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Depression in the catcher in the rye
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Holden caulfield psychoanalysis essay reportt
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Priscila Sandoval
Mrs. Kehrmeyer
AP Language
4 April 2018
Magnifying Glass
Psychoanalytic theory is a magnifying glass created by psychologists such as Sigmund Freud to further understand the context and development in pieces of literature. The Catcher in the Rye focuses on the attitude of protagonist Holden. Many agree that Holden was severely depressed because the book was written based on Salinger’s personal experiences which are highly descriptive. Holden is shown as a conflicted teenager who narrates his life story through a short period of time in which he's being indecisive, troubled, and hard to please. Holden Caulfield can be seen suffering through different conflicts. Holden’s actions can be analyzed and qualified when viewed with
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psychoanalytic theories by Sigmund Freud and other theorist. The reader understands an overview of Caulfield’s which results in psychoanalytic criticism. Donald Hall summarizes key principles of psychoanalysis theory from Freud’s work that can be supported and applied to J.D. Salinger's the Catcher in the Rye. Salinger writes, “Where I want to start telling is the day I left Pencey Prep… They don't do any more molding at Pencey than they do at any other school” (Salinger 4). It can not be seen until further in the novel, it is noticeable that Holden lacks the ability to survive when he is kicked out from another private College Preparatory school. This gives us the sense of a trouble teenager who is struggling to fit in with society. Salinger does this so that his audience can understand that although he is complicated, Holden can be understood through theories such as Freud's. In Donald Hall’s text, he discusses Freud's theory of the unconscious state, Freud states that, “Individuals move through development stages early in life, and traumas or experiences during that process may have a lasting effect on personality” (Hall 106). This can be applied to Holden’s life. Sigmund Freud's psychoanalytic theory helped me understand Caulfield’s perspective of the world and how depression affected his point of view. This made me better understand Holden. By using his theory I better understand why Holden's depression was the cause of loneliness, why he is desperate for companionship, and how innocence can mean immatureness. Once Holden’s actions are understood, they can be viewed through Sigmund Freud's theory.
In Freud's theory, Freud clarifies the fact that the “irrational and emotional part of the mind” as the Id or “It" (Nevid 469). In ID, it is noticeable that the character desires something right away. This is why Holden has the tendency to want to leave town so frequently. Like when Holden mentions it to Sally, “Here's my idea. How would you like to get the hell out of here?” (Salinger 146). By getting out of the ice skating rink Holden and Sally are in, Holden means that he actually wants to leave town, not just the ice skating rink. But in all reality, Holden does not really care if Sally goes with him, as long as he gets to leave town so he can be by himself. To expand, Holden says “Finally, what I decided I'd do, I decided I'd go away. I decided I'd never go home again and I'd never go away to another school” (Salinger 218). Holden wants to leave town so badly because he wants to start a new chapter in his life, Holden does not want to be told who he should be. Even though he's always thinking about it, Holden never actually leaves …show more content…
town. Freud's theory using the ID component is when Holden wants his brother Allie back after he lost him to leukemia. To elaborate, after Holden ordered and paid for a prostitute, he later regretted his decision. Holden began to reminisce about Allie. When he was thinking of Allie, Holden said “What I did, I started talking, sort of out loud, to Allie. I do that sometimes when I get very depressed” (Salinger 110). Even though Holden never says that he desires Allie’s company, it is noticeable that Holden is still mourning over his deceased brother. Allie's death is still like an open wound to Holden despite the fact that Allie had passed away three years ago. Since there is no way to bring Allie back, the Ego aspect of Freud's theory is elucidated. In the part of Freud's theory that deals with Ego, Freud says “the Ego’s job is get the Id’s pleasures but to be reasonable and bear the long-term consequences” (Nevid). When someone wants something, they created scenes or image in their head to be content, like Holden does. To expand on this idea, Holden continuously thinks “So once in a while now, when I get very depressed, I keep saying to him, ‘Okay. Go home and get your bike and meet me in front of Bobby's house. Hurry up’” (Salinger 110). The reason Holden does this is to minimize his depression, despite the fact that his plans do not help his situation. Holden does things such as carrying Allie’s baseball glove with him, that really dont help his depression. One can make the inference that Holden, at any given chance will bring up Allie regardless of the fact that he will become more depressed. Despite all the hardship of losing his brother, Holden is usually able to cover up his depression. Donald Halls analysis of “the psychology of authors” (Hall 108) can provide further analysis on Holden.
