Analysis Of The Catcher In The Rye By J. D Salinger

The following essay refers to the novel "The Catcher in the Rye"by J.D Salinger and how Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder has affected the main character Holden Caulfield. Holden is a teenager who lives in New York and has been expelled from three schools, including the last one he is attending, because he does not commit himself to his studies. The novel is a narrative and describes three days from Holden's life. He does not seem to be able to relate to adults, which is why he is comfortable when he is with his sister. The plot describes these three days when Holden is wandering around the city, until he ends up returning home, even tough it had crossed his mind to run away. The irony is that as soon as he returns, it is implied that his parents will send him to a psychiatric clinic due to PTSD. PTSD is an anxiety disorder, which usually affects people after a serious stressful event in their lives, and makes the person who suffers believe that everyone else is at fault except himself. In Holden's case, it is noticeable that he is suffering from PTSD, because he seems to find no satisfaction in anything, complains about everything and cannot relate to others.
"I was only thirteen, and they were going to have me 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." (p.38-39) He misses his brother very much, basically because he found refuge in the fact that even though Allie was younger, Holden knew he could depend on him being there for him. Everyone seemed to believe that Allie was an amazing student and person, something that did not threaten Holden, on the contrary, he admired his younger brother as if he were older. So when he lost him, Holden's world caved in and becomes obsessed with