Trauma Trauma can impact someone’s life to where they can’t make connections with anyone. Even connecting with family it would be hard.Trauma changes the way they see the world and other people. In both Good Will Hunting and The Catcher in the Rye, Will and Holden go through traumatic events that change their lives. This makes them see everything negatively and impacts their ability to cope. The traumatic event for both Holden and Will center around the family relationships. Will doesn’t have a family because he is an orphan. When Will was younger he bounced from family to family because of abuse. For example with his one family/ home if he did something wrong he had a choice between a wrench or a belt to get beat with as discipline. …show more content…
He can never truly open up to people and be honest with them. For example he met this girl named Skylar, she had wanted to know about him and if he is an only child and weather he had any siblings. He went ahead and lied to her and told her he had 10 siblings older and younger. When really he is an only child/ or an orphan. Will doesn’t even truly trust his therapist he won’t talk about the past, he just criticizes Sean and his books until Sean started to get to the soft side of Will. Now for Holden he is unable to trust his parents or any adult, he just thinks they are all phonies even though they are actually trying to help him and help him pass his classes.
Will is trying to move on with his life he had finished his therapy time and fell in love with Skylar but didn’t know how to trust her and tell her what he has been through. He didn’t know what she would think or make her scared and not want to talk to him, he is committing to his future. For Holden he is like a deaf/ mute, he moved on with his life to an married a deaf/ mute. He had never thought that he would be able to move on with his life and make an actual connection with someone he always would make it awkward.
The traumatic events in both Holden and Wills life changed the way they see the world and making friends with people. They could never connect with anyone because they can’t trust or get along with many
There is one universal truth that will exist through out all of time and space that affects all that live to experience it. That truth is known as grief. We all experience grief, and for Holden Caulfield, grief is a major aspect of his life, the force that drives him to do everything he does in the novel, The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. There are seven stages to this emotion known as grief: denial, depression, anger, bargaining, guilt, reconstruction, and finally, acceptance. There are many parts in the novel that could have influenced Holden’s grief, but the main one that most people who read the novel have figured it out was the death of his little brother Allie. The root to Holden’s grief lies with his brother which cause Holden’s to act and change the way he does in the novel.
Characters May and Holden experienced the death of a loved one as teenagers. These catastrophes had a negative effect on their lives and caused them to have changes in their usual behavior, episodes of sadness, and suicidal thoughts.
Childhood is crucial to the lives of teenagers and young adults. The experiences, advice, influences that people receive during their formative years is what they carry with them through the rest of their lives. Any emotional turmoil during this period of growth can have serious implications on individuals as they grow older. The book, The Catcher in the Rye, and the movie, Good Will Hunting; tell about the lives of two emotionally troubled young men: Holden and Will. Both of them suffer from emotional blockades in life that are rooted in their childhoods. They both are afraid to connect with others, have little self-value, and little motivation. These complications that Holden and Will face as they mature and grow up affect them in similar ways. Through the encouragement of unexpected mentors Will Hunting and Holden Caulfield, both capable individuals, learn to dismiss the fear of attachment and overcome their disillusioned youths.
In The Catcher in the Rye, the main character Holden Caulfield deals with a handful of experiences and emotions that are probable symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Some of these symptoms that Holden exhibits throughout the book include but are not limited to flashbacks, being easily startled, feelings of depression, and guilt (“PTSD” 2). These symptoms have negatively impacted nearly his entire teenage life. This has made him differ from the rest of the “normal” people in the world. Throughout the book, we tend to realize that Holden’s personality traits may alter due to the way PTSD is having an effect on him. With this being said, events that occur in The Catcher in the Rye portray the actual struggle Holden is battling with this disease.
Throughout the lives of both Holden Caulfield and Asher Lev, the past affects them in a dramatic ways. Both of their lives are shaped by individual experiences they encounter, throughout their early years. Despite the fact that Holden Caulfield and Asher Lev both are affected negatively by their distanced relationships with their parents, there is major variation in the affect of death and internal conflicts on Holden’s life today as compared to Asher.
that he is trying to hide his true identity. He does not want people to know who he really is or that he was kicked out of his fourth school. Holden is always using fake names and tries speaking in a tone to persuade someone to think a cretin way. He does this when he talks to women. While he is talking to the psychiatrist he explains peoples reactions to his lies like they really believe him, when it is very possible that he is a horrible liar and they are looking at him with a “what are you talking a bout?” expression. Holden often lies to the point where he is lying to him self.
Many people in today 's society are currently suffering from post traumatic stress disorder. As seen in the novel, Catcher in the Rye, by J. D Salinger there is a very definite connection with PTSD and the main character. Post traumatic stress disorder is a very severe condition consisting of several different varieties of the disease and can affect the minds of people in distinctive ways,as shown in Holden Caulfield, and it is often treated with different types of therapy.
