Dr. Derek Shepherd, in the television show Grey’s Anatomy, once said to a friend, “you were like coming up for fresh air. It’s like I was drowning and you saved me.” When people are feeling underwater in their own lives, they need somebody to throw them a lifeline and pull them out from where they are falling. In The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D Salinger, Holden Caulfield feels as if he is sinking into depression and needs someone to save him. Holden perceives that he is alone in the world and is searching for someone with whom he can make a meaningful connection. He is in desperate need of a person to release him from his loneliness and feelings of despair. When Holden’s strong connection with Jane Gallagher ended, his life began a downward …show more content…
As Holden is on a quest to find someone he can truly relate to, he recalls his moments spent with the person he felt most attached to, Jane Gallagher. Holden is sitting in the lobby of his hotel, having failed at connecting with girls in the Lavender Room, and he begins thinking about Jane. He remembers how he “held hands with her all the time” (89) and that she is “terrific to hold hands with” (89). Holden realizes that “Jane was different” (89) because with most girls he felt self-conscious, yet he never felt that way with Jane. Holden realizes that he felt truly fulfilled when he was with her and wants to find someone else that helps him feel this way. Jane would place her hand on the back of Holden’s neck, a gesture Holden thinks women reserve for “their husband or their little kid” (89). Holden loved this because it illustrated her feelings of connection and comfort with him. Reflecting on these moments Holden thinks, “it’s so pretty it just about kills you” (89). Holden strongly values the special relationship he shared with Jane and desperately wants to find such a connection again. He feels so lonely and remembering Jane helps him believe that by continuing to search, he may discover something similar. This memory gives Holden a sliver of hope that there is somebody out there for him who will bring him joy; he just needs to devote his time and energy to encounter this
Consequently, Holden is finally able to find joy in life, and to look past other people and societal expectations. He does not stay in New York because of society and what people will think of him, but because Phoebe asks him to and he promises her. The song describes how a person needs to persevere and that “when I was drowning, that’s when I could finally breathe.” Holden has to persevere in order for Phoebe’s words about how he loves nothing to truly take effect.
Was Holden successful in his Journey This is an essay on whether or not Holden Caulfield is successful on his journey throughout the novel “The Catcher in the Rye” by Jerome David Salinger. This book shows how hard it can be for teenagers that are going from an adolescent to adulthood. Holden, who is sixteen years old, has been kicked out of several schools. Pencey Prep. was the latest.
Throughout the book, Holden is struggling to get by. The death of his brother Allie has left him in a tough spot. Holden doesn’t exactly know how to deal with this. The different stages of grief are represented through Holden. Holden shows denial and anger when he flashbacks to one of his memories after his brother’s death.
Holden begins trying to be older than he actually is, still scared to lose innocence he grasps so hard to be a different person. He is a teenage boy in a grown up’s world. Trying to be an adult isn 't as easy as it seems and Holden is starting to learn that. “She had a terrifically nice smile. She really did.
The only motivator that Holden has to continue living is his younger sister, Phoebe, who is extraordinarily intelligent for her age. After he gets kicked out of Pencey, Holden is lost in life. He speaks to many people, seeking advice and comfort, but they are not able to help him find a human connection. Holden’s depression increases throughout the novel, almost to the point of suicide. He criticizes many people and ideas, labeling them as ‘phony’.
Holden’s Struggle To Find Himself: Throughout the novel, The Catcher In The Rye, by J.D. Salinger, Holden struggles to find himself and who he truly is in order to be happy. His struggles relate to many things that he does or say in particular. Holden lacks with a social status with women and his family, whether it’s a relationship or being antisocial. Throughout The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield experiences the complexities and struggles involved with both physical and emotional relationships.
This leaves Holden feeling unwanted and out of place. He feels a wave of depression and loneliness wash over him that is so strong that it drives him to leave Pencey all together and take to the streets of New York to try to mend his broken
Holden carries a belief that everyone else around him is “phony” and he is the only “real” person left in the world besides children. This belief which Holden carries throughout the story that others are insincere or fake, causes him to isolate himself by avoiding contact with others. However, this misguided attempt to protect himself only worsens the alienation and loneliness which he experiences. Although Holden desires meaningful relationships and connections with others, he struggles with letting down his protective shield and opening up to others to create those
The struggle Holden has to express his feelings to Jane can be communicated in this song with the lyrics, “When you were here before, couldn't look you in the eye. You're just like an angel, your skin makes me cry. You float like a feather, in a beautiful world. And I wish I was special, you're so * *
Loneliness is a state many have experienced, but it is scarcely felt to the point of insanity and utter hopelessness. In The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, Holden Caulfield’s loneliness is a self-defense mechanism from socializing with others, making it the greatest source of his pain. Though his loneliness is caused by uncontrollable external forces, it is only overcome by his own choice of introspection. Initially, Holden did not chose to be lonely.
Although Holden is not fully recovered he is much less depressed than his earlier stages in the book. Holden has taken a step further in his adult life and rather than dismissing those around them he begins to value them, thus being a big step. In the book Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger, the narrator and protagonist Holden Caulfield a sixteen year old junior undergoes a series of changes; changes that helped a distraught teenager learn that everyone grows up. You don 't need to be the “Catcher in the Rye” that protects the children from going if the deep end thought
Throughout “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D Salinger, Holden Caulfield shows great difficulty making long and meaningful connections with other people. Holden believes he is the normal one but it is actually the other way around. He holds on to a deep emotional road block of the death of his innocent brother Allie. Holden keeps this dragging around with him which causes him to veer from connecting and having a long term relationship with others.
This is a symbol of the fact that innocence can’t forever be protected. Holden is very upset over the fact that innocence is being taken away in a
Isolation and Depression: A Vicious Cycle Grief. Depression. Isolation. What do you think when you hear those words? Holden Caulfield has been through a lot, from being kicked out of several schools to being so depressed he wonders why he should go on living. Holdens family keeps pushing him away and that’s where he learns his tendency to push people away who he cares about.
These few lines from the book are a clear indication of Holdens loneliness. Holden didnt have a good explanation as to why he started crying out of blue, only to say himself that he was depressed and