Essay On Catcher In The Rye And PTSD
Post traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD for short, stems from many different events that has impacted a person's life. In the The Catcher in the Rye, By J.D. Salinger, the main character is a troublesome teen boy named Holden Caulfield. He tells the story in a rehab where he has been sent to get therapeutic help. We learn early on that Holden cares very little about things and doesn’t apply himself, which is why he gets kicked out of his private school. From the way he presents himself I gathered that something terrible must have happened to him, especially since he will not talk about his early childhood. This book is mainly about the loss and betrayal of innocence. There is many signs to gather that Holden suffers from PTSD.
One of my biggest believes of Holden’s PTSD comes from the the death of his younger brother, Allie. I do believe there is more reasons behind why he is suffering from PTSD, but I believe this was the spark to the flame, this is where it originated from. “Not everyone with PTSD has been through a dangerous event. Some people get PTSD after a friend or family member experiences danger or is harmed, The sudden, unexpected death of a loved one can
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Holden shows a lot of those three things throughout the whole book. As an example, Holden states, “I felt so lonesome, all of a sudden. I wish I was dead.“(Salinger 48) Holden constantly says throughout the book things that make me worry about his safety and the safety of others. At one point in the book he says, “I’d rather push a guy out of the window or chop his head off with an ax than sock him in the jaw.”(Salinger 89-90) His reasoning behind that statement his he doesn’t really like fist-fights. He says that he does not have the guts to actually punch anyone and that he is yellow, but only partly. This is a huge part in the realization that there is something wrong with Holden and that he needs
How Does Holden Present Phonies In Catcher In The Rye
873 Words | 4 PagesTherefore, his rebellion both academically and socially in the schools he attends display his resistance to grow up. These behaviors he shows, are psychological effects he develops due to Allie’s death, hence creating a negative impact on his life. In addition to Allie’s death causing Holden to act out, it also seems to cause neglection in Holden’s life. Just like Holden, it seems his mother has not gotten over
Similarities Between Holden Caulfield And The Great Gatsby
437 Words | 2 PagesThis obsession causes him to alienate himself from the world around him for fear of any alteration to his daily life and strays from ideas of love, terrified of losing those close to him. This belief likely originates from the passing of his brother, Allie. As a matter of fact, to take out frustrations caused by Allie’s death, he decides to shatter all the windows in the garage to the point of losing the capacity to fully create a fist. As a result, it the event gives a sensitivity to reality; creating a belief that the world was the cause of his downfall. In Salinger Seems to Agree With Holden by Lawrence Jay Dessner, he states, “Holden wants a guarantee of the purity of human motive.”
Is Holden Caulfield Reliable
1050 Words | 5 PagesHe thinks he can do whatever he wants just because he's a kid until he realizes it doesn't last forever. Another instance of this is when Holden explains to the reader where he says “You take a really smart girl, and half the time she's trying to lead you around the dance floor, or else she's such a lousy dancer, the best thing to do is stay at the table and just get drunk with her. ”(Salinger PDF 44). Holden messes around in things he shouldn't do or even care for but it affects him.
Mental Illness Seen In Holden Caulfield
496 Words | 2 PagesMoreover, Holden struggles with feelings of disconnection and
Holden Caulfield Ptsd
678 Words | 3 PagesThese issues that he goes through spiral him into a downwards slope later on in the novel. Holden Caulfield shows signs of PTSD and anxiety throughout the novel, the first sign being the death of his brother. The loss of his brother led Holden to display many traits of someone suffering from PTSD. Some of his
Character Analysis Of PTSD In Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak
1206 Words | 5 PagesPTSD is a reaction to being exposed to an event which is outside the range of normal human experience. Everyone reacts differently to different situations and it doesn't have to be a life threatening experience for someone to respond in this way. PTSD affects hundreds of thousands of people who have been exposed to violent events such as rape, domestic violence, child abuse, war, accidents, natural disasters and political torture. A lot of people go through PTSD without even noticing it. PTSD needs special treatment, and if you don't get it treated it could get worse.
