How Is Holden Caulfield Mentally Unstable

How Is Holden Caulfield Mentally Unstable
In the novel, The Catcher in the Rye, the protagonist, Holden Caulfield, is introduced as an extremely perplexed boy. The relationship that he holds
with his parents is unstable. At many points in the novel, Holden refers the fact that he has a rocky relationship with his parents. He has been kicked
out of many private schools he has attended. In the novel, he attends and lives at a school named Pencey. Holden is kicked out for having failed in
some of his classes. His instability begins at this point when the reader learns that he doesn't want to return home to his parents because he knows the
fury that will rage from his parents. He has lived a misguided life by attending private schools. Instead of having parents, he has had professors guide
him. Holden's strange personality helps prove the authors assertion that he is mentally instable. Holden's narration is very scattered. He sometimes
interrupts his own conversations by going off on tangent subjects....show more content...
Holden often hops between topics during his stories. He can't seem to focus on one topic. Although his mind is unhealthy, he still does things that a
healthy brained teenager would do. He swears often, drinks alcohol, and smokes cigarettes. The "madness" of Holden is significant to the plot of the
novel. Holden's madness sets a loose tone for the piece. It is very informal because he is telling the story to someone and not writing it. One example
of his madness occurs when he orders a prostitute. Holden wanted to have intercourse with the lady but instead carried out a conversation. Holden's
description of the situation is very interesting because he regrets not having sex with her, yet is proud to have been moral and not pay for
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Holden Caulfield Idealism
In the hotel lobby, Holden thinks about Jane and their childhood together.Their families had summer homes next to each other. Holden remembers a
time where Jane's alcoholic stepdad asked her for some cigs' and she began to cry. Holden and Jane used to hold hands, he states that when this
happened he was truly happy. Also, Jane was the first person Holden showed Allie baseball glove too. These thoughts depress Holden and he heads
out and takes a cab out to a nightclub in Greenwich Village. Holden loves all the small things about Jane, however, his memories are too idealistic and
slightly immature, I think he fails to realize that people grow up.

Holden Caulfield Teenager
As one of the readers, I were able to vision a teenager Holden Caulfield's life in the novel The Cather in the Rye. When Holden was a teenager he
was one of the people, who hated anyone who acted phony, but actually he realized he was the same. The same means acting Phony. After witnessing
his younger brother, Allie, death from leukemia, he still had remorse of him in his mind through his life. When Phoebe asked Holden about what
Holden likes, he said he likes Allie, even though he passed away. "Just because somebody's dead, you don't just stop liking them, for God's
sake–especially if they were about a thousand times nicer than the people you know that're alive and all."(p.92), part of a conversation with Old
Phoebe. When we look in deeper

Holden Caulfield
In John Green's Looking for Alaska and J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, the protagonists, Miles and Holden, are both students at boarding
schools during different time periods. Miles Halter (Pudge) is a new student at Culver Creek Preparatory School and came from a public school where
he didn't have any friends. Holden Caulfield attended a boarding school called Pencey Prep, until he got expelled. Both protagonists change a lot during
the duration of the novel. The behaviour of both Miles and Holden in the beginning of their novels is quite different from the end. The immaturity of
the characters and the trouble it leads them into with the authority within the school is a significant aspect in both texts. Throughout both novels the
...show more content...
The rules of the school still apply to him as long as he is still staying at the school but Holden still goes against these rules. Smoking isn't allowed
inside the school building; Holden knows the rules but doesn't care much for them but also finds ways to break the rules without the authority
figures in the school knowing. Holden even acknowledges the fact that he knows he can't smoke in the beginning of the novel when he is in his
room smoking, he says that "you weren't allowed to smoke in the dorm, but you could do it late at night when everybody was asleep or out and
nobody could smell the smoke. [That he] did it to annoy Stradlater. It drove him crazy when you broke any rules. (Salinger, P. 36) This quotation
contrasts the characteristics of Holden and Stradlater which is significant because it shows how because Holden is immature he doesn't care enough
about his future to abide by the rules of the boarding school. The matter–of–fact tone highlights how Holden knows what the rules of the school are but
chooses to ignore them and find ways of going against them. Again, when Holden is smoking in the dorm room, Stradlater says "if you're gonna
smoke in the room, how 'bout going down to the can and do it? You may be getting the hell out of here, but I have to stick around long enough to
graduate.'" Salinger, P. 36–37) The

