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Essay On Catcher In The Rye

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Approximately 1 in 5 youth aged 13–18, experiences a severe mental disorder at some point during their life. It is hard for mentally healthy people to know what it feels like getting flashbacks of the things you don’t want to remember It is hard for mentally healthy people to know what it feels like to let go of the past but the past continues to hold on to you. It is hard for mentally healthy people to know what it feels like to be inside a body that wants you to live, but with a mind that wants you to die. People with mental illnesses go through these experiences and everyday they’re stuck with their illness and for some of these people, it never goes away. The main character of Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, is a realistic …show more content…

For instance, being in a severe automobile accident, participating in military combat, witnessing a homicide or suicide, experiencing sexual or physical assault, and relentless societal oppression are included among the long list of precipitants. (pg. 106-128). J.D Salinger, unlike his society, understood that trauma came from a multitude of different experiences and in The Catcher in the Rye Salinger explores this through Holden. The way that Salinger explore PTSD through Holden is by giving Holden symptoms of PTSD through realistic means of getting PTSD. Holden Caulfield gets PTSD when his brother dies of Leukemia, the reader knows he has PTSD because he tries to relive his past with Allie trying to fix his mistakes, by hallucinating Allie (pg.53). The reader also knows that Holden is very worried and gets nervous sweats when Mr.Antolini innocently strokes Holden’s head and describes the entire experience very intense during his stay with Mr.Antolini, when there’s no indication the stroke on the head is in any way sexual. Holden experiences even more symptoms of PTSD such as irritable behavior and angry outbursts, Reckless or self-destructive behavior, Problems with concentration. Sleep disturbance (e.g., difficulty falling or staying asleep or restless sleep). feelings of detachment or estrangement from others and avoidance of or efforts to avoid distressing memories, thoughts, or feelings about or closely associated with the traumatic event(s)

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