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Holden's Depression In 'Catcher In The Rye'

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Augustine Awadalla Ms. St. John English I 1 May 2023 What is a topic, insight, theme, image, pattern, etc. that you noticed throughout the book that you would be interested in exploring in an essay? A theme that I would be interested in exploring further is how Holden copes with the nervousness and depression that he seems to be constantly experiencing throughout the novel. Holden copes with his insecurities in many ways, including calling other people phonies as well as judging and making fun of them, and there are many different examples of this in the text. For instance, on page 209, Holden says, “Then I lit another cigarette - it was my last one. I must’ve smoked about three cartons that day.” Smoking, drinking alcohol, and having sex are some of the ways Holden copes with the stresses and hardships in his life, and from this quote specifically, we can see how extremely nervous he was the day he came …show more content…

Another hardship that Holden experiences is his depression which is most likely caused by his brother Allie dying, being extremely lonely, and his addiction to smoking and drinking. Holden seems to cope with these things through sexual interactions with people he is acquainted with or comes across. On page 122, Holden says, “When I opened the door, this prostitute was standing there. She had a polo coat on, but no hat.” This quote shows that Holden is dealing with the problems in his life by having sex with a prostitute, and throughout the novel, when Holden meets someone, he immediately looks at what they are wearing, which could be because he wants to find a way to defend himself by insulting or criticizing them if they begin to realize his insecurities. The last way Holden copes with his depression and nervousness is by creating a loving bond with his

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