Holden Caulfield Suicide

Literature has always relied on techniques to catch the reader’s attention and format the story, and “the Catcher in the Rye” is no exception. Salinger brought many different writing styles into his novel to make it a bestseller. With his knowledge, Salinger was able to depict the persona of Holden to the reader without directly stating his characteristics. Salinger proves Holden is a lonesome figure who wanted to fit in but struggles to be accepted. The Catcher in the Rye depicts Holden as one who struggles with his sexuality and adulthood and wants to save children from adulthood because of the difficulties that it has brought himself. Salinger greatly expresses Holden through the use of metaphor, imagery, symbolism,

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.

Holden loved Allie, and was disturbed from the news of his death. Holden was hospitalized after punching his garage windows. When Holden explained Allie’s traits, he said, “But it wasn’t just that he was the most intelligent member in the family. He was also the nicest, in lots of ways” (Salinger 50).” Holden thought the most of Allie. He thought Allie had the most potential out of anybody he had ever met. He also thought Allie was a genuinely good person, and that he did not deserve to die. One of the greatest causes to depression is a death or a loss. When Holden finally came up with an answer to phoebe’s question to think of something that he liked, Holden’s answer was that he liked Allie. Phoebe told Holden that Allie is dead. Holden then said, “I know he's dead! Don't you think I know that? I can still like him, though, can't I? Just because somebody's dead, you don't just stop liking them, for God's sake especially if they were about a thousand times nicer than the people you know that're alive and all" (Salinger 222-223). Holden was constantly depressed about Allie because he was always thinking of him. Allie was the nicest person Holden had ever met. The death of a person with an impact like that would cause anyone devastation. His mindset makes him believe that no one else will be as good to him as Allie was. He thought the best person that will ever be in his life was gone

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 continues to be upset with the world for his problems after his brother dies. He does not take responsibility for his actions at home. When Holden’s brother first passed away he became very violent. “... I was only thirteen, and they were going to have me psychoanalyzed and all, because I broke all the windows in the garage. I don’t blame them. I really don’t. 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). Holden chooses to take his anger out on the windows because he is depressed that he has lost his little brother. Many children resort to violence when they have lost someone very close to them. According to Cruse Bereavement Care Website depending on the child’s age and level of comprehension of what has happened, it can be hard for them to understand their emotions show how they feel. This website shows that Holden’s

Lies, failure, depression, and loneliness are only some of the aspects that Holden Caulfield goes through in the novel The Catcher in the Rye written by J.D. Salinger. Salinger reflects Holden’s character through his own childhood experiences. Salinger admitted in a 1953 interview that "My boyhood was very much the same as that of the boy in the book.… [I]t was a great relief telling people about it” (Wikipedia). Thus, the book is somewhat the life story of J.D. Salinger as a reckless seventeen-year-old who lives in New York City and goes through awful hardships after his expulsion and departure from an elite prep school. Holden, the protagonist in this novel, is created as a depressed, cynical, and isolated character and he

Holden experiences extreme difficulty accepting his current realities and one of the main factors causing this is the lasting negative impact his brother Allies death had on his life. Firstly, when Holden decides to leave his school, he tells readers , “I don’t care if it’s a sad goodbye or a bad goodbye, but when I leave a place, I like to know I’m leaving it. If you don’t, you feel even worse” (Salinger, 4). Holden’s need for closure is evident in this quote. When Allie died, it was very unexpected and he was not prepared to let him go, resulting in his denial that his brother is actually

It is never really stated what is the cause of this, but most readers have their guesses. Many people believe that Holden is either depressed or suffers from PTSD- post traumatic stress disorder. Both mental illnesses are most likely stemming from the death of his older brother, Allie. For example, Holden is always in some sort of detached state- he rarely ever eats, sleeps, or takes part in any social activities. He even mentions how he feels as if he is going to pass out from lack of eating. And as readers, we can truly see that Holden is lost and feels as if he has no place to go. He wanders around aimlessly through the city, barely communicating with anyone throughout the whole novel. He does not know who he wants to become, but he knows that he does not want to end up like all of those ‘phonies’ out there in the world. You can also assume that Holden is still in the grieving process over Allie, which could be why he is still in his depressed state. The whole novel is written about Holden wandering through New York City by himself. He is trying to make connections with other people and relate to them, but he can’t quite seem to communicate correctly. He’s always criticizing others actions, calling them ‘phonies’, isolating himself even farther away from others. Anger is one of the soul emotions that Holden portrays throughout the story. He mentions how he punched out all the windows in his garage when he found out about his brother’s

