Growing Up: A Psychological Analysis Of Holden Caulfield

Growing up is a much different and challenging part of everyone's lives. Puberty and the stumbling journey of maturing into an adult are something we will all come to face. The conflicts we all face and the way we manage them all differs between each person. Some people may have a more problematic time dealing with internal conflicts while others may find it less strenuous. Holden Caulfield is faced with internal conflicts of struggling to stay in school, his depression and suicidal thoughts, and the debate of getting mental help.
First of all, Holden Caulfield is faced with the internal conflict of struggling to stay in school. Holden has been enrolled in the popular prep schools of the 1950’s, his current school being Pencey Prep. Soon

enough, we find out that Holden has been expelled yet again from the school. Holden is kicked out of Pencey Prep because of his below average grades in most subjects, “They kicked me out. I wasn't supposed to come back after Christmas vacation on account of I was flunking four subjects and not applying myself and all.” (Catcher in the Rye, 4). Holden has shown that he has a hard time applying himself to school, which is the reason for his lacking grades. Another reason why Holden has an internal conflict of struggling to stay in school, is because of his irritation with the peers around him, “You ought to go to a boys' school sometime. Try it sometime,’ I said. ‘It's full of phonies, and all you do is study so that you can learn enough to be smart enough to be able to buy a goddam Cadillac some day, and you have to keep making believe you give a damn if the football team loses, and all you do is talk about girls and liquor and sex all day, and everybody sticks together in these dirty little goddam cliques. The guys that are on the basketball team stick together, the Catholics stick together, the goddam intellectuals stick together, the guys that play bridge stick together. Even the guys that belong to the goddam Book-of-the-Month Club stick together.” (161). Holden has a difficult time interacting with his peers on the account that he thinks of all of them as “phonies.” For Holden it is torture to stay in a place where people annoy you that much, making it difficult for him to stay in school.
Other than struggling to stay in school, Holden Caulfield is faced with the internal conflicts of depression and suicidal thoughts.

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

worse.
Aside from depression and suicidal thoughts, Holden is faced with the internal conflict of debating to get mental help. It is clear with the signs of Holden’s depression and suicidal thoughts that he is in need of some sort of help. Holden does think about this throughout the novel and does make some considerations regarding his problems, “Supposing I went to your father and had him psychoanalyze me and all,’ I said. ‘What would he do to me? I mean what would he do to me?” (182). Holden is obviously interested in the idea of seeing a psychoanalyst when talking to Luce, (whose father is a psychoanalyst). This means that Holden does realize that there is something going on in his head, but he isn’t too sure what he wants to do about it. Holden seems nervous about what may happen when he gets psychoanalyzed. Eventually at the end of the book, we find out that Holden did indeed get help, “I could probably tell you what I did after I went home, and how I got sick and all, and what school I'm supposed to go to next fall, after I get out of here, but I don't feel like it. I really don't. That stuff doesn't interest me too much right now. A lot of people, especially this one psychoanalyst guy they have here, keeps asking me if I'm going apply myself when I go back to school next September.” (261). Holden has gone to a mental help facility, whether he checked himself in or whether it was his parents, we do not know for sure. This is one of the few times we get some closure on Holden’s internal conflicts.
Evidently, Holden Caulfield is faced with internal conflicts of struggling to stay in school, his depression and suicidal thoughts, and the debate of getting mental help. While Holden struggles with these internal conflicts throughout the novel, we do eventually see that as he grows, he can come to a conclusion. The decision to go and get mental help is a big step in Holden’s life as it will help with almost all of his internal conflicts. The longer someone debates to reach out means they will suffer longer with their problem, and even make it worse. Many people today refrain from reaching out when they are faced with an internal conflict because they are afraid to get the help they need to make certain life choices. It is important to realize that taking those risks and making those steps are crucial for better results.