Holden Caulfield Depression Analysis

Words: 1278
Pages: 6
Open Document
Holden and Depression Prior to the 1950s, mental health was beyond overlooked. If a person showed any signs of mental instability, whether it be anxiety, anger, or depression, they were sent off to hospitals and treated in the most inhumane ways possible. In J.D. Salinger’s Catcher In The Rye, readers can diagnose protagonist Holden Caulfield with depression through his actions and thoughts. If there is any way to describe the mood swings, emotional ruts, and suicidal thoughts that Holden has in this novel, it would be depression. This depression however, is not just a result of teenage angst, but pent up trauma from his past that is coming back to bite him. In Catcher In The Rye, author J.D. Salinger lets readers into the mind of Holden Caulfield, …show more content…
Deinstitutionalization, or moving patients out of hospitals and into the community. This process took a few years, as communities were not entirely ready for those people who needed more advanced care. Medication also was revolutionized, as doctors turned away from medieval methods like strapping patients down to their beds or using electroshock therapy. Instead, medications like lithium for bipolar disorder and antipsychotics for schizophrenia helped patients act and behave “normally”, and hospital placement became unnecessary. This medical revolution also helped with deinstitutionalization as it helped patients back into their homes as the new medicine helped them function within society (“History Of Mental Health Treatment”). In Catcher In The Rye, Holden shows signs of depression, and if readers were to diagnose him with a specific type, it would be seasonal depression. His moods and mannerisms seem to change with the seasons, as he mentions happier times from earlier in the year (“Depression”). He has suicidal thoughts and several times throughout the book he mentions wanting to die. In chapter 14, Holden says, “What I really felt like, though, was committing suicide. I felt like jumping out the window. I probably would've done it, too, if I'd been sure somebody'd cover me up as soon as I landed. I didn't want a bunch of stupid rubbernecks looking at me when I was all gory.” (Salinger, J.D., The …show more content…
He has a strained relationship with his parents, and the only person in his immediate family that he seems to like is his sister, Phoebe. Holden has an older brother, D.B., who writes for Hollywood. Holden calls him a “prostitute” and a sell-out. As a result from him isolating himself from his own family, he returns home late at night after his escapades in New York only to talk to Phoebe for a few minutes. Holden also has no friends, and to reiterate, the only person outside his family that he does not talk badly about is Jane Gallagher, a pretty girl he used to take out. He never got along with his roommates, especially his last roommate at Pencey Prep, Stradlater, who took the aforementioned Jane out on a date. When Stradlater hinted at “giving Jane the time”, Holden went ballistic. He prefers to think of her as a girl who plays checkers incorrectly compared to a sexual being who is interested in dating and boys. And when he went on a date with former fling Sally Hayes, he treats her as though she is a little girl with pigtails on the playground. After his brother’s death, Holden was left with a juvenile mindset, basically he never grew up past that time. Holden fears growing up because he fears he will become like D.B. This could possibly lead to Holden's avoidance of adults. He tries to talk to adults so that he is heard and understood, however, when they don't understand him,
Show More

Related Documents: Holden Caulfield Depression Analysis

Holden Caulfield Mental Illness

troubled sixteen-year-old, Holden Caulfield, narrating his flashback about three very disoriented days. The Catcher in the Rye is set mainly in New York during 1950s. In Catcher in the Rye, Holden demonstrates characteristics of Major Depression Disorder, social anxiety and post-traumatic stress which is a reflection of the author, J.D Salinger himself. Holden Caulfield displays symptoms of Major Depression Disorder throughout numerous scenes in Catcher in the Rye. Depression is a serious mental illness…

Words 2066 - Pages 9

Holden Caulfield Research Paper

Kehrmeyer AP Language 19 March 2018 Diving deep into the MInd (Holden Caulfield) Make sure to mention mental issues in youth Often times writers enjoy integrating their struggles and experiences in their works to engage their audience with a particular narrative or express an opinion. One such writer is Jerome David Salinger author of the novel, The Catcher in the Rye who has a direct parallel with the books protagonist Holden Caulfield. Salinger was born in Manhattan, New York on January 1, 1919…

Words 1246 - Pages 5

Catcher in the Rye Essay

4 The Actual Catcher in the Rye 4 The Sexual Matter 5 The Caulfield Family 6 Narrator and Protagonist 8 Role Model 9 Mr. Antolini 10 Targeted Audience 10 Guidance 12 It is not Criticism 13 Exposing Culture 13 Conclusion – Fall of Innocence 15 Works Cited List 17 Abstract This essay is a detailed analysis about The Catcher in the Rye investigating whether it is relevant for youth and…

Words 4410 - Pages 18

The Catcher in the Rye Questions Essay

E3­4H 20 July 2013 Catcher in the Rye Interpretive Analysis 1) Why does Holden so passionately despise “phonies”? Is Holden himself a “phony”? Holden Caulfield absolutely hates phonies, but shows signs of being one himself, suggesting he may be a hypocrite. He dislikes phonies because he believes that they are fake and hypocritical; corrupted by the ways of the world. His idea of a phony is someone who lies for money or attention. Holden wants a pure, clean society where no one is corrupted by greed…

Words 2005 - Pages 9

English: Frustration and Holden Caulfield Essay

Literary Analysis of CITR Anger is within all of us. Whether it has to do with frustration over the simple things in life, resentment of a peer, or the loss of pride; we all go through it. How we handle our anger defines many thing. This is a clear situation we see in Holden Caulfield, From JD Salinger’s novel “The Catcher in the Rye”. Holden definitely has a problem with controlling his anger. We see his anger through his violent tendencies, over reaction to events and sometimes the…

Words 696 - Pages 3