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

certain connection with the mentality of Salinger to the one of Holden. Holden says, “… - I mean if they’re running and they don’t look where they’re going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That’s all I’d do all day. I’d be the catcher in the rye and all” (173). Throughout the book Holden Caulfield is denying maturity and tries to find comfort with Phoebe’s innocence. By relating to Robert Burns’ catcher in the rye, Salinger allows the reader to see into the mindset of Holden and understand why he acts immature and refuses to grow up.
As the novel progresses the reader starts to realize that Holden Caulfield has major problems with depression and isolation. For example, Holden describes, “Anyway, I’m sort of glad they’ve got the atomic bomb invented. If there’s ever another war, I’m going to sit right the hell on top of it. I’ll volunteer for it, I swear to God I will” (141). The idea of suicide and depression are seen when he uses words such as, “atomic bomb,” “hell on top,” “volunteer.” He minimizes the worth of his life and jokes around with the idea of truly killing himself to show that he truly is lost and depressed in his life. Sigmund Freud’s theory of consciousness exemplifies ; the idea of present awareness. Holden Caulfield demonstrates throughout the novel signs of depression and loneliness. He is isolated from the student body in Pency Prep, because he does not want to conform to the “phony” social structure there. Instead he tries to compensate with the company of Stradlater and Ackley but finds it is only to distract himself from his depression.
Furthermore, Erick Erickson, German psychoanalyst believes, “Studies have demonstrated that those with a poor sense of self tend to have less committed relationships and are more likely to suffer emotional isolation, loneliness, and depression” (3). Holden Caulfield suffers from depression and isolation from throughout the time period narrated in the novel. Caulfield is typically depressed because he cannot figure who he is, he tries to find himself from the beginning to end of the novel. Although he becomes sidetracked because his instincts are to push away people and stay to himself which in other ways hurt him rather than help him. J.D. Salinger experienced similar events to those of Holden Caulfield. He didn’t conform to the private school life, he was an outsider and very secluded. Also, similar to Caulfield, he was the manager of the fencing team at his private school. Salinger’s similarity with Caulfield can help the viewer infer that Salinger incorporated some of his past experiences as a young boy and his emotions at that time with Holden Caulfield, in order to express his lonesome childhood memories.
As Holden begins to dig deeper into his childhood he exposes various memories that bring the reader a sense of sympathy for the character.

