How Is Holden Caulfield A Maturing Teenager

While physical altercations may leave bruises, traumatic events can leave scars. This is fully portrayed in J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, as readers live the life of a sixteen year old maturing boy named Holden Caulfield. His older brother, Allie Caulfield, recently passed away due to tuberculosis and Holden is forced to grow up, leaving his innocence behind. The novel takes place over a three day time period venturing through highschool and New York City adventures. Salinger emphasizes the idea teens cope with traumatic events by self-isolating, for example, Salinger’s Holden dissociates to the point of complete loneliness and depression.
Holden is a prime example of what self-isolation looks like as a maturing teenager. As Holden

Once in the phone booth Holden explains “…as I was inside, I couldn't think of anybody to call up” (Salinger 66). One of the best ways to deal with stress and depression is to have a supporting figure; however, as seen Holden is stranded. It is similar to nowadays social media, such as Facebook. Many people enjoy the relaxing moments in their day to scroll carefree and see what friends and family are up to. Relating to these terms, Holden is given an opportunity to find a moment of relief, but when trying to do so he realizes nobody is there for him. It is as if he has no friends on facebook, showing an empty screen. When looking at empty screens we see nothing but ourselves, which shines the light on Holden’s self-isolation. A literary criticism article written upon the topic of Holden’s isolation agrees with the claim, Holden self-isolates. The article states,“The fleeting nature of his interactions is responsible for much of his loneliness,” continuing to add that it is “self imposed” (blooms literature 1). Holden’s state of mind is complex, he

After being beat up for money, Holden laid in bed with only him and his thoughts. His thoughts persisted of him “jumping out the window,” saying he would have done it if “somebody’d cover me up as soon as I landed” (Salinger 117). The evidence proves how deep Holden’s depression is. According to research, he is dealing with severe depression which is the highest level. Salinger adds parts throughout the novel of Holden saying depressing things to emphasize how lonely he is. Many who feel suicide is the best way to find happiness, are missing something within their life. They do not have the support system or someone loving them back to keep them grounded. Another literary criticism based upon Holden’s inability makes the claim Holden “wants to understand and to communicate, to make meaningful connections with the people in his life,” however “he does not know how to go about developing relationships” (Wannamaker 196). Sometimes self-isolation is not caused purposely, rather it is done due to the lack of experience we have within the world. As a teen it is very hard to push yourself to reach out to friends and family members, letting them know you are hurt; however, when done it works miracles. While the process is not easy, talking to people who have been in your situation can help you get out of the depression stage the quickest. They are able to offer as much as wisdom and experience, or as little as the