Robert Velez
Mrs. Kehrmeyer
A.P. Lang, Per. 1
04 April 2018
What’s Really happening with Holden Caulfield
There are many reasons why a person acts in behavioral distress and will go through depression. The psychoanalytical theory founded by an Austrian neurologist named Sigmund Freud helps justify these assertions even in pieces of literature. In the novel the Catcher in the Rye J.D. Salinger’s main protagonist Holden Caulfield is one who can be examined under the psychoanalytical theory. The theory opens a discussion that Holden’s behavior is due to much more than just immaturity. According to Freud an individual’s behavior and actions has to do with the concept of the mind. Holden portrays a typical teenager trying to discover his own identity, yet depicts many obstacles that bound him from progressing forward. The tragedy of his brother’s death as well as the lack
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of family interaction leads Holden to have many character flaws that reflects on his behavior significantly.
Salinger presents the novel in a way where Holden is able to share his thoughts and experiences with someone who is able to give him evaluation. Thus allows the reader to go in depth on the reasoning of Holden’s actions. Throughout the novel Salinger makes many connections with Holden including similar events that took place in their education, “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 at all” (Salinger 4). It is proven through Donald Hall “to see literary and cultural expression as a reflection of the psychology of the creator of the text” (Hall 108). Holden Caulfield’s behavior thus can be explored and understood by using many aspects presented in Sigmund Freud’s
theory as well as other professionals that explain the social and psychological exertions of Holden’s character. When taking an account of J.D. Salinger, it is revealed that he is a replica of his main protagonist Holden Caulfield. Many of Holden’s actions connects to Salinger in which can be discussed in Freud’s psychoanalytical theory. The theory can further give an explanation about how the psychological state of an author can reflect the actions of a character in a novel. In Donald Hall’s “Literary and Cultural theory”, Psychoanalytic Analysis, it states that, This can be as elementary as attempting to discover unresolved conflicts in a literary text that relate to the author’s own biography…” (Hall 108). Holden’s behavior is established through a connection that he obtains with the author in which helps us understand certain behavioral pattern demonstrated by Holden. It is known that Salinger’s own life experiences reflect his literary work as it is stated in the Encyclopedia of the American Short Story, “Despite Salinger’s status as a recluse, there are many connections between him and his characters” (Blooms Literature). Salinger growing up failed to succeed in school multiple times, similar to Holden who failed to stay in school and succeed. This type of connection helps prove Freud’s theory about the connections between the psychological state of the author and how it portrays the characteristics of Holden. In another example Salinger is one that keeps to himself and does not like his life to be known. “From then on Salinger published something nearly every year until 1965, when he began living in seclusion” (bloom’s Literature). Much similar to Holden Salinger did not like to gain public notice to himself and express his own life experiences. Holden as well feels this way about his life as well. Thus demonstrates how Salinger plays a big role in the psychological development of Holden Caulfield.
In J.D. Salinger’s novel The Catcher in The Rye Salinger writes about the main character Holden Caulfield and his life. Holden is a teenager who comes from a wealthy family, he loves his family and lives very happy until the death of his brother Allie. After his brother died Holden becomes troubled, being kicked out of school again and again developing a negative view of the world. Holden throughout the book shows anger,denial, and acceptance over the loss of his brother.
As Eugene McNamara stated in his essay “Holden Caulfield as Novelist”, Holden, of J.D. Salinger’s novel Catcher in the Rye, had met with long strand of betrayals since he left Pencey Prep. These disappointments led him through the adult world with increasing feelings of depression and self-doubt, leading, finally to his mental breakdown.
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.
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.
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
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.
The way that Salinger writes gives the audience a very personal and insightful look into what Holden is feeling. It’s told in the first person, in a confessional style, and utilises digression. This creates a sense of closeness with the protagonist. It’s like Holden is talking directly to the reader.
In the novel, The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, a sixteen year old boy named Holden Caulfield gets expelled from his school and runs away before his parents find out. He goes to his home town, New York, and encounters many people. Throughout the novel, Caulfield is still coping with the death of his brother Allie. His attitude slowly decreases and various signs of a mental disorder are exhibited through his actions and his thoughts. Some people believe that he does not have a mental disorder, he is just grieving; however, he has clear symptoms that he is suffering from depression and anti-social disorder. These disorders are shown when Caulfield takes everything in a negative way, talks about being depressed, thinks that everyone is “phony”, and talks about his deceased brother.
Each year in the United States depression affects over 17 million people of all ages, races, and economic backgrounds. One in every eight teens are affected by depression (“Understanding Depression”). Depression can be defined as a mental illness where the person affected feels very sad and melancholy. Most people have passed through a stage or a short period of time where they have felt downhearted. In The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Holden Caulfield, a 16-year old boy, can be viewed as insane in the eyes of many readers because of his behavior and actions. Despite this common belief, Holden most likely suffered from depression. Some symptoms which convey Holden was depressed was his mood, lack of sleep, and his suicidal
Psychological Problems in Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye Jerome David Salinger was a very famous American author who wrote several books. One of his most successful books was The Catcher in the Rye. Other works by Salinger include the short story collection Nine Stories, Franny and Zooey, and Raise High The Beam, Carpenter and Seymour. In the book The Catcher in the Rye Holden Caulfield, became a model of the rebellious and confused adolescent who detected the “phoniness” of the adult world. (Microsoft Encyclopedia 98). This showed that he had a serious psychological problem. He never wanted to grow up and, he also never wanted his sister to face the world. He thought that the world was too bad for her to go out to because of the problems he faced in his own life. Psychology of a person determines that person’s personality. This research paper will attempt to tell why Holden suffered from psychological problems.
The narrative allows the reader to be exposed to Holden Caulfield’s mind to form a psychoanalytical perspective and emphasize how he goes through many experiences. An example of when Holden went through a violent outburst is when his brother, Allie passed away. “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.” (Salinger 39). This citation is meaningful and clearly shows what kind of person Holden becomes. He was very close with his brother Allie and that mentally broke him. He had a very strong and sad mental breakdown in the moment that affected his futu...
Holden is a pessimistic, remote, and miserable character and he expresses this attitude through dialogue, tone, and diction. Throughout the book he has remained to be a liar, a failure, a loner, and lastly, a suicidal guy who feels like he has no purpose in life. Perhaps Salinger expressed his perceptions and emotions of his teen years in this book and it was a form of conveying his deep inner feelings of his childhood. Readers can see this clearly shown in The Catcher in the Rye written by J.D. Salinger.
Everybody feels depressed at some time or another in their lives. However, it becomes a problem when depression is so much a part of a person's life that he or she can no longer experience happiness. This happens to the young boy, Holden Caulfield in J.D Salinger's novel, The Catcher in the Rye. Mr. Antolini accurately views the cause of Holden's depression as his lack of personal motivation, his inability to self-reflect and his stubbornness to overlook the obvious which collectively results in him giving up on life before he ever really has a chance to get it started.
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 attacks various weaknesses in the 50's society. He criticizes nearly everything that he observes, and refuses to pull punches. Often Holden uses his brilliant talent of observation to discover the true motives behind the people he calls "phony." Through his observations the reader can interpret Salinger's view of the 1950's culture. Holden's perceptions of paranoia, conformity, and the consumer culture convey Salinger's views.