Holden Caulfield Mental Illness

Though we are members of one single society, viewing it through the lens of our own personal perspective results in different judgments to be drawn about it. Such judgments may subconsciously mandate our attitude upon the world. This notion is evident in J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, where the main protagonist Holden Caulfield is a teenager with a pessimistic connotation of the society he believes is deeply submerged in phoniness. This opinionated nature of his is reflected off through the thoughts and decisions he makes, which tend to be done based on his obsession with achieving quick relief of his mental pains. In doing so, he voluntarily exposes himself to drugs and alcohol, all being temporary mental stimulants to help deter

Much evidence points towards the notion that Holden became mentally ill consequently to his brother Allie’s death, whom to Holden, represented all that was good in the world. In a metaphor between life and a museum, Holden remarks that the“...best thing, though, in that museum was that everything always stayed right where it was. Nobody'd move” (121). With this, it can be inferred that Holden’s persona is rather sensitive to change, and prefers the still atmosphere of a museum where artifacts stuck in time are showcased. Had Allie never passed away, Holden would likely be a more positive person or at least someone who doesn’t exhibit symptoms of a mental illness. Evidence supporting this claim is the fact that teenage brains are more sensitive to traumatizing past events that would consequently alter their mindsets

Surges of hormones commonly alter the brains of teenagers so that they appear to be pathologically depressed when they aren’t, with Holden being no exception. In short, hormones could easily mimic the symptoms of a mental illness. Though this is a valid claim, several features Holden has would tip the scale in favor of a mental illness at fault over mind-shifting teenage hormones. According to a post from the National Institute of Mental Health, “Regular moodiness and sadness usually go away quickly though, within a couple of days”, whereas “Untreated depression is a more intense feeling of sadness, hopelessness, and anger or frustration that lasts much longer, such as for weeks, months, or longer” (“Teen Depression”, nimh.nih.gov). Holden’s cynicism, pessimism, and frustration at the world around him has been chronic in nature. Therefore, the notion that Holden is simply experiencing the rougher edges of teenage hormones could be refuted simply through observing the time frame from which Holden has been experiencing his