How Does Mental Illness Affect The Catcher In The Rye

The Catcher in the Rye written by J.D Salinger and published in 1951 follows a teenage boy in his fear of growing up as well as a cynical perspective of life. It has been part of school curriculums since 1962 and continues to be taught in high schools today. The novel is set in New York during the 1950s when mental health was not a prevalent concept. The stigma surrounding mental illness was very strong with an apparent lack of acceptance. Considering the cultural view of mental illness it is intriguing how the main character of such a famous novel would be portrayed with a scandalous struggle. The novel also presents many positive themes which encourages reflection among a young audience. Furthermore, the novel can benefit readers specifically

While in the possession of the hospitals patients were not taken care of to proper standards as seen today. They were kept in dirty and dark rooms without basic necessities. In the article "Remembering an Infamous New York Institution” it touches on the poor conditions of the mental hospitals. Patients were often missing toiletries and basic essentials such as toothbrushes which resulted in many children having mouths full of cavities without the necessary medical attention. (“Remembering an Infamous New York Institution” ) This is just one example of the poor healthcare the residents were receiving at these institutions. Furthermore, there were no set standards for the care of the patients which allowed them to be easily taken advantage of. “Psychiatric research in the 1950s had no written rules or laws describing the limits of diagnosis, experimentation, or treatment of mentally ill people. There was no process for consent or an ethics review board as there is today (Platt 20). Psychiatrists performed experiments and suffered no repercussions if something went awry or if the patient died.” (“Background on Mental Health”). Patients at mental institutions in the 1950s were constantly in danger without their

The fear of settling on the wrong career or college. The fear of not having enough time to truly accomplish what you want. Holden embodies both of those fears throughout the novel. If the Catcher in the Rye were taken in a literal sense then it would definitely be hard for a teenage audience to relate, however the novel has themes of youth and mental health that are extremely valuable. A teenage reader can quickly identify with a teenage narrator that is scared of growing up and is unsure of what he truly desires out of life.