J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye

784 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: How does j.d. salinger reveal holdens faults of the society to the reader

Holden Caulfield is a strange character in the story The Catcher in the Rye. He is first seen this way by when he gets expelled from a school called Pencey Prep. He is expelled for flunking almost all of his classes. Holden then watches his school play in a football game from afar and decides he wants to say bye to his teacher. After that he decides to leave Pencey early and head home to New York. He goes out drinking and hitting on women while he is there and then goes to see his sister, Phoebe. He is very close to his younger sister and really connects with her. This disorder that Holden has could be believed to be bipolar disorder; which he displays in different occasions throughout the novel.
Bipolar disorder is defined as “a condition in which a person has periods of depression and periods of being extremely happy or being cross or irritable” (“Bipolar Disorder”). Mood swings can occur in patients with bipolar disorder in the form of triggers. Triggers are causing factors that would induce a type of mood swing. In Holden Caulfield’s case, he has a mood swing from happy and talkative to angry and upset. I believe that Holden’s trigger could be induced stress from a person disagreeing with him. This disorder is shown several times throughout the novel.
First situation in The Catcher in the Rye where Holden displays this disorder, is when he visits his teacher, Mr. Spencer, to say goodbye. He talks with Mr. Spencer about why he left Elkton Hills. Mr. Spencer asked because Holden was flunking at Pencey Prep and he heard that Holden didn’t do well at this school either. Holden then goes on to explain that the reason he left Elkton Hills because everyone there were “phonies”. Holden says “I can’t stand that stuff. It drives me ...

... middle of paper ...

...and when he ventures home to talk to Phoebe. In each of the situations Holden either becomes angry or he becomes depressed. These types of mood swings are signs of bipolar disorder. Each scenario is also associated with what could be believed to be triggers which cause these dramatic mood swings. Holden Caulfield’s trigger seems to be whenever he becomes overly stressed with a situation. When this stress comes over him by what someone says or what someone does, it causes Holden to have these mood swings. These mood swings either end with him being put into a fight, or with him becoming depressed. These are the reasons to believe that Holden Caulfield has bipolar disorder.

Works Cited

"Bipolar Disorder." NCBI. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 31 Jan. 2013. Web. 10 Nov. 2013.
Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1991. Print.

Show More
Related

  • Holden's Depression in Catcher in the Rye

    740 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Agitation In Catcher In The Rye

    229 Words  | 1 Pages

    Holden experiences agitation and irritability towards dealing with people he perceives at phonies. HIs agitation comes with the experiences he has had with people such as Ackley, Stradlater, his parents, and others he can interpret as fake or that have done things in the past to irritate him. His irritation among people is very common and repetitive throughout the book where it could be identified as a symptom of PTSD. For example, a scene Holden demonstrates agitation is when he talks to Phoebe about what his parents might do to him since he had gotten kicked out of yet another school; Pencey. “No, he won’t. The worst he’ll do, he’ll give me hell again, and then he’ll send me to military school.” (Salinger 166). Holden’s agitation comes from

    Read More

  • Free Catcher in the Rye Essays: Manic-Depressive Holden

    605 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Grief For Allie in The Catcher In The Rye by J.D Salinger

    1121 Words  | 3 Pages

    Salinger, J.D. The Catcher in the Rye. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 1991. Print.

    Read More

  • Holden's Depression in The Catcher in the Rye

    642 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • J.D. Salinger's A Catcher in the Rye

    791 Words  | 2 Pages

    Books that have shaped America are slowly starting to disappear. Many of the previous social norms have fallen out of fashion, and because of this reason numerous books are beginning to become banned. Blasphemy, racism, sex, and violence are all ethical reasons for books to be censored.

    Read More

  • Holden Caulfield Manic Depression Essay

    1042 Words  | 3 Pages

    To begin with, many of Holden’s physical and mental symptoms can be linked to events occurring during manic and depressive phases. According to Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance(DBSA), “Bipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, is a treatable illness involving extreme changes in mood, thought, energy, and behavior”. DBSA states that manic phases can include a decrease in sleep, reckless behavior or speech, flamboyant actions

    Read More

  • Holden Caulfield Mental Illness Essay

    1093 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the book, “The Catcher in The Rye” by J.D. Salinger, the main character is very strange in numerous ways. His name is Holden Caulfield and boy has he got something wrong with him. He rambles on and on about nonsense for the first 20-something chapters of the book. He only likes 3-4 people in the book. He smokes and drinks heavily at the ripe age of seventeen. He has been expelled out of numerous prep schools, and feels abandoned and not wanted. He has some sort of mental illness and I think I know what it is. I believe that Holden Caulfield has a mental illness known as Borderline Personality Disorder, also known as BPD. The reasoning for my thinking is that Holden’s actions match up with the symptoms of this illness and the isolation he

