Catcher In The Rye Mental Illness Essay

Adolescents, while they may be young, can experience just as much trauma as an adult. Said trauma can include death of a loved one, illness, accidents, violent personal assaults, and more. In the case of The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, the protagonist, Holden Caulfield, suffered the unfortunate loss of his brother Allie, thus leading him to carry on in un life in solitude, depression, and fear of what he once loved. Consequently, prompting the diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). PTSD is a mental illness that occurs after one has either experienced or witnessed a traumatic event. The negative effects on the sufferer are immense, such as the “intense yearning, difficulties to accept the loss, anger, and a sense that
PGD, with symptoms: excessive bitterness, disruptive yearning, and a shattered view of one’s own self and life, is closely associated with PTSD. Oftentimes, Holden displays those things.
Moreover, Holden likes to cling to his past, both in the sense of maturity and memories. His nostalgia for Allie, and his inability to accept the death and move on is shown, especially when he talks about how unique and charming Allie was.
Another (slightly less prominent) early instance in which Salinger alerts readers to Holden’s potential PTSD is when Holden sits and has a heart to heart conversation with Mr. Spencer. Old Spencer asks him multiple questions including “How do you feel about all this, boy?” (Salinger 13), indicating that he is trying to get Holden to open up and talk. It is in that conversation that it is revealed that Holden sat and talked with the headmaster Dr. Thurmer as well. The NPR Article states that scientists know talk therapy can help, so maybe his teachers understand their student’s situation and are trying to