Holden Caulfield Psychology

330 Words2 Pages
While it is clear that teenagers typically suffer from mood swings and unsettling behavior, this is not the case for Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye. J.D Salinger portrays his protagonist, Holden, as a cynical and unstable character whose issues may seem dismal; however, his actions and recurring thoughts prove to be much graver than expected and correspond to many of the signs of a psychological disorder described in the article “What’s Normal and What’s Not”. Often, Holden does appear to be dealing and coping with his issues like any other teenager. For example his cynical judgements, listless attitude, and need for independence can very well be perceived as normal rebellious behaviors seen in adolescents. However, his disregard