Holden Caulfield Breakdown
The Catcher in the Rye Essay
Bertrand Arthur William Russell once said, “One of the symptoms of an approaching nervous breakdown is the belief that one's work is terribly important.” Every day, thousands of people have an emotional or psychological breakdown. It can be spontaneous or it can be built up and that person can leave signs that would show an oncoming breakdown. In the novel, The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, the main character, Holden Caulfield, is a 16 year old troubled boy who is trying to find his own identity and his purpose in the world. Along the way, Holden shows many increasing signs of an emotional/ psychological breakdown throughout the book. Holden shows symptoms of an incoming emotional/ psychological breakdown from thoughts of suicide and death. For instance, when Holden was alone in a hotel lobby, he felt “Depressed and all. [He] almost wished [he] was dead” (90). Holden is a very sad and gloomy teenager. Many passages throughout the book prove that he constantly feels that way. Because he is so depressed, he has suicidal thoughts which are common symptoms of an incoming emotional/ psychological breakdown. …show more content…
For example, Holden started “thinking how old Phoebe would feel if [he] got pneumonia and died” (156). Holden talks about getting pneumonia and dying a lot. Many times he is thinking and obsessing over it. He thought of many scenarios where he died from it and how it affected Phoebe. Holden is also very obsessed with detail. At the train station, he repeatedly mentions counting the squares on the floor. Another time he became obsessed with the type of suitcase his roommate had and ending up putting his under the bed. Obsessing over someone or something is a very common sign of some serious mental illnesses including OCD (obsession compulsion disorder). Holden’s obsession over the disease and detail is another sign of an increasing emotional/ psychological
Bertrand Arthur William Russell once said, “One of the symptoms of an approaching nervous breakdown is the belief that one's work is terribly important.” Every day, thousands of people have an emotional or psychological breakdown. It can be spontaneous or it can be built up and that person can leave signs that would show an oncoming breakdown. In the novel, The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, the main character, Holden Caulfield, is a 16 year old troubled boy who is trying to find his own identity and his purpose in the world. Along the way, Holden shows many increasing signs of an emotional/ psychological breakdown throughout the book. Holden shows symptoms of an incoming emotional/ psychological breakdown from thoughts of suicide and death. For instance, when Holden was alone in a hotel lobby, he felt “Depressed and all. [He] almost wished [he] was dead” (90). Holden is a very sad and gloomy teenager. Many passages throughout the book prove that he constantly feels that way. Because he is so depressed, he has suicidal thoughts which are common symptoms of an incoming emotional/ psychological breakdown. …show more content…
For example, Holden started “thinking how old Phoebe would feel if [he] got pneumonia and died” (156). Holden talks about getting pneumonia and dying a lot. Many times he is thinking and obsessing over it. He thought of many scenarios where he died from it and how it affected Phoebe. Holden is also very obsessed with detail. At the train station, he repeatedly mentions counting the squares on the floor. Another time he became obsessed with the type of suitcase his roommate had and ending up putting his under the bed. Obsessing over someone or something is a very common sign of some serious mental illnesses including OCD (obsession compulsion disorder). Holden’s obsession over the disease and detail is another sign of an increasing emotional/ psychological