Catcher In The Rye Depression

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

As humans we sometimes seek isolation rather than human interaction for fear of being overwhelmed emotionally. For some people, comfort comes with the knowledge that alone, they are the masters of their own emotions, free from the pain of the world's occasional bitterness and sting. In the coming-of-age tale "Catcher in the Rye," J.D. Salinger explores this phenomenon through the voice of the narrator, Holden Caulfield. Although Holden possesses a voice of intelligence, sensitivity and insight he is also bitter with the hypocrisy and ugliness that he perceives in the world around him. The vividness with which he expresses his discontent is seen manifested in the criticisms that Holden aims at various characters throughout the story. As the

Throughout the book The Catcher In the Rye, Holden has struggled with mental illness. This why the song “The sound of silence” By Paul Simon pertains to Holden. In the song it says “Hello darkness my old friend” the darkness is Holden's depression and he can view it as something so common to him at this point. Holden's depression has been with him for a while and it almost comforts him, like a friend, his depression is like a blanket surrounding and comforting Holden while tainting his thoughts, emotions, and judgement. Also shown in the song, this quote, “In restless dreams I walked alone” through this quote you can see how Holden felt alone and that no one would be there to help him accomplish any of his goals if he had any. Even Though Holden

It is important to realize in the book, The Catcher in the Rye, Holden has experienced his fair share of trauma. From skipping school and smoking cigarettes, to sleeping with prostitutes, Holden tries to cope with his feelings of pain. His main source of coping throughout this book was his use of insults and judging others. Holden is using these to try and make himself feel like just another teenage boy, but the reality he struggles with his mental health. The author is clearly trying to help readers understand the thoughts of a depressed individual Holden experienced his fair share of traumatic events.

Feeling detached from other people is another major symptom related to Holden's Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. From the very beginning of the book, we could tell that Holden is used to spending a lot of time by himself. Everyone was at the school football game while he was standing by himself way up on top of Thomsen Hill (Salinger, 5). Holden's loneliness and detachment from others is also present many times later in the novel. Being alone made Holden very depressed.

Depression is defined as a condition where a person feels very sad, hopeless, unimportant, and unable to live in a normal way, which is Holden’s personality in the book. It’s a very serious situation that many people go through and it takes an enormous toll on people. Many instances can cause depression and grieving the loss of someone is one of them. In the beginning, it seems like Holden is depressed because he is excluded from the people around him. Holden’s flashbacks and hallucinations, along with Phoebe reminding him that Allie is not coming back, show that his depression stems from him grieving the loss of Allie.

Depression, a common mental disorder that presents with depressed mood, loss of interest or pleasure, feelings of guilt or low self-worth, disturbed sleep or appetite, low energy, and poor concentration. This mental illness demonstrates to affect teens as much as it affects adults. Studies show that 20 percent of teens will experience teen depression before they reach adulthood. When you deal with depression, you often find it difficult to live an everyday normal life. The “Catcher in the Rye” written by J.D Salinger, narrates on the main character Holden Caulfield, a hostile and negative person, who suffers from severe depression.

Depression is paralyzing, but mostly it is terrifying. In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield is displayed as a deeply sad person. He cannot handle the emotions that are plaguing him and thus projects them on everyone else. Holden is so terrified of his sadness he blames others for it, throughout the novel he constantly says phrases along the lines of, “they depress me”. His actions can be explained as a type of projection. Projection is defined as “ascribing our fear, problem... to someone else and then condemning him… in order to deny we have it ourselves,”(Tyson 14). His emotions have left him in a sanitarium where he is talking to a psychoanalysis, which is where his flashback begins.

“If there is a god or whatever something somewhere, why have I been abandoned by everyone and everything that known? I 've ever loved? What is the lesson? What is the point? God give me a sign or I have to give up. I can 't do this anymore. Please let me die.” (Kesha,Praying). Depression has always been a problem throughout time and how people deal with it. Even though people have different backgrounds depression seems to affect them in the same way. In the book, Catcher in the Rye, Holden the main character changes after his brother Allie died. Holden seems to never get over his brother 's death which and changes his way of thinking. So how does, Justine of a completely different background who doesn 't lose a

Later on Holden recalls when he was attending Pencey College how his gloves were stolen by some crook. He continues describing the situation of confrontation hypothetically, at first with assertion and authority. Eventually he admits to himself, “Only, I wouldn’t have the guts to do it. I’d just stand there, trying to look tough” (Salinger P. 99). Holden goes on to describe to the reader his unaware fear of confrontation and violence, hinting at a dread of vulnerability and a closed off persona, another clear sign of Major Depressive Disorder. When Holden was a younger boy he knew a girl named Jane Gallagher whom he was childhood friends with, they often even held hands and had an emotional bond. Ever since he heard about Stradlator (his old roommate) taking her out on a date he’d been thinking of calling her up. Finally on page 130 he calls her up and her mother picks up. Startled, she hangs up and admits he should’ve asked for Jane, “But I didn’t feel like it. You really have to be in the mood for that stuff” (Salinger P. 130). His inability to feel motivated to make an effort for somebody he once loved shows his social-isolation.

In J.D. Salinger's novel The Catcher in the Rye, the main character, Holden Caufield, describes in detail the parts of his life and his environment that bother him the most. He faces these problems with a kind of naivety that prevents him from fully understanding why it is that he is so depressed. His life revolves around his problems, and he seems helpless in evading them. Among others, Holden finds himself facing the issues of acceptance of death, growing up, and his own self-destructiveness.

Resisting growth and maturity into the inevitable adulthood will cause many adolescents to experience emotional distress as well as alienation; throughout The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger conveys this theme through the recurring motif of depression Holden battles and the symbolism of Holden’s security, his red hunting hat. The motif of depression repeated throughout the novel as it is a prominent aspect in Holden’s life. Holden is completely distant from his family and decides not to pursue any relationships. He does not commit to forming connection with outside people which cause him to be lonely all of the time. Due to his negative attitude and failure at relationships, he becomes increasingly depressed throughout the novel.

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.

In the novel Catcher In The Rye J.D. Salinger demonstrates Freud's theories of the unconscious and conscious mind by illustrating a character, Holden, who shifts himself between the two stages which overall has a effect on his personality. Holden emerges in the story as an onerous, lonely, and hateful boy, who is unable to adapt to society. With the loss of his brother, Allie, Holden was stuck and refused to move forward. Psychoanalytical theories such as Donald Halls Literary and Cultural Theory helps us clarify the characteristics of the main character, Holden. The loss of Holden’s brother had a profound effect on his personality throughout his life. Salinger demonstrates Holden’s change in personality towards the loss of his brother when he states “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...my hand was already broken and everything by that time...” (Salinger 39). The death of his brother scared Holden as a child which resulted in depression and as well as other psychological disorders. This illustrates on how the death of this brother had a profound effect on his personality . Everything in Holden’s life was destroyed that day including his personality. This tragic

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.