Holden Caulfield As Anti Hero
Tragi–comedy happened to be the most dominant mode of postwar writing and it can be linked to the anti–hero in late 1940s and 1950s fiction.
Anti–heroes emerged in quick succession in various guises following the trend of European picaresque tradition of rougish anti–heroes and part from
the discomfort with rising middle–class expectations of the decade. The list includes Holden Caulfield in J.D Salinger's Catcher in the rye (1951),
Ralph Ellison and his eponymous Invisible Man (1952), Hazel Motes in Flannery O'Connor's Wise Blood (1952) and Cross Damon in Richard
Wright's The Outsider (1956); Dean Moriarty in Jack Kerouac's On the Road (1947) and Humbert Humbert in Vladimor Nabokov's Lolitha (1958). The
trend continued in 1960s fiction

Holden Caulfield
Holden Caulfield: Navigating Through a World of Gray In Holden Caulfield's mind, he lives in a world that can be split into two halves: the world
of the innocent and the world of the corrupted. These worlds are equated with children and adults, respectively. He despises "the adult world and its
cruelty and artificiality" (Chen) otherwise known as "phoniness". With The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger explores an adolescent's journey as he
navigates through the gray area of an otherwise black and white world. Throughout the book, Holden frequently tries to blend in with either side of the
spectrum, only to be pushed back into limbo. Despite Holden's glorification of the purity of a child and detestation of the impurity of an adult, he doesn't
The moment Holden has his mental breakdown isn't explicitly stated, but right before he goes to Antolini he said he feels, "more depressed than [he]
ever was in [his] whole life" (Salinger 104). Chen argues that Holden's environment exerts a great influence over him, resulting in erratic behavior.
Holden has a very high regard for his former English teacher, though this starts to waver when he's actually in his presence. He notices that Antolini is
an alcoholic with a mature wife and has feet of clay. Then comes the "petting" incident. Unfortunately, we're just as confused as Holden is since he's our
unreliable narrator. If we're under the assumption that Antolini actually tried to make a pass at Holden, then Holden's perception of Antolini has been
shattered. Antolini, the only adult that Holden trusted wholeheartedly, is just as perverted and crumby as the rest of the adults Holen hates. This is the
final straw for Holden, who realizes that adults can only be tainted and

Essay on Psychoanalysis of Holden Caulfield
Untitled
"BPD has a higher incidence of occurrence than schizophrenia or bipolar disorder and is present in approximately 2% of the general public"
(Johnston).Borderline Personality Disorder, or BPD, is an emotional disorder that creates unstable behavior and stress in an individual. Holden
Caulfield, from J.D. Salinger's, 1948 novel, The Catcher in the Rye has been psychoanalyzed by many readers. Psychoanalysis is insightfully looking at
a characters action and behavior to better understand them psychologically. By psychoanalyzing Holden Caulfield's behavior and thoughts, it becomes
evident that he has Borderline Personality Disorder caused by his childhood trauma and neglect, and portrayed through symptoms that damage his
relations...show more content...
Holden never going to Allie's funeral gives us insight into why Holden is still holding onto Allie. After Allie's death, Holden still went through
experiences that caused his BPD, neglect and separation. During the time following Allie's death, Holden's family was in great grieving, making
Holden feel isolated and not getting the attention he needed to fully grow mentally as a child ("National Allegiance on Mental Health"). Holden
also expresses twice, that his mother is still grieving over Allie's death by stating his mother, "still isn't over my brother Allie yet" (Salinger 155).
Holden is also never close to anyone. He meets with his family a limited amount of time throughout the year, and is kicked out of schools, giving him
no permanent guidance in his life. Holden constantly describes his expulsion as, getting "the ax" (107). He shows a continuous changing in guardians,
because of his attachment to both Mr. Spencer and Mr. Antolini, both old school teachers from schools he flunked out of. He also dealt with the
separation from D.B. his other brother, who moved to Hollywood, Holden seems to be very inspired by him throughout the novel, but is mad that he
left (1). Holden like many people with Borderline Personality Disorder are afraid of being alone, so the desperately try to avoid feeling lonely
("National Institute of Mental Health"). Holden in attempts to have some form of company

