Holden Caulfield Psychology

Catcher in the Rye is a fictional novel written by J.D Salinger. The protagonist in the novel is Holden Caulfield. Throughout the novel Holden begins to exhibit signs of depression. His depression is driven by the death of his younger brother. In everyday life normal people experience breakdowns, they cannot handle what is being thrown at them. Holden Caulfield attended a prep school known as Pencey, where people are not used to this kind of behavior. Holden exhibits many signs of psychological weakness. He often puts himself at risk and is in a very fragile emotional state which leads him to making impulsive decisions. Holden's behavior favors his stay in a “rest home.” Holden Caulfield is very depressed due to the death of this brother.