J.D. Salinger's character Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye is a very depressed person. In his life there are some people that help him through his depression, like Phoebe, Jane, Allie and Mr. Antolini. And there are some people that make him feel more depressed, like Sunny, Maurice, and D.B. Some of these people fit into both categories, like Jane, Mr. Antolini and Allie.
Phoebe helped Holden through his depression. There are not a lot of people that understand him. I think Phoebe does. "Because you don't. You don't like any schools. You don't like a million things. You don't" (P.169). Phoebe understands that Holden is depressed all the time. When Holden came home after he got kicked out of school, Phoebe knew it. "You did get kicked out! You did!" (P. 165). When Holden is around his sister, he feels good. Holden says, "I just felt good, for a change" (P.159). When Holden decided to leave home, Phoebe packed up her stuff to go with him. When Holden told Phoebe that she couldn't come with him, she started to cry. Phoebe's crying helped Holden face his problems. It made him realize that he is not the only depressed, and lonely person in the world. "I'm not going anywhere. I changed my mind. So stop crying and shut up" (P. 207).
Sunny and Maurice didn't help Holden through his depression. Holden was really depressed so he hired a prostitute. "She made me so nervous, I just kept on lying my head off, 'I'm still recuperating.' I told her" (P. 97). He told Sunny, the prostitute, that he was recuperating from a clavichord injury. Holden didn't really want to hire a prostitute. He just wasn't thinking. All Holden wanted to do with Sunny was talk. Sunny depressed Holden because she was so young. When Sunny finally got fed up with Holden, she started to leave. She asked for her ten dollars, but Holden thought that it was only five. Later Maurice and Sunny came back, and Maurice beat him up. This depressed him because he couldn't defend himself. He didn't even... [continues]
Phoebe helped Holden through his depression. There are not a lot of people that understand him. I think Phoebe does. "Because you don't. You don't like any schools. You don't like a million things. You don't" (P.169). Phoebe understands that Holden is depressed all the time. When Holden came home after he got kicked out of school, Phoebe knew it. "You did get kicked out! You did!" (P. 165). When Holden is around his sister, he feels good. Holden says, "I just felt good, for a change" (P.159). When Holden decided to leave home, Phoebe packed up her stuff to go with him. When Holden told Phoebe that she couldn't come with him, she started to cry. Phoebe's crying helped Holden face his problems. It made him realize that he is not the only depressed, and lonely person in the world. "I'm not going anywhere. I changed my mind. So stop crying and shut up" (P. 207).
Sunny and Maurice didn't help Holden through his depression. Holden was really depressed so he hired a prostitute. "She made me so nervous, I just kept on lying my head off, 'I'm still recuperating.' I told her" (P. 97). He told Sunny, the prostitute, that he was recuperating from a clavichord injury. Holden didn't really want to hire a prostitute. He just wasn't thinking. All Holden wanted to do with Sunny was talk. Sunny depressed Holden because she was so young. When Sunny finally got fed up with Holden, she started to leave. She asked for her ten dollars, but Holden thought that it was only five. Later Maurice and Sunny came back, and Maurice beat him up. This depressed him because he couldn't defend himself. He didn't even... [continues]
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