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In the novel, Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, Holden is massively depressed due to his cynical view of the world.
While searching for his sister, Phoebe, Holden considers visiting the museum. He begins to talk about how much he liked the school trips there, this is significant as Holden rarely enjoys anything. Holden admits to himself that he wishes the world were more like a museum, because “certain things they should stay the way they are.” This quote proves that Holden’s emotional state is suffering as he has an intense fear of change. He wants everything to stay exactly the same, which in turn deepens his depression, as the world is constantly changing. He regrets losing his childhood innocence while growing up, and he fears that his sister will one day lose hers as well. Holden has also explicitly stated that he is suicidal, and has even come close to taking his own life. He says on page 117, " I felt like jumping out the window. I probably would've done it too, if I'd been sure somebody'd cover me up as soon as I landed. I didn't want a bunch of stupid rubbernecks looking at me when I was all gory." It is clear that Holden's emotional state is very fragile at this time, and the only thing holding himself from ending it all is one of the reasons he is depressed in the first place. He assumes, due to his cynicism, that he will be exploited in a way when he is gory. This only serves to make him more depressed, lessening his mental and emotional health further.

In chapter 13 of Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger, Holden arranges a meeting with a smart-mouthed, underage prostitute named Sunny. However, once she arrives in his hotel room Holden panics and suggests, “I thought you might care to chat for a while,” (Salinger 106). Furthermore, while she is seducing him, he notes to himself, “I just didn’t want to do it. I felt more depressed than sexy,” (107). Normally, when a man invites a woman up to his hotel room, specifically a prostitute, he does it typically to feel better about himself and boost his ego. This passage illustrates how Holden, a 16-year old male, experiences emotions not commonly involved with having a prostitute in his hotel room, he was “more depressed than sexy” (107). This indicates how lonely and depressed Holden was at this time because of his increasingly growing need for someone to be there for him to talk to. Holden’s asking of Sunny to simply talk to him was a cry in the dark for help, and further illustrates the point that Holden was in a state of severe depression and confusion. Altogether, by Holden’s suggestion that they talk instead of actually doing anything, it strongly defends that the state of Holden’s mental health was not good, and in a state of worsening depression.

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PROMT#9 Emily Mutchler, Katy Fischer, Aydan Fusco, Natalie Morgan

In the novel, The Catcher in the Rye, written by J.D Salinger, Holden’s desire to control his life and his desperation for human interaction prompts him to genuinely ask Sally to run away and eventually marry him.

To begin with, Holden is sitting with Sally on a date when he tells her he desires to run away and marry her. Holden says, “I could get a job somewhere and, we could live somewhere with brook and all and, later on, we could get married or something. I could chop all our own wood in the wintertime and all. Honest to god, we could have a terrific time!” Holden exhibits one of the only instances of being truly excited for his future when he talks about running away. His happiness is not because of Sally in particular, but the idea of having his life within his own control and with someone to spend it with.

After Sally’s quick rejection, Holden eventually goes home and talks with Phoebe, his younger sister. Distraught that Holden flunked out yet again, Phoebe asks what he wants to do with his life. Holden responds, “I couldn’t be a scientist, I’m no good at science...Lawyers are all right, I guess-but it doesn’t appeal to me.” Holden begins to feel depressed yet again after Phoebe’s confrontation. Her interrogation leaves him to ponder the unfamiliar uncertainty of growing up. This unrelenting anxiety to live up to his parents expectations, from society, and within himself, creates a strong motivation to take matters into his own hands. To run away to a serene, peaceful place, even with a girl he doesn’t necessarily like, is Holden’s ideal world.

At one point of the novel, Holden was visited by a prostitute, but the scene doesn't quite pan out as he anticipated, as he never does anything with her. In fact, as shown within the quote, "Don't you feel like talking for a while?... I was feeling so damn peculiar... 'I don't feel very much like myself," (pg 124-125).  He uses her for conversation and interaction, but not for fornication as initially expected. Most people within the situation would not have had the same outcome as Holden, he simply wanted to talk to Sunny, the prostitute, instead of perform sexually with her. This shows how desperate he is for interaction, he simply wants to talk and listen, have basic human interaction. He would even go as far as to pay for someone to interact with him, even if she wasn't sure what to say in the situation.

On page 134, after Holden asks Sally to Vermont, he goes on to say, “I probably wouldn’t’ve taken her even if she wanted to go with me...The terrible part, though, is that I meant it when I asked her”.  Here is an example of Holden willing to do anything for human interaction, even if the doesn’t have any romantic feelings towards Sally. Also, the first part of the quote is a way for Holden to make himself feel better because Sally did say no to his offer.

To conclude, Holden’s proposition to run away with Sally and live in the picturesque landscape of Massachusetts and Vermont reflects his fear and anxiety for his future and his intense desperation for human interaction. The thought of living in a self-reliant, pain free world is one of, if not the only thing that gives Holden joy and excitement for his future.

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In J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield is mentally and emotionally unstable due to his actions and thoughts throughout the novel. Holden’s unstable mindset shows in chapter fourteen when he talks about his desire to commit suicide. He thinks to himself, “What I really felt like, though, was committing suicide. I felt like jumping out the window.” Caulfield’s mind is controlled by his depression, and his want to die shows how unstable he is. His internal thoughts in this scene and throughout the novel reveal his struggle with depression. On several occasions Holden feels no point in living. These suicidal thoughts are dangerous and emphasis his conflicts with his mental state of being. When Holden is on his date with Sally, he begs her “Wudday say? C’mon! Wuddaya say?” to run away with him to Vermont and Massachusetts, while later he contradicts his strong positive emotions by telling her she gives him “a royal pain in the ass,” if she wanted to know the truth. After his comments made Sally cry, he questions himself on why he started the conversation when he didn’t want to follow through, but then reveals he meant what he said at the time, saying, “That’s the terrible part. I swear to God I’m a madman.” Holden’s contradictory actions and feelings show the reader that her is not emotionally and mentally stable, since he jumps from one emotion to the next. Exclaiming he is a madman while saying he knows how he feels shows he is uncertain in his emotions while he admits he’s a madman but denies that he is confused. After Sunny, the prostitute, leaves, Holden states that "What I did, is started talking, sort of out loud, to Allie.  I do that sometimes when I get very depressed."  After Holden's time with Sunny, he was feeling extremely depressed.  He tells us that when he is sad and in need of comfort, he talks to his deceased brother rather than all the other people available in his life.  No matter how many years have passed, he is still missing and mourning his brother.  It appears that ever since Allie's death, Holden has been unstable and as he ages it is only getting worse. Throughout the novel, Holden exhibits his unstable mental and emotional state by his suicidal thoughts, contradictory actions, and his constant lack of closure because of the trauma he has endured throughout his life. T�sA�y

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Hattie Lyons, Emily Belanger, Sydney Nitschke

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