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Holden Caulfield Mental Institution Analysis

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In Holden Caulfield’s time, mental institutions were places where the insane could stay and receive some level of support. Holden’s experiences from the previous school term contributes to his alienation and stay at a mental institution in California. Holden alienated himself by his use of rough language, his inconsideration of others and his negative thoughts about the people around him. Holden’s relationship with the people and world around him illustrates Salinger’s theme of alienating oneself. From the death of his brother, to getting kicked out of multiple schools, to staying at hotels and drinking all over New York, Holden spirals into a deep depression and is placed in a mental institution. First, Holden’s diction pushes away many …show more content…

Holden is the manager of the fencing team. When Holden goes to New York with the fencing team, he “left all the foils and equipment and stuff on the goddam subway.” Holden leaving the team’s equipment on the subway cost the team the match and earned him the whole team ignoring him on the trip back. When Holden’s roommate asked him to write a composition for him about a room or house using lots of descriptions, Holden instead writes about Allie’s baseball glove. When Stradlater gets back from his date and reads the paper he gets furious. Holden takes the paper back and tears it up. Stradlater asks “What the hellja do that for?” and Holden does not even answer, he just throws the pieces in the trash. Holden taking back the paper and tearing it up kept Stradlater from having an assignment to turn in for a grade. Holden’s actions towards others influences the way people react to him. Holden is thoughtless and that makes people not like …show more content…

He refers to most people as phonies, cowards, jerks, snobs, corny and other insulting descriptions. When Holden first describes Pencey, he talks about the man his dormitory was named after. He was an undertaker who made a lot of dough after graduating from Pencey. Holden says “I can just see the big phony bastard shifting into first gear and asking Jesus to send him a few more stiffs.” When Mr. Ossenburger told the students to pray, Holden does not really believe he is sincere or that he does it on a regular basis. Later, when Holden is on his date with Sally, they run into George, a friend of Sally’s. George and Sally had “the phoniest conversation you ever heard in your life” over places and the people that live there, that made Holden “all set to puke.” Holden not being a part of the conversation and George intruding on Holden’s date with Sally caused Holden to belittle George and his conversation with Sally. Holden does not understand that sometimes people lie for good reasons, like not making others feel bad. This makes Holden not want to be around people that he thinks are

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