Holden's Depression in Catcher in the Rye Essay

Holden is only sixteen years old when these events take place, but he is shown as a heavy drinker. Changes in emotional reactions due to PTSD include self-destructive behavior, such as drinking too much. Whenever Holden becomes “depressed”, he turns to alcohol. He also talks to people as if were old enough to purchase alcohol: “Would you care to stop off and have a drink with me somewhere?” (83). When Holden arrives at Ernie’s, he orders a Scotch and soda, which is his “favorite drink, next to frozen Daiquiris” (85). Obviously Holden has been experimenting with alcohol for quite some time; however he doesn’t always know when to stop. Later in the novel, he goes to the Wicker Bar in the Seton Hotel. During his visit while he was trying to keep a conversation with an old acquaintance, he gets completely drunk to where he “could hardly see straight” (150). He gets too drunk and calls Sally Hayes late at night with slurred speech. He hung up and knew exactly how drunk he was: “When I’m drunk, I’m a madman” (151). Holden knows how pathetic he is, especially when he is drunk. He knows he has a problem but is afraid to admit

Through Holden’s characterization, Salinger makes his readers question Holden’s every thought and action. Throughout the book, Holden mentions his severe depression but he puts it into perspective when he says, “The thing is, if you get very depressed about something, it’s hard as hell to swallow”(Salinger 216). Despite numerous mentions of his depression, this quote allows us to see its interference with basic life functions. This lets his readers see his depression in a personal way. Salinger lets the reader see the effects of his depression exemplified when his brother died. Holden describes the incident when he says, “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 44) allowing the readers to see his crazy behavior of Holden Caulfield in a result of his depression. This all builds up to his lowest

Holden’s drug usage throughout the novel can be related to the effect that his family has on him; he is unable to find that comfort

In our broken and sinful world, there are many repercussions of anxiety and fear which lead to the ultimate idea that 19 million American adults suffer from cases of severe depression. Holden Caulfield, the protagonist of Catcher in the Rye, suffers depression, which leads to conflict between him and society during his junior and senior year in high school The author, J.D. Salinger, uses symbolism and imagery to portray Holden’s lack of confidence due to his disruptive and frazzled childhood.

Even with television shows, movies, and music warning the masses about the dangers of depression, not many works have been able to truly grasp the complexity and weight of the issue like J.D Salinger’s cult classic novel The Catcher in the Rye. In the story, readers follow the depressed main character, Holden Caulfield. After being kicked out of another boarding school, Holden decides to roam through New York for the next three days before returning home to his parents. During this journey, Holden grows to see the world in a more adult light, however, is plagued by fluctuating emotions and the memories of his traumatic past. As these feelings strengthen throughout the excursion, Holden’s overall mental state also begins to deteriorate at a rapidly increasing pace, causing him to descend deeper and deeper into depression. While there are multiple factors contributing to his eventual mental breakdown, Holden Caulfield’s lack of parenting amidst the loss of his brother is ultimately the source of his major depressive disorder, and could have easily been prevented had he received proper love and

His destructive ways lead to addiction, and thus a daily reminder of the loss of his role model. He struggles with a concerning addiction to cigarettes, the numbing sensation of alcohol, the worldly desire for sexual and physical interaction in the face of loneliness, compulsive lying, and an alarming unwillingness to apply himself. Holden stands as an example of the negative effects of traumatic childhood events on a vulnerable adolescent. Allie’s death, among other factors, have shaped his perspective on the world and culture. Holden’s unhealthy and negative tendencies are a fruit of a perspective of hopelessness and the lack of a solid

Major depression is one of the most common mental disorders in the US (“Major Depression Among Adolescents” 1). In The Catcher in the Rye, we follow Holden Caulfield on his journey through his own depression period. The novel opens with our main character, Holden, in an asylum where he tells us about the struggles he had prior to his arrival at the mental institution. It begins with Holden getting the boot for bad grades, and the story continues on with the sadness that the character holds. By the end of the book, Holden has come to cope with what had happened and is working through his issues. Depression is a serious subject that includes symptoms and treatment, and how it applies to Holden.

