In the novel The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, the readers are challenged to analyze what is wrong with the main character, Holden Caulfield. There are several contributing factors to Holden's illness. Possible conditions that Holden could have are, Clinical Depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and Borderline Personality disorder.
Clinical Depression, also known as Major Depressive Disorder is the most severe form of depression. Holden shows feelings of deep sadness that come out of nowhere and are triggered by random events. For example, when he was eating breakfast at the sandwich bar and he saw the nuns, "All the two of them were eating for breakfast was toast and coffee. That depressed me. I hate it if I'm eating bacon …show more content…
PTSD is a disorder that develops in some people who have seen or lived through a shocking, or dangerous event. In Holden’s case the cause of his PTSD could be the death of his younger brother Allie. The first instance where Holden shows this disorder is the night Allie died and how he was sent to the hospital, “I was only thirteen, and they were going to have my psychoanalyzed and all, because I broke all the windows in the garage. I don't blame them. I really don't. I slept in the garage the night he died, and I broke all the goddam windows with my fist, just for the hell of it. I even tried to break all the windows on the station wagon we had that summer, but my hand was already broken and everything by that time, and I couldn't do it. It was a very stupid thing to do, I'll admit, but I hardly didn't even know I was doing it, and you didn't know Allie. (5.7) Holden was distraught over his brother’s death so he went into a fit of rage, which can be common with PTSD. Another cause for Holden’s PTSD could be the death of James Castle, a student that attended the same boarding school as Holden who committed suicide, “old James Castle. ...a skinny little weak-looking guy, with wrists about as big as pencils. ...Finally, what he did, instead of taking back what he said, he jumped out the window. I was in the shower and all, and even I could hear hm land outside. ...I ran downstairs …show more content…
He obtains a very self destructive behavior, especially when he drank hard liquor to fill his desire of being shot in the stomach, “But I'm crazy. I swear to God I am. About halfway to the bathroom, I sort of started pretending I had a bullet in my guts… I was on the way to the bathroom to get a good shot of bourbon or something to steady my nerves and help me really go into action” (Chapter 14, Page104). Holden also experiences mood swings, for instance after he bought a record for his sister “I can understand somebody going to the movies because there’s nothing else to do, but when somebody really wants to go, and even walks fast so as to get there quicker, then it depresses the hell out of me… Boy, it made me so happy all of a sudden. I could hardly wait to get to the park to see if old Phoebe was around so I could give it to her." His mood goes from happy to sad and back to happy again in less than a minute. Holdens BPD can be treated with behavior therapy and anticonvulsants, which calm hyper activity in the
Clinical Depression, also known as Major Depressive Disorder is the most severe form of depression. Holden shows feelings of deep sadness that come out of nowhere and are triggered by random events. For example, when he was eating breakfast at the sandwich bar and he saw the nuns, "All the two of them were eating for breakfast was toast and coffee. That depressed me. I hate it if I'm eating bacon …show more content…
PTSD is a disorder that develops in some people who have seen or lived through a shocking, or dangerous event. In Holden’s case the cause of his PTSD could be the death of his younger brother Allie. The first instance where Holden shows this disorder is the night Allie died and how he was sent to the hospital, “I was only thirteen, and they were going to have my psychoanalyzed and all, because I broke all the windows in the garage. I don't blame them. I really don't. I slept in the garage the night he died, and I broke all the goddam windows with my fist, just for the hell of it. I even tried to break all the windows on the station wagon we had that summer, but my hand was already broken and everything by that time, and I couldn't do it. It was a very stupid thing to do, I'll admit, but I hardly didn't even know I was doing it, and you didn't know Allie. (5.7) Holden was distraught over his brother’s death so he went into a fit of rage, which can be common with PTSD. Another cause for Holden’s PTSD could be the death of James Castle, a student that attended the same boarding school as Holden who committed suicide, “old James Castle. ...a skinny little weak-looking guy, with wrists about as big as pencils. ...Finally, what he did, instead of taking back what he said, he jumped out the window. I was in the shower and all, and even I could hear hm land outside. ...I ran downstairs …show more content…
He obtains a very self destructive behavior, especially when he drank hard liquor to fill his desire of being shot in the stomach, “But I'm crazy. I swear to God I am. About halfway to the bathroom, I sort of started pretending I had a bullet in my guts… I was on the way to the bathroom to get a good shot of bourbon or something to steady my nerves and help me really go into action” (Chapter 14, Page104). Holden also experiences mood swings, for instance after he bought a record for his sister “I can understand somebody going to the movies because there’s nothing else to do, but when somebody really wants to go, and even walks fast so as to get there quicker, then it depresses the hell out of me… Boy, it made me so happy all of a sudden. I could hardly wait to get to the park to see if old Phoebe was around so I could give it to her." His mood goes from happy to sad and back to happy again in less than a minute. Holdens BPD can be treated with behavior therapy and anticonvulsants, which calm hyper activity in the