Holden’s Journey Towards Healing
Holden’s mindset and attitude have not changed by the end of the novel. Holden is unable to understand his own mind, which makes it hard for him to understand the world around him. His introspectiveness makes it hard for him to find his place in society, which is the barrier Holden must overcome in order to start his healing process.
Holden is not able to interpret the reasoning behind his own thoughts, which causes him to disregard his problems. He continually disregards and undermines his own experience in order to give some sort of explanation for his issues. Holden is narrating his story to us after it has happened. He begins by labeling his whole experience as “madman stuff” and undermining it by calling himself “run-down” (1). Although Holden is telling us his story after it has already happened, it is still difficult for him to process it, and so he simply puts a label on it in an attempt to
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This aspect of his makes it difficult for him to find a place in society where he belongs. He is trapped inside his mind by the thoughts that cause him to doubt himself. These doubts confuse Holden in such a way that he cannot figure out where he needs to be in life. Holden’s preconceived notions make him quit before he even tries. They cause him to have a mindset where he doesn’t feel the need to apply himself. At the end of the novel, when the psychoanalyst asks Holden if he is going to start applying himself, he calls it a “stupid question” because according to him, you cannot know what you are going to do “till you do it” (213). Holden uses this as a scapegoat to avoid having to apply himself. His preconceived ideas about school and other expectations society places on him lead him to adopt a way of thinking that ultimately harms him because it prevents him from appreciating the value of pursuing goals that are otherwise deserving of