Catcher in the Rye- Hyperbole

The Catcher in the Rye
by J.D. Salinger
pgs 53-105

When Holden got off the train in New York, he was looking for someone to call.  He though of calling Jane, but his reasoning was a humorous and memorably characteristic quote:
He said he wouldn't call Jane because "Her mother knew my mothers and I could picture her breaking a goddam leg to get to the phone and tell my mother I was in New York" (Salinger, 59).
This exaggeration is a great example of how Holden feels about teenage problems.  He feels confined.  What is commonly called "teenage angst" is very apparent.
Holden is kicked out of another private school because he defied authority by not doing his work.  Once he has a little bit of freedom, he abuses it.  Holden gets his own hotel room, goes to a club, and orders a prostitute.
Holden's restrictive school environment, and possibly restrictive home environment makes him act out.  Holden's hyperbole helps show that his perception of adults and authority is a confining image, and causes him to act out.