Holden Caulfield Psychoanalysis

J.D. Salinger, allows many readers to view the novel, The Catcher in the Rye in a different perspective by using various psychoanalytic theories. Throughout the novel, the main character, Holden Caulfield exemplifies many characteristics that fit into Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytical theories which is concludes that the “human behavior was the result of the interaction of three component parts of the mind: the id, ego, and superego. His structural theory placed great importance on the role of unconscious psychological conflicts in shaping behavior and personality.” The author J.D. Salinger can be seen as prodigious inspiration for the novel, because his life holds many similarities to the life of Caulfield. This can allow the reader to make

For instances, Holden describes, “I told him he was a child, so once in a while, now when I felt very depressed I keep saying to him, “Okay. Go home and get your bike and meet in front of Bobby’s house. Hurry up” (99). The regretful attitude Holden has can be caused by his guilty conscious because he feels horrible that he could not save Allie. The death of Allie can be seen to group itself with Freud’s conscious and unconscious; unconscious is where the “mind that lies outside the range of ordinary awareness and that holds troubling or unacceptable urges, impulses, memories, and idea” are found. Holden Caulfield is reminded of Allie throughout the book, the relationship they had can be assumed to be very strong. Salinger lets the reader enter the Holden’s memories he had with Allie as a child, first beginning with Allie’s baseball mitt and then to what Holden’s reaction was when Allie died. Salinger uses this technique to build a sense of pathos to invoke an emotional attachment to Allie’s character without truly involving the character. The depression Holden experiences allows him to profoundly think about Allie and what he could have done to help him, the guilt that is evoked within Caulfield shoes the weakness and the sadness he still has over Allies

Freud describes this as the “Ego” stage, which states “The ego related to the real world and operates via the “reality principle” realizes the need for compromise and negotiates between the Id and the Superego.” In other words the Ego is the neutral and moral part of the mind. Kohlberg describes the moral development as, “Children begin to understand what is expected of them by their parents, teacher, etc. Morality is seen as achieving these expectations. Fulfilling obligations as well as following expectations are seen as moral law for children in this stage.” Holden has to uphold the expectations of going to school and getting good grades but has failed in doing so. He also has to be the perfect older brother for Phoebe and “the man” in the eyes of his father. Although Holden does not live up to these family standards he is secretely defying adulthood. By defying these standards he launches himself into depression and mentally doubts and questions himself, thus ending up being