What Are Holden Caulfield's Flaws

And mean guys.” (Salinger 90). When Holden left Pencey Prep, shouting “Sleep tight, ya morons” (Salinger 29), he starts to cry which suggests that he is disappointed in himself because he also became a phony. His phoniness surfaces when he constantly lies “even during the most ordinary conversations the boy has, he lies about either his age, or something about his family or even when he is trying to please people around him” (Pinto 12) which is another example of a reckless behavior Holden demonstrates. Holden lies to Ernest Morrow’s mother by stating that he sick: “It isn't very serious. I have this tiny little tumor on the brain” (Salinger 32).

He speaks to many people, seeking advice and comfort, but they are not able to help him find a human connection. Holden’s depression increases throughout the novel, almost to the point of suicide. He criticizes many people and ideas, labeling them as ‘phony’. Holden lies as a result of his depression, in order to hide the fact that he’s lonely and bored with his life, to divert any questions which he believes are too personal, and to create his own reality. In this way, Salinger illustrates how, during difficult times, people resort to lying as a coping mechanism.

Even his brother disliked him and what he did throughout his short life. Although, brother begins to feel remorse and terrible about how he treated his brother throughout his life. As an adult, the narrator began to understand Doodle and himself much more fully, and he now recognizes how his own selfish pride led

One of the first signs of the narrator's feelings is in the third paragraph when he says “It was bad enough having an invalid brother, but having one who possibly was not all there was unbearable, so I began to make plans to kill him by smothering him with a pillow.” This shows that the narrator was disappointed and horrified of having a brother who would not be all there. It also shows that he was so embarrassed by his brother that he would even kill his brother so he wouldn't be embarrassed. Another excerpt from the story that shows or helps develop the theme is in the

Although Holden gets along with children, he has trouble fitting in with society. He often shows many dissatisfactions with the people he knows and points out their flaws. He is skeptical of adults because they are not “innocent” anymore. Since Allie’s death, Holden went through a great deal, such as his older brother D.B. leaving to Hollywood to become a writer for movies (which Holden detested) and abandoning Holden, among other things.

Evans is incorrect for assuming that the emotions Holden expresses are fabricated. In fact, Holden is a young man who feels incredibly deeply, but he often subconsciously chooses to conceal those feelings, like adolescents are known for doing. For example, when Old Maurice and Sunny come to his hotel room and abuse him to get the money he ‘owes’ them, he reveals, “I was still sort of crying. I was so damn mad and nervous and all“ (Salinger 103). He feels truly upset as a result of this personal injustice.

This makes Adam a lot more depressed because now he can’t go to school, and being in class learning is one of the only things that he somewhat likes. Ultimately, “The 39 Deaths of Adam Strand” brings out that boredom leads to depression very clearly through the conflict between the many other characters in the

Based on Freud’s mental development this dream could have malformed his ego, super ego and id, because it deals with him feeling inadequate, and something missing as a child. His father Lionel noted, that Dahmer seemed to grow inward and would sit for hours without emotion(Dahmer, 1994). There has been no information provided about Jeffery being the victim of sexual abuse, the bickering between his mother and father was intense. This fostered his feelings for being alone and unwanted. It is suggested that because of these feelings, it was easier for him to turn to murder and evil thoughts.

The narrator was disappointed and upset because his brother was different, the narrator wanted a normal brother; however, throughout the short story the narrator’s negative attitude starts to change. In the beginning of the The Scarlet Ibis, the narrator is upset that his brother is abnormal; also, the narrator feels embarrassed. The narrator stated “It was bad enough having an invalid brother, but having one who possibly was not all there was unbearable, so I began to make plans to kill him by smothering him with a pillow” (Hurst 485). This quotation shows the narrator’s disappointment and cruelty towards his brother. The narrator is very cruel because he is willing to kill his brother because he is disabled.

Hamlet is a very diverse character that goes through several different emotional stages throughout the novel. Some think that he is depressed because of his father’s death, and some think that his breakup with Ophelia has made him go mad. Though Hamlet does seem out of control at times, it is because he is keeping a secret about his father’s death. The average person does not usually deal with the death of their parent well, and knowing that it was intentional makes Hamlet even more emotionally unstable. From the beginning of the novel, Hamlet proves to be very melancholy, and upset with his life.