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The catcher in the rye overview essay
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The catcher in the rye analysis essay
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Connor Walsh
Ms. McGowan
Period 7
5/12/18
Catcher in the Rye Rough Draft
In his book The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger illustrates for readers severe depression through the protagonist, Holden Caulfield. One of the most common and detrimental psychiatric condition is depression. Depression has substantial effects on a person’s thoughts, behavior and feelings. Depression entails an emotional stigma which has overbearing feelings of despair and dejection. Symptoms of severe depression mirroring Holden’s case most notably include the detachment of oneself from society, low self-esteem and poor relationship building skills, and poor/inappropriate behavior.
Holden Caulfield has endured the emotional pain due to the death of his younger brother Allie. Holden’s former teacher Mr. Antolini, sets him
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up to understand his misguided ways as he points out Holden’s downfall. He tries to instill the notion that Holden must ignore the corrupt society in order to fully experience enriching and symbiotic relationships in life. Mr. Antolini attempts to evolve Holden to prevent his “great fall” as he states, “the mark of an immature man is he wants do die nobly for a cause, and whereas the mark of a mature man is he wants to live humbly for one.” (Salinger 101). Holden understands his unrealistic approach to life, however he becomes clinically depressed in the process. In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden falls into an intense state of depression due to his detachment from society, unconventional behavior and internal psychological turmoil. A prominent cause of Holden Caulfield’s depression is his detachment from society. To begin with, Holden isolates himself from the people around him as he refrains from developing social bonds. For instance, Holden refrains from meeting Jane Gallagher while she waits for Stradlater, despite desperately wanting to meet her. This is reveals through Holden’s comment,“I oughta go down and say hello to her [Jane]…[but] I’m not in the mood right now.” (Salinger 17-18). This quote shows that Holden is incapable to form relationships with people around him, which reveals his increasing list of insecurities. Holden is hesitant towards developing relationships, which readers can infer is due to his fear of neglect. Holden’s fear of being neglected is the root of his inability to develop bonds which ultimately isolates and detaches him from society. Therefore, his inability to maintain relationships diminishes his self confidence and self esteem and brings about his depressive state. Second, Holden segregated himself from society as Holden opts to live in the past. For example, Holden refuses to merge with society as he wishes to live alongside his deceased brother Allie. Consequently, Allie remains at rest in his childhood. Similarly Holden wishes to live in his childhood to preserve his innocence. Therefore, Holden challenges society’s circle of life, as he refuses to accept adulthood. This is depicted when Holden states, “I like Allie… just because someone is dead, you don’t just stop liking them, for God’s sakes - especially if they were about a thousand times nicer than the people you know that’re alive” ( Salinger 92). Holden believes that only true innocence can be attained in childhood and holds the view that the sincerity Allie offered is no longer present in society. However, Holden eventually realizes that it is impossible to live in his childhood forever. This compels him to realize that he cannot continue living with the same values in society that Allie died with. Acknowledging that his objectives in life are unattainable brings forth immense discomfort and sadness. However, Holden’s sadness is heightened when he knows he cannot change societal norms and value. The realization that he cannot remain in the past with his idyllic concept of innocence ultimately causes his depression. Holden’s depressive state of mind is also evident by means of his reckless behavior.
