Holden Caulfield Mental Illness

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Mental disorders are real-life epidemic that can greatly impact cognitive abilities and may lead to negative consequences on an individual’s life if not addressed properly. Mental health disorders interfere with a person’s ability to think, feel, function, express moods and emotions, and relationship with other people. Mental disorders are emphasized through the protagonist of the book, The Catcher in the Rye. This book is written by J. D Salinger, published in 1951.The book is about a 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 that causes feelings of hopelessness and interferes with a …show more content…
PTSD is a mental health condition that is triggered by either witnessing or experiencing a terrifying event (Student resources in context). The emotional symptoms of PTSD are depression, worry, intense guilt and feeling emotionally numb (student resources in context). A scholarly article written by Diane Telgen blames most of his pessimistic behavior throughout the book on the traumatic experiences Holden has encountered at such a young age. As previously mentioned, the first traumatic experience Holden faces is definitely the death of his beloved brother, Allie. The death of a sibling is a difficult burden to overcome and can make a person more prone to attain a mental disorder. Secondly, the suicidal death of his classmate at Elkton Hills, James Castle, also left an unnerving effect on

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…

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Holden Caulfield Phony

In J.D. In “The Catcher in the Rye”, Holden Caulfield is not just a naive and rambunctious teenager, but overall an unreliable narrator of the novel. This idea is represented through Holden’s perspective on life, as well as his mental illness. This belief is shared by literary critic and author Susan K. Mitchell, as she explains that Holden’s view on society being “phony” would make Holden a phony as well. She writes that “Holden is an unreliable narrator not only because he is a self-proclaimed…

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Holden Caulfield Psychological Analysis

Salinger in 1951, Holden Caulfield has become an icon of angst, anguish, and depression: and he is only a teenager. It is clear that Holden has been troubled since a young age, flunking out of various schools and expressing disdain for practically everything he comes across. Salinger explores Holden’s mental state through a first-person narration in which Holden reveals his personal thoughts. These thoughts, paired with his actions, reveal that he is not emotionally sound. Holden lacks self-control…

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Copy Of PTSD Essays

Atadja 1 Semefa Atadja Mr.Schmidt English 2A March62014 Diagnosis Of Caulfield, Holden A military sergeant sits in the gunner's seat inside the M2A3 Bradley tank. With little room to move, he sees the battlefield, a white hot spot in the shape of a man. His hands wrap around the Cadillac handles, his thumbs clutch the laser targeting system. He has located his target and squeezes the trigger. The sergeant has never seen a man fall like that, life exiting his body, but he had no time…

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Catcher In The Rye: A Psychological Analysis Of Holden Caulfield

Struggling through life, unhappy, and constantly participating in irresponsible activities, Holden Caulfield was due for an appointment at the psychiatric hospital. Throughout the novel, Holden persistently makes bad choices and thinks bad thoughts. He generally shows signs of extreme sadness and never seems content with himself, bringing up his thoughts of suicide. Harsh Judgement towards others is something Holden toils with during his average day. He continually calls people “phonies” as he goes around…

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Holden Caulfield Character Analysis

Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Holden Caulfield’s life comes to a halt. His thoughts, feelings, and even his everyday emotions changed forever when his brother Allie passed away. Holden tucked himself away and became angry, lonely, and depressed. He didn't know where or who to turn to. He bottled up all of his emotions and pushed people away. Holden Caulfield never had the chance to grieve the loss of his little brother. On the day Allie died, Holden became angry at the world; he took his…

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How Does The Past Affect Holden's Life

main character, Holden Caulfield, to feel depressed and alone. Since he struggles with moving past things, these incidents from his past negatively affect Holden and his mental health. Seeing the suicide of his classmate, dealing with his loneliness, and the death of his brother, Allie, led to Holden’s loss of innocence and his struggle to preserve the innocence of others. One of Holden’s biggest struggles was when his classmate, James Castle, killed himself. This affected Holden for two major…

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The Catcher in the Rye Essay

depression. Through Holden Caulfield, Salinger shows that refusing society’s standards can also lead to isolation. Holden is left unable to relate with his peers even though they attempt to bolster his social skills. In his struggle to enter the world of adulthood, he is unable to follow the convention of this new reality. Holden sees the world he is entering as phony and superficial compared to the simplicity of childhood. Holden is a perfect example of a teenage misfit on the edge of a mental breakdown.…

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Holden Caulfield Red Hunting Hat Analysis

and you can’t seem to pull yourself out of it. You are living are living in your worst nightmare. Holden Caulfield is a young man on his way to adulthood but he is so afraid of change and growing up that he cannot move forward in his life without any help. Holden’s red hunting hat acts as a tool to protect himself against the harsh reality of the adult world. Many times throughout the book Holden is struggling with the fact he has to grow up. When he is in a state of confusion and sadness he takes…

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Catcher In The Rye Psychological Analysis

Salinger, the protagonist Holden Caulfield has an interesting way of behavior. The novel’s narration about a typical teenager who is struggling with finding his identity. This is a typical area that teenagers suffer as a whole but is even harder when dealing with the grief of loved. People around Holden were mature compared to him and were not focused on what people thought of him. A dream Holden had been that he wanted the children of now to grow up to lose their innocence. Holden knows that after affect…

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