Life can be hard to keep everything in balance; some have a harder time balancing life due to them having severe mood swings, that could make someone go from depressed to very enthusiastic. In the novel The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, there is a person, Holden, who is having a hard time with the balance of life. He starts out at Pencey, where he is about to get kicked out, at the end of the semester, due to his bad grades. Days before the semester ends he decides to leave and go to New York; he does not tell his parents that he got kicked out of school nor does he tell them that he is staying in New York for a few days. He goes to New York because he does not want to deal with the phonies at Pencey. While in New York Holden goes through …show more content…
A manic episode is when a person mood elevate to be happy and enthusiastic; which this would lead to fewer hours of sleep, foolish actions and could get irritated fairly easy (“Bipolar Disorder”). For example, When Holden exhibited this type of behavior when he is at Pencey. He was talking to Stradlater about his date with Jane and it was getting pretty heated between the two of them as Holden would keep asking about the date, but Stradlater just wanted to drop the subject. Then Holden explains “This next part I don't remember so hot. All I know is I got up from the bed, like I was going down to the can or something, and then I tried to sock him…” (Salinger 43). Holden got very irritated during this manic episode. Before Holden was trying to punch Stradlater, he was just intrigued in to what Stradlater did with Jane on his date. From him not saying what he did on his date, Holden began to think of the worst, which was Stradlater having sex with Jane; that is what got him mad and wanting to throw a punch at him. With his action to Stradlater, it shows that Holden was going through an episode; he got mad easily and quickly and his impulsive actions shows the symptoms of a manic episode. Another manic episode that Holden had was when he just recently got to New York and he was in the hotel. He was in his room and he thought “The one thing I hate to …show more content…
Holden does show evidence this of type of episode; when he is feeling hopeless, and guilty (“Bipolar Disorder”). Right after Holden got into a fight with Stradlater, he began to feel hopeless. He started to feel that he did not belong, “Then I went over and laid down on Ely’s bed. Boy, did I feel rotten. I felt so damn lonesome” (Salinger 54). He did not feel that he should be at Pencey anymore and that made him feel hopeless. After this Holden leaves to go to New York because he does not want to be with phonies that make him feel depressed. With Holden feeling hopeless and depressed is a symptom of the depressive episode. Another time he showed symptoms of the depressive episode, when he was about to go meet sally for their date; when he was at the station he was sitting by two nuns waiting for their train and all of a sudden he felt guilty. He explains “...two of them were eating for breakfast was toast and coffee. That depressed me. I hate it if I was eating bacon and eggs or something and somebody else is only eating toast and coffee” (134). When depressed a person would sometimes feel guilty for things that they could not help; when Holden saw the two nuns he was feeling guilty that he had more money than them and that he could buy more to eat than them. Holden later gives the nuns twenty bucks, which he thought would help him from stop feeling so guilty; it just made him feel even
Holden experiences agitation and irritability towards dealing with people he perceives at phonies. HIs agitation comes with the experiences he has had with people such as Ackley, Stradlater, his parents, and others he can interpret as fake or that have done things in the past to irritate him. His irritation among people is very common and repetitive throughout the book where it could be identified as a symptom of PTSD. For example, a scene Holden demonstrates agitation is when he talks to Phoebe about what his parents might do to him since he had gotten kicked out of yet another school; Pencey. “No, he won’t. The worst he’ll do, he’ll give me hell again, and then he’ll send me to military school.” (Salinger 166). Holden’s agitation comes from
He also adds, "I wasn’t feeling sleepy or anything, but I was feeling sort of lousy. Depressed and all, I almost wished I was dead," (90). Holden states this during one of the first nights that he is staying in New York. Holden expresses many thoughts of depression. Compulsive lying is another characteristic that Holden exhibits.
