Into The Mind Of Holden Caulfield

J.D. Salinger 's "The Catcher in the Rye" portrays a troubled teen in New York City. Over the few days the novel depicts, the boy displays his critical and unhealthy mindset. Eventually he has a mental breakdown. Through psychoanalysis of Holden Caulfield, one may suggest that Allie 's death, social development, and an identity crisis are large contributing factors in Holden 's mental breakdown.

In the famous, but often times previously banned novel, The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger, seventeen year old Holden Caulfield is trying to find his sense of direction in a world where he describes the majority of people in his life as phony. As the first chapter begins, it is clear Holden is currently living in a mental institution, although the reasoning behind so is never directly stated, the reader can infer it may have to do with Holden's depression troubles. For the most part, Holden's troubles are to blame on his own actions, he fails to realize his irresponsibly is the major cause of the negative aspects in his life. Holden's troubles of being an academic layabout and being reclusive seem to center from his biggest issue

In the novel The Catcher in the Rye, written by J.D. Salinger, the main character Holden Caulfield is clearly disturbed

When he met up with Sally, Holden was so excited. He got to the meeting place early and eagerly awaited her arrival. Instead of going to see a movie, as previously planned, they went ice skating. Sally and Holden have a wonderful time ice skating. After skating, and during dinner, Holden has this peculiar idea about moving away with Sally to Massachusetts or Vermont. She firmly rejects the idea. “Why not, why the hell not?” says Holden (132). Holden has a strong negative reaction to Sally, asking her why she won’t go with him. Holden acted in an irrational manner. After they argue Sally leaves him abruptly. Holden’s unrealistic request and overreaction to Sally’s response was induced by his depression.

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.

Adolescence, this is a time where you figure out who you truly are. This soul searching leads to self realization. Holden Caulfield from The Catcher In The Rye by J. D. Salinger, has trouble accepting himself. Throughout his days he would put on a cap just to be someone else. It is his get away place, a place of isolation. A way for him to seclude from the world and become someone he isn’t. This is relatable to numerous teens. Though Holden could be described using numerous adjectives, Holden's character can be perfectly described as ignorant, a liar, and a slacker. He is ignorant because he does not learn from his mistakes. He is a compulsive liar. Finally, he is a slacker because he avoids work. Holden is just like countless people out there who do not apply themselves. You see, Holden could be smart. He could be successful. He just doesn’t have the motivation or ambition to do so.

J.D. Salinger, the author of the Catcher in the Rye, was a skilled writer. Salinger wrote about a wide variety of characters throughout this novel, many of these characters had a complex personality. Holden Caulfield is the main character in the Catcher in the rye. Holden is a unique character and he shares very little traits with the other people he encounters throughout the novel besides his younger sister, Phoebe. Holden and Phoebe Caulfield have two very different personalities but they share some distinct similarities. Holden is a gloomy, pessimistic, and unstable teenager. Phoebe, on the other hand, is a lively, optimistic, and innocent child. Throughout the novel Holden spends his time trying to act mature while Phoebe is living out the childhood he never had. Phoebe and Holden have very different personalities and outlooks on life. While the two have such opposing traits, they have a similar background and upbringing.

In the novel The Catcher in the Rye, the protagonist Holden Caulfield has peculiar behavioral tendencies. The author’s cynical narration presents the story of an emotionally damaged teenager whose cynicism and personal oddities prevent him from conforming to a post-World War II society full of phonies to whom he cannot relate. It becomes increasingly evident that Holden, far from being pragmatic, has clouded judgement as he rides an emotional rollercoaster of mood fluctuations. Thus, it is clear that his wide array of personal flaws including his cynical, depressive, and unreasonable attitudes and thoughts are rooted in underlying emotional problems. Holden Caulfield has extensive psychological problems that are revealed through his depressive

The patient, Holden Caulfield, as he told in his story The Catcher in the Rye, written by J. D. Salinger, shows many signs of mental illness. Holden is a confused teenage boy that lives in the heart of New York City. He attended Pencey Prep until recently when he was kicked out because he was unable to apply himself to school. Holden often seems to struggle in his social life and with his emotions. He has trouble fitting in with other people his age and fights with himself over how he should act and think. These struggles are heightened by a traumatic past and highlight many signs of mental illness. All of Holden Caulfield’s symptoms point to more than just typical teenage struggles but to a mix of Post Traumatic Stress

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.

“BPD has a higher incidence of occurrence than schizophrenia or bipolar disorder and is present in approximately 2% of the general public” (Johnston).Borderline Personality Disorder, or BPD, is an emotional disorder that creates unstable behavior and stress in an individual. Holden Caulfield, from J.D. Salinger’s, 1948 novel, The Catcher in the Rye has been psychoanalyzed by many readers. Psychoanalysis is insightfully looking at a characters action and behavior to better understand them psychologically. By psychoanalyzing Holden Caulfield’s behavior and thoughts, it becomes evident that he has Borderline Personality Disorder caused by his childhood trauma and neglect, and portrayed through symptoms that damage his relations

“The Catcher in the Rye” illustrates the confusion a teenager experiences toward society as he fears the adult world. From the language and the scenes provided from the book, we can easily see the struggle that Holden is going through and that he has mental issues. For example, in the scene when Salinger explains Allie’s death, he writes, “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). Before I read this book, I expected this book to be about the problems a teenager goes through in the 1950s, and I still thought this through the middle of the book. However, toward the end of the book, I started to see the seriousness of his mental health, and that this isn’t about a normal boy who is going through puberty, but mental illness.

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.

Then, when the dough runs out, I could get a job somewhere and we could live somewhere with a brook and all and, later on, we could get married or something. I could chop all our own wood in time in the wintertime and all. Honest to God, we could have terrific time! Wuddaya say? C’mon! Wuddaya say? Will you do it with me? Please” (Salinger 132). Holden’s id is in the sense of having someone by his side and is in a rush to have the feeling of a buddy. The explanation for his love of a companion is because of his brother Allie. Holden is denied by Sally. As for Salinger, he got married but his union with her was a short one, just eight months long. He married a second time in 1955 to Claire Douglas. Salinger as well had a desire to find someone else to be his companion because in just eight short months he finds someone new. Through Freud’s explanation of when the desired need is not available, the id creates and image of the desire as a substitution. Later, the mind is required to cope with frustration due to the default substitution. This is the stage that, Freud calls the ego. Holden does not have the ego for he struggles on facing the fact that his companion is in a better place and forever gone. Sadly, Holden is not able to develop the full understanding of the ego and with that he is far from developing the final mental entitles of Freud’s theory which is superego. With Holden’s lack of development he doesn’t reach the superego,

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.