How Does Holden Develop

Change is hard to come by. It comes in different forms, and therefore, people deal with it in different ways. Throughout the novel The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, 16 year old Holden Caulfield does not undergo emotional development throughout the course of the book, suggesting that he does not deal with change in a healthy way. Holden finds it hard to express his emotions and get help for his mental health. After getting kicked out of Pencey Prep due to bad behavior and failing grades, Holden moves back home without his parents knowing. Prior to Pencey Prep, he was expelled multiple times from each boarding school he attended for the same reasons. Back home, Holden is feeling lost and confused since he does not feel as if he has a sense

Holden's constant feeling of being depressed is established early on in the book. For example, when Holden says goodbye to one of his professors before leaving Pencey, he finds himself overwhelmed with sadness over the normal act of a sendoff: “Then we shook hands. And all that crap is. It made me feel sad as hell, though” (15). This is demonstrating that when Holden is in social interaction, he tends to feel down. Holden's admittance that he is "sad" at his parting with his professor also serves to show his emotional struggles. Another example is when Holden is asked by his friend Straudlater to write a paper for him. Holden decides to write about an object that was his younger brother’s, Allie, who passed away when Holden was 13. Holden was very distraught when he found out about his brother's death. He states, “I was only thirteen, and they were going to have me psychoanalyzed and all, because I broke all the windows in the garage” (38-9). Starting at a young age, Holden has always struggled with his mental