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

death.
Salinger lets Holden’s character evolve into the young man by allowing female characters to arouse certain emotions in Holden, in order to exploit the secrete obsession Holden has with women. As Caulfield desires a Thoreau adventure, he describes it to Sally, “We’ll stay in these cabin camps and stuff like that till the dough runs out… we could lie somewhere with a brook and all and, later on we could get married or something” (132). Holden Caulfield’s gargantuan idea to leave with Sally shows the female companionship he yearns for is a way to replace the absent affection from his mother. The love for Sally he displays is a part of his present awareness and the vital impulses he has. The reader realizes that the mother had always been distracted by Allie and still mourns his death; Holden indicates she has “terrible nerves.” Holden being the middle child fits into the stereotype of the forgotten child, which has cost him a prodigious amount of trauma from his childhood, thus leading him to seek love from women.
In addition, Karen Horney, a German psychoanalyst had many opposing views to Sigmund Freud but has many theories that apply to The Catcher in the Rye, such that in order to combat anxiety the mind has neurotic needs. Holden displays many anxiety problems throughout the novel such as always smoking or drinking and insomnia. Karen Horney believes, “These people have an intense need to be liked, involved, important, and appreciated. So much so, that they will often fall in love quickly or feel an artificial but very strong attachment to people they may not know well. Their attempts to make that person love them creates a clinginess and neediness that much more often than not results in the other person leaving the relationship.” Holden Caulfield experiences many occasional meetings with women that reveal his desire for female companionship. Although Holden’s claimed love for women is based on an impulse for love he finds that he seeks the affection from women in order to feel better about himself although he comes at odds when the girl is Jane. Jane represents the idea of the perfect girl for him but he feels it very intimidated and not worth enough to pursue this young lady and ends up losing the chance to come in contact with her. He experiences many flashbacks to their childhood memories together only to demonstrate the paragon of the type of woman for he needs in his life, but instead he finds refuge and comfort with Sally. In comparison, Salinger is able to empathize with this character because he himself could not keep his love interest in his adult life and can be seen in his writing as a way to involve his personal life and tie a personal connection with Caulfield.
As Holden returns back to his hometown he meets a woman that allows him expose his unconscious impulses on women to the reader, for instance, he says, “That’s the thing about girls. Every times they do something pretty, even if they’re not much to look at, or even if they’re sort of stupid, you fall in love with them, and then you never now know where the hell you are” (73). The slang Salinger uses in his text helps deliver Holden’s thought without confusing his reader or digressing from his main message. Holden uses the friendship he has with women as a defense mechanism against his depression and anxiety he has. He uses women in order to distract himself and fill in the attention that was never given to him as a child. Caulfield over values love because of the mother role he grew up without, that has had profoundly impact his life. He mistrusts women and falls in love with them only ‘in the moment’ but cannot truly committee because he keeps retuning to Jane.
A psychotherapist by the name of Alfred Alder can distinguish the characteristics of Holden based on the birth order of the children in the family. For instance, Alder views the the second child as “more competitive, wants to overtake older child. May become a rebel or try to outdo everyone,” which can be seen as Holden Caulfield reveals he has been kicked out of every private boarding schools he has been in rolled in but can also be seen has having the effects of being the middle child or the “ghost child”. Alfred Alder interprets the middle child as having “trouble finding a place,” and the “ghost child” as the “Child born after the death of the first child may have a "ghost" in front of him” which can be similar to Holden’s character. Holden is hidden beneath the success of his bigger brother, D.B, the death of Allie, and the perfect little sister, Phoebe. Caulfield finds it very difficult to conform to the family because he doesn’t feel like there is place for him and feels there is no relationship with his parents. This revelation allows Holden to act out and feel no fear for the consequences that follow, he wants to flea in order to break the parental control there is over his life. The defiance Holden portrays can be seen in the adulthood of Salinger because he also defied his fathers’ expectations when he dropped out of college and continued to teach after leaving Austria. The similarities between Salinger and Holden are parallel and the reader can assume that many characteristics of Holden are shared by Salinger and that Salinger in some possibility found refuge in Holden.
The relationship between Holden and Phoebe is very peculiar because of the age difference; Phoebe portrays the perfect little sister and is the mature one compared to Holden. For instance, Phoebe says, “You don’t like anything that’s happening.” It made me even more depressed when she said that” (169). Phoebe’s character is used as a symbol of innocence and neutrality because she is the only person Holden admires and listens to. Because Phoebe is the youngest out of her brothers she can be grouped in Alfred Alder’s “youngest” theory which categorizes her as being protected by her older brothers and “Can become very feminine…May try to please the father,” which can be seen when Phoebe and Holden meet. Although Phoebe is younger and smarter, she tries to look out for Holden and even lectures him on life. The sense of irony portrayed through their conversation is ideal because Salinger tries to show the readers that the relationship between the two characters is unique. Both characters do not try to overplay each other but rather compliment and push one another.
In comparison, Holden Caulfield has different expectation he has to meet in order to feel morally right and fair.

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

psychoanaylized.
Holden Caulfield went through many psychological problems the led him into depression, isolation, and loneliness. The Catcher in the Rye, allowed many readers to find trust and refuge in Holden as much as J.D. Salinger did, mainly because Holden can be very relatable and easy to perceive. As Carl Jung said, “Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves,” although Salinger did portray Holden Caulfield as an immature, depressed, and confused character Holden found himself at the end and was able to move past his difficulties. The psychoanalytical lense Sigmund Freud and other Freudian psychoanalysts have, has changed the way The Catcher in the Rye has been viewed.