ipl-logo

Holden Caulfield Character Analysis Essay

971 Words4 Pages

I have diagnosed patient Holden Caulfield with major depression. Holden arrived a few days ago, alongside his mom and spoke with me about his brother, Allie. She told me that the death of Allie at a young age has made his depression worse as he has refused to let go of his past. He has not let go of his past because he wants to hold on to his experiences with Jane. Jane Gallagher was an important person in his life, until he became ill and addicted to many bad things. Jane and Holden have known eachother for a very long time, and he has had the biggest crush on her since the first time they met. Holden also doesn’t want to get older because he doesn't believe in responsibilities. Holden states that in his mind that he should stay forever young because he doesn’t believe in all of the …show more content…

His mom spoke with me about his experience with a therapist. I also met with his therapist myself and it was brought to my attention that Holden refuses to let go of the death of his brother. When Holden was talking to his roommates about his brother Allie, a lot of memories came back to him. He talked about how he smashed the windows in his garage and how he gave up on everything because of the death of his brother. For example Holden says, “it wasn’t just that he was the most intelligent member in the family. He was also the nicest..god he was a nice kid”(P.g.21). Holden is questioning the world about why Allie had to die. I was told that his litter sister Phoebe also impacts Holden’s life significantly when he is in pain and needs someone to talk to. Holden and his little sister weren’t always so close, like him and his brothers, but whenever either of them were in need, the other one would be there to help them.When Holden got kicked out of Pencey, he returned home to talk to his sister Phoebe, and ask for her help with his choices. Even though Phoebe is younger than Holden, she helps him with his issues and

Show More
Related
823 Words | 4 Pages

Throughout the story we see Holden that suffers from a lot of illnesses like Post traumatic stress disorder, detachment, agitation, depression, denial, acceptance, sleep deprivation, and loneliness. Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a disorder characterized by failure to recover after experiencing or witnessing a terrifying event. I believe Holden was diagnosed with this disorder after the death of his younger brother Allie. Like any other human being losing a younger sibling is a life changing event especially the way Holden lost his brother. After Holden found out his brother died he was so angry that he punched the windows out of his old summer home and broke his hand.

Read More
1025 Words | 5 Pages

Holden wants his sister, Phoebe, to see an everlasting childhood, but Phoebe is a strong character that does not think the same way as Holden, she has no desire to keep her childhood for long since she knows that one day she will grow into an adult. Phoebe helps Holden by comforting him with being “the catcher in the rye” who saves kids from falling. She has a good understanding that one must move on because for her Allie is dead and that people should need to interact and not try to save something that is completely

Read More
893 Words | 4 Pages

Holden’s character development has been influenced by his family and what has happened in his younger years. When Holden was thirteen, his family lost Allie, who died from leukemia. Holden was angry and felt a pain due to this loss because he loved his younger brother and actually idealized him. “He stated, ‘It wasn’t just that he was the most intelligent member of the family... He was also nicest, in lots of ways...

Read More
1548 Words | 7 Pages

Holden grapples with loneliness and a lack of connection stemming from the loss of his brother, Allie, three years before the beginning of the novel. We learn that Allie died of leukemia when Holden was only thirteen: “He's dead now. He got leukemia and died when we were up in Maine, on July 18, 1946. You'd have liked him.” Holden’s reminiscences display the hole in his life that Allie once filled.

Read More
1065 Words | 5 Pages

To begin, early in the novel Holden tells the reader about his younger brother Allie that passed away due to leukemia. It is also made known to the reader that Holden has PTSD from this tragic situation. Holden has a hard time trusting people because of this, and has struggled with mental illness since Allies death. In addition to trust issues and PTSD, Holden tends to go into a fantasy world when he gets depressed. In that world, he “talks” to Allie out loud as if he was there.

Read More
1064 Words | 5 Pages

Due to their mother’s hysteria and father’s absence, Phoebe is forced to play a parental role in Holden’s confused life. Phoebe is the first person in the novel to fully listen to Holden’s problems. After Phoebe

Read More
806 Words | 4 Pages

Holden perceives that he is alone in the world and is searching for someone with whom he can make a meaningful connection. He is in desperate need of a person to release him from his loneliness and feelings of despair. When Holden’s strong connection with Jane Gallagher ended, his life began a downward

Read More
1013 Words | 5 Pages

Holden decides to run away from New York but wants to say goodbye to Phoebe first. Phoebe appears with a suitcase demanding to go with him. On the surface, it is easy to assume that Phoebe needs her brother, but Phoebe is scared that her brother will need her. Holden has flunked out of 4 schools at this point and unknowingly goes down a mental spiral, something Phoebe noticed earlier. Phoebe has more emotional awareness than Holden, which comes when one doesn’t fear assuming responsibility.

Read More
656 Words | 3 Pages

Throughout the book, Holden is struggling to get by. The death of his brother Allie has left him in a tough spot. Holden doesn’t exactly know how to deal with this. The different stages of grief are represented through Holden. Holden shows denial and anger when he flashbacks to one of his memories after his brother’s death.

Read More
1154 Words | 5 Pages

In the novel, he mentions his brother plenty of times, that he misses him very much, although he continuously denies it. Not only did this affect his mental health, it also ruined the social aspect of his life. From this, he no longer allows himself to attach and connect to other people, and alienates himself from almost everyone he comes across in the story. That is, except for his sister, Phoebe, the only person he admits to loving. Perhaps, if this one major event never occured, Holden would not be so depressed and be socially, mentally, and emotionally okay.

Read More
564 Words | 3 Pages

Holden's relationship with his little sister, Phoebe, is a bright spot in his life. She seems to be the only person who truly understands him and can see through his tough exterior. Phoebe is also a reminder of Holden's innocence and childhood, which is something he's struggling to hold on to as he grows older. Their relationship is meaningful because it shows that Holden is capable of forming deep connections with others, despite his cynicism and detachment from the world around him. Phoebe represents the hope and purity that Holden is searching for in his life.

Read More
1701 Words | 7 Pages

Phoebe is Holden’s little sister, and she

Read More
1122 Words | 5 Pages

(116)”. When his little sister Phoebe found out about this, she begged Holden to let her go with him because of the strong connection they had that was gonna go to waste if Holden left home. “Why can’t I? Please, Holden! I won’t do anything— I’ll just go with you, that’s all!

Read More
744 Words | 3 Pages

The injury or loss of even one sibling shows how much it morphs Holden into a depressing

Read More
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’.

Read More

More about Holden Caulfield Character Analysis Essay

Related Topics

Open Document