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How Is Holden Caulfield Relevant Today

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The famous novel, “The Catcher in the Rye'' by J.D. Salinger was first published in 1951, yet it still continues to be relevant to this day. Many find themselves relating to the main character of the book, Holden. Holden was a kid who got expelled from his school, then went to New York City and tried to live on his own. He encountered many problems and difficulties, which many relate to. Despite being over half a century old, the novel still remains relevant in present-day society because of its portrayal of the search for personal identity, growing up, and the struggles of mental health. To begin with, the search for one’s personal identity was a main theme throughout the entirety of the novel. The book explores the difficulties that teenagers …show more content…

Holden is a deeply troubled character who struggles with depression, anxiety, and loneliness. He struggles to make meaningful connections with others and is constantly searching for a sense of belonging. This was shown in the book when Holden said, “I got up and went over and looked out the window. I felt so lonesome, all of a sudden. I almost wished I was dead” (Salinger 48). Holden’s loneliness was beginning to pay a toll on his mental health, as he was tired of it. He said he would much rather be dead than live his lonely life. This shows his mental issues, with the idea of suicidal ideation. Holden also finds himself in a depressed state of mind, which many people all over the world relate to, not just teens. This was also shown in Aubry’s words, “Huck: I felt so lonesome I most wished I was dead." Holden: "All I did was, I got up and went over and looked out the window. I felt so lonesome, all of a sudden. I almost wished I was dead." Both boys are motivated to consider suicide by a feeling of intense loneliness” (Aubry 1-2). Aubry found a connection with another boy and Holden, and how they both were suffering from loneliness, causing their mental issues. Depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues are common concerns in modern society, which is why the seventy-one-year-old novel finds itself suitable

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Catcher In The Rye Loneliness Quotes

801 Words | 4 Pages

When Holden had reached the climax point of his mental state, he had a hard time to get across the street. “Every time i came to the end of a block and stepped off the goddam curb, I had this feeling that I’d never get to the other side of the street. I’d just go down, down, down and nobody’d ever see me again”. At this moment when his mental state was lost and his shield down, the loneliness consumed him. At one point he even accepted

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Is Holden Caulfield Relevant Today

320 Words | 2 Pages

One of the main themes in The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger is rebellion and hiding real emotions from society. This book is set during the early 1950’s, but it still contains important themes that are relevant today. Although Holden Caulfield, the main character and narrator is fiction, he does and says many things that teens would in real life. For example, Holden curses a lot. This is most likely because he wants to feel older, and again, wants to rebel from authority.

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Examples Of Grief In Catcher In The Rye

417 Words | 2 Pages

Holden Caufield exhibits symptoms of both teen grief and antisocial personality disorder. However, Holden definitely suffers from prolonged grief disorder, rather than being antisocial, because Holden expresses aversion to solitude and a need to be around others. In both the desolate hallways of Pencey as he is leaving, and the empty streets of New York as he is wandering them, Holden feels "lonesome and depressed". The patient is clearly not antisocial. Holden demonstrates a prominent symptom of prolonged grief disorder: he avoids reminders of deceased loved ones.

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How Does Holden Caulfield Change Throughout The Novel

693 Words | 3 Pages

Although Holden is a very intelligent character he finds the hypocrisy and ugliness in the world around him and quickly associates it with the adult world. Holden is a very introverted character who hesitates throughout the book to share information about his life . J.D Salinger makes sure to portray Holden that way to

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Holden Caulfield Lies In Catcher In The Rye

1378 Words | 6 Pages

The only motivator that Holden has to continue living is his younger sister, Phoebe, who is extraordinarily intelligent for her age. After he gets kicked out of Pencey, Holden is lost in life. He speaks to many people, seeking advice and comfort, but they are not able to help him find a human connection. Holden’s depression increases throughout the novel, almost to the point of suicide. He criticizes many people and ideas, labeling them as ‘phony’.

