Holden's Mental Illness

In the current world, the struggle of one’s mental illness is evident in some and hidden in others, as statistically shown by 1 in 5 Americans every year. Particularly, in The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger mentions Holden’s depressive state of emotions throughout the novel as it heightens. As shown in the novel and today’s current world, mental illnesses can present poor methods of coping and misjudgement of thought. J.D. Salinger conveys the message that dealing with depression can develop poor coping mechanisms including illusions such as thoughts and imaginations. Methods of coping with depression vary from person to person, but it is the acceptance of mental illness which is more of the struggle. In the beginning of the novel, Holden

And how you should play it according to the rules” (Salinger 11). This quote implies how Holden is unable to play by the rules, as his mental illnesses such as depression are evident. Throughout the novel, Salinger presents the idea that life does not throw the same tricks at everyone. Each individual may have their own rules and strategies to conquer their own game. Holden’s strategies are different from others, because he is faced with mental illnesses including depression that others may rarely or never face in their lifetime. Holden’s playing rules may contradict others because he struggles and copes with depression differently than others. His rules may be perceived as the way he copes with his depression such as, “It was against my principles and all, but I was feeling so depressed I didn’t even think. That’s the whole

Salinger explains Holden’s illusions that he creates for himself when he, “felt so depressed, you can’t imagine. What [he] did, [is he] started talking, sort of out loud, to Allie. [he does] that sometimes when [he gets] very depressed” (Salinger 10). This quote indicates how Holden creates the illusion of him talking with his dead brother, Allie. Holden’s imaginations of his dead brother, Allie, is one of the ways he copes with his trauma of losing him. His PTSD from Allie's death triggers his coping mechanisms used for other mental illnesses he struggles with including depression. Repeatedly in the quote above, Holden mentions his depressive state and is signifying how much of his imagination and thoughts are centered over his state of mental stability and depression. Salinger explains the message of how irrational one may act when trying to come to terms with their depression which may be a result of previous trauma. Another instance where Holden uses poor coping mechanisms is when he is sleeping at Grand Central on the bench overnight, he thinks to himself, “And I think I was more depressed than I ever was in my whole life” (Salinger 214). While Holden is spending the night at Grand Central, he gets lost in his thoughts reflecting on how Mr. Antolini was touching his forehead and acting affectionate towards Holden. As a result, Holden feels uncomfortable and when alone at the train station,