First, Holden’s loss of interest in school and the people within the school makes it agonizing for him to remain there. Holden expresses his lack of interest in school when he tells Phoebe the reasons for his distaste and rejection of Pencey and the people within it. This is shown through Holden’s statement, “it was one of the worst schools I ever went to. It was full of phonies. And mean guys…I just didn’t like anything that was happening at Pencey.” (Salinger 90,91). This quote reveals that Holden acknowledges the negativity inside the school as it becomes unbearable for him. Pencey also harbours many fraudulent people which remove Holden’s interest in school. Since Holden finds it infuriating living amongst people with no sense of morality. Consequently, his discontent with school hinders the enrichment he wishes his life to encompass. Therefore, Holden’s objectives of school are not being accomplished. Holden foresees countless misery and restlessness in his future. Therefore, his depression and thoughts of suicide are enkindled by the emotional dissatisfaction he experiences at
Pencey. To conclude, Holden’s great fall, eventually resulting in his depression, is evident through his detachment from society, unconventional behavior and internal psychological turmoil. Mr. Antolini depicts Holden’s potential downfall as he indicates that Holden’s negativistic approach to life is wrong. He points out that if Holden does not reform his ways, it can deteriorate Holden’s life. Overall, Holden’s eventual adoption at the end of the book, forces Holden to question his tainted morality and impractical approach toward life. Holden is unable to adapt to the circle of life by avoiding the transformation towards adulthood is a prominent cause of his depression. One may ponder if Phoebe Caulfield is destined towards a depressive mindset as she has an analogous personality and approach towards life, to that of Holden Caulfield’s. Works Cited Salinger, J.D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1951. Print. "Holden Caulfield: Depressed, Psychotic and All." Huffington Post, m.huffpost.com/us/entry/522499. Encyclopedia Britannica. www.britannica.com/topic/The-Catcher-in-the-Rye.
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 by J.D. Salinger is about a boy named Holden Caulfield and his struggles in one part of his life. Holden seem very normal to people around him and those he interacts with. However, Holden is showing many sighs of depression. A couple of those signs that are shown are: trouble sleeping, drinking, smoking, not eating right, and he talk about committing suicide a couple times during the book. On top of that Holden feel alienated plus the death of Holden’s brother Allie left Holden thinking he and no where to go in life.
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.
Nineteen million American adults suffer from a major case of depression (Web MD). That is a staggering one in every fifteen people (2 in our classroom alone). Holden Caulfield is clearly one of those people. Depression is a disease that leads to death but is also preventable. Psychology, stressful events, and prescription drugs are causes of depression. Stressful events brought on Holden’s depression. Holden has been trying to withstand losing a brother, living with careless parents, and not having many friends. The Catcher in the Rye is a book that takes us through the frazzled life of Holden Caulfield, who appears to be just a regular teen. But by hearing his thoughts and through heart-wrenching events in the book, the reader learns that Holden is not the innocent boy that he once appeared. In his book, The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger shows that Holden’s depression is not only affecting him, but also the people around him through Sally, Phoebe, and Sunny.
Holden's idealism is first brought forth when he describes his life at Pency Prep. It is full of phonies, morons and bastards. His roommate, Stradlater, " was at least a pretty friendly guy, It was partly a phony kind of friendly..." (26) and his other roommate, Ackley is "a very nosy bastard" (33). Holden can't stand to be around either one of them for a very long time. Later, he gets into a fight with Stradlater over his date with Jane. Holden is upset because he thinks that Stradlater "gave her the time" and that he doesn't care about her; 'the reason he didn't care was because he was a goddam stupid moron. All morons hate it when you call them a moron' (44). Holden not only sees his roommates as phonies and bastards, but he also sees his headmaster at Pency Prep as a "phony slob" (3). This type of person is exactly what Holden doesn't want to be. He strives to be a mature adult; caring, compassionate, and sensitive.
“I swear to God I’m crazy. I admit it.” Throughout the novel, The Catcher in The Rye, Holden Caulfield is shown to have multiple manic and depressive episodes within the course of a few days, hinting at him having Manic Depression in ultradian cycling.
At the beginning of his story, Holden is a student at Pencey Prep School. Having been expelled for failing four out of his five classes, Holden leaves school and spends 72 hours in New York City before returning home. There, Holden encounters new ideas, people, and experiences. Holden's psychological battle within himself serves as the tool that uncovers the coming-of-age novel's underlying themes of teen angst, depression, and the disingenuous nature of society. The novel tackles issues of blatant profanity, teenage sex, and other erratic behavior.
