The conflict between spiritual and religious problems against psychiatric problems, is an argument that is quite coextensive. In the novel The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger, Holden demonstrates that his dilemmas are potentially more of a spiritual problem than a psychiatric one. Along with that, most of Holden’s problems are directly correlated to the religious references he unknowingly makes. As well as, how these spiritual problems are affecting him and his outlook on the “fallen” world, riddle by “phoniness”. At a large extent Holden’s problems are more spiritual than psychiatric. Spiritual problems and psychiatric problems fall on two very distinct spectrums, with Holden being closer to the spiritual end. Psychiatric problems are often …show more content…
more so related to mental illnesses whereas, spiritual problems correlate mostly with categories such as destiny, and spiritual energy. There are numerous factors, Holden displays that are associated with “spiritual attacks”; some being extreme frustration, confusion about purpose and questioning direction. When Holden unknowingly mentions the ducks that leave the lagoon when it freezes over in the winter time, it is a direct correlation to his destiny and him questioning where to go (16). As pointed out by Mrs. Hayes, Holden situates with the ducks,“ She once told Sally I was wild. She said I was wild and that I had no direction in life” (67). Often times, he is confused about hisdestiny and where he is going in life, or if he should wait for a savior/saint to show him the way. Likewise, when Holden smashed all the windows in the garage as a result of Allie’s passing. “I was only thirteen, and they were going to have me psychoanalyzed and all, because I broke all the windows in the garage (44)”. This shows signs of extreme frustration from Holden, from the fact he has a red “people shooting” hat (21). Most commonly, with the colour red being closely related to the emotion of anger. Quite evidently, Holden makes numerous references to religion and cleansing.
A major one being when he asks Ackley about the process of joining a monastery (56-57). Monasteries are a place of solitude where monks live and take a vow being devoted to god. Likewise, this is also considered to be a place for healing. Not only does he make these religious connections, Holden generally relates himself towards sinners and outcasts. Judas, someone who betrays Jesus and eventually commits suicide from the guilt, share many similarities with Holden. They both share thoughts of death and suicide, as well as guilt. Quite a common theme emanated throughout is the concept of death and suicide. Taking one's life to escape the harshness of reality, Holden as a matter of fact contemplates about jumping out of a window (117). In addition, Holden may embody Azazel the “scapegoat”, also known as the fallen angel or the one who takes the blame. Various times we see Holden bearing guilt, such as feeling guilt for taking Phoebe’s money when he came to visit, because he does not want Phoebe drag Phoebe down the path that he took. As well as, Holden feels guilt from Allie's death, since he often considers him the “only dumb one” in the family and he feels as though Allie should not have died from an unworthy cause.Compared to the Bible, Holden has a very unique view on life regarding majority of what he sees as being phony. This mindset created by the spiritual problems Holden is facing is affecting the way he is able to view reality. Through most of his encounters with other people he is very critical towards them, labelling nearly every adult as being a phony partaking in a corrupt society whereas the children are deemed to be innocent and pure. The most notable novella in the bible is about the fallen angels, Adam and Eve, two humans crafted at the hands of god but manipulated into wrongdoings inevitable disobeying god, and resulting in punishment. “The LORD helps the fallen and lifts
those bent beneath their loads. The eyes of all look to you in hope; you give them their food as they need it. When you open your hand, you satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing.” (Psalm 145:14-16). Likewise the statement that Mr. Antolini describes to Holden about a terrible fall where he just continues to fall corresponds to the theme of Adam and Eve (205-206). If Holden does not accept the way the society he will have no chance at recovering. Also, the way that spiritual problems affect Holden are, when Holden mistakes “if a body catch a body comin’ through the rye” (191). He may be trying to subconsciously be hearing the words he wants to hear, so that his view on children being innocent remains intact. That is why he would want to become the “catcher” in the rye to save all the children who may have “fallen” into a corrupt society. In conclusion, throughout various examples in the text we have determined most of Holden’s problems are on a spiritual level rather than psychiatric. As well as, how Holden begins to make a connection between his thoughts and religion. Furthermore, his spiritual problems reflect on how his mind operates and how he chooses to view the world. For these reasons Holden’s problems are more so, based on spiritual aspects. This not only affects Holden himself, but the people around him who care about him too.
For the crucifixion in the bible Jesus is wounded in the hands, feet, side, and head in his final hours. Holden in The Catcher and the Rye has a wounded hand; “My hand still hurts me once in a while.”. He is punched in the stomach. Finally, after his fight with Stradlater, Holden walks into Ackley’s room with blood dripping down his face. As Holden walks into the room, he flicks on the light, which surrounds him giving him the appearance of wearing a halo, and the first word out of Ackley’s mouth when he sees Holden is “Jesus!” Another quality that Holden has in common with Christ is time in the wilderness. Holden spends most of his time throughout the book in New York City, which is considered to be a concrete jungle in our world. So for Holden, New York is his metaphorical wilderness where he is faced with challenges and realizes more about himself. Holden’s journey is described as being three days long, like the amount of time that the Christ was buried. Holden isn’t physically buried, but he is metaphorically buried with depression and angst. However with the help of Phoebe on the third day he is able to realize himself and get out of his depression. The last way that Holden displays qualities similar to Christ is through his forgiveness. At the end of The Catcher in the Rye, Holden says, “ I sort of
Holden is an outlier of society, and tries to hide his own weaknesses with his angry thoughts. It is also implied that Holden is enrolled in an institution as he talks about doctor appointments towards the beginning of the book.
