Schizophrenia; An Open Book

From J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye comes forth the timeless protagonist,

Holden Caulfield. To some, the perplexing anomalies of his character remain a

captivating mystery, but to others, such as psychoanalysts, Holden Caulfield is an open

book. By carefully observing his social quirks and inward thoughts, psychoanalysts can

make a conclusion about his psyche. Specifically, through his lack of social contact,

occasional mood swings, and paranoia among other things, anyone looking through a

psychoanalytic lens could conclude that Holden Caulfield is schizophrenic.

The psychoanalytic lens is one of many ways to observe a work of literature. By

using this lens, psychoanalysts observe the special behaviors of a character to further

explain or justify the character’s actions. A psychoanalyst usually links behaviors to

symptoms of a kind of disease and diagnoses the character. In Holden’s case, things like

an inability to socialize, substance abuse, and paranoia are symptoms that link him to a

diagnosis of schizophrenia.

Holden Caulfield, growing from 16 to 17 years old, is on the cusp of adulthood

(Salinger 9). This makes Holden more likely to have schizophrenia. Schizophrenia,

before modern science, was referred to as adolescent insanity because it is most likely to

appear in young adults and teens (Abramovitz 14). Aside from his behavioral

characteristics, his age even places him as a likely candidate for schizophrenia.

The most distinguishing characteristic of all types of schizophrenia is an inability

to distinguish reality from fantasy (Abramovitz 12). This is manifest in Holden’s dogged

insistence on a stark dichotomy of the world. In reality, society is dominate...

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...l have to spend time in a hospital or psychiatric center in order to

come to terms with his disease. Medication is often helpful and needs to be taken daily.

Holden must relearn the skills of everyday living in order to compensate for his

unsociability. Rehabilitation is best achieved through the reduction of stress in everyday

life. Unfortunately there is no permanent cure for schizophrenia, but, in an optimal case,

Holden can reenter society even with his mental illness.

Works Cited

Abramovitz, Melissa. Diseases and Disorders: Schizophrenia. San Diego: Lucent Books,

2002. Print.

Colman, Andrew M. Oxford Dictionary of Psychology. New York: Oxford University

Press, 2001. Print.

Laing, Ronald D. The Divided Self. New York: Pantheon Books, 1969. Print.

Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little Brown and Company, 1951. Print.