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Research Paper On The Catcher In The Rye

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Luca Geiger Ms. Metviner English 9 February 2024. I believe that admirable people make the right decisions, even if they are struggling mentally. Admirable people should exude positivity towards others, and let everyone be themselves. In The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, I think Holden is quite the opposite of this. Holden has many mental health issues throughout the book, which perhaps start with his brother, Allie, dying. Holden does not handle his feelings well, as he consistently makes poor decisions that intensify his depression. Not just this, but Holden is very negative towards others and is very judgemental towards others when they are simply being themselves. Holden makes many poor decisions that affect him negatively. For instance, Holden thought it was a good idea to …show more content…

“I decided what I’d really do, I’d get the hell out of Pencey.I decided I would take a room in a hotel in New York” (51). I do not think that Holden made the right decision to go to New York City, as he is struggling mentally, and going all alone in the city will make him very lonely, and it did. Running away isn’t going to fix his problems. Holden needs to realize that he won’t be able to get through this alone, and that being alone is only making Holden feel more depressed. So, this was a very bad decision by Holden. Another bad decision that Holden makes, is that he frequently smokes and drinks alcohol to try and cope with his depression. Then I lit another cigarette--it was my last one. I must've smoked about three cartons that day" (161). Holden was having a very rough day, and he smoked three cartons, which is very bad for him. He constantly smokes to help him with his depression, but this is not a good and healthy way to help himself, and it makes him feel worse in the long term. Holden’s smoking surely contributes to how he constantly feels bad about himself, and this is once again a poor, unadmirable decision that is not

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