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Catcher In The Rye Why Does Holden Lose Him Essay

492 Words2 Pages

In chapters 14-20 of the Catcher in the Rye, Holden is spiralling out losing control of himself and who he is. He’s chain smoking from the stress, going to extreme lengths to maintain companionship as always. His biggest fear at this point being alone. Holden’s date with Sally is the prime example of him finally losing it. The stress from school, pressure from others to be sexually active and perform well in school is crushing him. His emotions are wild and unpredictable as well as his actions on the date. One moment he’s madly in love with her, the next she’s an annoyance to him. There is no inbetween in whether he hates her or loves her. During the date he gets fed up enough to call her a “royal pain the ass”, something he would usually catch himself before saying. Sally is not pleased, immediately rushing to go home on account of his rudeness. Holden isn’t happy with words or Sally’s choice to leave, pleading with her to stay. Making up impossible ideas of running away together to fall deeply in love, despite him never really liking her too …show more content…

His depression taking over who he really is, as he goes as far to call himself a ‘madman’ with little explanation. Although it is clear to the reader what he means as he drinks himself stupid, chain smoking in the city. His only defensive mechanism retreating into nostalgic desires to return to childhood. Idealizing the past, his innocence and the time his late little brother was alive. He recalls many things because of this, the time he wouldn’t let his little brother play with him and his friends, visits to the museum as a child. This is where the reader discovers how he really wants life to be, simple and unchanging. Representing how he approaches the real world, leaving him unable to deal with it. Nothing is simple, his life forever changing, but he approaches it with such unwillingness and cynicalness his is unable to handle it like an

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