Poor Holden Caulfield
Jun 27 '03
The Bottom Line If you haven't already read The Catcher In the Rye by J.D. Salinger, I highly recommend you read it.
In my opinion, I believe Holden is clinically depressed. Holden has many characteristics which shows me that he is depressed. Holden views the world and life in general as being depressing. In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden views the world as an evil and corrupt place where there is no peace. However, as the novel progresses, Holden gradually comes to the realization that he is powerless to change this. His situation only deteriorates from this point on as the more he looks around this world, the more depressing life seems. Around every corner, Holden sees evil. As Holden himself says, “It’s not too bad when the sun’s out, but the sun only comes out when it feels like coming out.” The sun is a reference to decency through the common association of light and goodness. The one thing that does change during the novel is Holden’s belief that he can change the world. It is finally to his younger sister Phoebe that Holden reveals his ultimate plan.
He tells Phoebe that he wants to prevent children from growing up. He blames the world’s corruption on adults and believes that when he stops the children from growing up he will preserve their innocence and save the world. Finally, he realizes that not only is there nothing that he can do, but there is nowhere he can go to hide from it. Ironically enough, it is one of the “innocent” children that he is trying to protect who helps him come to terms with this realization. It is Phoebe who challenges his plan to escape out west. As he is telling Phoebe that she can not run away, he discovers that he too can not run away. “ You can’t ever find a place that is nice and peaceful, because there isn’t any.” The final breakdown comes near the end of the book when he is watching Phoebe on the carousel. As all the kids on the carousel try to grab the golden rings, Holden hits the final breakdown. Being the “ catcher “ becomes obviously unrealistic. The golden rings are symbols of the corrupted world which always “ wears “ a shiny surface to hide its evil. It is at this point that Holden sees that he can not stop children from growing up and therefore losing their innocence.
Again, Holden’s depression shows through in yet another way. Feelings about people and relationships are often on his mind. Unfortunately, in Holden’s case, he seems to expect the worst, believing that the result of getting close to people is pain. Pain when others reject you or pain when they leave you, such as when a friend walks off or a beloved brother dies. Holden has a negative approach to life. Holden draws the conclusion that “ people never believe you.” He is always placing labels upon people as being “ phonies “ which gives the reader the idea that Holden thinks that others are materialistic. Throughout the novel he refers to himself as a “ madman” which gives the reader the idea that he sees himself as having some sort of a mental problem, possibly depression.
Holden says that he had a “ lousy “ childhood and he tells the reader about all this “ madman “ stuff that happened to him. Holden’s behavior throughout the book is equally natural and inevitable. Without realizing it he is seeking the understanding and affection which adults could give him, yet he is pushing this affection away. Holden’s sense of phoniness is despair and he is a lost soul. However, he is aware of his own capacity for love. His affection for children is spontaneous and delightful. Holden saw his own lost childhood reflected in the innocence of children. Another reason Holden is depressed is because of his flunking out of school which was due to a loss of interest. Holden also has a low, blue mood and throughout the novel, he experiences a change in energy and thoughts.Depression affected the way Holden thought and felt, both emotionally and physically.
Holden feels that he is an adult, yet he still does many childish things. He is trying to show that he is an adult. Holden desires acceptance into the adult world, even though he is sickened and depressed by what he regards as its “ phonies “, including his teachers, parents, and older brother. He also searches to find everything that needs to be changed, but never gives an alternative to a situation or thing. He longs for a moral purpose in life. Holden seems to be suffering from an unsatisfied thirst for goodness. He is every teenager caught between the games of high school and the fear of adulthood. He says that life sucks, everyone is a phony, and you’ll be inevitably disappointed by everyone that you hold in awe. He suffers from loneliness because he has shut himself away from the normal activities of adolescence. He is so super – sensitive to others’ faults that he has no friends. Holden is bewildered, lonely, ludicrous, and pitiful.
In conclusion, Holden’s breakdown is due to the depressing realization that the world is corrupt and filled with evil. He knows now with a sickening certainty that he is powerless to stop both evil and maturation. As a matter of fact, it is “ bad “ to do so. Holden suggests that your criticisms of the world are not invalid and nothing you say or think is so bad that you need to repress it. No one can grow up if they don’t deal with the awful side of themselves that hates everything. To repress it, is to give it power. When you read The Catcher in the Rye you are inside Holden’s mind, almost as incapable of escaping from it as Holden is himself. We begin to wonder if Holden is the one who is going insane, or is it society which has lost its mind for failing to see the hopelessness of their own lives?
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Epinions.com ID:
yankeessuck318
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Location: Long Island City, New York. USA
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"Me?, I tell the truth even when I lie".- Al Pacino in Scarface
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