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Does Holden Have Ptsd In Catcher In The Rye

2377 Words | 10 Pages

Denial and isolation, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Holden is already a lonely individual. He adventures around New York City, which is highly populated, and he probably passes thousands of people, but does not understand the concept on socializing with people and respect. He often finds himself criticizing them, this keeps him isolated from everyone. Holden later finds himself trying to exempt the feeling of being lonely by calling people from his childhood, and eventually people he barely knew just so he had someone to talk to.

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Catcher In The Rye Grief Analysis

656 Words | 3 Pages

Holden has a very different way of showing his depression in the novel. His depression is present when he tries to keep his innocence and stray away from adult hood all while trying to keep his relationship with his brother Allie. Holden wants to be the “catcher in the rye “. He wants to be that person who catches those kids who are falling off the cliff into adulthood. Holden wants to protect those who are close to him and those that he loves.

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How Does Holden Caulfield Change Throughout The Novel

1024 Words | 5 Pages

Throughout J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, Holden can be seen carrying along with him many struggles and problems he faces on his shoulders. He is antisocial, and seems to have a strong hatred for most things and people around him for a variety of reasons. Despite the assumed comfort being alone might bring Holden because of the way he talks about his feelings towards the world around him, throughout the novel, his notable attempts to find connection and companionship appear more and more as the story progresses and as Holden gets more lost with his life. Even though Holden’s annoyance with the outside world and the people in it seems to gives an excuse for being ok when things get lonely, as his journey progresses and things go more

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Character Analysis Holden Caulfield

802 Words | 4 Pages

Feeling sad and alone most times, he tries to find comfort in reaching Allie, but his effort is inefficacious because Holden is an atheist and therefore doesn't believe his brother can understand him. As a result of this, his attempt to connect with Allie fails, leaving him feeling even more empty and alone than before. He is in his hotel one night thinking about Allie then says “It took me quite a while to get to sleep—I wasn’t even tired—but finally I did. What I really felt like, though, was committing suicide. I felt like jumping out the window” (Salinger 136).

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How Does Holden Change Throughout The Catcher In The Rye

1768 Words | 8 Pages

Holden had to cope with big changes without the support of anyone. Adjusting to a new way of life is difficult on its own, but without anybody being there to teach and support him, it becomes increasingly more problematic. As he is reflecting on his life he states, "If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you’ll probably want to know is where I was born, an what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me," (3). He felt like he couldn’t talk about his life to anyone and open up because the people who are supposed to be there to love and support you were absent for him. Holden thought that he did not belong, he says, “how my parents were occupied”, they were never able to give him support so he considered himself to be all alone.

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Holden Caulfield Loneliness

1039 Words | 5 Pages

These few lines from the book are a clear indication of Holdens loneliness. Holden didnt have a good explanation as to why he started crying out of blue, only to say himself that he was depressed and

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Holden Caulfield Mental Suicide

550 Words | 3 Pages

Factors that led me to this diagnosis are Holdens constant state of depression, the loss of his brother, and him expressing both feelings of loneliness and suicidal thoughts. Numerous times throughout The Catcher in the Rye Holden displays both depressive and suicidal thoughts such as “What I really felt like though was commiting suicide. I felt like jumping out the window” (Salinger 136) and “Please. I’m lonesome as hell. No kidding.

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How Is Holden Caulfield Mental Illness

927 Words | 4 Pages

I felt like jumping out the window. I probably would've done it, too, if I'd been sure somebody’d cover me up as soon as I landed. I didn't want to bunch of stupid rubbernecks looking at me when I was on gory” (Salinger 117). The hopelessness Holden feels, by wanting to commit suicide, is a serious sign of depression.

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Teenage Depression In Catcher In The Rye

999 Words | 4 Pages

Although Holden is a fictional character, many of the symptoms he displays during his journey are real and affect real life teens. Teen depression is a serious mental health problem. One of the possible dangers is the probability that it's not temporary and may affect the teen in a

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Loneliness In Catcher In The Rye

423 Words | 2 Pages

One of the reasons Holden like many teens has all these issues of loneliness and of being surrounded by phonies is because of his attitude towards the world. How he’s always complaining about his life and were he lives in. Holden quotes “Finally, what I decided I’d go away. I decided I’d never go home again

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