Psychological Profile of Holden Caulfield

3040 Words7 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Psychological evaluation of holden caulfield

Psychological Profile of Holden Caulfield

Part One:

The patient is Holden Caulfield, a sixteen-year-old teenage boy. Caulfield's appearance is tall for his age and surprisingly has quite a few gray hairs at the age of sixteen. Holden comes from an upper-middle class family. His family has enough money to support Holden with many luxuries including skates and expensive suitcases. It appears that Mr. and Mrs. Caulfield aren?t there to talk, care, and be there for Holden, which seems to drive Holden away from his family. However, he has an intimate bond with his younger siblings, who embody innocence and youth. The death of his brother Allie has left a large scar on Holden. He has a cherished and intimate relationship with his young and innocent sister, Phoebe. Holden has been to many schools and has been kicked out of many schools. Holden is an intellectual teenager, who refuses to apply himself, and thus goes from school to school.

Some of the important and affecting moments in Holden?s life are death of Allie, suicide of a close friend, D.B. ?selling out?, and his summer with Jane Gallagher. Allie, Holden?s younger brother died of leukemia recently and has caused stress upon the patient. Also witnessing the death of once close friend traumatized the patient. The fact that Holden?s friend committed suicide wearing some of his clothing, placed even more strain on the patient. Another factor surround Holden is his brother D.B. leaving him and his family to ?sell out to Hollywood? disturbed Holden. Lastly, the summer he had spent with a close and intimate friend, Jane Gallagher had added fuel to fire, which drove Mr. Caulfield to this institution and require professional help from our clinic.

Part Two:

The patient, Holden Caulfield, perceives himself a ?madman?. Holden proclaims he is a madman for his actions and thoughts. With the analysis of Holden Caulfield?s description of the weekend leading up to his enlistment of professional care for chronic depression, Holden reveals his thoughts on being convinced he was a madman. One incident from Holden?s description explicitly gives Holden?s view of himself. The incident in reference is his date with Sally Hayes. Holden proposed to Sally to run away to Massachusetts and live together away from the world. In actuality Holden could not tolerate Sally and her ?phoniness?, but he still made the sug...

... middle of paper ...

...hem. Holden Caulfield is capable of recovery, but will require intense work and help. A timeline for his recovery could be anywhere from three months to as long three years. Currently, I believe it will take approximately six months for Holden to fully recover based on his interactions with the staff here at Bergen Pines. When asked by a psychoanalyst about applying himself in school next year, his response was, ?It?s such a stupid question, in my opinion. I mean how do you know what you?re going to do till you do it?? (Salinger 213). In this response, there are remnants of hostility and anger remaining him Holden, which would make me believe it would take a full year in order for him to recover. However, in Holden?s account it states, ?I sort of miss everybody I told about. Even old Stradlater and Ackley, for instance. I think I even miss that goddam Maurice? (Salinger 214). In this statement, it makes me believe that Holden is already working to return back on the path of sanity, because he lets go of the phony business and outright states he is beginning to miss his friends and the people he met. This is a sign that shows me he is bound to recover as soon as six months.

Show More
Related

  • The Mental Health of Holden Caulfield

    725 Words  | 2 Pages

    Holden is not just abnormal, he has problems that other teenagers, including the students at Pencey, experience going through adolescence. An example of this is Holden's jealousy towards Stradlater when he finds out he is going on a date with Jane Gallagher, “Boy,was I getting nervous” (42). Every teenager has bouts of jealously especially about the opposite sex, and Holden is no different. Holden's rebellious nature, to an extent, is typical for a teenage boy. His rebellious nature of smoking when it is not allowed, “You weren't allowed to smoke in the dorm...I went right on smoking like a madman.” (41-42). Holden is also anxious about change, which again to an extent is normal, “Do you happen to know where they go, the ducks...”(60), and he has the right to be; change,especially during adolescence, is a terrifying but exciting ride into the unknown, and similar to other adolescents Holden is afraid but intrigued about the unknown.

    Read More

  • Holden Caulfield: Bipolar with Multiple Personality Symptoms?

