Holdens Depression in Catcher in the Rye Essay - 754 Words

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. Holden smokes a lot when he is nervous, or bored. When the stripper is in his room he noticed that she is shaking her foot as if she is nervous. He offers her a cigarette, twice. Both times she says no. Holden offers Sunny the cigarette because he thinks it would calm her down, like cigarettes calm him down when he is nervous. â€Å"I sat in the chair for a while and smoked a couple of cigarettes†¦boy, I felt miserable† (98). The smoking habit may have come†¦show more content†¦Instead of dealing with his problems Holden drank. This negatively affects him. Instead of getting help with his emotions he would drink them away so he would feel less. Drinking is seen persistently throug hout the novel. Some may think that Holden has a severe drinking problem, which he does. A majority of his money is spent on alcohol at the bars he goes to. Holden is a minor and it is illegal for him to drink (57). Holden feels as if he is older when he drinks and likes the feeling because he does not want to be seen as one of the â€Å"phony† guys that he often speaks about throughout the novel. One night he gets so drunk he just does not know what is going on. It feels good for him. It is often mentioned that Holden drank when he had nothing else to do. He would stay out late because he wasn’t tired and had nothing else to do, and he was lonely. Holden feels a need to be drunk whenever he is around the â€Å"jerky preps† (85). He says â€Å"I can’t sit in a corny place like this cold sober† (70). He feels as if they are phony and he is unlike them. He often feels like getting out of the bars, but doesn’t because he doesn’t want to leave to become lonely. â€Å"I felt like getting out of the place. It was too depressing† (80). Holden mentions Allie in the book quite often when he is feeling down. Allie was everything that Holden’s not. â€Å"He was terrifically intelligent.† His teachers were always writing letters to my mother , telling her what a pleasure it was to have aShow MoreRelatedHoldens Depression in The Catcher in the Rye Essay630 Words   |  3 Pagesmajor 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 thatRead More Holdens Depression in J.D. Salingers The Catcher in the Rye 1546 Words   |  7 Pages Everybody feels depr essed at some time or another in their lives.   However, it becomes a problem when depression is so much a part of a persons life that he or she can no longer  experience happiness.   This  happens to the young boy, Holden Caulfield in J.D Salingers novel, The Catcher in the Rye.   Mr. Antolini accurately views the cause of Holdens depression as his lack of personal motivation, his inability to self-reflect and his stubbornness to overlook the obvious which collectivelyRead MoreHoldens Depression and Self-Doubt in Salingers Catcher in the Rye734 Words   |  3 PagesAs Eugene McNamara stated in his essay â€Å"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. Holden’s first betrayal was that of his memory and innocence by an egotistical peer. At Pencey Prep, he roomed with a student named Stradlater; the epitome ofRead MoreA Socially Acceptable Form Of Schizophrenia1055 Words   |  5 Pagesstill be acceptable. J.D. Salinger writes The Catcher in the Rye to tell about Holden Caulfield s misadventures in a 1950’s New York. After Holden, the narrator and protagonist, is expelled from yet another boarding school, he hides it from his parents. Mental illness plagues Holden’s life, and at the end of the book, he ends up in a mental hospital in California. Holden Caulfield could be diagnosed with schizophrenia because in The Catcher in the Rye, he exhibits signs of the illness, such as frequentRead More Comparing A Separate Peace and The Catcher in the Rye Essay example1500 Words   |  6 PagesComparing A Separate Peace and The Catcher in the Rye The coming of age novels, The Catcher in the Rye, written by J.D. Salinger, and A Separate Peace, written by John Knowles, both interpret the lives of adolescent boys journeying through their conflicts and inner confusion to reach the level of maturity. Salinger and Knowles both discern the literal ways a typical teenager grows up with the help of literary elements such as plot, setting, character development, conflicts, irony, symobolismRead MoreF. Salinger s The Catcher Of The Rye1121 Words   |  5 PagesOne of the best known novels in English-speaking countries, J.D Salinger’s Catcher In The Rye deals with Holden Caulfield’s past trauma which is the triggering factor in his depression, anxiety and alienation. Holden tells an unnamed person what has happened in the three days prior to his mental breakdown. Through Holden’s relatable characteristics and Salinger’s narrative treatment, the book continues to engage audiences across generations. The way that Salinger writes gives the audience a veryRead MoreComparison and Contrast of a Separate Peace and Catcher in the Rye1515 Words   |  7 PagesComparison and Contrast Essay A Separate Peace and The Catcher in the Rye The coming of age novels, The Catcher in the Rye, written by J.D. Salinger, and A Separate Peace, written by John Knowles, both interpret the lives of adolescent boys journeying through their conflicts and inner confusion to reach the level of maturity. Salinger and Knowles both discern the literal ways a typical teenager grows up with the help of literary elements such as plot, setting, character development, conflictsRead MoreThe Catcher In The Rye Analysis1657 Words   |  7 PagesOne must inevitably confront the daunting face of adulthood. In J. D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, Salinger depicts the disheartening journey from adolescence to adulthood that Holden Caulfield endures. Although holden seeks the freedoms that mark adulthood, he has yet to take up the role of a truly mature citizen as the society conforming nature of those adults disgust him, leading him to his gradual mental decline. J. D. Salinger uses the immature character of Holden Caulfield as a me ansRead MoreThe Catcher in the Rye by J.D.Salinger983 Words   |  4 PagesThe Catcher in the Rye, by J.D Salinger, is a classic novel that recognize as a perfect tale of teenage rebellion. Salinger highlights the impacts of depression in this novel. After the World War II, The Catcher in the Rye became so popular because it was the first book that revealed the true feelings of teenager. Holden Caulfield, the main character in the novel, symbolizes a teenager revolting against a society and struggles to transit into an adult world. Moreover, his personality reveals uncertaintyRead MoreCatcher and the Rye Essay1382 Words   |  6 Pagesnovel The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger expresses the free will of choice. Salinger cleverly conveys how decisions can alter a person’s perspective of their peer. Holden Caulfield, the protagonist, is a young teenager who has emotional instability and behavioral concerns. Holden acts immaturely extensively throughout the book. Holden inv ents a world where adulthood is the emblem of superficiality and â€Å"phoniness†, while he chooses to convey childhood as a world of innocence. Holden’s observation