The mental breakdown shows his inability to grow up and embrace the reality of his life. Holden also believes he can save innocent children from being dragged into the adult world, but it is natural. For example, when having a conversation with Phoebe, Holden stated he wants to be the ‘Catcher in the Rye’. This symbolizes the hero of the innocent who may fall into the same path Holden is on. He views the adulthood as a bad place which he has no escape from not falling

Death can be a very difficult thing to handle, especially if someone is young when a person very close to them dies, like their brother, and this trauma if left untreated can lead to depression and other mental problems later in life. A problem that young Holden Caulfield must deal with when the death of his younger brother Allie permanently traumatizes him, causing to refuse to grow up and attempt to keep the kids around him innocent so that they don’t have to deal with the “phoniness” of the adult world. Even though it seems as society is at fault for Holden’s degrading mental state, Holden is not innocent when it comes to who is responsible for his downfall from his constant ‘need’ for a drink an asking for answers to simple questions, to his refusal to grow up, reminiscent of the Peter Pan Syndrome, he shows that he can't seem to get out of his own way and shoots himself in

Holden suffers from depression as he comes across unmotivated and lost in society which is caused by many events that have happened in his life. Throughout the novel Holden’s depression grows and soon starts to become suicidal giving readers a sense of unworthiness he may feel. As he mentions in the novel “What I really felt like though was committing suicide. I felt like jumping out the window. I probably would have done it too, if I’d been sure somebody’d cover me up as soon as I landed “(Salinger, 136).

The controversy over the banning of the Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, has persisted since it was published in 1945. Holden’s depression, which was most likely caused by the death of his brother Allie, is the focus of the novel. After getting kicked out of school, Holden goes to New York City for a week where he seriously considers committing suicide. His depression is compounded by his extreme loneliness. In fact, Holden goes as far as to hire a prostitute just so he could have someone to talk to.

Psychoanalysis would suggest that Holden lacks the maternal affection that he so desperately desires and fails to receive. Upon reviewing Holden’s behavior it appears as if he is a victim to various disorders such as Bipolar and PTSD disorder. HealthResources.info explains the differences between emotional and psychological trauma and also the possible effects in their article, “Emotional and Psychological Trauma: Causes and Effects, Symptoms and Treatment.” One key factor in that causes traumatic stress is product of, “traumatic stress in childhood that influences the brain is caused by poor or inadequate relationship with a primary caretaker.” It is coherent that Holden’s world of pain is a result of the absence of both his mother and father, neither one is ever

The self-narration of Holden’s life is what gives the reader an insight into the way he thinks and feels. It helps you understand why Holden is the way he is. Without this explanation from him, you wouldn’t empathise with him, or like him very much at all. It’s the little stories he tells, like the story about Allies baseball mitt, “…Allie had this left-handed fielders mitt… he had poems written all over the fingers and the pocket and everywhere. In green ink.” (Salinger, 1945-6, p.33) or about how he knows Jane Gallagher, “You were never even worried, with Jane, whether your hand was sweaty or not. All you knew was, you were happy. You really were” (Salinger, 1945-6, p.72) that make you see the softer side to him.

In the beginning of The Catcher in the Rye, Salinger brings up the motif of loneliness and depression which Holden reveals to the reader while at Pencey Prep. For example while writing a essay for Stradlater, he reflects on how after Allie, Holden's brother died, Holden "slept in the garage, the night he died and [he] broke all the god damn window." (39). This reaction to inflict pain on himself is evidence that the loss triggered severe emotional disturbances. Holden isolates himself after a tragic event proving Allie's death is the cause for his loneliness. Also, while alone in his dorm at Pencey writing a composition for Stradlater his roommate, Holden " couldn't think of a room or a house to describe… [he] wrote about [his] brother Allie's