ipl-logo

Examples Of Mental Illness In Holden Caulfield

1804 Words8 Pages

Mental Disorders, Isolation, & Holden Caulfield - How They Relate To Each Other Stigmatization; disapproval of an individual based on social characteristics that serve to distinguish them from other members of a society. Specifically, the stigmatization of mental illnesses in society can lead to one to experience prevalent alienation, depressive thoughts, and even suicidal tendencies. The buildup of these occurrences can be traced back to a traumatic incident that consequently takes an emotional toll on an individual in various formats. In J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher In The Rye, Holden Caulfield, the main character, is depicted as someone who suffers from clinical depression and bipolar disorder based on his behavioral and verbal interactions …show more content…

For clinical depression, wanting certain things or circumstances in life to stay the same for an extended period of time is one of the various symptoms. Holden is seen displaying this symptom in his relationship and history with the Museum of Natural History. There are various conditions in Holden’s life that drastically change after the death of Allie, but one of the few key things that stay the same is the Museum of Natural History: “The best thing, though, in that museum was that everything always stayed right where it was. Nobody'd move...Nobody'd be different. The only thing that would be different would be you” (Salinger 135). Holden throughout the novel is depicted as someone who finds it hard to move on in life and is unable to deal with change. In specification to the Museum of Natural History, everything seemingly stays the same, even after an extended period of time. In this case, Holden desires to be similar to the museum in the sense that he wishes to be frozen in time. This dismissal of change and wanting things to stay the same can also relate to how Holden views the museum as a safe haven for him to escape to whenever life becomes too hard for him. Another symbolic manifestation is the effect of Allie’s death on Holden and how it relates to his bipolar disorder. One of the symptoms of a manic bipolar disorder episode is impulsive behavior and reckless decisions. Throughout the novel the mention of Allie’s death by Holden and his following actions and feelings allows the reader to understand the depth of Allie and Holden’s relationship and how Allie’s death affect Holden. For example, Caulfield is seen being reckless and impulsive after Allie’s death by trying to hurt not only himself but the things around him: “I even tried to break all the

Show More
Related

  • Holden Caulfield Unreliable Narrator

    471 Words  | 2 Pages

    Soha Tariq Ms. Mac ENG3U 6 March 2023 Holden Caulfield’s Psychoanalytic Examination One of the largest themes in Holden’s life is his inability to grow up. Throughout the book, many readers can tell that Holden lacks maturity, and is obviously afraid of adulthood. This can be portrayed by how Holden says, “The best thing, though, in that museum was the everything always stayed right where it was.” (Salinger, 121).

    Read More

  • Catcher In The Rye Old Spencer Quotes

    546 Words  | 3 Pages

    Holden doesn't want to be forced to transition into another stage of his live because he enjoys being a child which is why he likes the museum. The museum will forever remain unchanged because "nobody moves" (Holden), and that is how Holden views his life should

    Read More

  • Holden Caulfield Psychological Analysis

    542 Words  | 3 Pages

    I n this world, there are many cases in which a person may have a mental disorder that is undetected by the person itself . In the case of Holden Caulfield, the main protagonist in “ The Catcher in The Rye” by J.D Salinger, he suffers from an anxiety disorder that is commonly know as PTSD. This stands for post-traumatic stress disorder in which an individual gets after the result of a traumatic event that occurred to them by either experiencing it or witnessing it themselves. Throughout the book you being to notice that there are many indications of Holden experiencing symptoms in relation to PTSD like hyper arousal and avoidance (“PTSD 1“). Hyper arousal is one the symptoms in which a person can feel stressed and angry, which results in them having an outburst.

    Read More

  • Catcher In The Rye Grief Analysis

    656 Words  | 3 Pages

    Holden has a very different way of showing his depression in the novel. His depression is present when he tries to keep his innocence and stray away from adult hood all while trying to keep his relationship with his brother Allie. Holden wants to be the “catcher in the rye “. He wants to be that person who catches those kids who are falling off the cliff into adulthood. Holden wants to protect those who are close to him and those that he loves.