Why Is Holden Caulfield A Tragic Hero
Holden Caulfield is a tragic hero in his journey to defend all children from becoming adults and saving their youth and innocence, which is simply
an impossible task. Arthur Miller describes a tragic hero as one who attempts "to gain his 'rightful' position in his society" and in doing so struggles
for his dignity. Holden's downfall happens because his tragic flaw is that he is hypocritical about himself and doesn't understand himself. Holden has
very noble goals, he wants to protect children's innocence. He says to his little sister "'Anyway, I keep picturing all these little kids playing some
game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody's around–nobody big, I mean–except me. And I'm standing on the edge of
Holden thinks children are authentic and in order to stay authentic in a world full of phonies he seeks to preserve his childlike nature. In chapter
13, Holden talks about the concept of his virginity, he says "If you want to know the truth, I'm a virgin. I really am. I've had quite a few
opportunities to lose my virginity and all, but I never got around to it yet. Something always happens."(92). Holden admits he's still a virgin and to
many people losing your virginity is a step to adulthood. This is Holden's way of trying to protect what little he has of his childhood to prevent
himself from becoming an adult. That "something always happens"(92) is his own subconscious telling him to stop and to save this moment for
someone who he really likes not a prostitute whom he bought. Holden even says earlier ,in the novel, "I don't like the idea...I think if you don't
really like a girl, you shouldn't horse around with her at all"(62). The author is trying to show how kids can avoid being an adult in the real world.
Although he tries to protect his youth, Holden also likes to pretend his is an adult. He does things like being an avid smoker, constantly wanting to
drink, and wanting to hookup with girls. Doing acts like these: "After a while I sat down in a chair and smoked a couple of cigarettes."(63), "'Would
any of you girls care to dance?' I didn't ask them crudely or anything. Very suave, in fact."(70), "Boy, I sat at that goddamn bar

Holden Caulfield
"The catcher in the Rye" by J.D Salinger is a novel narrated by a young teenage boy named Holden Caulfield. Holden insinuates that the location he
was writing takes place in a mental institute where he is undergoing treatment for his breakdowns. The story begins in Pennsylvania at Pency Prep, the
school he had been expelled from. He then recounts his adventures in New York City. Holden's nature is viewed as anomalous due to his judgmental
and critical personality. He enjoys philosophizing people and ridiculing their "Phoniness." Consequently, he's impulsive and fails to see the reality of
the adult world. Holden shares personality "| traits from that of a child and possesses traits which helps develop the themes throughout the book. In
This theme is a major literary catalyst in the novel and in the life of Holden. The term "Phony" is used 44 times and through Holden's perspective,
the word is used to describe everything he dislikes about people. This, however, is a huge contradiction because he fails to recognize that he is a
phony himself. He is hypocritical and doesn't realize his own 'phoniness.' Holden says in chapter 3 he is "the most terrific liar he has ever met."
This is a central contradiction since he spends a great amount of time in the story stating how much he loathes "phonies." Holden hates it when
anyone is insincere and less than truthful with him, but he tells lies throughout the book to almost everyone he encounters. Even though his
deceptions aren't true and often times are unkind and fiendish, he is nothing less than a phony himself. Holden is convinced that everyone is
phony mainly because he believes the world is simple and that everyone should be as innocent and honest as children are. "I'm the most terrific
liar you ever saw in your life. It's awful. If I'm on my way to the store to buy a magazine, even, and somebody asks me where I'm going, I'm liable to
say I'm going to the opera." (Chapter 3, sentence one). Holden is an example that the world isn't as simple as he would like it to be. The fact that he
is a liar himself, makes the world he conceptualizes to be

Holden Essay
Holden Caulfield, the narrator and the main character of The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, is a young adult, who, at first seems to simply
describes his four day adventure in New York City after bring expelled from his forth school. However, at the same time he narrates more; through his
many experiences, which he describes in the book, we can see the themes of the work. The theme that definitely stands out is the loss of innocence.
Holden portrays himself as an individual, who does not want to grow up and change. From the beginning, it is obvious that Holden does not like
anyone, except children. To Holden, the world around him, theadult world and all of its members, is phony. In other words, the innocent world of
children is...show more content...
No matter who Holden meets or sees or even knows, he considers then all to be phonies. The only people, who Holden admires and does not ever put
down, are the children which he encounters such as his dead brother Allie and his sister younger Phoebe. Holden continually talks about how great
Allie was throughout the book, which leads us to question why, since his brother is dead. He does the same with his younger sister Phoebe, but he
never talks about any adults, not even his parents in a positive fashion. Holden not only express his bitter attitude toward the people, but also towards
the places that he goes. He does not enjoy himself anywhere he goes, and is clearly bored and wants to be somewhere else. However, there are
always exceptions, and in this case it is the museum, which Holden used to visit when he was younger. The museum is a sacred place to Holden
because "everything always stayed right where it was," (121) and nothing ever changed about the place.
As the result, his actions lead us to believe that he is scared of growing up and becoming phony like the rest of the world around him. Holden is
scared of education because it is part of maturing, which then makes him a part of the world of phonies, which he is trying so hard to avoid. We can
then easily figure out that the reason why

