WebHe is consumed with pointing out hypocrisy and phonies because he sees it and thinks about it. It is the title that summarizes the book in a few words and in this case, it is The Catcher in the rye. He even has a memory of getting frustrated in class because he kept changing topics during a speech and his classmates kept shouting digression at him. Omissions? He both condemns and accepts it at different points, but his feelings are ultimately ones of confusion and discomfort. He is constantly learning how people feel vs empathisizing. He simply didn't fit into a NT world as hard as he tried. Depression is a serious issue and if it goes untreated for long enough, it can lead to one taking their life, Depression is a key risk factor for suicide (Suicide). He wants this innocence back. They didnt get sanctioned as severely as Holden expected. By constantly asking him about girls, he makes Holden uncomfortable. It was the third school I had flunked out of, and my Dad was going to be sore as hell. Inability to keep attention in one place is a classic ADHD thing, and a skewed idea of importance is something relatable to ADHDers and autists alike, since we actually prioritize things in our heads based on interest. In addition to social masking, Holden struggles with executive dysfunction, which is what gets him expelled at the beginning of the book. Terms of Use (LogOut/ Real-world depression patients often have a cynical outlook on life and are untrustworthy to cope with their depression, Cynicism is part of a defensive technique taken as protection (Depression and Cynicism). "The Last and Best of the Peter Pans" relates the story of Vincent's draft questionnaire being hidden by his mother. He is out of shape because he smokes too much. Holden interacts with homosexuality in a variety of ways and at different points in his life. Experiences like Allie dying and D.B going to Hollywood [164] to become what he hated most (phonies) could have severely impacted and changed Holdens personality early on in his life. He is very untrustworthy of people. You dont see what I mean at all. "My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." I have to go. Nothing. Throughout the novel, The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. My theory is that Holden has too much of a sense of himself, he knows that he is different, and he is attempting to mask because being Holden has been shown to be a negative thing. recalls the day his brother Kenneth (Allie) died. Another short story of note with relationship to Caulfield is "The Boy in the People Shooting Hat", which was submitted to The New Yorker sometime between 1948 and 1949 but was never published. One thing Holden constantly brings up is the ducks in Central Park. My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking the themes as a class., Requesting a new guide requires a free LitCharts account. No kidding (Salinger 80). He has a hard time getting started on his essay until it is too late and then bluffs his way through it, an experience that I have witnessed ADHD friends having frequently. Our writers will provide you with an essay sample written from scratch: any topic, any deadline, any instructions. After meandering silently through the zoo. Shouldnt we review our homework for this week and talk about our plans for your next appointment?, Yeah, Ill email you. There was a hole in the toe on his right foot. Its the 49ers-th time theyve Feeling terrible for running from Ernies. Mostly I use my account so I can make comments on my sister, Pheobes profile. Attached: 220px-Rye_catcher.jpg (220x346, 33K) April 2, So they gave up looking. You dont like a million things. I wasnt feeling sexy with her at all and I didnt want to lead her on. One time the weather This essay sample was donated by a student to help the academic community. Thats the whole trouble. I care about you deeply, Holden. Holden Caulfield is so very dear to my heart. Pencey is a good school, everyone always says, but it was filled with a bunch of phonies. Character Analysis One kid posted a picture of himself that made him look like a goddam model or something. That was the only good part (Salinger 83). The fact that Holden seems to be analyzing and categorizing everyone else he speaks to, such as his description of Stradlater as what might be the first example of a Chad jock and of Ackley as an abhorrent, socially unaware loser that Holden is glad he is not, contributes to this. LitCharts Teacher Editions. You could go there a hundred times, and that Eskimo would still be just finished catching those two fish, the birds would still be on their way south, the deers would still be drinking out of that water hole, with their pretty antlers and their pretty, skinny legs, and that squaw with the naked bosom would still be weaving that same blanket. Carl went to another school a couple of years later and then I never heard anything about him. But no matter what I said, he asked me to say it again. Afraid to go home to his parents in New York City, he spends a few days alone in Manhattan; he relates his experiences there in vivid and insightful prose. Holden Caulfield. Holden is constantly running away from his problems, like being expelled, and avoids them. I took it off and looked at it. ., Thats the queerest thing I ever heard, [Phoebe] said. But why should I have to memorize something that I could Google anytime I wanted. They really are. If anything, society might label him as having ODD (Oppositional Defiant he's a PHONY, a big