was accepted for publication by The New Yorker in October 1941, but was not published then because editors found the tone to be too desolate for its readership. Although J.D. Then he started asking me about Allie. WebThe obvious signs that Holden is a troubled and unreliable narrator are manifold: he fails out of four schools; he manifests complete apathy toward his future; he is hospitalized, and visited by a psychoanalyst, for an unspecified complaint; and Holden Caulfield is the main character of J. D. Salinger's renowned coming-of-age novel, The Catcher in the Rye (1951). He kept telling me to start reciting the Declaration of Independence, like it was so important. WebCite This Essay. EVerything is internal, his thoughts Holden is a 16 years old teenager living in America. He was singing that song, If a body catch a body coming through the rye. He had a pretty little voice, too. However, if Stradlater had known that his roommate was gay then he might have been more respectful toward him. He viewed Allie as innocent and didnt believe he shouldve died, I know its only his body and all thats in the cemetery and his souls in Heaven and all that crap, but I couldnt stand it anyway. It took me quite a while to get to sleepI wasnt even tiredbut finally I did. To put it simply, Holden is struggling. Holden becomes very nervous and tells him, Take it easy with that wheel.. [citation needed]. I felt like jumping out the window. (LogOut/ About Wrong Planet Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Salinger himself is a reclose and has never surfaced since the book. Im pretty yellow. Life is change. Sometimes he seems very comfortable around homosexuals, while other times he clearly rejects them. If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change. Salinger: The Normalcy Of Holden Caulfield, Explanation Behind The Sporadic Actions Of Holden Caulfield, Evaluation Of Holden Caulfield in Catcher In The Rye By J.D. In David Finchers The Social Network and J. D. Salingers The Catcher in the Rye, an account of two youngsters, Holden Caulfield and Mark Zuckerberg face numerous challenges and at last are entirely defenseless spirits. ", "Because you dont. I dont really like that.. But he despises the compromises, loss of innocence, absence of integrity, and loss of authenticity in the grown-up world. I slept in the garage the night he died, and I broke all the goddam windows with my fist, just for the hell of itIt was a very stupid thing to do, Ill admit, but I hardly didnt even know I was doing it, and you didnt know Allie. Once home, he is not shown confronting his parents, who, according to the maid, are playing bridge. Salinger himself is a reclose and However, there seems to be a wall between Holden and most of the other people he interacts with. I felt lonely, so I started looking through profiles of a few people from my dorm. He has grown 6 1/2 inches in just one year. Posted on 26/01/2012 Anyone whos read The Catcher in the Rye probably thought, at one point or another, that Holden Caulfeld is flat out bipolar. Holden's fears and desires are understandable, but his solution (avoiding reality) is impossible. The events occur just after the death of Kenneth (later renamed Allie) and reveal the anxiety of Mary Moriarity, an actress and Caulfield's mother. That's what i suspect too especially over season 2. For instance, many have speculated that Holdens brother, D.B., is actually Vincent. On edge because of the play and because of Sallys question about Christmas Eve. Another symptom attributed to depression is a loss of interest in many things, People typically exhibit multiple of the following behaviors and symptoms Loss of interest or pleasure in most or all normal activities, such as sex, hobbies or sports, (Depression (Major Depressive Disorder)). Suicide and suicidal thoughts often are only a part of a bigger issue, Roughly 50% of people who died by suicide had a known mental disorder (Risk of Suicide). Tips For Efficiency: Worldly Repository of Knowledge, Reasons Why Holden Caulaulfields Sexuality matters. He was probably just getting up because our session ended. Something always happensI came quite close to doing it a couple of times, though. The latter is an android/robot; but I can see where the comparisons stem from - an AI trying to fit into society by trying to understand "human" behavior is quite synonymous to what many autistic people might experience, namely by trying to mask and study common social cues in order to appear more in line and "socially adept" with the neurotypical crowd. Suicide rates have spiked in recent years and suicide is a huge problem, Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the US (Suicide Statistics). He seems best at the rites of passage (smoking and drinking) that are themselves artificial if not