Holden Caulfield's Journey
In the novel "The Catcher in the Rye", protagonist Holden Caulfield recalls the events that lead up to him being admitted into a rest home. Making
no effort to give the reader any back story about his life, he hurdles directly into the start of his journey. He describes sitting atop Thomson hill
overlooking the football game currently being played at his school. Holden doesn't join his fellow peers down at the stadium because he had recently
been dismissed from his school, Pencey Prep. Moreover, Holden had newly lost a surplus of fencing supplies, despite being the fencing captain.
Consequently, he is filled with shame and dismay and wishes to not be encompassed by his successful classmates. Throughout thenovel, Holden tells
his adventure

Holden Caulfield Adolescence Essay
My patient, Holden Caulfield, is a very different teenager. After our first session together, I could tell he wasn't your typical teen. He seems to not
enjoy the things other teenagers enjoy. To me, it seems like he keeps to himself a lot. In our first session, Holden told me about how he had gotten
kicked out of his boarding school, Pencey Prep. He hadn't told his parents or even tried to contact them when he went he left Pencey and gone to
New York. He also explained to me about the death of his younger brother, Allie. Holden explained that he was very hurt and a mess after his brother
died. Another topic that was discussed in our first session was girls. Holden told me about this girl Jane, who was very important to him. They had
spent a...show more content...
Holden told me to how he reacted after the death, "I slept in the garage the night he died, and I broke all the goddamn windows with my fist, just
for the hell of it." (pg. 21 pdf) He was 13 when this death occurred and he mentioned that his parents were going to get him psychoanalyzed because
of what he did. After breaking all the windows in the garage, he tried to break the windows on the station wagon with his already broken hand.
This shows how sad and down he got about his brother Allie dying. Everything in life was going well for Holden, family wise, and then a death
happened to someone who Holden enjoyed a lot. Another girl Holden talked about in our session is Sally Hayes. The night before Holden makes a
date with Sally, he has a prostitute named Sally come to his room. He just left Pencey, so to me, this is his way of letting out some sadness and
anger. Holden says he didn't do anything with her because he wasn't in the mood anymore. This shows that some depression is coming into his
activity level. Holden told me about what him and Sally did on their date. They first went to a show called The Lunts. During the show, Holden
said Sally saw a boy she knew named George and he went to Andover. "I sort of hated ofl Sally by the time we got in the cab, after listening to that
phony Andover Bastard for about ten hours." (pg. 69 pdf) Holden told me. He went on to say that they went ice skating at Radio City. After ice
skating, Holden explains how he wanted to run away with Sally. She kept saying no because they were still children. He told me that he told her
"You give me a royal pain in the ass, if you want to know the truth." (pg. 72 pdf) At this point, both of them hated each other. Holden said he
apologized over and over to her but he ended up just leaving her at the rink. This shows how he can't keep their relationship in a good place and his
mood changed out

Holden Caulfield Character Analysis
In J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, scholars tend to agree that Holden Caulfield feels inferior towards others, which lowers his self–esteem, so in
order to gain confidence with himself, he feels the need to be superior.
Firstly, in the article, Anna Freud and J.D. Salinger's Holden Caulfield by Robert Coles, Coles introduces a new way of howHolden Caulfield is
superior. Coles and Freud discuss different ways Holden Caulfield influences our youth and how that makes him superior (217). For example, in
our society, Holden is viewed as someone who isn't afraid to call someone out for who they are. When talking about his roommate Stradlater, he
described his physical appearance as clean, but how he's actually someone who doesn't have great personal hygiene like it looks like he does. He's
seen as someone who says what he wants whenever he wants and he's someone who we all desire to be (Freud 217). This shows how Holden is
superior compared to our youth because he has the power to say what he wants whilst in the real world, it's looked down upon to say what we
want. Also, we indistinctively begin to talk and act like Holden (Coles 216). For example, after reading the novel, we already take in words and
phrases that Holden would say. Like anyone superior, they tend to have followers who desire to be like them. Holden is an example of someone who
is superior and our youth are catching the phrases he would say to avoid our own inferiority. Although in reality he is seen as