    Read More

  • Characteristics Of Holden Caulfield

    1198 Words  | 3 Pages

    As Holden Caulfield interacts with others and meets new challenges, he reveals his innermost feelings throughout The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger. Some may interpret his behaviors as teenage angst, but others find that Holden reveals traits of a mental disorder. Specifically, Holden suffers from Borderline Personality Disorder. Borderline Personality Disorder “is a serious mental illness marked by unstable moods, behavior, and relationships” (NIMH). He often experiences uncontrollable rage that results in altercations and behaves on impulse when handling money. He also shows signs of addiction when consuming alcohol. Additionally, Holden has trouble maintaining positive relationships with

    Read More

  • Examples Of An Immature Man In Catcher In The Rye

    658 Words  | 2 Pages

    He also dislikes movies. “If there’s one thing I hate, it’s the movies. Don’t even mention them to me.”(2). Holden think that actors are phonies . He also thinks his brother D.B sold out for the financial success of Hollywood. Holden calls everyone phonies because they have a different perspectives and they don’t think like him. It is a way for Holden to separate himself from other people. Holden thinks the world is about to get him. Holden is a hypocrite because he calls people phonies but he said “I am the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life. It is awful.”(16). This quote show how of a terrific liar Holden really is and how he is not reliable.

    Read More

  • Holden Caulfield In The Catcher In The Rye

    768 Words  | 2 Pages

    Holden Caulfield is a typical depressive teenager that exhibits negative views about growing up. Depression is made up of many categories of symptoms, such as emotional, physical, behavioral, and how one perceives life. These symptoms, take over Holden, due to his lack of knowledge on how to control his feelings.

    Read More

  • Mental illness and Mental Disorders in Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

    2034 Words  | 5 Pages

    President Barack Obama has said, “Too many Americans who struggle with mental health illnesses are still suffering in silence, rather than seeking help”. While many mental disorders can easily be treated, they are extremely taxing on the victim and are challenging to diagnose. In final analysis, Holden Caulfield suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder (manic depression) and psychosis. From a psychiatric point of view, there is hope for Holden in the future, but only if he is genuinely avid in getting back to a state of normalcy.

    Read More

  • Catcher In The Rye Mental Illness Essay

    476 Words  | 1 Pages

    It is a mental illness that can sometimes occur in teenagers as a response to a sudden traumatic experience or abandonment. Symptoms of depression that directly relate to Holden’s behaviour include: loss of appetite, depressed or irritable mood, failing relations with family and friends, faltering school performance, fatigue, feelings of worthlessness or self-hatred and obsessive fears or worry about death. Holden lost his younger brother Allie to cancer when he was only thirteen years old. An event such as this is can be traumatic to a young person and cause feelings of sadness and/or depression. Thoughts about suicide is another common symptom of depression. Holden expresses thoughts about committing suicide in Chapter 14 after Maurice assaults him: “What I really felt like, though, was committing suicide. I felt like jumping out the window. I probably would've done it, too, if I’d been sure somebody’d cover me up as soon as I landed. I didn't want a bunch of stupid rubbernecks looking at me when I was all gory” (Salinger,

    Read More

  • The Phony Theme of The Catcher In The Rye

    1338 Words  | 3 Pages

    In life there comes a time when everyone thinks that they are surrounded by phoniness. This often happens during the teen years when the person is trying to find a sense of direction. Holden Caulfield, a 16-year-old teen-ager is trying to find his sense of direction in J.D. Salinger's, "The Catcher In The Rye." Holden has recently been expelled from Pency Prep for failing four out of his five classes. He decides to start his Christmas recess early and head out to New York. While in New York Holden faces new experiences, tough times and a world of "phony." Holden is surrounded by phoniness because that is the word he uses to identify everything in the world that he rejects.

    Read More

  • Holden's Lonliness Catcher In the Rye

    600 Words  | 2 Pages

    Many young people often find themselves struggling to find their own identity and place in society. This search for self worth often leaves these young people feeling lonely and isolated because they are unsure of themselves. Holden Caulfield, J.D. Salinger's main character in the book The Catcher In the Rye, is young man on the verge of having a nervous breakdown. One contributor to this breakdown, is the loneliness that Holden experiences. His loneliness is apparent through many ways including: his lack of friends, his longing for his dead brother, and the way he attempts to gain acceptance from others.

    Read More

More about J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye

Open Document