Psychoanalysis Of Holden Caulfield

Holden Caulfield, the main character in The Catcher In The Rye, has many qualities a seventeen-year-old boy possesses. By using psychoanalytic interpretations it's clear that other than the normal mood swings and closed off feelings, Holden uses a defense mechanism called displacement to take out his anger. He has a fear of growing up, ironically because he wants to be treated like an adult. Also, Holden also has an insecure sense of self, though at times it may not be obvious. All in all, he seems like just an average teenage boy. Holden, instead of being true to himself, pours his displacement into his loved ones. He feels the need to lash out instead of calmly solving the problem. Holden gets physical with Stradlater in the dorms because he went on a date with Jane, the girl Holden has strong

Holden never got to say goodbye to his brother. In the scene where Holden is in the garage, he breaks all the windows because of the remembrance of his brother. It makes him feel out of touch with the rest of the world because he is constantly trying to make up for the fact that he was not there for Allie. He even mentions that he "talks" to Allie sometimes to let him know how he's doing. Yes, in real terms this can be therapeutic, to talk to something to help get over it. But in this case, it's holding Holden back from living his life and moving on. Because of this, Holden tends to stay away from people because if they get hurt he doesn't want to have to go through that kind of pain again. Also, by not letting go of Allie, Holden will stay living in the past, and if we've learned anything from Jay Gatsby, living in the past can lead to death. This out of place feeling is not uncommon though, and it can be caused by multiple things. For Holden, the fact remains that he was not there for his brother during his time of need and in the end it's become the biggest regret of his