self-destructive. for their second studio album, Kerplunk (1991) after lead singer and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong read The Catcher in the Rye. Salinger's first published Holden Caulfield story, "I'm Crazy", appeared in Collier's on December 22, 1945. By the time my train stopped, I didnt feel like seeing Sally anymore so I decided to just go talk to Pheobe. Jesus carries a raven on his shoulder; Jesus carries The Ravens on his shoulder. He has trouble being very intimate unless he knows the girl well and likes her a lot. I have 26 followers and I dont post that much. It begins with Caulfield standing on a hill at Pencey Prep watching a football game below, and develops as Holden visits with his history teacher, Mr. Spencer, for a talk about his expulsion from school and his future. To be honest he I kind of insane. Holden Caulfield (identified as "Holden Morrisey Caulfield" in the story "Slight Rebellion Off Madison" , and "Holden V. Caulfield" in The Catcher In The Rye) is a fictional character in the works of author J. D. Salinger. In J.D Salingers The Catcher in The Rye, the reader is presented to Holden Caulfield, a 17-year-old whos retelling the story of him at 16 facing rough times. They were right. The result is depression and hospitalization. Is he gay or straight? My Dad always was sore as hell. Refine any search. Initially, he gave up on reading it after dropping out from Pinole Valley High School when he was 18 years old. He is both an antihero, a protagonist with qualities at odds with the stereotypically "heroic" image, and an everyman, whose experiences are to some degree "universal," at least in his respective culture. Near the beginning as well as the end of the novel, he feels that he will disappear or fall into an abyss when he steps off a curb to cross a street. The fact that Holden seems to be analyzing and categorizing everyone else he speaks to, such as his description of Stradlater as what might be the first example of a Chad jock and of Ackley as an abhorrent, socially unaware loser that Holden is glad he is not, contributes to this. This essay is available online and was probably used by another student. "Name one thing. (The Ackley thing might be a bit of internalized ableism poking through, now that I think about it). WebIhab Hassan, in J. Especially my roommate. Shes really pretty, but sometimes I cant stand listening to her talk. But I rubbed it out anyway, finally. He is consumed with pointing out hypocrisy and phonies because he sees it and thinks about it. This was the 1940s, when ADHD was unheard of and autism was new, so adults in Holdens life assumed he was a bad kid and punished him. And I was wonderingwhat psychological "disorder" does Holden (main character) have? Loved his connection with Bills son and thought that might also suggest it. What I really felt like, though, was committing suicide. By constantly asking him about girls, he makes Holden uncomfortable. WebHolden has finally decided that he will avoid adulthood and escape his problems by running away from home and beginning a new life in the wilderness, where he plans on living But there was something about the way his face looked, like he never had a goddam pimple in his life or something that looked off. Holden also exhibits this behavior. The main character, Holden Caulfield (or Holden Cauliflower, as I affectionately call him) is a bit controversial and a bit polarizing. The community od ppl in the autistic spectrum have been fighting against that word for years now. Hes sarcastic, nasty, and completely unlikeable. Expulsion from Pencey Prep. Fair Use Policy or become aware of any violations, please do not hesitate to contact us via support@edubirdie.com. You cant ever find a place thats nice and peaceful, because there isnt any. There can be high functioning on the autism spectrum though. He was consumed with nuns eating dry toast and how this is saintly and how can he reconcile with the rest of us slobs eating regular food--steak and potatoes. But can you tell me more what you were feeling at that moment, he would always say. He has the potential to be the first realistic teenage homosexual character in English literature, which would give him a special significance. As in the trauma he might have experienced before he was with Trench. alt="wiki ommons" style='width:175pt;height:4in;visibility:visible; When speaking about schools, he says, The more expensive a school is, the more crooks it hasIm not kidding (Salinger 2). This fiction reveals more truth about the world than an individuals reality can often supply. Girls, says Caulfield, she was probably getting groiny and everything. My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking the themes as a class., Requesting a new guide requires a free LitCharts account. She would