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)
The novel "Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger is very interesting novel in which the main character, Holden, intrigues the reader with his unpredictable actions and upfront judgments of his surroundings. Holden alienates himself to try and help protect him from the outside world and conserve his innocence. He constantly proves this to reader many in times in the novel by, telling characters he feels different, wearing clothing that makes him stand out even though it may make him look stupid, and failing to come through in relationships with characters in the story.
Teenage years are difficult. Time tells this story of struggle again and again. The Catcher in the Rye is a classic novel showing the struggles a teenager goes through while transitioning into adulthood. The main character, Holden Caulfield, is a judgmental and temperamental boy who struggles to see the positivity in life. Throughout the story, Holden searches to find himself, as he feels forced to grow up. He holds onto aspects of his childhood and isolates himself so much that it is even harder for him to transition. J.D. Salinger uses the red hunting hat, the museum and cigarettes as important symbols in the story to convey the themes of transitioning from childhood to adulthood, loneliness, and isolation.
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.
The Catcher in the Rye is a novel by J.D. Salinger. It is narrated by Holden Caulfield, a cynical teenager who recently got expelled from his fourth school. Though Holden is the narrator and main character of the story, the focus of Salinger’s tale is not on Caulfield, but of the world in which we live. The Catcher in the Rye is an insatiable account of the realities we face daily seen through the eyes of a bright young man whose visions of the world are painfully truthful, if not a bit jaded. Salinger’s book is a must-read because its relatable symbolism draws on the reader’s emotions and can easily keep the attention of anyone.
Have you ever had this feeling of being so stressed out that you would escape to hopeless dreams, causing you to withdraw yourself from others? Among many themes that J.D. Salinger expresses in his novel, The Catcher in the Rye, there is one that fits that type of feeling perfectly. That theme is: isolation is a product of the individual's reaction to the environment and often leads to downfalls and other negative consequences. This is clearly demonstrated through the influence of the allusions and symbols that Salinger uses to subtly apply the theme mentioned above.
Holden Caufield emphasizes on the loss of innocence in children. He feels that once they lose their innocence, they will soon turn into phonies like everyone else. The loss of innocence is very common in the development in human existence. It is caused by many factors. Past a certain age, children are either forced or led unintentionally into a pathway of corruption. A child is also known to lose their innocence by desires, fantasies, and attention. But once they lose their innocence, they tend to desire to go back and pretend to be young again. In the Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Holden discusses the importance of innocence in children's lives. He feels that once a child loses his/her innocence, he/she will soon be leaded to a
Why does Holden continuously judge people based on their physical appearance? Could this be a projection of his insecurities or a reflection of his mental health?
“It killed me, it really did.” Remember this phrase from somewhere? It’s the line Holden Caulfield says every time in the iconic novel; The Catcher in the Rye. Since the book was published in 1951 by J.D. Salinger, many people from all over the world have loved it. This book was even carried by the killer of John Lennon, and was banned in the past. The protagonist Holden Caulfield is a 16-year-old boy who has just gotten expelled from his Prep school. And until the end, the story is has been about Holden’s journey in New York City. He's alone. He does have a family and parents, but he hardly has any contact with them. It makes him lonelier and lonelier. What does he need? Why is it that Holden is mentally struggling so much even though he’s rich and goes to good schools? It’s because Holden isn’t getting the right help he needs. Holden has been alone ever since Allie died. He was close to his siblings, but from far away. He hardly had any close friends. The adults he seeks advice from his former teachers. They cared about Holden, but they had their own lives. Old Spencer was old and sick, and Mr. Antolini wasn’t as unconditional as he seemed to be. He needs his parents. It is a pity that his parents weren't trying to communicate with their son as much about his feelings, but Holden had every chance to approach them first. After he gets off the train when he arrives in New York, he gets a chance to call his parents. He thinks, “I couldn’t think anybody to call up. My kid
Holden is in a cab on his way to Ernie’s and after he asks the driver with Holden. When Holden asks why he is “sore” about it, the cab driver denies being upset. Holden seems to constantly anger people throughout the story due to his blunt way of addressing topics and his inability to see the positive side of things. The cab driver on the other hand, is clearly upset, but is instead choosing to be passive aggressive by denying his anger. I do not like when people are passive aggressive. I would much rather someone talk to me directly and maturely if they are upset.
In fact, in Psychology Concepts And Applications by Jeffrey S. Nevid, the main idea is on interpreting the psychodynamic perspective and how Sigmund Freud defines the psychodynamic, the reader can further understand the psychodynamic perspective and connect it back to The Catcher in the Rye. Sigmund Freud’s Theory of the psychoanalysis is one main source that the audience can look into while further analyzing Holden’s levels of personality, since “Personality consists of three mental entities called id, ego, and superego. The balance and interactions of these three parts of personality largely determine our behavior and our ability to function effectively in meeting the life challenges we face.” (Nevid 470). But while analyzing the novel itself the reader must also analyze the author's life, which is crucial in understanding how the novel came about to understand why Holden acts the way he does throughout the novel and how Salinger’s background. The reader must understand Sigmund Freud’s Psychodynamic Theory. The Psychodynamic Theory is
Over the course of life, many people have experienced a traumatic event or tragedy in their life. However, many of those people develop coping mechanisms to deal with its effects on their everyday life as well as their overall mentality. Whether it be courageous or cowardly, they will use whatever they can to help deal with the pain that has come upon them. J.D Salinger, author of The Catcher in the Rye, and Holden Caulfield, an unstable teenager constantly being kicked out of school after school, have both suffered through traumatic events in their lives which had affected them later along the road. World War II took hold of Salinger, made him a soldier and even greatly affected his sanity. Holden suffered during a crucial growth period in
In the novel Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, the protagonist proves to be quite a self contradicting character. His mind is often pulled in conflicting directions by two compelling desires. One compelling force would be Holden’s wish for a companion against his actions and approach towards people and society. Another would be his yearn to preserve innocence compared to his desire to fit in with adults. Both of these contradicting forces within the main character, Holden, illuminate the meaning of the novel as a whole.
Psychoanalysis is a psychoanalytical theory and therapy that aims to treat mental disorders by investigating the conscious and unconscious elements in a human mind by bringing fears to the conscious mind. According to Sigmund Freud, “The unconscious silently directs the thoughts and behavior of the individual” (Freud 95). Holden Caulfield, the main character in J.D Salinger’s novel, The Catcher in the Rye, is sixteen years old and does not act his own age for he is stuck in his own private world, filled with pain and suffering. In the novel, Holden can be observed through a psychoanalytical view, which provides the reader a clear understanding of his unconscious mind. Holden is displayed as a troubled and foolish teenager who is flunking
“I swear to God I’m crazy. I admit it.” It is very easy to automatically assume that Holden Caulfield is crazy. It’s even a logical assumption since Caulfield himself admits to being crazy twice throughout the course of the book. However, calling Holden Caulfield crazy is almost the same as calling the majority of the human race crazy also. Holden Caulfield is just an adolescent trying to prevent himself from turning into what he despises the most, a phony. Most of Caulfield’s actions and thoughts are the same as of many people, the difference being that Holden acts upon those thoughts and has them down in writing.
J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield was a student at Pencey Prep, a private school. Holden had a fight with his roommate, Stradlater. Holden then decides to leave school early two days to be exact to explore New York before going back home to his family.