    1115 Words  | 3 Pages

    ... what has been psychologically observed, the patient evidently has shown trademark signs of bipolar disorder and multiple personality swings; Holden is unknowingly infatuated with finding the fault in others and blaming the world for his problems and mistakes, ultimately, putting him in a severely depressive state. Holden needs to continue with his institutional life and will need to be further evaluated. Once Holden realizes what he wants, that not everybody is out to get him, and that everything happens in life for a reason, the better off he will be. Psycho-analysis most people find invasive and frightens most people, but is necessary as seen with close-watch patient Holden Caulfield. Whether Holden will regain mental health stability or continue with psychological disturbance and angst that will inevitably lead to emotional destruction is to be further observed.

    Read More

  • How Does Holden Present Trauma In Catcher In The Rye

    1114 Words  | 3 Pages

    Holden experiences both alienation and disillusionment when meeting with people like Sally Hayes, Sunny and Ackley. Holden is so desperate to have human connection yet, when he starts to talk to them, he experiences them as ‘phonies’. This makes him more depressed, continuing his downward spiral. Holden is caught in a trap of his own making.

    Read More

  • A Psychological Profile Of Holden Caufield

    639 Words  | 2 Pages

    Thesis: Holden Caufield is a hostile, negatively charged character that suffers from depression which stems from a desire not to grow up and a lack of closure in his brothers death."If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like . . . "(pg. 1) These first words that Holden Caufield communicates during his tell of events that brought him to his breakdown, show the pent up hostility that still lingers. This pattern of speech, the constant expression of negativity, is a character trait of Holden that shows his inner anguish.

    Read More

  • Catcher in the Rye Essay: Holden Caulfield - A Nice Kid in a Cruel World

    1767 Words  | 4 Pages

    S.N. Behrman, in his review for The New Yorker, also took a sharp look at Holden's personality. Behrman found Caulfield to be very self-critical, as he often refers to himself as a terrible liar, a madman, and a moron. Holden is driven crazy by phoniness, an idea under which he lumps insincerity, snobbery, injustice, callousness, and a lot more. He is a prodigious worrier, and someone who is moved to pity quite often. Behrman wrote: "Grown men sometimes find the emblazoned obscenities of life too much for them, and leave this world indecorously, so the fact that a 16-year old boy is overwhelmed should not be surprising" (71). Holden is also labeled as curious and compassionate, a true moral idealist whose attitude comes from an intense hatred of hypocrisy. The novel opens in a doctor's office, where Holden is recuperating from physical illness and a mental breakdown. In Holden's fight with Stradlater, his roommate, he reveals his moral ideals: he fears his roommate's sexual motives, and he values children for their sincerity and innocence, seeking to protect them from the phony adult society. Jane Gallagher and Allie, the younger brother of Holden who died at age 11, represent his everlasting symbols of goodness (Davis 317).

    Read More

  • Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye

    640 Words  | 2 Pages

    Holden Caulfield can be analyzed through his thoughts, actions and circumstances which surround his everyday life. Holden acts like a careless teenager. Holden has been to several prep-schools, all of which he got kicked out of for failing classes. After being kicked out of the latest, Pency Prep, he went off to New York on his own. Holden seems to have a motivation problem which apparently affects his reasoning. The basis of his reasoning comes from his thoughts. Holden thinks the world is full of a bunch of phonies. All his toughs about people he meets are negative. The only good thoughts he has are about his sister Phoebe and his dead brother Alley. Holden, perhaps, wishes that everyone, including himself, should be like his brother and sister. That is to be intelligent, real and loving. Holden’s problem is with his heart. It was broken when his brother died. Now Holden goes around the world as his fake self, wearing his mask. Holden is looking for love, peace and understanding. He is scared to love because he is afraid he might lose it like he did with his brother. That is the reason for Holden's love of the museum, he feels safe because it never changes it always stays the same. Holden is troubled with the pain of death, it effects every aspect of his life causing him to not care about the future, himself or anyone, except Phoebe and Alley.