What this theory means is that the author's life and experiences is included in the text. Salinger’s relationship with his father can be used to explain the situation Holden is in with his father. It is taken straight from Salinger’s personal life, which is he was always trying to be what his father told him to be. This is seen when Holden tries to go to different private schools, and failing to be close to his father in any actual way. Such as when Holden travels to Europe because his father said to to follow a career that that he did not even like. One thing Salinger made apparent was the need to keep his personal life to himself. The connection can be made when Holden states that he can not talk about his personal life, “They're quite touchy about anything like that, especially my father.” (Salinger 1). You can notice that Salinger liked to keep private and to himself either because of the way he was raised, or because he grew up preferring that type of lifestyle. This is demonstrated through Holden since the very beginning of the novel. Whether it was intended or not, Salinger’s psychology and lifestyle is depicted through Holden throughout the
novel.
Salinger’s view of the world is lived out thought Holden – his persona. The novel is Holden’s steam of conscience as he is talking to a psychoanalyst “what would an psychoanalyst do…gets you to talk…for one thing he’d help you to recognise the patterns of your mind”. At the start of the novel it is addressed directly to us “if you really want to hear about it”. This gives us a sense of reality as though it is us that is the psychiatrist. We see the random thought patterns of Holden’s mind as he starts to feel more comfortable, Holden goes off on to many different tangents while he is talking. Salinger is using Holden as a type of easy way out to confess his view of the world.
Since Holden was isolated from his family, in order to not get hurt again he tries to find hypocrisy in people to stop himself from trusting others. Holden feels isolated after being sent to a boarding school that “was full of phonies” by his parents (Salinger 90). Salinger’s message to the audience with this quote is that when
The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, portrays Holden Caulfield as a manic-depressive. Holden uses three techniques throughout the novel to cope with his depression. He smokes, drinks, and talks to Allie. Although they may not be positive, Holden finds comfort in these three things.
The Catcher in the Rye revolves around Holden Caulfield, the protagonist of the novel, and his disillusionment. Holden’s disillusionment illustrates that he has a problem accepting such. Aforesaid is based upon multiple factors, most which have brought Holden lasting traumas. A remedy is required for Holden to accept his disillusionment and enable an improvement of his situation. For Holden’s remedy, the consultation of psychologists, and additional specialized health professionals would be the core of an apt remedy for Holden’s psychological and physiological state based upon the numerous causes of such and the everlasting trauma of some of the determinants of aforesaid situation. The origins of Holden’s disillusionment revolved mainly around the death of his younger brother Allie three years ago, of which he still experiences the trauma to this day. His disillusionment is caused by both
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.
Holden’s childhood was far from ideal, with Allie dying, his dysfunctional parents and the revelation that he had some “perverty” stuff happen to him when he was a kid. Due to this, he isn't ready to step into adulthood and leave his childhood behind. This is why Holden is mostly alienated from adults and connects more to the innocence of children like the girl at the park and his sister, Phoebe. However, Holden is disillusioned with both adulthood and childhood. He already knows how it feels to be an adult; drinking alcohol, being independent, living by himself and caring for Phoebe, but isn’t ready to immerse himself in it.
