Breakfast at Tiffany's Lesson Plan

What does O.J. Berman mean when he says that Holly is a "real phony"?

Students should note that this is one of the first things that O.J. says to the narrator when they meet. The question O.J. originally poses is "is she or ain't she?" This suggests that Holly being a "phony" is normally on the minds of the people with whom she interacts. O.J.'s line of questioning shows that he both enjoys poking fun at Holly and keeping an eye on Holly by analyzing her relationships.

It seems that O.J.'s interpretation of the word "phony" (similar to the actual definition) means someone who is putting on an act or behaving in a way that is dissimilar to their nature. Importantly,...