    Read More

  • Holden Caulfield's Psychiatric Evaluation

    1187 Words  | 3 Pages

    I recommend that Holden remain under my care at Happy Loons Hospital for the time being. I believe that participation in regular psychotherapy sessions will greatly benefit him as he negotiates his fears about adulthood. I also suggest that Holden initiate a course of Zylonconoff to stimulate the chemical production of his maturity gland. I believe that this combination of therapy and medication will result in Holden's acceptance of adulthood. Should he be able to do this, I believe the patient shall be able to attend the public high school his parents have chosen for him, as well as be able to make more mature relationships. The future looks bright for this patient.

    Read More

  • Symbolism In Catcher In The Rye

    1162 Words  | 3 Pages

    Ultimately, Holden Caulfield’s decisions were incredibly based on his yearning for innocence in life when it is slowly fading away from the world. The audience feels sympathy towards Holden because they know Holden’s past years have been traumatizing with his brother’s death and his moving of schools. The audience knows now that Holden’s alienation is because he does not want to lose his or anyone’s innocence. Thus, the overall lesson is that one cannot prevent another person to do what they want to do, and if they fall, let them.

    Read More

  • Overcoming Trauma in J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye

    659 Words  | 2 Pages

    I believe that Holden Caulfield is mentally disturbed and shows many signs of it throughout the novel. Problems in Holden’s life that have led him to this rest home are the death of his brother Allie, his multiple failures throughout his academic career, and his distress about moving on in life. Holden deals with these problems by drinking and smoking throughout the novel. He also shows depression throughout the novel by being kicked out of multiple schools and being over-critical of people when he describes them. I feel that he is very disturbed and had not been able to deal with his problems before. Unfortunately his feelings such as the loss of Allie ha...

    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 Adolescence Essay

    889 Words  | 2 Pages

    It is evident that Holden Caufield has specific moments where he can recall and apply them wherever he is in life. His unleashing of children and their ability to explore the world without assistance has helped him transition to the real adult world. His fascination with ducks has made him realize that nothing is ever permanent and no one can always be there for when ever one falls. Lastly, the passing of a loved one can be times of despair but learning to grow and fight the internal struggle can help bring ease. Holden has really transformed from an egoistic individual to a genuine gentleman, he has grown from his experiences and is able to tolerate more pain. The reality has struck Holden no matter how distorted the outside world is to him, maturing is inevitable and using these moments will always be something for him to live for.

    Read More

  • The Catcher In The Rye

    825 Words  | 2 Pages

    Holden Caulfield is the main character in the story. The entire story is a reflection by Holden while he is staying in a mental hospital. His story begins at a private school, called Pencey. Holden has been recently kicked out of the school for lack of effort and for poor grades. Holden dislikes everybody at the school, mainly because they are ignorant and conceded. Christmas break is coming up and Holden has to wait until then to permanently leave the school. Then one night, Holden gets into a fight with his roommate. He gets so upset that he can't stand staying there anymore. In the middle of the night, Holden packs all of his belongings and heads for his hometown, New York.

    Read More

  • Catcher In The Rye: A Psychoanalytical Perspective

    1473 Words  | 3 Pages

    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...

    Read More

  • The Catcher in the Rye

    703 Words  | 2 Pages

    Holden is quite an interesting character because his attitude toward life in general is very complex. He pretends to be an adult by drinking heavily, yet he complains like a child. You can clearly see the struggle Holden is going through in finding himself. Holden's thoughts aren't what the average sixteen year old boy thinks about. He describes death in a weird sense and he pretends to be injured often yet he hasn’t been in that position before. He is a bit violently and sexual for a kid. Holden feels misunderstood by others because the way they perceive him.

    Read More

  • Holden Caulfield Psychology

    765 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Song Hurt is a promotional single featured on the album The Downward Spiral By Nine Inch Nails, released in 1994. The Downward Spiral tells the story of a man who psychologically breaks and begins a journey on a downward path to suicide, Hurt, the final song on the album, is his suicide note. Ultimately, feelings of worthlessness and the self destructive nature that Hold Caufield exhibits in the novel the Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger are akin to those Trent Reznor(lead singer of Nine Inch Nails) put into Hurt.

    Read More

More about Psychological Profile of Holden Caulfield

Open Document