Holden Caulfield's Depression

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D.Salinger is told through Holden, the narrative in the novel. Holden is 16 years old boy , and he has lot of problems during his life. He became more depressed and he can’t deal with people and life around him. Based on the novel The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield is suffering from depression.
Beside many stuff Holden may be suffering from such as failing relations with family and friends, always feel sadness. Holden have been into many depression situation throw the novel but over that , I think he more depressed than other are about death of his brother Allie and a prostitute Holden was meet, Sunny. Holden feels depressed about Sunny because she too young. Sunny , a character appear in chapter 13,14.

After invites Sunny up to his room and he admit that he pretty nervous because he still a virgin but he tried to be confident. But suddenly after Sunny take off her dress, Holden feels depressed about that –“I took her dress over to the closet and hung it for her.

It was funny. It made me feel sort of sad when I hung it up. I thought of her going in a store and buying it, and nobody in the store knowing she was a prostitute and all. The salesman probably just thought she was a regular girl when she bought it. It made me feel sad as hell. I don't know why exactly. (13.26-53). Holden sees Sunny too young to have sex with him, he mention she was around his age ,“she was young as hell”, and she was pretty nervous for a prostitute. But I thing the one make Holden depressed is he see Sunny too young to be prostitute. After that Holden offer her to stay and talk and get reason that he haven’t in mood to do that thing in that day. Holden feels depressed about Allie death . Throw the novel , we seem to realize that Holden still can’t throw his pain about losing his brother Allie. –“ I slept in the garage the night he died, and I broke all the goddam windows with my fist, just for the hell of it. I even tried to break all the windows on the station wagon we had that summer, but my hand was already broken and everything by that time, and I couldn't do it.”(5.7). His reactions show how he anger , depressed and sadness of his brother death. The pain inside he must suffer show throw the novel like his hunting hand

remind us of colour hair of Allie , sometime Holden pretend that he talking with his brother. In chapter 22 Holden speak swith Pheobe about Allie as he still present when Pheobe asked one thing he likes in Holden life. That show how depressed Holden be. With those reason , reader seems Holden Caulfield is suffering from depression.
Holden expresses many thought of depression.

One of that Holden depressed because Jane going out date with Stradlater , “ I kept thinking about Jane, and about Stradlater having a date with her and all. It made me so nervous, I nearly went crazy “-Holden think his roommate not deserve to going out date with Jane. Stradlater can’t even call exactly her name, he call her Jean. He not understand Jane like Holden be, beside of the Holden know his roommate is a bastard. However deep inside Holden afraid Stradlater take advantage of Jane Gallagher , take away Jane from him and especially he worried Stradlater will have sex with Jane. Symbol of windows appear a lot in novel but reader will fully understand what meaning of that when Holden mention to James Castle. Holden depressed about James Castle suicide.-“So Stabile, with about six other dirty bastards, went down to James Castle's room and went in and locked the goddam door and tried to make him take back what he said, but he wouldn't do it. So they started in on him. I won't even tell you what they did to him—it's too repulsive—but he still wouldn't take it back, old James Castle. And you should've seen him. He was a skinny little weak-looking guy, with wrists about as big as pencils. Finally, what he did, instead of taking back what he said, he jumped out the window.” (22.30). I thinks this event affected to Holden’s depression. He depressed because James , the innocent boy cannot stand for himself and was defeated by

dark force .At last he can’t find the way to get out and get free by himself by suicide. But the sad thing is nothing happened with those “bastard” , they escaped from justice, that make Holden depressed. Beside of that , when James Castle jumped out the window , James wearing Holden”s turtleneck sweater at the time , Holden see himself with James in his clothes suicide, jumped out the window- " What I really felt like doing was committing suicide. I felt like jumping out of the window," (104).That reason why symbol of windows appear throw the novel. With those reason , reader seems Holden Caulfield is suffering from depression.
Holden’s depression, immaturity and suicidal thoughts lead Holden to rest of novel. Holden Caulfield is suffering from depression.