Theme Of Depression In Catcher In The Rye

In the novel The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, the main character Holden Caulfield demonstrates signs of depression throughout his story. Holden tells his story from a rest home that he has been sent for therapy. There are many causes of depression in teens and Holden have suffered through most. “Depression is often triggered by a loss such as the death of a friend or family member, parents’ divorce, a move to a new community, a breakup with a boyfriend or girlfriend, failing a test, or being cut from a team” (“Points for Parents”). One event that hit Holden the hardest was losing his brother Allie to leukemia. Holden gives some background on Allie “[h]e was two years younger than I was, but he was about fifty times as intelligent.