probably be asleep, but I wanted to see her anyway. When J.D. -sorry if I went off-topic, Joined: 10 Apr 2008Age: 32Gender: FemalePosts: 272, Thanks for all the replies. Gladwaller spends part of the day with his little sister before Vincent Caulfield arrives. "Up home we wear a hat like that to shoot deer in, for Chrissake," he said. Tons of girls telling him how hot he looked, like this conceited bastard needed anyone else to tell him how good looking he was. Itd be entirely different. The young teenage boy says that he wants to be the one who stands at the bottom of the cliff and catch the children that are playing in the Rye that may run off the edge accidently. I think, even, if I ever die, and they stick me in a cemetery, and I have tombstone and all, itll say Holden Caulfield on it, and then what year I was born and what year I died, and then right under that itll say Fuck you. Im positive, in fact. Knowing what you value will help you build the most meaningful life possible. Only if you guys had replied earlier He doesnt want anyone to experience his loss of innocence. Joined: 10 Oct 2006Age: 43Gender: FemalePosts: 1,054. The novel slowly details Holden's realization that you can't "protect the innocent" and they don't want to be protected in the first place. He wants time itself to stop. Some people love the sound of their own voice. https://cdn.psychologytoday.com/sites/default/files/styles/article-inli. I cant seem to get very interested in them although your lectures are very interesting (Salinger 7). He asked me if I think anyone really loved me other than Allie, and then he told me he loved me. I want you to be happy. He also struggles to grasp the subtleties of communication, such as not getting right away that Stradlater is annoyed with him. And all she could talk about was how much those other two girls in the picture were gossiping and being mean to each other. The result is depression and hospitalization. Privacy Policy The ending of the novel has no real resolution, but Holden seems to be taking steps in the right direction. Holden also says things like where do the ducks go in the winter? which seems completely obvious to me and I didnt understand until the 8th time I read this book that it is symbolic. The story is set at the Caulfield summer home on Cape Cod. He also doesnt give a crap. WebAs a not autistic person myself, but someone who is emotionally intelligent/empathetic but introverted and awkward around people IRL, I also relate to Holden a lot. The only thing that would be different would be you. Holden, just home from camp, is waiting on the porch with his suitcases as Vincent comes back with Kenneth's unconscious body. You dont like a million things. Character Analysis Something went wrong, thoughI dont even remember what any more. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Holden Caulfield is much more than a whiner--he sees the underbelly of a person and he is a saint--the world troubles him, and he's right, it sure is troubling. Afraid to go home to his parents in New York City, he spends a few days alone in Manhattan; he relates his experiences there in vivid and insightful prose. Growing Up Twitbook: Top 10 Predictions Of Life in 2024! Shouldnt we review our homework for this week and talk about our plans for your next appointment?, Yeah, Ill email you. He was a handsome kid and all. I couldnt wait to get out of Pencey. Holden is actually questioning what happens when children become adults (or when they are forced into the winter or adult world) this concern can apply to other children or Holdens feelings about himself. Ive been thinking about it, and he does show some symptoms (special interests he likes talking a lot about, inability to read social cues, and general social unawareness). Im lonesome as hell. You dont like any schools. It was late, but I decided to text Sally. The story is notable for the appearance of Phoebe and Vincent's statements about a child crawling off a cliff. Seems common for most people to go through that "wahhh I hate my privileged lifestyle and family" phase at that point in their lives now. WebWATCH: Holden Caulfield Diagnosed By Psychiatrist. He shows that he is suffering, even though, to everyone else he may seem fine. The bullies that pushed James to his death were merely expelled from school and let off the hook. Holden just seemed annoying to me. He is alternately depressed, confused, angry, anxious, perceptive, bigoted, resentful, thoughtful, kind, and horny. Theres a word I really hate. It is the title that summarizes the book in a few words and in this case, it is The Catcher in the rye. Why do you always post about them then? I asked her. Thats all Id do all day. It drove me damn near crazy. equinn, Joined: 2 Dec 2006Age: 36Gender: FemalePosts: 408Location: somewhere else. He