In the beginning of the book the reader immediately starts to see these symptoms. Before Holden left Pencey he said “ what I was really hanging around for, I was trying… to feel some kind of good-bye. I mean I’ve left schools and places I didn’t even know I was leaving them. I hate that”(Salinger 7). One of the symptoms of PTSD is living in fear everyday and this is how Holden felt. In the quote he says that he hates not feeling some kind of good-bye but what he is really trying to say is that he fears he will not feel it. Holden is trying to change his fear into other feelings, like hate. Another symptom of PTSD that Holden experiences is depression. Many times during the novel Holden says “It makes me so depressed I go crazy”(19). During the story Holden often talks about things that make him depressed and this quote is just one of the multiple examples of the suffering he goes through because of his depression.Throughout Holden's journey there are so many questions constantly going through his mind. A couple of these questions were should he make phone calls to his old friends and if he should go home to his family. “Boy did I feel rotten. I felt so damn lonesome”(62-63). He has an opportunity to cure his loneliness by calling his old friends but he never follows through. “Then I went over and laid down on Ely’s bed…. Boy did I feel rotten. I felt so damn lonesome”(62-63). This quote shows that even when Holden isn’t alone he still suffers from overwhelming loneliness, which is also a symptom of PTSD. In the novel Holden experienced many of the symptoms of PTSD and this story accurately showed the difficulties that PTSD sufferers experience when trying to live their daily
...and when he ventures home to talk to Phoebe. In each of the situations Holden either becomes angry or he becomes depressed. These types of mood swings are signs of bipolar disorder. Each scenario is also associated with what could be believed to be triggers which cause these dramatic mood swings. Holden Caulfield’s trigger seems to be whenever he becomes overly stressed with a situation. When this stress comes over him by what someone says or what someone does, it causes Holden to have these mood swings. These mood swings either end with him being put into a fight, or with him becoming depressed. These are the reasons to believe that Holden Caulfield has bipolar disorder.
Throughout the novel, Holden calls himself a ‘madman’ due to his confusion of his society. Holden thinks of himself as a ‘madman’ because there is no one that he relates to. Mr. Antolini was Holden’s encyclopedia but Mr. Antolini’s character was demolished when he patted Holden on his head (Salinger 192).Holden became extremely nervous so he left Mr. Antolini's house. Holden leaving the house results in him having no one to question so he is still confused. However, Holden running away further proves that he isn’t crazy, he got scared; he wasn’t naive to stay and find out if Mr. Antolini would’ve gone further than patting him on the head. Although Holden calls himself a ‘madman,’ he is not. Holden has goals that are virtually impossible to achieve but that does not make him a nutcase. Holden is a teenager who is trying to figure himself out. This phase of his life does not necessarily mean that he is crazy.
Each year in the United States depression affects over 17 million people of all ages, races, and economic backgrounds. One in every eight teens are affected by depression (“Understanding Depression”). Depression can be defined as a mental illness where the person affected feels very sad and melancholy. Most people have passed through a stage or a short period of time where they have felt downhearted. In The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Holden Caulfield, a 16-year old boy, can be viewed as insane in the eyes of many readers because of his behavior and actions. Despite this common belief, Holden most likely suffered from depression. Some symptoms which convey Holden was depressed was his mood, lack of sleep, and his suicidal thoughts.
President Barack Obama has said, “Too many Americans who struggle with mental health illnesses are still suffering in silence, rather than seeking help”. While many mental disorders can easily be treated, they are extremely taxing on the victim and are challenging to diagnose. In final analysis, Holden Caulfield suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder (manic depression) and psychosis. From a psychiatric point of view, there is hope for Holden in the future, but only if he is genuinely avid in getting back to a state of normalcy.
Protected by a cocoon of naiveté, Holden Caulfield, the principal character in the novel, The Catcher in the Rye, therapeutically relates his lonely 24 hour stay in downtown New York city, experiencing the "phony" adult world while dealing with the death of his innocent younger brother. Through this well-developed teenage character, JD Salinger, uses simple language and dialogue to outline many of the complex underlying problems haunting adolescents. With a unique beginning and ending, and an original look at our new society, The Catcher in the Rye is understood and appreciated on multiple levels of comprehension. The book provides new insights and a fresh view of the world in which adolescents live.
