Essays

Catcher In the Rye

Troubled Minds: Psychoanalysis of Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye

Mental health has become a largely debated topic in the twenty-first century, whether someone handles it humanely or with aggression and force. Throughout history, mental illness weaved its way into the world similar to how these illnesses can weave their way into people's lives as it does in J.D. Salinger's novel, The Catcher in the Rye. The novel follows a young man, Holden Caulfield, as he faces expulsion from yet another prestigious school and journeys through the state of New York on his way home as a method of stalling until he decides to return home for Christmas break. After arriving too soon, Holden decides to surprise his younger sister with a visit and shares the news of his recent expulsion and that he will not be returning to Pencey after the holidays. His sister becomes determined on running away with him but Holden remains steadfast on going alone so much so that to make sure she stays safe , Holden decides that he will also stay. Though Holden's brother dies, he still gains the urge to protect others and the innocent considering he has lost his. The Catcher in the Rye was written in 1951 and had been originally published for mature readers, but the novel slowly crept its way onto the shelves of adolescent readers. Critics compared the protagonist, Holden, to the two main characters in the 1884 novel by Mark Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, due to their similar psyches. In The Catcher in the Rye, Salinger demonstrates the effects of a family member's death through the psychoanalysis of a teenage boy's life, his struggles, and the symbolism around him.

Holden Caulfield lives as one of the three Caulfield children, however, the middle son, Allie, dies at age thirteen of leukemia. Allie's death throws Holden's view out into the wind which leads him to think the world around him appears fake. Critic Clinton W. Trowbridge explains that "[b]oth Holden's nihilistic view of life as it is and his notion of what life ought to be are based on a misunderstanding of a man's place in the universe" (25). Throughout the novel, Holden continuously describes people and other things such as phony. After Allie's death, the idea of the world seeming perfect yet in actuality revolving around cruelty implants itself in Holden's mind, which leads him to see it as false. Holden subconsciously locks himself in the same time when Allie was alive and feels as though Allie, currently occupying a grave, constantly misses out on life and daily family activities: similar to the idea of standing out in the rain, with the raindrops acting as emotions drenching a person in sorrow, loneliness, and misery (Salinger 156). Holden recalls a time when the family travels to Allie's grave and rain falls. He feels as though they leave him behind; as if to contradict the idea of leaving no one behind, he leaves a part of himself behind overall making himself into more of a shell.

Siblings commonly stand compared to each other-Allie and Holden, even as fictional characters, still epitomize these perceptions. Holden, out of the three Caulfield children, displays the more rebellious and secret attention-seeking traits in his persona even as the eldest. His brother Allie, in comparison, appears to others as the perfect child; teachers write letters about how much of a blessing Allie makes their class. People consider Allie as the most intelligent and kindest child in their school and in their house (Salinger 38). Former teachers present Allie as one of the best and brightest students at the top of the charts. Holden and Allie seem close to each other enough so that the two of them could appear inseparable . Through his life, though, "[a]ll around him Holden sees distorted reflections of his own spasmodic aggression and withdrawal" (Bryan 105). Holden sometimes convinces himself that he loses to the other in a scavenge for parental attention and approval, so much so that he lashes out due to what he perceives as abandonment. However, the situation in actuality finds itself the same for children that must share attention with other siblings; one must always control more attention than the others.

Death affects a person's life more than the outside world truly sees when that person is interacting with others. He/she loses parts of himself/herself and those around them could consider the person a shell of his/her former self. Similarly, returning to his home has brought Holden joy in the few cheerful memories he has; all of his fears and worries wash away (Salinger 159). When a family member dies, most in the immediate family want to stay at home in the comfort only they can feel by surrounding themselves in their memories. Holden, believing like everyone else that he returns himself to the natural and psychologically sane state, truly does not latch on to this such mental state yet. As stated by literary critic James Bryan, "[t]he expository sections of the novel dramatize Holden's problems as essentially sexual and moral. Yet most critical readings of the novel's ending either ignore these things or imply their absence by declaring that the resolution is 'blunted' or else 'humanly satisfying' while artistically weak' " (107). Critics consider Salinger's end to his novel predictable for Holden to stay at home and talk to his parents about what to do in his future. Deciding to return to his home rather than stay out on his own displays his longing for a true home and hope to help the youth although he still holds himself back at age thirteen mentally when Allie dies. The idea of trapping himself in his adolescence reveals that Holden does not yet wish to surrender his life to adulthood.