Holden Caulfield Sexual Abuse Analysis
Being sexually abused as a child can lead to many problems for the victim later in life. They may have trouble forming relationships, have suicidal
thoughts, suffer from depression, or abuse drugs and alcohol (Berman). In J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, the main character, Holden
Caulfield, exhibits many of the characteristics of someone who was sexually abused as a child. The negative effects of the abuse are witnessed
through Holden's abuse of alcohol, behaviour towards sexuality, overall melancholic disposition on life, and his encounter with an old teacher. Holden
displays one effect of sexual abuse through his copious amount of drinking. On several occasions, Holden has proven his seasoned alcohol use. While
at a bar in New York,...show more content...
J.D. Salinger effectively demonstrates that Holden Caulfield is a victim of such abuse in The Catcher in the Rye. A person who has been violated
might have trouble trusting anyone again. A world that someone views as beautiful and full of possibilities, a victim of sexual abuse could see as
ugly and full of disappointments. It is not as hard to understand, now, why Holden sees a world full of

Holden Caulfield Character Analysis Essay
We all hold something close to our hearts that really means something to us. In Catcher in the Rye, written by J.D. Salinger, Holden Caulfield is a
16 year old young man that has gone through some rough times. With a little brother, Allie, that died of cancer at the age of 11, A big brother, D.B.,
who became big writing children's books so he left for hollywood soon after Allie's death. Holden has been dropped out of three schools, and is
currently attending Pency. Holden doesn't have much to be happy about in his life, not really much to live for. But those few things that he does love,
that he does care for, really do mean something special. For instance, Holden's little sister, Phoebe. Phoebe switches a switch in holden's mind that
This could mean more than just a barrier from rain, but maybe a barrier from adulthood. The "Little Shirley beans record" symbolizes not only
Holden's love for Phoebe but also the innocence that holden can't let go. "There was a record I wanted to get Phoebe called "Little Shirley Beans"
It was a very hard record to get. It was about a little girl that wouldn't leave her house because of her front teeth and she was ashamed to"
Throughout the book it has been hard for holden to go out of his way for anyone, especially if it happens to be a tough challenge. Holden is using
time, effort, and money to track down this record for his little sister. Holden chooses to go to the park in central park to watch the wildlife.
Introduce quote "Then something terrible happened, just as i got to the park. I dropped old phoebe's record, It broke into about fifty pieces. It was
in a big envelope and all but it broke anyway." Holden wanted the record because it was a means to represent holden's innocence. The girl in the
record that was too scared to leave her house could symbolize holden and his fear to confront adulthood. When the record broke displayed holden
losing his innocence. The ducks in the pond at Central Park that leave in the winter represent that not everything in life is permanent. Also, Holden's
love and curiosity for the wildlife in the park shows a more childish side of holden that is usually never

Holden Caulfield Tragic Hero Essay
Through this quote, Holden shows his understanding of what he wants to do. He understands that he wants to protect adolescents from falling into the
harsh adult world. Therefore, he makes heroic efforts to protect kids, such as scrubbing off the vulgar writings on the wall of the bathroom.
Unfortunately, this is still a superficial explanation. He knows that he would like to protect adolescence, but he does not provide a reasoning as to
why. The readers themselves are left to figure out why such fascination exists within Holden. Maybe it's due to his own experience of being thrown into
the phoniness of adulthood, or maybe it's due to the death of Allie. Either way, Holden does not ponder the topic. Aside from this example, Holden does
show other moments of deeper understanding, such as when Mr. Antolini warns Holden about the 'fall' he could experience. As Holden understands it,
innocence must be protected and he therefore aims to catch children from "falling" into adulthood. On the other hand, Mr....show more content...
J. D. Salinger writes The Catcher in the Rye with such precise diction that the reader is able to analyze Holden's depression, anger, motives, and
frustrations, but Holden himself cannot come to terms with it. Holden Caulfield presents himself as a character without deep emotional connections,
but his actions prove otherwise. Due to this, many translate Holden as a hypocrite, whereas he is simply a teen who is not yet in touch with his
emotions. He is a teen evaluating the who, what, when, and where in life, but leaving the why unanswered. It is unfortunate that "Why?" tends to be an
unattractive question to humankind. It seems intrusive and meddlesome to those who are asked it. However, knowing the answer has the power to
cushion one's fall from the rye

