, sick child?

Question

Is holden corrupted and cold hearted, or is he a confused innocent child who is sick? Answer this question and support your answer with three incidents from the book!

Answer 1

If those are my only two choices, I'd go with the latter; he is completely innocent.

- Would a coldhearted kid seek to rid the world of bad stuff / naughty words? NO - he's a nice guy. (Museum scene.)

- He's confused about interactions with people, proven by the awkwardness of his interactions with girls that arent his dream girls.

- If you have to say that he is sick, say that he has ADD/ADHD. As the narrator of the book, he can't focus on any one topic, he's all over the place. Cite his inability to concentrate in school, too.

Answer 2

All 3 answers are in excerpt below /have included link as well.
He is cynical
A hypocrite
A protagonist
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He is confused
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http://en.allexperts.com/e/t/th/the_catcher_in_the_rye.htm
Holden Caulfield. The protagonist and narrator of the story. Holden is a tall sixteen-year-old high-school junior who has just been expelled (for academic failure) from a school called Pencey Prep. Although he is intelligent and sensitive, Holden narrates in a cynical and jaded voice. He finds the hypocrisy and ugliness of the world around him almost unbearable, and through his cynicism he tries to protect himself from the pain and disappointment of the adult world. However, the criticisms that Holden aims at people around him are also aimed at himself. He is uncomfortable with his own weaknesses, and at times displays the exact phoniness, meanness, and superficiality as the people that he tells the audience he despises.

The most profound aspect of Holden's character is his desire to protect children. Relatedly, Holden fails to view himself as the child that he is. Since he believes he is an adult, he is therefore unwilling to be helped. The Catcher in the Rye is a metaphor for this. While Holden attempts to save Phoebe from the possibility of a ruined life, Phoebe inadvertently is saving Holden in the same way. As Holden's tale transgresses, Holden stands poised, metaphorically, on the cliff separating childhood (symbolic of innocence and bliss) from adulthood (symbolic of corruption and adulteration). His inability to successfully negotiate the chasm leaves him on the verge of nervous breakdown and emotional collapse.