is the most relatable fictional character I have ever come across. He also favors certain words, including preceding almost every name he mentions with old and saying goddamn an eyebrow-raising two hundred thirty-seven times. Webleo encinas cruz birthday; rever d'embrasser une femme islam; sadlier grammar for writing grade 7 answer key pdf; protuberances abound, regolith Very few things keep his interest and it affects multiple aspects of his life. character) might have been the same person, but simply renamed in a later work. The novel recounts Holden's week in New York City during Christmas break, circa 1948/49, following his expulsion from Pencey Prep, a preparatory school in Pennsylvania based loosely on Salinger's alma mater Valley Forge Military Academy. Joined: 19 Apr 2007Gender: FemalePosts: 649, oh no no no--you have it all wrong. It just didnt make any sense to me. Nobodyd move. Despite his limited experience, his attitude toward women is actually admirable and mature. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. It was the third school I had flunked out of, and my Dad was going to be sore as hell. What brought me to this blog was me randomly thinking of Holden today and connecting the dots that maybe he is autistic They got out of break a little earlier so I could see that she was hanging out at the skating rink with these two other girls. She and I kind of have a friends with benefits thing, but I think she wants to be FBO. He from there decided to leave and head for New York City. When talking about a student in his school, Ackley, he says, He hardly ever went anywhere. He writes about clinical adolescent psychology. Holden is shown to have trouble regulating his attention throughout the book. He thought he had to be the catcher, the protector of all young children so that they didn't fall off the side of the cliff. WebHe is consumed with pointing out hypocrisy and phonies because he sees it and thinks about it. The fact that he lies about his age specifically might also mean he feels disconnected from his chronological age, which is another ND trait. You ought to go to a boys school sometime. This is not a personality disorder. I sort of closed one eye, like I was taking aim at it. Holden Caulfield is gay because of the way he speaks about women, his interests, and his overall demeanor. But I didnt feel like it most of the time. I did know. Since he ends up in a hospital at the end and consistently has those fainting fits towards the end of the book, I guess that that has something to do with it. path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f"> The man falling isnt permitted to feel or hear himself hit bottom. He stops making sexual advances when a girl says "No." Holden Caulfield grew up with little to no parental guidance. All rights reserved He was pushed around from school to school, failing and being expelled from the majority of them due to his poor behavior. Several details make their way from this story into Catcher, including the characterization of Allie; Allie's poetry-inscribed left-handed baseball mitt; Vincent's girlfriend, Helen, who keeps her kings in the back row (like Jane Gallagher); and Caulfield's critical view of others. He was suffering the sins of the people and he couldn't move forward. I also had my biggest major elopement (during which I ended up temporarily homeless and didnt return home) during the most intense manic episode of my life just recently. Psychology Today 2023 Sussex Publishers, LLC. Carl went to another school a couple of years later and then I never heard anything about him. Holden Caulfield is a troubled character who shows clear signs of clinical depression. Thousands of little kids, and nobodys aroundnobody big, I meanexcept me. 2021 Aug 04 [cited 2023 Mar 3]. WebHolden Caulfield is gay because of the way he speaks about women, his interests, and his overall demeanor. Try it sometime, I said. What did you just say?. "I shoot people in this hat.". He is only hypercritical of adults, who he sees as phonies and sell-outs. Holdens psychological situation and his personality traits seem to branch out and touch a lot of different known psychological disorders. I hear that youre frustrated. He decides to head back to New York City, where he is from, but he doesnt go home. Now that I know more about neurodivergence, I feel confident in headcanoning Holden as ND, specifically as an ADHD-autist. Depression is usually masked and Holden is shown to do this. The dorm was empty. "Because you dont," she said. For example, one might argue his chronic depression [141] and his inability to emotionally connect to people fit in with a form of Autism known as Aspergers Syndrome. The only good thing, I knew she wouldnt let old Phoebe come to my goddam funeral because she was only a little kid. But no matter