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Examples Of Depression In Catcher In The Rye

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Many authors tend to express their emotions, such as depression, through characters in their novels. J.D Salinger expresses himself in the novel, The Catcher in the Rye, through the main character Holden Caulfield. J.D Salinger wrote The Catcher in the Rye in late 1940, the book took place in New York. There are many examples in the novel The Catcher in the Rye where J.D Salinger shows different types of depression.One of the examples would be when Holden feels guilty. Another example would be when Holden feels sad and lonesome.The last example is when Holden has thoughts of suicide.

Holden feels guilty because he doesn’t understand anything that is around him. For example Holden says “Sex is something I just don't understand wear to God I don't.” (Holden 34) One of things that Holden really didn’t understand was sex. Holden never understood anything about it or what he had to do. Honden says “But the worst part was that you could tell they all wanted to go to the movies. I couldn't stand looking at them.’’ (Holden 61) Holden doesn’t understand how people around him can be so happy to …show more content…

One of the examples is when Holden says ‘’I didn't answer him. All I did was, I got up and went over and looked out the window. I felt so lonesome, all of a sudden. I almost wished I was dead.’’ (Holden 25) Holden wishes he was dead because he would feel so lonely most of the time. Also Holden doesn’t have anyone who he can really talk to about his feelings. Holden’s thoughts of wishing he was dead leads up for him to think he has cancer and that he is going to die. Holden says “it was a sign that you probably had cancer. I'd had this sore on the inside of my lip for about two weeks. So figured I was getting cancer.’’(Holden 105) Holden thinks he is getting cancer because he has some symptoms but truly he doesn’t have cancer.Holden is just going through a lot and doesn’t know what’s going on with

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