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Catcher In The Rye By J. D. Salinger: An Analysis

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In my opinion, happiness come from a feeling of pleasure or some variation of positive emotion or attitude. The feeling of happiness is so essential in every individual's life, it’s just that some people don’t realize it. Examples of happiness affecting our everyday lives can be found in books, novels, or even movies. In the book The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger, I learned that happiness can be found, even in the darkest times. One example of this is when Holden tells readers about the death of his brother Allie. The way that Holden deals with the situation gives the reader a negative connotation since he gets mad and starts breaking things around his house. Though he acts negatively in the hard times, Holden rebounds later in the book when he takes Phoebe to the park and watches her ride the carousel. In that moment Holden said that he felt happy when he saw Phoebe, and this was the point in which he started to come out of his depressing state. Holden shows readers that even in the darkest times, such as dealing with the loss of a loved one, you can find happiness all around you. …show more content…

One example of this is when McMurphy first comes to the asylum. He brings an uplifting attitude and most importantly he brings laughter. For example, McMurphy is trying to hold back a laugh when there is a big meeting with the Big Nurse. The power of laughter is so great because of the fact that the asylum is such a depressing place. Finding happiness is essential in hard times because when you find that happiness, it can literally change the world for

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385 Words | 2 Pages

The novel Catcher in the Rye is pessimistic because the main character Holden Caulfield always thinks negatively about any situation that he faces. In chapter 2, when Holden is with Mr. Spencer and they are talking, Mr. Spencer wishes him “good luck”. Holden hopes that he didn’t say “good luck” because it sounds terrible. Holden becomes depressed by the fact Mr. Spencer wished him “good luck”. In chapter 7, Holden is packing up his things and says the he becomes sad when he packs up his belongings.

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338 Words | 2 Pages

Holden represents the theme depression throughout the novel. Depression is a serious condition in which a person feels sad, hopeless, and unimportant. One main reason he experiences depression is because he withdraws himself from society, struggling with the death of his brother, and a lack of motivation in life. Holden's personality is very pessimistic which shows that he tends to look at the negativity instead of the bright side of life. Another reason Holden is depressed is because of his habit of drinking and smoking.

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303 Words | 2 Pages

Holden feels helpless and alone. In summary, Allie’s death plays a large role in forming Holden’s personality. He tries to graze over the subject without much emotion because Allie’s death was sudden and tragic, and he has been unable to seek support for most of his

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1030 Words | 5 Pages

Holden Caulfield, the protagonist of The Catcher in the Rye, is depressed not because of the environment he is in, but because of his perception of it. For most of the book, we see how he is continuously depressed by the digressions he makes, such as considering a stranger’s story, which ends up having no importance to him, except for the fact that it depresses him. He also is constantly angry at "phonies," who, to Holden, are essentially flawed people. This applies anywhere he goes, meaning that the only constant thing, and therefore the cause, is Holden himself. However, by the end of the book, we see how he has grown happy, despite the world he lives in.

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1039 Words | 5 Pages

These few lines from the book are a clear indication of Holdens loneliness. Holden didnt have a good explanation as to why he started crying out of blue, only to say himself that he was depressed and

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904 Words | 4 Pages

In many cases throughout the novel, Holden tells the reader of his feeling of deep sadness, and even admitting his depression. However, in most of these cases, his sadness is triggered by little events or situations. For example, when he explains his feelings about the phony Elkton Hills headmaster talking with his well-dressed parents, he says, “It makes me so depressed I go crazy” (Salinger 14). His feelings about the headmaster are interesting, because it shows that he overreacts and has depressive thoughts for little, unreasonable things which most teenagers at his age typically don’t experience. Also, Holden even considers committing suicide multiple times throughout the novel.

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2042 Words | 9 Pages

Furthermore, he displays complete apathy towards his future, is unable to form connections with other people, and frequently speaks of how he is ‘depressed’ and ‘lonely.’ He even states at one point that; ‘what I really felt like, though, was committing suicide. I felt like jumping out the window.’ Holden is clearly suffering from depression and suicidal idealisation, therefore his mental health may cause us to question his reliability as a narrator as his outlook on life is greatly affected by the way he feels, showed in the fact that he generally puts a negative spin on

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851 Words | 4 Pages

(202) Holden literally turns anything positive into something negative. The old lady’s good intentions to wish him well is depressing according to Holden. Thus, Holden’s depression dominates his mind, as he perceives a simple act of kindness into a depressing statement. Furthermore, when Holden is walking through Phoebe’s school, he says, “You can’t ever find a place that’s nice a peaceful, because there isn’t any.” (204) Holden cannot see the good in anything.

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738 Words | 3 Pages

”Anyway, I’m sort of glad they’ve got the atomic bomb invented. If there’s ever another war, I’m going to sit right the hell on top of it. I’ll volunteer for it, I swear to God I will”. This is a direct quote from J.D. Salinger 's novel The Catcher in the Rye. On page 141, the author is describing how his main character Holden Caulfield feels very lost and he is saying some pretty suicidal things in this quote.

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Holden has a very different way of showing his depression in the novel. His depression is present when he tries to keep his innocence and stray away from adult hood all while trying to keep his relationship with his brother Allie. Holden wants to be the “catcher in the rye “. He wants to be that person who catches those kids who are falling off the cliff into adulthood. Holden wants to protect those who are close to him and those that he loves.

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923 Words | 4 Pages

Holden was begging to release his emotions, “ When I finally got down off the radiator and went out to the hat-check room, I was crying and all. I don't know why, but I was. I guess it was because I was feeling so damn depressed and lonesome” (Salinger). The fact that Holden is aware that he has no one make him depress , this was a cry for help for Holden. Therefore, this reveals how humanity is in search for their time to express how they feel.

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457 Words | 2 Pages

Throughout the book, The Catcher in the Rye, the protagonist, Holden Caulfield, experiences feelings of depression, because he wants somebody, anyone who isn’t a phony, to love him. He tries to make friends by asking people he sees to come have a drink with him, but most of them refuse, because it’s either too late, in the case of Faith Cavendish, or they think he’s too young and easily persuaded, in the case of the blonde girl in the Lavender Room, at the hotel. From these examples, one can conclude that the two main themes in this novel are depression and love. Holden appears to be depressed from page one, since he is talking to a therapist. Ever since his brother, Allie, died in the summer of 1946, Holden has been a crumpled piece of

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1378 Words | 6 Pages

The only motivator that Holden has to continue living is his younger sister, Phoebe, who is extraordinarily intelligent for her age. After he gets kicked out of Pencey, Holden is lost in life. 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’.

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532 Words | 3 Pages

Holden's tone in the novel is sad, annoyed, happy and angry. In chapter 1 page 4 Holden says “I was trying to feel some kind of a good-by. I mean I’ve left schools and places I didn't even know I was leaving them. I hate that.

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693 Words | 3 Pages

Although Holden is not fully recovered he is much less depressed than his earlier stages in the book. Holden has taken a step further in his adult life and rather than dismissing those around them he begins to value them, thus being a big step. In the book Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger, the narrator and protagonist Holden Caulfield a sixteen year old junior undergoes a series of changes; changes that helped a distraught teenager learn that everyone grows up. You don 't need to be the “Catcher in the Rye” that protects the children from going if the deep end thought

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