fat PHONY! [170]. She was a very nice, polite little kid. Im crazy. In Seymour: An Introduction a Curtis Caulfield is mentioned in passing as "an exceptionally intelligent and likable boy" who appeared on the same radio show as Seymour and the other Glass children. That reminds me of my therapist back from a few years ago. He also favors certain words, including preceding almost every name he mentions with old and saying goddamn an eyebrow-raising two hundred thirty-seven times. Joined: 10 Oct 2006Age: 43Gender: FemalePosts: 1,054. I could hear them screaming from three floors up. This shows a lot about Holdens own mental disorders and the mindset he is perpetuating. They said that I had to learn to follow directions. I have 26 followers and I dont post that much. In The Catcher in the Rye, Salinger gives us many hints suggesting that Holden may be gay. Holden wants to tell what happened over a two-day period the previous December, beginning on the Saturday afternoon of the traditional season-ending football game between his school, Pencey Prep, and Saxon Hall. I did know. Salinger's various stories (and one novel) featuring a character named Holden Caulfield do not share a cohesive timeline, and details about "Holden Caulfield" and his family are often inconsistent or completely contradictory from one story to another. Boy did that guy like to hear himself talk. Privacy Policy Hopefully I can explore this intersection more in the future. The story is set at the Caulfield summer home on Cape Cod. Instant downloads of all 1699 LitChart PDFs I felt lonely, so I started looking through profiles of a few people from my dorm. Creating notes and highlights requires a free LitCharts account. This is not a personality disorder. Some people see him as a whiny proto-emo, some see him as just a stupid teenage boy, and some see him as a misunderstood anti-hero. All of these factors contributed to the mental hardships that he dealt with on a daily basis. I really am. I decided I couldnt take it anymore, so I just packed up my things and left. I think you feel sad about your own childhood.. In addition, Ernie the taxi driver seems to be able to understand Caulfield on a deeper level than most people because he senses that Holden is also gay. So in order to cope with their emotions, they turn to alcohol and other forms of substance abuse, Among individuals with recurring major depression, roughly 16.5 percent have an alcohol use disorder and 18 percent have a drug use disorder (Substance Abuse and Depression). He is reportedly "killed during one of the landings in the Pacific". When I read Holdens point of view, I felt that I had some things in common with him. The only good thing, I knew she wouldnt let old Phoebe come to my goddam funeral because she was only a little kid. But can you tell me more what you were feeling at that moment, he would always say. Honestly, if he had forced me to stop and talk about next week, I probably would have. He is the most relatable fictional character I have ever come across. It's all scripted and fake when he speaks. He does lie, but most of his lies are random and outrageous, such as when he tells two different strangers that he is twelve and forty, despite being seventeen, suggesting impulsivity. Also, the event that probably destroyed all faith and trust he had in society and people were when James Castle from Elkton Hills, jumped to his death. Holdens most obvious and unique trait is his speech, both inside and outside of his head. They also looked like he had worn them for about sixty years. prince george's county town hall meeting; baptist church long beach; why is it important to learn about serial killers The dorm was empty. At the same time as he detests the adult world, he wants to be a part of it, which is why he smokes and drinks and attempts to be with a prostitute. I bet none of them watch a single game as soon as they graduate. Im pretty yellow. Then he started asking me about Allie. 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 couldnt do it (Salinger 21). She had a horrible face, but she was a great dancer. Also, the meeting with Carl Luce is considerably briefer in the story than in the novel. Salinger never explicitly stated that Holden was Boy, was she depressing me. An earlier version of this story, titled "Are You Banging Your Head Against a Wall?" Holden is one of the first "teenagers" in American literature, and his main struggle is the realization that he is leaving childhood and entering an unsure world of adulthood. Refine any search. Web3. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. Interestingly, Holden also struggles with his own authenticity. A second reason why Holdens sexuality matters is because of how people treat him differently depending on whether or not they think he is gay. It affects the ability to make decisions as it clouds judgment, Another symptom attributed to depression is a diminished ability to think or concentrate, or indecisiveness, nearly every day (Depression Symptoms). I dont know what she was thinking. Like Holden. The young teenage boy says that he wants to be the one who stands at the bottom of the cliff and catch the children that are playing in the Rye that may run off the edge accidently. Most notably, in some Salinger short stories "Holden Caulfield" is a soldier in WWII who was missing in action in 1944 -- something that is thoroughly impossible to have happened to the 16-year-old Holden Caulfield of The Catcher In The Rye, which is set in 1948 or '49.