Final Journal Challenger Deep
In Neal Shusterman’s novel Challenger Deep, the protagonist, Caden goes from denial of his mental illness to acceptance. Caden starts off holding a deep distrust in others. He’s constantly suspicious of the majority of the population. Even his own parents are not spared from these thoughts of wariness. Whenever his growing odd behavior is brought to his attention by others, he becomes defensive, angry, and refuses to acknowledge that anything is wrong with him. He hallucinates that the world around him is an adventure out at sea. By the end of the novel he accepts his mental illness, and that he needs help. He comes to the realization that he actually isn't at sea, and instead, he’s in a hospital. Eventually,
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So, as a result, he began to make choices that were leading him further into anguish. Until, Hals death. Hal was so far into his own misery that he gave up on life. He stopped taking his medication (244). Then, after an unknown amount of time, Hal made an attempt to end his own life using a blade he pried off a pencil sharpener (259). After this, Caden was distressed. Hal was one of his only, and closest friends. But, he realized what giving in to your inner demons can do to you, and to other people around you. He did not want that to happen to him. After Hals incident, Caden admitted to himself that he had thought about suicide. But the way he felt about Hals attempt, the guilt, anger, and anguish. He did not want to put that on others, especially on his sister, Mackenzie. For him, Despair was not an …show more content…
But, his aspiration for a brighter future is regained once he meets his group therapy leader, Carlyle. Just like everybody else, it takes time for Caden to warm up to Carlyle. When he does, Carlyle explains to Caden that when he was fifteen, he had his own first episode. He was admitted into a psychiatric hospital and after some misdiagnoses, he was diagnosed as Schizoaffective. But, he recovered. After learning it the hard way, he began to take his medication, and over time he was discharged. He stayed on his medication and earned a job as a video game designer. Not only that, but he also volunteers at the hospital, and when Caden needed it most, he said something very important to Caden. He said “Just because it’s a long voyage, it doesn’t mean that it lasts forever” (229). These words of wisdom remind Caden that even though he is miserable at the moment, and he’s going through a rough time. It won’t be that way forever, eventually, things will get better. Caden and Carlyle are much alike, and that is what inspires Caden and leaves him hopeful for the future. Caden also started to have psychotic episodes at the age of fifteen. Coincidentally, Caden and his friends were designing their own video game before Caden was admitted into the hospital. Seeing that Carlyle is able to live his life with minimal issue, and even design video games, one of his own ambitions, gives him much hope. Caden even admits that he’s amazed, and thrilled
The beginning of Holden’s journey starts with the innocence and naivety of childhood. Childhood is the stage that ignorance is bliss with no care in the world. Holden goes to a prestigious boarding school for boys and he believes that everyone in that school is a phony in some way. Holden is an observant character as he stays in the background, but he can also cause the most trouble. Like a child, he asks many questions and he is very curious to the point that he can be annoying.
Holden often treats life like a game by not taking it too seriously, even when he should. He gets kicked out of many schools
Mental illnesses have a high prevalence amongst the United States population. Each year, tens of millions of individuals suffer and are affected by mental illnesses (National Institute of Mental Health, 1). These illnesses range from anxiety disorder, eating disorders, major depression, personality disorder, and many more. Yet, with the existing knowledge, mental providers and professionals, and the DSM-5, mental illness remains a growing mystery to the public. Literature has played a significant role in how mental illnesses are defined, their characteristics, and the portrayal of those who are mentally ill to the public eye.
Since Buck, Conrad’s brother, is dead, Conrad is feeling depressed seeing that the house is more empty now that Buck is gone. Conrad also shows deep depression in school when his teacher questions him asking, “Why are you writing all this about violence and war? Aren’t there other things you’d like to say, Conrad? This doesn’t sound like you.” (Guest 19).
Boy gone crazy or depressed? Holden is in a deep depression but, does he stay depressed or go crazy? After Holden’s brother (Allie) dies he gets very depressed. Holden wasn 't even able to attend the funeral.
Not being able to apply oneself and losing interest are both signs of mental illnesses. These could lead to a person eventually dropping of out school, which is what Holden essentially does after getting kicked out and making his plan to move
There are times when he discovers his own inner savage. He joins the hunt with Jack and rest of the group and becomes mesmerized over it, thinking, “hunting was good after all” (p162). He unleashes himself from the restraints of civilization and participates in the killing of Simon. He is, after all, just another innocent boy, a victim of the island. Nevertheless, he does remain as the last remnants of civilization until the ship arrives on the island.
The first cause of Holden 's mental illness that readers notice is that he lacks control over his actions. As Holden was 13 years old, his brother Allie died of leukemia. Holdens behavior in response to his brothers death was very violent. “I slept in the garage the night he died, and I broke all the goddam windows with my fist, just for the hell of it (Holden Caulfield 39).” Holden admits that he didn’t know he was doing it, but says it was a stupid thing to do.
Although Holden is a fictional character, many of the symptoms he displays during his journey are real and affect real life teens. Teen depression is a serious mental health problem. One of the possible dangers is the probability that it's not temporary and may affect the teen in a
A. Allie’s death causes Holden to become obsessed with death and this obsession makes him believe that growing up and becoming a “phonie” is like dying; this belief that is planted inside Holden’s head when Allie died is what sends him on a quest to preserve children’s innocence and save them from the “death” of growing up. B. Salinger includes the traumatic story of Allies death that happened years in advance to provide an explanation for Holden’s obsession with death and how he sees loss of innocence as equivalent to dying. Allie died with his innocence still intact, so Holden does not want other children to grow up and have their innocence “die”. C. Holden even admits to being mentally unstable after his brother’s traumatic death when he says, “I was only 13, and they were going to have me psychoanalyzed and all, because I broke all
Although Holden is not fully recovered he is much less depressed than his earlier stages in the book. Holden has taken a step further in his adult life and rather than dismissing those around them he begins to value them, thus being a big step. In the book Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger, the narrator and protagonist Holden Caulfield a sixteen year old junior undergoes a series of changes; changes that helped a distraught teenager learn that everyone grows up. You don 't need to be the “Catcher in the Rye” that protects the children from going if the deep end thought
Holden is unaware of his problem. When people try to help him he tells them there is nothing wrong with him. Holden wonders why he cannot connect with others. He blames it on other people when the source of his problems is himself. Holden’s past holds him back from connecting with others, but his fear of letting go of his past has him limited and scarred from making new relationships and connections.
Sickness comes in many forms, but perhaps the most misunderstood form happens mentally. All of the events that happen to the main character in The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield, are caused in some way or another by his mental illness. Holden Caulfield is a boy who drops out of school and travels to New York City. Holden makes irresponsible decisions like when he travels to New York City by himself without permission which affects him mentally. Holden’s mental illnesses affects his decision making,specifically his decision to stay in school and his inability to connect with people.
He has suicidal urges all over again, but this time he fights them and frantically makes an emergency appointment with Dr. Berger. He shows up at his office in a broken state in the middle of the night. Conrad sobs uncontrollably and everything comes pouring out: the whole story of the night Buck died and how he blamed himself, his mother’s hatred for him, and how he was never good enough. Dr. Berger listens and holds him like a parent would hold a child and finally, Conrad begins to calm down. Through psychotherapy, Berger has allowed his client to work through his guilt, anger, and grief successfully in a painful and moving emotional battle.
He realizes he is in exile and there really is nothing he nor anyone else can do about it. By accepting his life, (luck and fate in all) of being in exile, it makes for a much calmer journey(for the time that these emotions