what I said, he asked me to say it again. "Yes I do. I never did email him, however. Holden had a severely bad and difficult time to cope with the untreated grief as well as depression. He isnt autistic. Happily, some of them kept records of their troubles. The 2 Most Psychologically Incisive Films of 2022, The Surprising Role of Empathy in Traumatic Bonding. I've already wrote and printed out my essay. Often considered a symbol of teen angst, key traits of Holden's include: a feeling of Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. I think its a parallel showing the otherside of sociopath. Green Day wrote a song titled "Who Wrote Holden Caulfield?" This leads to a number of bad decisions that occur over three days. I probably wouldve done it, too, if Id been sure somebodyd cover me up as soon as I landed. This is one of my favorites. All the kids kept trying to grab for the gold ring, and so was old Phoebe, and I was sort of afraid shed fall off the goddam horse, but I didnt say anything or do anything. She is hysterical, old Pheobe. WebHolden is a highly layered character, and to make a distinction as black and white as him being good or bad diminishes his humanity. If they fall off, they fall off, but its bad if you say anything to them. PDF downloads of all 1699 LitCharts literature guides, and of every new one we publish. WebHolden Caulfield is teen angst bull-crap with a pickax. Well, we do. Holden Caulfield would probably have two hemorrhages if he heard someone say this, but its true that even for thoughtful and otherwise independent people it simply feels good sometimes to know youre doing the exact same thing as I never found out what happened to Carl. 2023 EduBirdie.com. It was depressing really. He was crying and crying. On a side note, I definitely think Bill's son might be on the spectrum. (LogOut/ It makes me wonder if Holden is bipolar like me in addition to possibly being an ADHD-autist. At that point Vincent is a fellow soldier about to leave for the war. That kills me. Did You Know Anxiety Can Enhance Our Relationships? That little lake? Sometimes its hard to concentrate. But they are pretty catty. However, it can stem from trauma and other bad experiences from the past, Early childhood trauma can cause depression. One time the weather Its the 49ers-th time theyve To Holden, Pencey and the other prep schools that he has attended represent all that is artificial ("phony" is one of Holden's favorite words to describe this artificiality) and all that is despicable about any institution controlled by adults. I said no, there wouldnt be marvelous places to go to after I went to college and all. The novel's narrator and protagonist, Holden is a high school junior who has flunked out of prep school several times. Open your ears. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Design a site like this with WordPress.com, Open Letter to a Recently Diagnosed AutisticAdult, Why School and Holden Caulfield Failed EachOther. People scream forever like anyone cares what they are complaining about as much as they do. Salinger was published 62 years ago today. I just finished reading the book, Catcher in the Rye. During this three-day period, Holden makes many bad decisions. Please. Life is a game that one plays according to the rules.". Holden has some interesting rules in his head about the world around him, such as every Catholic he meets wanting to find out if he is also Catholic above all else. Socially a lot bookmarked pages associated with this title. Holden Caulfield is so very dear to my heart. Somebodyd written "Fuck you" on the wall. One of the reasons we like Holden is that he is so candid about how he feels. he's a PHONY, a big fat PHONY! When I was all set to go, when I had my bags and all, I stood for a while next to the stairs and took a last look down the goddam corridor. But she never posts any selfies. He is constantly learning how people feel vs empathisizing. I want you to learn how to let yourself trust other people. When And How Does Holden Interact With Homosexuality? You dont see what I mean at all. (Never mind that even museum displays change.) D. Salinger: Rare Quixotic Gesture, 1961: On the surface, Holden Caulfield is Salingers typical quixotic hero in search, once again, of the simple truth. He talks all week about the players he thinks are the best and what he thinks are the biggest problems with the other team each week, but I see him read all of that stuff from a blog. Holden does the same. He views many things as phony and he doesnt trust many people. There was another post from this girl who went to the school across from Pencey. Salinger never explicitly stated that Holden was homosexual, there are many clues throughout the book that suggest this to be true. An earlier version of this story, titled "Are You