Holden is the second eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Caulfield. Mr. Caulfield works as a lawyer. His wife is a homemaker. He is one of four children born to the couple. His relationship with his parents and siblings appears to be normal. Preliminary interviews indicate that Holden had idolized his older brother, D.B., throughout his childhood. Recently, however, his opinion has reversed. D. B. Caulfield, a writer, has recently relocated to Hollywood. Holden regards this move as a misstep for his brother and has even gone so far as accusing him of prostituting himself by ag...
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, about one in four American adults suffer from a mental disorder. This means that 57.7 out of 217.8 million people over the age of 18 are ill; never mind that mental illnesses are the leading cause of disability in Canada and the United States. Holden Caulfield, the controversial main character of J.D Salinger’s novel Catcher in the Rye, spends much of the book wandering through the streets of New York City. Kicked out of boarding school for the umpteenth time, he does many odd things: he calls a prostitute, tries to befriend a taxi driver, drinks with middle aged women, and sneaks into his own house in the middle of the night. While many of these things seem outré, some may even go as far as to say that he is mentally disturbed. From a psychiatric standpoint, main character Holden Caulfield exhibits the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder (manic depression), and psychosis throughout the infamous novel Catcher in the Rye.
From the protagonists’ point of view, the adult world Holden and Franny are entering and living in is a very superficial place. Holden who is sixteen years of age is going through a time of crisis where he is almost forced to become an adult. This concept is the very thing that makes Holden afraid, causing him to misbehave at school. His latest school, Pencey Prep, expels Holden due to his failing grades. When asked for the reason of his lack of academic enthusiasm, Holden simply states that he is not interested in anything. In every school he has attended, Holden has managed to find different reasons not to care and possibly even hate the institutions.
This novel by J.D Salinger is about a rebellious teenage, Holden Caulfield. Holden's brother, Allie death affects Holden academics and future. Holden goes through many different experiences that make his pyschoanalytic traits stand out.
Mr. Antolini?s theory as to what is wrong with Holden is right on, it?s just too bad he was unable to get through to Holden. Due to the fact that Holden has already given up on himself and is unwilling to apply the valuable advice he has been given. He has lost the substantial ability to find happiness in life and therefore can?t find the energy to motivate himself in anything he does. It?s a tragedy that someone as bright as Holden Caulfield is unable to find the strength within himself to persevere in a world of insanity.
The Catcher in the Rye is a novel written by J.D. Salinger in 1951. This is a story of how Holden Caulfield ended up in an insane asylum and the events that led to his breakdown. Holden’s breakdown was caused by a series of events including his experience with depression. Depression is defined as a serious mood disorder that can come in many different forms according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Symptoms associated with this disorder include sadness or an “empty mood”, feeling of hopelessness and guilt, loss of interest, suicidal thought and or actions, and poor academic performance. Holden Caulfield appears to be depressed because he told us about several events throughout the weekend and described his thought in this novel that points to signs of depression.
In J.D Salinger’s novel, The Catcher in the Rye, it can be inferred that the main character, Holden Caulfield, is Salinger himself. The whole book is Salinger’s narrative told through the lens of Holden Caulfield. Everything that Salinger felt was told through a teenage boy which made the book controversial since the author is an adult talking about adult issues and things you wouldn’t expect a teenager to talk about during this time period. For example, the theme of depression is displayed in Salinger’s novel which during his time period, was considered an “adult disease” but not only did Salinger write about depression, he wrote his life experiences through Caulfield. So to perceive the significance of Holden’s character, it is vital to know
Holden also found the same qualities that aloud him to appreciate certain adults in the old Secretary at Phoebe?s school. When Holden was arranging for his note to be passed on to Phoebe, he started talking to the secretary in the office. When the lady said that Pencey was a good school, Holden thought, ?Even if I?d wanted to, I wouldn?t have had the strength to straighten her out. Besides, if she thought Pencey was a good school, let her think it.? (202) Holden didn?t want to correct the old lady and embarrass her. At the same time, Holden thought, ?You hate to tell new stuff to somebody around a hundred years old.