Holden Caulfield's Journey

Dr. Derek Shepherd, in the television show Grey’s Anatomy, once said to a friend, “you were like coming up for fresh air. It’s like I was drowning and you saved me.” When people are feeling underwater in their own lives, they need somebody to throw them a lifeline and pull them out from where they are falling. In The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D Salinger, Holden Caulfield feels as if he is sinking into depression and needs someone to save him. Holden perceives that he is alone in the world and is searching for someone with whom he can make a meaningful connection. He is in desperate need of a person to release him from his loneliness and feelings of despair. When Holden’s strong connection with Jane Gallagher ended, his life began a downward

As Holden is on a quest to find someone he can truly relate to, he recalls his moments spent with the person he felt most attached to, Jane Gallagher. Holden is sitting in the lobby of his hotel, having failed at connecting with girls in the Lavender Room, and he begins thinking about Jane. He remembers how he “held hands with her all the time” (89) and that she is “terrific to hold hands with” (89). Holden realizes that “Jane was different” (89) because with most girls he felt self-conscious, yet he never felt that way with Jane. Holden realizes that he felt truly fulfilled when he was with her and wants to find someone else that helps him feel this way. Jane would place her hand on the back of Holden’s neck, a gesture Holden thinks women reserve for “their husband or their little kid” (89). Holden loved this because it illustrated her feelings of connection and comfort with him. Reflecting on these moments Holden thinks, “it’s so pretty it just about kills you” (89). Holden strongly values the special relationship he shared with Jane and desperately wants to find such a connection again. He feels so lonely and remembering Jane helps him believe that by continuing to search, he may discover something similar. This memory gives Holden a sliver of hope that there is somebody out there for him who will bring him joy; he just needs to devote his time and energy to encounter this