Holden Caulfield Ptsd Essay
The “Catcher in the Rye” is a novel written by J.D Salinger and focused around the main character Holden Caulfield’s life. Holden Caulfield is a teenage boy who is suffering with many problems within him. When he was 13, his younger brother Allie passed away, which took a great toll in his life. Holden shows many signs of developing the disorder PTSD. PTSD stands for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and it affects Holden throughout the entire book. “PTSD is an anxiety disorder that some people get after seeing or living through a dangerous event,”(“PTSD” 1) and PTSD can occur at any age. The disorder affected his family life, making and having friends and his life at school. Holden experienced many symptoms and events caused by PTSD, which affect …show more content…
He asked Sally Hayes on a date and asks a people he does not even like to go out with him. It does not make sense how he wants an emotional connection with someone but does not want to make a connection especially with new people. Holden is an extremely judgmental person and judges just about everyone. He believes that everyone is insecure, fake, out to get him or his most common word, “phony.” He has so much to say about everyone but never actually confronts him or her and says it. He never shows interest in school or what the teachers think of him as well. These are all signs that can be pointed to PTSD. His school life is affected by the disorder because he shows no interest in communicating or having a career later in his life, he does not try at all. He does not see his future going anywhere or being …show more content…
Holden experienced a very close loss to him of his brother Allie, and he did not take it well at all. “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 also cause PTSD,” (“PTSD”1). The death of his brother could be the main reason for Holden’s disorder. Losing someone he was so close to and experiencing it at only 13 years old is a lot to deal with. His brother Allie is not the only death Holden has had experience with it. Holden heard his classmate James Castle jump to his death from his window, and Holden saw him bloody and his teeth all over the place in his borrowed sweater. He watched people just stare at Castle until Mr. Antolini finally covered him up and helped him. “He was a skinny little weak-looking guy, with wrists about as big as pencils. Finally, what he did instead of taking back what he said, he jumped out the window.” (Salinger 170) Holden explains him as a weak
Holden Caulfield Ptsd
793 Words | 4 PagesBased on the National Institution of Mental Health and examples from the novel The Catcher in the Rye, the main protagonist Holden Caufield displays multiple signs of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Throughout the novel, Holden shows many of the symptoms such as avoidance, and hyperarousal. Those who experience symptoms such as the ones mentioned, they most likely have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD much like Holden did. J.D Salinger portrayed PTSD through Holden and how he, and like so many others suffer from this mental disorder.
How Is Holden Caulfield Mental Illness
576 Words | 3 PagesThere is one instance in the story where Holden may have developed PTSD from, which is death of his younger brother, Allie. After this tragic event, Holden’s parents send him to a private boarding school, worsening the effect. He does not do well in school and his
Summary: The Symbols Of Holden Wright
1439 Words | 6 PagesHolden had a younger brother named Allie who “died of leukemia when he was eleven” (Salinger 38). Allie was a major factor in Holden’s life and development as a person in general. In a way, Allie is still alive in Holden and his actions, and Holden constantly thinks about him. When Holden felt that he was going to disappear whenever he crossed the street, he says, “Every time I came to the end of a block I’d make believe I was talking to my brother Allie.
Holden Caulfield Ptsd Essay
1076 Words | 5 PagesIn order to be diagnosed, one would have to see a doctor that is experienced in mental illnesses such as a psychologist or psychiatrist. To make a proper diagnosis, the doctor must talk to the patient who has the symptoms and they must have four specific symptoms for at least one month (“PTSD” 3). There are a variety of treatments for PTSD, because different people react to the treatment in different ways: so a treatment that works for one person will not necessarily work for the next. These types of treatments would include psychotherapy, medications, or cognitive behavioral therapy which includes exposure therapy, cognitive restructuring, and stress inoculation (“PTSD” 5). It was likely Holden was receiving one of these treatments in the rest
Dialectical Journal For The Catcher In The Rye
963 Words | 4 PagesHe was unscrupulous...” (Ch. 6, p. 22) With the knowledge of how sexual Stradlater can be, Holden wrangles with his own mind
Examples Of Grief In Catcher In The Rye
2872 Words | 12 PagesIn addition, Josh Watson, a licensed clinical social worker and an affirming psychologist, describes how PTSD can have ever changing effects on adolescents brain chemistry. Watson illustrates the different kinds of traumatic experiences that can cause PTSD, such as, when Holden witnessed James Castle commit suicide and see his little brother Allie die from leukemia. Likewise, Holden expresses signs of panic throughout the novel as a result of the trauma in his life. Hilary Lebow, a journalist with fitness and nutrition certifications through the Yoga Alliance and the National Academy of Sports Medicine, pronounces that PTSD entails feelings of “Irritability, feeling on edge, difficulty with concentration, heightened startle response, sudden bursts of anger” (8). In the novel, Holden’s friend James from boarding school got continuously bullied, worse than Holden and the bullies physically, emotionally, and sexually harrasses James leading him to jump out the window wearing Holden’s shirt.
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 PagesHolden recalls the time he spent the night in his garage: “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. It was very stupid I have to admit, but I hardly didn’t even know I was doing it, and you didn’t know Allie (Salinger, 39).” His denial is represented when he does not admit why he did what he did to the garage. Holden
Examples Of Holden Being Depressed In Catcher In The Rye
728 Words | 3 PagesI was already sort of sorry I 'd let the thing start rolling, but it was too late now” (Salinger 19). This quote goes to show that Holden is trying to be a different person. He normally would accept a night with an escort but as stated in the quote he was so depressed he couldn 't even think about his decisions. A later quote shows that he doesn 't even use his real name he uses the name “Jim Steele”.
Bipolar Disorder In Catcher In The Rye
1238 Words | 5 PagesBipolar disorder, also known as manic depression, is a common mental disorder that is caused by genetics, the environment, brain structure, and chemistry. Bipolar disorder can often be misdiagnosed in teenagers since they are going through changes in their body and mind. One could see mood swings in a teenager and make the mistake of thinking he or she is going through normal changes. However, if one looks deeper into Holden’s character, one realizes that his mood swings, along with his excessive desire for sexual experiences, are actually symptoms of bipolar disorder. The first warning sign of his mental condition is when he buys Sunny, the prostitute, for the night.
Theme Of Mental Illness In Catcher In The Rye
783 Words | 4 PagesThe 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.
Depression Catcher In The Rye
705 Words | 3 PagesJD Salinger’s novel The Catcher in the Rye is about a boy named Holden Caulfield and his struggle with life. As a teenager, he has one goal and that is to simply find his place in the world. Unlike an ordinary teenager he has a severe case of depression, and displays many signs to exhibit this mental illness. As we escalate through the novel, we notice that his depression seems to be getting worse and that he is feeling despondent more often.
Holden's Loss Of Innocence In Catcher In The Rye
1230 Words | 5 PagesA. 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
Catcher In The Rye Mental Illness Analysis
1149 Words | 5 PagesFrom this quote, it obviously that Holden misses his brother Allie. He always recalls this memory and suffers the stress of his brother’s death. The kid James Castle’s suicide reaction also makes Holden suffer which can show by the following quote, “He was dead, and his teeth, and blood, were all over the place, and nobody would even go near him” (188). This blood scene stimulate Holden which has negative effect on Holden’s psyche. He feels sorry for Castle’s death, and this tragedy event acts as trauma for Holden.
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