The Catcher in the Rye is a Bildungsroman novel written by J.D. Salinger in the point of view of a self-destructive and angsty protagonist named Holden Caulfield. Throughout this story, Holden gives readers a glimpse of his life and explains how he struggles with issues such as sexuality, loneliness, and individuality. Although Holden never admits the severity of his depression, readers are able to recognize that his constant gloomy mood and pessimistic outlook is unusual for his age. Holden’s depression is often triggered when trivial events occur because of his clouded judgement and short fuse. Holden’s depression is evident throughout the novel because of his substandard performance in school, his detachment from the rest if society, and

“Maybe we all have darkness inside of us and some of us are better at dealing with it than others,” said Jasmine Warga who is an author. In the novel, The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger explores the topic of mental health and depression. He implies that life-changing events can affect a person emotionally, physically, and cognitively. Salinger addresses these topics to bring to light the type of treatment that people gave those with mental health problems in the 1950s. It was hard for Holden Caulfield to express himself and let others know how he was feeling when he felt that world was out to get him. Similar to the quote above, Holden has a “darkness” inside him, but he does not know how to deal with it or get help. In the book, Holden

The Catcher in the Rye is in its entirety, a essence of the preservation of innocence and the pursuit of compassion. The novel is meticulous in how it intertwines the teenage struggle with society and a looming adulthood. It also deals with issues of depression and mental illness. These issues are important because it helps the reader understand the rationale of Holden Caulfield. Holden suffers from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) as evidenced by his psychological and physical behavior.

In J.D. Salinger's novel, The Catcher In The Rye, Sixteen year old Holden Caulfield resides in a mental facility. He can no longer adhere to daily life because his brother Allie died of leukemia and Holden was unable to go to the funeral, due to him being in the hospital, Holden did not get to properly mourn his brother. He tries to repress the pain he feels for losing Allie. this leaves Holden in a depression. Holden’s depression is revealed through his emotions, words, and his thoughts.

In The Catcher in the Rye, by JD Salinger, Holden hires a prostitute, but he bonds with her so much that he refuses to treat her as an object. “I thought of her going in a store and buying it [the dress], and nobody in the store knowing she was a prostitute and all. The salesman probably just thought she was a regular girl when she bought it. It made me sad as hell--I don’t know why exactly” (Salinger, 1991, p. 96). In this quote, it seems that Holden is using some of his own imagination and empathy to understand the awkward positions Sunny gets herself into daily.

Throughout the novel, The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger, Holden, the protagonist of the book, seems to go through an emotional rollercoaster throughout his travels. Some suggest that he is simply going through delayed adulthood, something that has been documented more and more today. Even though there is some evidence that could point towards that, all of his emotional issues seem to have an origin and that precise origin is much more easily described as a form of depression. He seems to be distant towards most people and his negativity towards opportunities that he is presented with ties directly to adolescent depression.

Depression in simple terms is “a state of feeling sad.” There are also more serious cases of depression that require help. The book, The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, is about Holden Caulfield, a teenage boy, who struggles with depression. This book is a realistic fiction novel about coming of age. Holden’s substance abuse, poor performance in school, and his frequent thoughts about death are all parallels that show the Holden Caulfield does in fact have depression.

Along with many of the readers of The Catcher in the Rye, we ventured with Holden through New York looking for a sense of purpose. Holden was lost without his faithful brother by his side; he was used to having his parents stultify him. He knew he couldn’t be as wondrous or as magnificent, as Allie was, at least, that was his mentality throughout the book. Allie is gone now, and he somehow loses the part he found most interesting in, he lost his brother, he lost a fragment of himself. As Holden is wandering in the remnants of his past, as well as New York, he is searching for his self-worth yet somehow losing it on the way. Holden is a very lost person in general but when he speaks his mind, some of the readers could relate to him and how hollow he feels now. We can even note that some of his actions help lead him to his depression, in the following quote, Holden is sad to leave Pencey; it seems “I was sort of crying. I don’t know why. I put my red hunting hat on, and turned the peak around to the back, the way I liked it, and then I yelled at the top of my god dam voice, ‘Sleep tight, ya