Banging Your Head Against a Wall?" No matter how much I text with others or follow their profiles, I just feel lonely. However, Salinger wrote that Vincent died in World War II, and The Catcher in the Rye was published in 1951. Ive thought Holden is on the spectrum possibly. Instead Nancy dug into her denial and whisked him away. When they stop at a red light, Ernie starts caressing the steering wheel lovingly. Interestingly, Holden also struggles with his own authenticity. Also, the meeting with Carl Luce is considerably briefer in the story than in the novel. To those whom have read the book, you can see that he has some Aspie traits like social awkwardness. Holden obviously believes that he is more intelligent, more enlightened, or somehow better than all of those around him, but this is not the case. The way Holden treats sexuality is reflective of the time period in which the novel was written, when society was just beginning to accept alternative lifestyles. After Holden drops out of school, his roommate Stradlater brags to him about what a good time he had with Jane Gallagher. Joined: 20 Feb 2008Age: 47Gender: MalePosts: 1,919, Joined: 14 Apr 2007Gender: MalePosts: 10,752Location: Turkey, "I dont think he's autistic because he doesnt seem to have trouble partaking in social banter" Holdens teachers know he is smart, but they assume he does not put in effort because he struggles to initiate tasks and manage his time. Yes I do. I don't remember the story well enough to even remember that happening. He tells her when he leaves Pencey that he would like to sleep with her in the same bed. What do we make of Holden Caulfield? Hopefully I can explore this intersection more in the future. A third reason why Holdens sexuality matters is that it impacts his relationships with other characters in the novel, particularly Stradlater and Phoebe. WebIs Holden Caulfield autistic? He decides its best if he stays away from home. I have always felt like Holden was the same type of alien as me. I remember being a teenager and begging my father to read Catcher in the Rye because I didnt know how else to explain what was happening to me. (LogOut/ I decided I couldnt take it anymore, so I just packed up my things and left. Terms of Use, Holden Caulfield: A Troubled Character With Signs Of Clinical Depression., Holden Caulfield: A Troubled Character With Signs Of Clinical Depression [Internet]. For example, I, lacking theory of mind almost entirely, view everything as fake and am very cynical. The book is narrated as if he is speaking directly to the reader about events in the past, so everything is in his voice. The hat reminds him of Allie and he feels safe in the hat. A sensitive, rebellious 16-year-old, Caulfield is expelled from prep school. 2023 Course Hero, Inc. All rights reserved. Sally meets a guy she knew and Holden sees him as phony. This is exactly the sort of thing a neurodivergent person who thinks concretely and does not understand social facades would be mad about. Society and his own body are telling him that it is time for him to change. A major theme in The Catcher in the Rye is running away. I always just assumed everyone deep Instead, he goes to speak to Phoebe. By any chance, do you happen to know where they go, the ducks, when it gets all frozen over? One thing Holden constantly brings up is the ducks in Central Park. They didnt get sanctioned as severely as Holden expected. It is sometimes mistakenly reported that the name "Holden Caulfield" was derived by Salinger from a marquee or poster for the film Dear Ruth, starring William Holden and Joan Caulfield, but Dear Ruth was released in 1947 more than a year-and-a-half after Holden Caulfield's first appearance in print, and more than six years after Salinger's first unpublished short story was written using this name for a character. Throughout the story, Holden expresses signs of having a mental health disorder. I dont even like to think about it. He doesnt seem to be able to relate to women at all and never asks any questions that would suggest he is interested in them as people. Below are five reasons why some people think Holden is a homosexual: Dont tell anybody this, I said, but when I was little I sort of wanted to marry my mother and sleep with my father. He probably got in trouble for misbehaving in the past too, when it was really impulsivity and trouble with following instructions. So they figured I had a problem and I started taking medicine. That is what the protagonist of the novel, Holden Caulfield feels like. At the same time as he detests the adult world, he wants to be a part of it, which is why he smokes and drinks and attempts to be with a prostitute. He has extreme social issues because he feels as if he can't fit in with his peers.
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