Holden Caulfield as a hero Essay
Holden as a Hero
Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger is a story about the trials of life and the toll it can take on the psyche. I believe that Holden Caulfield is an under
credited hero. He is a teenager forced to grow up in a time of turmoil with severe emotional handicaps placed upon him by family, friends and life in
general.
Holden is one confused kid trying to beat the Man in the 1950's. He grew up ignored by his parents, drifting from school to school in search of a
purer lifestyle. On page one Holden humbly describes his lousy growing up. "If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you will probably
want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like...but I don't feel...show more content...
They would ignore those who struggled to get their kids into the school and did not wear the finest clothes. He rebelled against the common
conceptions of age and maturity. He believed that you should be considered mature when you could thin for yourself and make your own choices, not
when you reached a certain age or certain physical appearance. He wanted to be treated like an adult and resented others judging him based on his age.
Holden was very introspective. He was very aware of himself. He knew what he like and disliked, even though some of his actions contradicted
his beliefs. He felt like the world was going to hell in a hand basket. He could not understand how other people in the world would not want a pure
lifestyle. A life that was sure and stable. He hated being moved around from school to school not having many friends. He decided that it was
immoral to follow a system that was based on hypocrisy and shallow wants. He rebelled in order to create a system of his own in which a pure
lifestyle would be the ultimate goal. Holden should have been Buddhist, with out the smoking and drinking. Oh yeah, and the delusions of grandeur.
"So I went back to the room and turned on the light, to start packing and all...Then I got the hell out. Some stupid guy had thrown peanut shells all
over the stairs, and I damn nearly broke my crazy neck." Holden talks about leaving and how it affects him emotionally every time

Holden Caulfield Maturity
Bored and lonesome, Holden sits in his apartment watching kids shows and movies. He laughs at every joke the show or movie makes and he
cries as he watches sad things on the the show or movie. Holden Caulfield is a sixteen year old boy in The Catcher in the Rye and he has been
kicked out of many schools, including Elkton Hills High School and Pency Prep High School. He is the kind of teenager who smokes and drink at
an early age. When he gets bored, he sometimes fool around to keep himself occupied. Holden has had trouble acting like an and entering into the adult
world; in addition, he does not want children to grow up and enter the adult world because Holden has not accomplished anything to achieve for
himself. Sometimes Holden feels confused

Holden Caulfield Alienation Essay
In The Catcher in the Rye, the protagonist, Holden Caulfield experiences two traumatic events that impact his present self negatively. In the liminal
state of life, past events can shape a person in two ways, positively or negatively. These two incidents, the death of his brother Allie and the suicide of a
classmate, have detrimental effects on Holden's emotional state and his relationship with society. Thedeath of these two characters as well as other
traumatic events cause Holden to feel alienated from the world which leads to his emotional struggles, creates his obsession with innocence, causes
him to fail out of school and not be able to trust people. Overall Holden is an emotionally damaged teen, who lives in a society where he has...show
more content...
A way Holden that separated himself from was by insulting adults and never making friends with teens because he viewed innocence as sacred.
Throughout the book, he struggles with the idea of growing up because he views an adult's world as cruel and fake. Holden fights against time
because of his view of the adult world and fear of death. The death of Allie and his classmate showed him that he too will disappear one day and
everything will change. In order to reject growing up, Holden surrounds himself with people who embody innocence, such as Phoebe and Jane
Gallagher. His goal in life is to protect the innocence of children by being "the catcher in the rye" because his innocence was taken away at a
young age and no one protected him due to the death of Allie. Although Holden's innocence was taken from him, he continually searches for it by
epitomizing childish behavior such as obsessing over where the ducks go in the winter. The day after Allie died, Holden broke every window in his
garbage and his hand in doing his, this act is representative of his innocence also breaking and not being able to ever be fully fixed. Holden also
witnessed the suicide of his classmate which provoke his already damaged emotional state. The viewing of these two deaths made Holden realize that
innocent children and he couldn't figure out why.
Lastly, the traumatic events Holden faced as a

How Is Holden Caulfield Mentally Unstable

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How Is Holden Caulfield Mentally Unstable