Because coping with the death of his brother is the motivation behind Holden 's behavior throughout the entire novel it is considered a possible theme for the story. Holden reacts violently to the news of allie’s death initially but as Allies death becomes more distant Holden is more thoughtful about remembering Allie. The night Holden hears the news he broke all of the windows in the garage “ I slept in the garage the night he died, and I broke all the goddamn windows with my fist, just for the hell of it”(PAGE 44). After time has past from Allie’s death Holden is not quite as violent he is more curious about Allie hence his obsession with the ducks and where they go in the winter. Holden also prays to Allie “Allie don’t let me disappear”(PAGE 218) Holden is changing his ways of coping throughout the entire story. Holden is not alone in his outbursts about Allie, Holden 's family dynamic crumbles after Allie dies. Holden describes his family in chapter seventeen saying his mother “Hasn’t felt too healthy since my brother Allie died. She’s very nervous.” (PAGE 120) implying his mother had a nervous breakdown. His father and D.B. both immerse themselves in work to prevent thinking too hard about Allie 's death. Holden’s family was not the same after Allie’s death and this turns the Caulfield family upside down. Holden sees that his brother has died and is mad at him but also thinks about suicide and pretends to be dying after he fights because if he is dead he is also closer to Allie. In chapter twenty and chapter six alike Holden had a physical confrontation and pretended to be shot when he was alone in his room. Holden fantasies about death trying to be closer to Ally. The way all of the characters cope with Holden’s death bring up all of the major ideas in the story thus being a possible theme for The Catcher in
It is evident that Holden Caufield has specific moments where he can recall and apply them wherever he is in life. His unleashing of children and their ability to explore the world without assistance has helped him transition to the real adult world. His fascination with ducks has made him realize that nothing is ever permanent and no one can always be there for when ever one falls. Lastly, the passing of a loved one can be times of despair but learning to grow and fight the internal struggle can help bring ease. Holden has really transformed from an egoistic individual to a genuine gentleman, he has grown from his experiences and is able to tolerate more pain. The reality has struck Holden no matter how distorted the outside world is to him, maturing is inevitable and using these moments will always be something for him to live for.
The narrative allows the reader to be exposed to Holden Caulfield’s mind to form a psychoanalytical perspective and emphasize how he goes through many experiences. An example of when Holden went through a violent outburst is when his brother, Allie passed away. “I slept in the garage the night he died, and I broke all the goddam windows with my fist just for the hell of it.” (Salinger 39). This citation is meaningful and clearly shows what kind of person Holden becomes. He was very close with his brother Allie and that mentally broke him. He had a very strong and sad mental breakdown in the moment that affected his futu...
For example, there was a football game going on but Holden did not go to see it in the stands with the others. Instead he felt like avoiding everybody and sitting at the top of a hill watching the game by himself and when he was asked as to why he did not come down to the stands he used the excuse of being the manager of the Fencing team and that he left all the equipment for the team on the Subway. Holden does not even open himself up to his roommates but instead he is always criticizing them and talking bad about them. He does not get long very well with his roommates as he talks about Stradlater and how stuck up and cocky he is and his other roommate Ackley he calls pimple-faced and criticizes his hygiene. Holden also will not detach himself from being a child and he does not want to grow up and face real world problems. He shows this detachment by flunking in all of his subjects and eventually
Manic-Depressive Behavior Exhibited in The Catcher in the Rye. The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, portrays Holden Cawfield, a New York City teenager in the 1950's, as a manic-depressive. Holden's depression starts with the death of his brother, Allie. Holden is expelled from numerous schools due to his poor academics, which are brought on by his depression. Manic depression, compulsive lying, and immaturity throughout the novel characterize Holden.
Mr. Antolini?s theory as to what is wrong with Holden is right on, it?s just too bad he was unable to get through to Holden. Due to the fact that Holden has already given up on himself and is unwilling to apply the valuable advice he has been given. He has lost the substantial ability to find happiness in life and therefore can?t find the energy to motivate himself in anything he does. It?s a tragedy that someone as bright as Holden Caulfield is unable to find the strength within himself to persevere in a world of insanity.
Holden Caulfield can be analyzed through his thoughts, actions and circumstances which surround his everyday life. Holden acts like a careless teenager. Holden has been to several prep-schools, all of which he got kicked out of for failing classes. After being kicked out of the latest, Pency Prep, he went off to New York on his own. Holden seems to have a motivation problem which apparently affects his reasoning. The basis of his reasoning comes from his thoughts. Holden thinks the world is full of a bunch of phonies. All his toughs about people he meets are negative. The only good thoughts he has are about his sister Phoebe and his dead brother Alley. Holden, perhaps, wishes that everyone, including himself, should be like his brother and sister. That is to be intelligent, real and loving. Holden’s problem is with his heart. It was broken when his brother died. Now Holden goes around the world as his fake self, wearing his mask. Holden is looking for love, peace and understanding. He is scared to love because he is afraid he might lose it like he did with his brother. That is the reason for Holden's love of the museum, he feels safe because it never changes it always stays the same. Holden is troubled with the pain of death, it effects every aspect of his life causing him to not care about the future, himself or anyone, except Phoebe and Alley.
Holden Caulfield suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder throughout the course of the novel. In fact, the root of all his problems come from Allie’s passing; he died from leukemia. Holden used to be extremely close with him and his imminent death changed his entire life and psyche. Holden seems to relive the event of his beloved little brother Allie’s death over and over. “What is clear, however, is that many of the symptoms Holden displays in the course of the novel mirror the classic symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. The death of his younger brother, Allie was a traumatic event in Holden Caulfield’s life and is perhaps at the root of the depression he battles in the novel. The death of a sibling can trigger post-traumati...