Holden's Loss In Catcher In The Rye
494 Words | 2 PagesHave you ever lost someone dear to you? after Holden's brother Allie passes away, he has strange ways of dealing with his loss. His mixed emotions and the actions caused by them show what a loss can do to impact someones life and can take a toll on themself. One raging emotion that Holden encounters is violent outbursts.
Catcher In The Rye Grief Analysis
656 Words | 3 PagesThroughout the book, Holden is struggling to get by. The death of his brother Allie has left him in a tough spot. Holden doesn’t exactly know how to deal with this. The different stages of grief are represented through Holden. Holden shows denial and anger when he flashbacks to one of his memories after his brother’s death.
Theme Of Mental Illness In Catcher In The Rye
783 Words | 4 Pages“Having anxiety and depression is like being scared and tired at the same time. It 's the fear of failure but no urge to be productive. It 's wanting friends but not socializing. It 's wanting to be alone but not wanting to be lonely. It 's caring about everything then caring about nothing.
How Does Holden Caulfield Change Throughout The Novel
693 Words | 3 PagesAlthough Holden is a very intelligent character he finds the hypocrisy and ugliness in the world around him and quickly associates it with the adult world. Holden is a very introverted character who hesitates throughout the book to share information about his life . J.D Salinger makes sure to portray Holden that way to
Catcher In The Rye Rhetorical Analysis
828 Words | 4 PagesAs the book starts Holden describes his childhood and how he has been kicked out of several school and once more again from his currently school, giving a sense of irresponsibility and no care in the world. Holden later on mentioned slowly the loss of his brother due to leukemia and how he reacted outrageously by breaking the windows of his garage home. As a reader one would view that behavior as abnormal, but Peter Shaw descried it as a normal behavior for a fictional character in the 1950s and by mentioning that Holden, “is presenting in a somewhat different manner than are the sentimentalized young people in other novels if his period” (par. 3), admitting that Holden was somewhat of an outcast of a character even for its time he is still considered normal. Shaw also challenged the reader’s view of Holden by emphasizing that Holden is not a real person, but a fiction character developed in the 1950s and in fact a mad psychological character is normal and made the reading rather more interesting and acceptable during that time. As readers someone may come across as understanding Holden’s behavior due to a loss and everyone mourns differently and as Shaw said, “ the one period of life in which abnormal behavior is common rather than exceptional” (par.
Stubbornness In Catcher In The Rye
1493 Words | 6 PagesIn the paradoxical personality of Holden we discover something much deeper. As Holden makes himself out to be tougher than what he actually is, Salinger introduces stubbornness. Holden’s true nature of gentleness and sensitivity offered throughout the book often brings bedlam into his life, though Salinger brings into
Catcher In The Rye: A Psychological Analysis Of Holden Caulfield
824 Words | 4 PagesThroughout The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield has abnormal tendencies. Although he could just be a typical teenager, dealing with difficult situations, after analyzing his behavior it is believed that he is suffering from a mental ailment of some sort. Events from Holden’s past are still currently haunting him and it is evident that he is struggling. He needs the guidance of those around him in order to help himself through these tough time.
Holden Caulfield Reliable Narrator
935 Words | 4 PagesThroughout the novel, Holden’s observations are often unreliable because he lacks experience to fully understand or simply because he is denies the truth. After the fight with Stradlater, Holden says "All that blood and all sort of made me look tough. I 'd only been in about two fights in my life, and I lost both of them. I 'm not too tough. I 'm a pacifist, if you want to know the truth" (46).
Character Analysis: The Catcher In The Rye
720 Words | 3 PagesHolden Caulfield, the main protagonist in The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, embodies the classic teenager in the process of discovering himself, and how the world works. But, regardless of Holden 's rich, prep school lifestyle, the series of events that have mapped out his life up to this point have utterly affected his emotional well being and perception of the world. Many traumatic events such as the death of holds brother Allie, the death of a class mate, and countless numbers of awkward incidents with adults have all added up to affects Holden 's well-being and detach him from reality. The death of Holden 's younger brother Allie has caused him to confuse his perception of reality and to alienate himself.
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