Explain The Three Defense Mechanisms In Catcher In The Rye

847 Words4 Pages

Holden Caulfield is smart, Holden has intelligence that not many 16 year olds have. For someone like Holden, it's hard to behave himself and to keep himself in school, he is yet again thrown out of another school. Holden got kicked out, because he only decided to pass one class out of four. Holden has responsibility issues, that he sometimes has to own up to on his own. As a high school Counselor it's my responsibility to step up and take part in helping your son succeed throughout his childhood life. Holden tends to use three defense mechanisms. Holden uses mechanisms that sometimes not only affect himself but sometimes people around him. Theres many things that I think as a high school school counselor that Holden needs to prepare himself for success. The three defense mechanisms that Holden takes a part of are, denial, acting out, and sublimation. I truly think that your son, Holden, needs to get home schooled, by a teacher or me. Holden also needs to attend counseling to impact his …show more content…

Sublimation is changing wrong behaviors to socially acceptable actions. This is wrong because Holden sometimes makes the wrong decisions, and he tries to change them around to be acceptable. I think very highly of Holden, and always want to set him up for success to make the right decisions. Something that Holden needs to quit, be apart of smoking cigarettes. This is because it's such an unhealthy thing to do, especially for someone who is only 16 and has their whole life ahead of them. Holden uses the defence mechanism, sublimation when he was in front of his mirror. On page 116, it said “Sneak a cigarette and watch myself get tough in the mirror.” This is unhealthy because, he's making a wrong decision by smoking a cigarette and he changes it around that he's looking at himself in the mirror. This defense mechanism is not as concerning and denial and acting out but it is still something I think needs to be worked