While walking through the city, “…the more depressed [he] got…[he decides]…to stop off and have a drink somewhere”(100). The worse he feels the more he drinks. However, alcohol has never been known to solve problems. Holden also uses cigarettes in attempt to obscure his sorrow. After a stressful and disturbing meeting with Sunny, a young prostitute, Holden “…smoked a couple of cigarettes…[he] felt so depressed you can’t imagine” (110). Holden feels dejected, but even after he smokes, he still feels terrible. Due to the fact that he is trying to escape his emotional issues instead of facing them, his depression seemed to worsen. Yet another incident involving alcohol displays the same thing. While contemplating his sadness and disappointment in the human race, Holden “…sat at [a] goddam bar…getting drunk as a bastard […] I started that stupid business with bullets in my guts again […] I was concealing the fact that I was a wounded sonouvabitch” (166). Once again, he is trying to ignore the fact that he is wounded. The alcohol’s point is to help smother the pain, but really the drunkenness causes Holden to blatantly reveal he’s in a terrible state emotionally. Holden’s attempt at suppressing his sadness using drugs instead of fronting it seems to only worsen his emotional
Each year in the United States depression affects over 17 million people of all ages, races, and economic backgrounds. One in every eight teens are affected by depression (“Understanding Depression”). Depression can be defined as a mental illness where the person affected feels very sad and melancholy. Most people have passed through a stage or a short period of time where they have felt downhearted. In The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Holden Caulfield, a 16-year old boy, can be viewed as insane in the eyes of many readers because of his behavior and actions. Despite this common belief, Holden most likely suffered from depression. Some symptoms which convey Holden was depressed was his mood, lack of sleep, and his suicidal
There is a certain process that every human being on the planet has in common. Not everyone can say it is a pleasing experience, but nobody can deny that it happened to them. ‘Growing up’ happens to everyone one whether they like it or not. The transition between childhood innocence and adulthood is long and confusing, which often reveals questions that can never be answered. The novel Catcher in the Rye written by J.D. Salinger explores how the adult life has its complexities and can be very puzzling to teenagers starting that phase in their lives. The main character Holden Caulfield realizes the confusion of a teenager when faced with the challenges of adapting to an adult society. The catcher in the rye shows the inevitable loss of innocence
“I believe that everyone else my age is an adult whereas I am merely in disguise (Margaret Atwood).” While physical maturity is inevitable, emotional maturity is not as certain. Holden Caulfield from The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger is a distressed teenager who has been expelled from his fair share of boarding schools. He now wanders New York, trying to find his place amongst society. Since his brother's death Holden began to discover himself stuck in a perpetual state of discontent, feeling alone in his struggle to find his place in the world. Holden is no longer a child but he still doesn't fit in amongst adults as they are corrupt in the ways they live and act. Holden wishes to remain surrounded by innocence in order to avoid the
Some people feel all alone in this world, with no direction to follow but their empty loneliness. The Catcher in the Rye written by J.D Salinger, follows a sixteen-year-old boy, Holden Caulfield, who despises society and calls everyone a “phony.” Holden can be seen as a delinquent who smokes tobacco, drinks alcohol, and gets expelled from a prestigious boarding school. This coming-of-age book follows the themes of isolation, innocence, and corrupted maturity which is influenced from the author's life and modernism, and is shown through the setting, symbolism, and diction.
Lies, failure, depression, and loneliness are only some of the aspects that Holden Caulfield goes through in the novel The Catcher in the Rye written by J.D. Salinger. Salinger reflects Holden’s character through his own childhood experiences. Salinger admitted in a 1953 interview that "My boyhood was very much the same as that of the boy in the book.… [I]t was a great relief telling people about it” (Wikipedia). Thus, the book is somewhat the life story of J.D. Salinger as a reckless seventeen-year-old who lives in New York City and goes through awful hardships after his expulsion and departure from an elite prep school. Holden, the protagonist in this novel, is created as a depressed, cynical, and isolated character and he expresses this attitude through his dialogue, tone, and diction.
Throughout the novel we see signs of Holden's depression from the way he throws around the word all the time, “Innarested in a little tail t'night?’ ‘Me?’ I said. Which was a very dumb answer, but it's quite embarrassing when somebody comes right up and asks you a question like that. ‘How old are you, chief?’ the elevator guy said. ‘Why?’ I said. ‘Twenty-two.’ ‘Uh huh. Well, how 'bout it? Y'innarested? Five bucks a throw. Fifteen bucks the whole night.’ He looked at his wrist watch. ‘Till noon. Five bucks a throw, fifteen bucks till noon.’ ‘Okay,’ I said. It was against my principles and all, but I was feeling so depressed I didn't even think. That's the whole trouble. When you're feeling very depressed, you can't even think.” (110). In this case, we see Holden’s depression affecting him by making him do things that he knows he shouldn’t. Spending a night with a prostitute is something Holden knows he shouldn’t do, but he is conflicted by his depression to do it anyways. Something else Holden struggles with is suicidal thoughts. The serious part about depression is leading to suicide which Holden eventually has conflicting thoughts about, “What I really felt like, though, was committing suicide. I felt like jumping out the window. I probably would've done it, too, if I'd been sure somebody'd cover me up as soon as I landed.” (127). It is obvious that the depressive thoughts Holden have faced have led to something much