Any type of stress is said to have a powerful effect on some individuals. The effects can then result in a disruption of their instinctive judgment or performance of actions. In Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, the idea of stress is shown occasionally throughout the novel. Another book that expresses this specific idea in a similar manner is J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye. Although Chris subsists in finding contentment in being aware of events prior to its occurrence or expressing himself through violent behavior, Holden’s method of dealing with stressful situations by speaking his mind and smoking would be a more appropriate approach when the two are compared. The duration of Haddon’s book demonstrates stress in many ways, whether it be internally or externally. An example of this …show more content…
One example of an internal way that supports the topic is when Holden goes out with Sally Hayes and ends up calling her “a pain in the ass” (148). The quote implies that Holden finds the satisfaction he craves in insulting other people to boost his ego. It also emphasizes the idea that he remains open-minded and ignorant to emotions that he causes an individual to be affected by. An example of an external problem involves the part in the book where Holden is smoking in the hotel room and admits that he “must’ve smoked around two packs since [he] left Pencey” (112). This specific quote indicates the amount of stress Holden has been under and how he seems to find smoking as a way to calm his nerves and provide him with a form of isolation from his surroundings and a temporary getaway. It also suggests that Holden is trying to avoid every aspect of reality and attempt to live in a life that ideally has no care in the world. Overall, Holden holds a strong stand of how he handles stress in a more sensible
Grief is something that most humans may encounter sometime in their lives however contrary to general consensus, grieving is not a short process. In fact on average the grieving process takes 5-8 years. According to Psychiatrist Elisabeth Kubler-Ross there are 5 phases of the grieving process: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance. This process is extremely relevant with the protagonist of The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caufield, since Holden’s younger brother Allie’s died 6 years before the start of the novel therefore leaving Holden in said grieving process. Holden bounces in between the phases, specifically anger, bargaining and depression.
Depression is an active theme in J.D. Salinger’s “The Catcher in the Rye.” Holden does not properly treat his depression because he ignores help, abuses substances, and bottles up his emotions. Before reading “The Catcher in the Rye,” I believed that depression is completely not a choice, but after I realized that although it isn’t a choice, there are still ways of treating depression. Holden refuses to accept help from other people. As soon as I was inside, I couldn 't think of anybody to call up.
Reveals about situation: This quote serves a vital role in characterizing Holden. Specifically, it reveals how Holden actually does feel sympathy for others, but he does not know how to express his feelings externally. Thus emphasizing how Holden struggles with more person vs. self conflicts opposed to person vs. person conflicts.
Depression Depression is the feeling of severe despondency and dejection or a mental condition. Being depressed is a normal reaction to a lost life, struggle, or injured self esteem. Depression also has many symptoms in which sometimes can cause a human their life. It's okay to feel sad and lonely up to the point when the feelings become overwhelming or when they involve physical symptoms that are long-term. These feelings can lead someone from not keeping a normal and active life.
As many readers read “Catcher In The Rye” many will agree that Holden exemplifies depression, feelings of worthless and lack of sleep. Although shows the symptoms of bipolar disorder: feeling confident, lack of concentration, switching on topics and a desire for sex. Holden Caulfield is an adolescent who shows various symptoms of sickness. Through the book he shows symptoms of bipolar disorder and depression: sleep disorder, feeling worthless, and no care which are all aspects of both. But one symptom that only bipolar disorder has, is the feeling of confidence, which isn't an aspect of depression.
In The Catcher In The Rye by J.D. Salinger, Holden Caulfield is a rebellious and angsty teen who suffers from internal and external conflict. Holden continously tries to create a conflict where there is none. However, after he creates these issues he is unwilling to face them. Holden’s internal conflict is his inability to accept responsibility for his actions, while his external conflict is the tension between him and anyone who succeeds. In this manner Holden continually pushes people away and refuses to accept the existence of these conflicts until the end of the novel.
In Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, the main character, Holden Caulfield, is challenged by the world around him. One of the main issues he faces is “ . . . constantly [feeling] as if he is being surrounded by his enemies. (Huber and Ledbetter 254)”
Holden Caulfield is a sixteen year old boy that suffers from many different mental disorders. These disorders include post traumatic stress disorder which lead to depression and bipolar disorder. From the death of his younger brother, Allie, to his life decisions and choices it shows his state of mind. Post traumatic stress disorder is a disorder characterized by failure to recover after experiencing or witnessing a terrifying thing.
Holden attempts to assert himself above everybody else in society and essentially portrays that he is better than everyone. Isolation is a major characteristic in Gothic writing because it forces the audience to solely focus on the protagonists and his everyday struggles with fitting into society. Holden isolates himself from everyone by the judgment he places on people in society. This isolation correlates to him immaturity and the reason he doesn't connect with anyone. When Holden comes out of the theater and sees the phonies in the mist, he states, “At the end of the first act we went out with all the other jerks for a cigarette.
Holden being anti-Pencey in almost every way was appalled by the idea that someone could truly enjoy their days at a school he sees as phony (169). Holden, now depressed, goes on to explain that the old man was not a bad man at all but, “[a]ll you have to do to depress somebody is give them a lot of phony advice while you're looking for your initials in some can door” (169). By not blaming his depression on the old man, Holden is exemplifying his belief that it is not the person who makes themselves phony but society that causes the change. With age, Holden feels that there is an increased
As 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.
Often, a main character’s apparent madness and irrational behavior plays a crucial role in the development of the plot. In J.D. Salinger’s novel, The Catcher in the rye, central character Holden Caulfield reasonably exhibits eccentric, impulsive and erratic behavior as a reaction to the “phoniness” of everyone around him, the self-alienation he faces and, as a standard coping mechanism for the changes in his life. Holden acts almost solely on impulse. He is often knowingly riling up other characters in the story just because he feels justified in doing so.
Holden struggles with growing up and facing reality. There are many examples of Holden’s immaturity that are displayed in many forms such as facing responsibilities, his speech, his actions, and etc. Holden’s outlook on adult life is that it is superficial and brimming with phonies, but childhood was all about looking pleasing and innocent. He wants everything to stay the same and for time to stop. As Holden progresses in age, he will discover more about becoming mature in the
In J.D Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye the character Holden is shown to have many different psychological issues and personality traits. Holden seems to be very emotionally unstable and his exhibits of feelings. As the novel progresses, we observe all of Holden’s memories of his emotions and psychological breakdowns. Holden is unable to cope with his psychological and mental issues causing him to have spikes of emotion always leading him to another emotional collapse. Holden’s initial issue is that he is emotionally unstable.
Tragic events can affect your mindset in irreversible ways, causing self-destructive behavior, low self-esteem, and devious actions. Jerome David Salinger in his novel, The Catcher in the Rye, he develops the character of Holden Caulfield, an adolescent boy who is living a tragedy, causing suffering and deep pain within him. According to Mary Klages from the University of Colorado, she incorporates Warren Hedges and Freud through a psychoanalytic lens and they come to a conclusion that psychoanalytical approaches reveal how and why people behave as they do, which helps clarify Holden Caulfield’s actions in the novel. Holden is presented as a troubled adolescent, facing discontent of his childhood in which he desires not to describe much in