Salinger continues his use of installing reality in fiction by Holden’s hospitalization. The reader finds out within the first chapter that Holden is being hospitalized due to a recent mental breakdown (Salinger). Interestingly enough, Salinger was also hospitalized shortly after his combat in WWII for his mental breakdown (Biography). Clearly, Salinger was making a major connection to himself through Holden by giving his character his
First, he goes to Mr. Spencer, his history teacher, who provides advice for his life and his future and even says “I’m trying to help you, if I can” (Salinger, 18). Because Mr. Spencer gives realistic advice to Holden to prepare him for his future even though it is not obligated, Mr. Spencer can be considered a mentor for Holden. Before Holden packs and leaves, he says “I was sort of crying” and “then I yelled at the top of my goddam voice, ‘Sleep tight, ya morons!’” (Salinger, 59). Although he becomes emotional when he realizes the company he is going to miss by leaving Pencey, he still acts immaturely as a result of an adolescent pitfall called invulnerability, when adolescents makes decisions without proper regard for their consequences (Adolescent Pitfalls). Holden finally leaves to take a train and reveals his love for riding trains at night (Salinger, 60). He is setting out on an adult journey by leaving Pencey, but he is still grasping to child interests by usually becoming excited to ride trains. Concluding sentence
Unlike other protagonists with amazing superpowers or cunning wits, the characters from the film Rushmore, and the novel “The Catcher in the Rye” share many of the same characteristics. In Wes Anderson’s film, Rushmore, the main character, Max Fischer, played by Jason Schwartzman has an unprecedented amount of similarities to J.D Salinger’s character Holden Caulfield from “The Catcher in the Rye”. Both stories focus on the idea of children wanting to grow up quickly whilst still being too immature to do so. The similarities include their personality traits, and the relationships they have, but the characters also differ in one major way, their views on sex. These similarities create a feel of familiarity in the reader or viewer allowing them
Psychoanalysis is a psychoanalytical theory and therapy that aims to treat mental disorders by investigating the conscious and unconscious elements in a human mind by bringing fears to the conscious mind. According to Sigmund Freud, “The unconscious silently directs the thoughts and behavior of the individual” (Freud 95). Holden Caulfield, the main character in J.D Salinger’s novel, The Catcher in the Rye, is sixteen years old and does not act his own age for he is stuck in his own private world, filled with pain and suffering. In the novel, Holden can be observed through a psychoanalytical view, which provides the reader a clear understanding of his unconscious mind. Holden is displayed as a troubled and foolish teenager who is flunking from another private school for boys. This in the story is ironic for, Holden states, “’That sonuvabitch Hartzell thinks you’re a hot-shot in English, and he knows you’re my rommmate” (Salinger 28). Teacher’s think that Holden is good in school, but his mental issue affects him academically and in addition to his inability to deal with life. Salinger begins his novel with Holden explicitly stating, “If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you’ll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like…” (Salinger 1). Seeing Holden through a psychoanalytical point we can assume that his lousy childhood can be the cause of his feeling of being lost, repression, and his unstable emotions if depression and isolation. According to another psychologist that agrees to Freudian theory, Lacan states, “Human behavior is often something of puzzle, requiring concerted acts of investigation to discover root causes and multiple effects” (Hall 105).
J.D Salinger’s novel, Catcher In The Rye is about a teen, Holden Caulfield, the protagonist of the narrative. Holden is full of unique problems and most of the time lost in his own world, that can’t face reality. The psychoanalytic theory arranges a lens of definition when working at Holden Caulfield. Holden is seen as a lonely, rebellious teen who flunked out of an all boys private school, Pencey Prep. Failing school exemplifies how Holden controls his own decisions in the real world. As stubborn Holden is, opening up his persona and experiences to people is very hard for him, “I’ll just tell you about this madman stuff that happened to me…” (Salinger 1). From a Freudian psychoanalytical perspective Holden would seem to keep all his thoughts all bottled up, not speaking, and opening up to people. “The preconscious holds information we’ve stored from past experience or learning. This information can be retrieved from memory and brought into awareness at any time.” (Nevid 469). Holden is one step closer to becoming a better changed person by speaking to his psychiatrist, and there is only way to find out if he did.
Although one night, later in the book, Holden travels home to talk to his sister Phoebe while his parents were out. There he tells her what he wanted to do when he grew up. “Anyway, I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in a big field of rye and all...And I’m standing on the edge of some crazy cliff.” “What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff...That’s all I’d do all day.” (Salinger 173). Holden further explaines, “I’d just be the catcher in the rye and all.” (Salinger 173). Another substantial choice that he makes was whether to tell his parents about flunking out of Pencey Prep, or run away until they have found out and calm down. “All of the sudden, I decided that I was getting the hell out of Pencey-right that same night and all...It made me too sad and lonesome.” (Salinger 51). Holden chose what he thought was best, but he does not realize that his parents will still be mad at him once they find out. “I didn’t want to be around when they first got it.” (Salinger 51). This is a great example of how choices are an important theme. If certain choices are not made, the final outcome will be
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, J.D, Salinger develops Holden’s character with numerous situations. Holden makes the reader question his rectitude through his perspective of those around him, his sexual desires, his general attitude, and his chronic lying. Because Salinger permits the audience to know how situations proceed from Holden’s perspective, the audience has an alternative side of Holden available to evaluate. Without the varying traits Holden presents, The Catcher in the Rye would not thoroughly depict Holden as a suffering individual. Thus, Holden’s character is morally ambiguous and crucial to the overall development of the novel.
The symbol I chose was Allie’s Baseball Mitt. Allie’s mitt is a meaningful object because it helps remind Holden of Allie and all the good times they had with each other.