    Read More

  • Symbolism In Salinger's The Catcher In The Rye

    1580 Words  | 7 Pages

    The Museum for Holden is a place from his childhood, where he was able to see things and see them again as he grew older. He was always fond of the Museum because it was able to keep items the same forever. Holden wishes he was able to do the same, “Certain things they should just stay the way they are. You ought to be able to stick them in one of those big cases and just leave them there.” (Pg. 122)

    Read More

  • Examples Of Holden Being Depressed In Catcher In The Rye

    728 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Theme Of Mental Illness In Catcher In The Rye

    783 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Catcher In The Rye Setting

    890 Words  | 4 Pages

    Out of all the places he visits in NYC, the two most notable ones are the Museum of Natural History and Central Park. The museum is an illusion of how Holden wishes the world was. In the novel, he says: “Nobody’d be different. The only thing that would be different would be you.” (Salinger 123).

    Read More

  • Holden Caulfield Mental Analysis

    934 Words  | 4 Pages

    As a result of Holden having two extremes that are a component of his personality, he has bipolar II disorder. Throughout the novel, Holden presents signs of hypomania, because of his irritability towards others, while also speaking rapidly and having difficulty sleeping. When Holden has had minimal food to eat, has feelings of depression, and most notably when he has pondered death, is another extreme of his personality. There are numerous occasions that Holden experiences both emotions simultaneously. Since Holden encounters levels of depression and hypomania, bipolar II disorder is a more accurate diagnosis than depression.

    Read More

  • What Are The Causes Of Holden's Mental Breakdown

    2021 Words  | 9 Pages

    The repercussions of Allie’s death had immediate effects on Holden’s

    Read More

  • Catcher In The Rye Loss Of Innocence Analysis

    408 Words  | 2 Pages

    Holden wants to protect people’s innocence which cause to reflect about his innocence time and how they have changed. When Holden was younger he would visit the Museum of Natural History almost every Saturday. The charter Holden believed “the best thing, though in that museum was that everything always stayed right where it was,” (Salinger 135). Holden thinks about this because he realizes that people and himself are always changing, but things around him necessarily aren’t changing. When people start to change, their innocence will slowly go away because they are growing up.

    Read More

  • Holden Caulfield's Mental Illness In The Catcher In The Rye

    366 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Holden Caulfield Situation Analysis

    242 Words  | 1 Pages

    Reveals about situation: By stating that his favorite part about the museum was its consistency, Holden reveals that he prospers best when he is in a familiar atmosphere. In more depth, Holden liked the museum so much simply because it was constant and he knew what to always expect. In relation to his current self, Holden still depends on that consistency for comfort and reliability. This is why Holden cannot succeed at all of his schools. His constant failure is partly due to his character flaws, but it could also be because he is not comfortable in the new situations and environments.

    Read More

  • Catcher In The Rye: A Psychological Analysis Of Holden Caulfield

    824 Words  | 4 Pages

    Holden constantly relives his past, which can indicate his diminishing mental state along with post-traumatic stress disorder. A common symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder is reliving the past, or being unable to move on. He repeatedly has flash backs of moments shared with Allie when he is depressed. He wishes to be able to modify scenarios such as when he kept his brother from going out with him and his friend, Bobby. He finds comfort in recreating scenarios in his head, because he believes that it would have helped Allie live.

    Read More

  • Why Is Growing Up Bad

    835 Words  | 4 Pages

    When Holden is at the American Museum of Natural History, he says, “I kept thinking about old Phoebe going to the museum on Saturdays the way I used to. I thought of how she’d see the same stuff I used to see, and how she’d be different every time she saw it. It didn’t exactly depress me, but it didn’t make me feel gay as hell either. Certain things they should stay the way they are” (136). Holden realizes that the museum won’t change, but people will change each time they return.

    Read More

More about Examples Of Mental Illness In Holden Caulfield

Open Document