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.
In the novel, Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger, Holden Caulfield is an example of a prosaic rich adolescent boy,with a pedestrian set of problems, but a psychoanalysis reveals that Holden has a plethora of atypical internal conflicts. Internal conflicts that other students at Pencey, such as Stradlater and Ackley, would not normally experience.
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
Holden’s childhood was far from ideal, with Allie dying, his dysfunctional parents and the revelation that he had some “perverty” stuff happen to him when he was a kid. Due to this, he isn't ready to step into adulthood and leave his childhood behind. This is why Holden is mostly alienated from adults and connects more to the innocence of children like the girl at the park and his sister, Phoebe. However, Holden is disillusioned with both adulthood and childhood. He already knows how it feels to be an adult; drinking alcohol, being independent, living by himself and caring for Phoebe, but isn’t ready to immerse himself in it.
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
Holden Caulfield is the narrator of the novel The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. At first introduction, Holden is very judgemental about different characters and seems annoyed about his life. At times, the narrator is rude and has a sarcastic tone towards others when speaking. Holden would be a friend of mine because I enjoy the company of a friend who makes corny jokes.
What was wrong with Holden, the main character in The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D.Salinger, was his moral revulsion against anything that was ugly, evil, cruel, or what he called "phoney" and his acute responsiveness to beauty and innocence, especially the innocence of the very young, in whom he saw reflected his own lost childhood. There is something wrong or lacking in the novels of despair and frustration of many writers. The sour note of bitterness and the recurring theme of sadism have become almost a convention, never thoroughly explained by the author's dependence on a psychoanalytical interpretation of a major character. The boys who are spoiled or turned into budding homosexuals by their mothers and a loveless home life are as familiar to us today as stalwart and dependable young heroes such as John Wayne were to an earlier generation. We have accepted this interpretation of the restlessness and bewilderment of our young men and boys because no one had anything better to offer. It is tragic to hear the anguished cry of parents: "What have we done to harm him? Why doesn't he care about anything? He is a bright boy, but why does he fail to pass his examinations? Why won't he talk to us?"
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.
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.
Psychoanalysis is a psychoanalytical theory and therapy that aims to treat mental disorders by investigating the conscious and unconscious elements in a human mind by bringing fears to the conscious mind. According to Sigmund Freud, “The unconscious silently directs the thoughts and behavior of the individual” (Freud 95). Holden Caulfield, the main character in J.D Salinger’s novel, The Catcher in the Rye, is sixteen years old and does not act his own age for he is stuck in his own private world, filled with pain and suffering. In the novel, Holden can be observed through a psychoanalytical view, which provides the reader a clear understanding of his unconscious mind. Holden is displayed as a troubled and foolish teenager who is flunking from another private school for boys. This in the story is ironic for, Holden states, “’That sonuvabitch Hartzell thinks you’re a hot-shot in English, and he knows you’re my rommmate” (Salinger 28). Teacher’s think that Holden is good in school, but his mental issue affects him academically and in addition to his inability to deal with life. Salinger begins his novel with Holden explicitly stating, “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…” (Salinger 1). Seeing Holden through a psychoanalytical point we can assume that his lousy childhood can be the cause of his feeling of being lost, repression, and his unstable emotions if depression and isolation. According to another psychologist that agrees to Freudian theory, Lacan states, “Human behavior is often something of puzzle, requiring concerted acts of investigation to discover root causes and multiple effects” (Hall 105).
A broken home. A troubled mind. A Miserable child. Young children rely on their family for advice as well as comfort when something unfortunate happens. In the book, The Catcher in the Rye, J.D Salinger analyzes the topic of mental health. He implies that Holden Caulfield, the narrator as well as the main character has immense issues with his mental state. In addition, Salinger uses Holden Caulfield’s adventure leaving school as a guide for others to understand Holden’s mind as well as thoughts being held within. Ultimately, what Salinger explains is that Holden is not in the right state of mind. When, reading The Catcher in the Rye one can make an honest inference that Holden Caulfield is someone with severe symptoms of depression.
...o do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff….That’s all I’d had to do all day.” (22.173). Holden reveales that he feels respobuble for preserving the purity of all children. Holden wants to make a life chaning sacrifice and take resposnilty for a whole group of people. Instead of a pedrarin life, well off and married Holden wants to be all alone perpetually stuck helping children from “falling” to the world below. By doing this Holden also escapes the burden and guilt he faces regarding children losing their innocence and Allie’s death. The people who know Holden best also can imagine Holden making a scarifce or dying for a cause. Mr. Antolini, Holden’s favorite English teacher said, “I don’t want to scare you, but I can very clearly see you dying nobly, one way or another for some highly unworthy cause” (24.188).
J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in The Rye illustrates Holden Caulfield 's life, and his rough transition from an innocent child to a young adult. Caulfields past experiences with death, and his resentment towards others proves that he is no longer a pure, angelic child, but is now a depressed teen who sees no bliss in the daunting life he lives, and wants to shield himself from all of the “phonies” surrounding him. Holden has a dilemma with the fact that things are constantly changing in his life, and despises the fact that there are fast paced, challenging obstacles that come with being an adult. One thing that Holden admits to loving is something that never changes, the Museum of Natural History. He says, “The best thing, though, in that museum