Catcher In The Rye: A Character Analysis

In the famous, but often times previously banned novel, The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger, seventeen year old Holden Caulfield is trying to find his sense of direction in a world where he describes the majority of people in his life as phony. As the first chapter begins, it is clear Holden is currently living in a mental institution, although the reasoning behind so is never directly stated, the reader can infer it may have to do with Holden's depression troubles. For the most part, Holden's troubles are to blame on his own actions, he fails to realize his irresponsibly is the major cause of the negative aspects in his life. Holden's troubles of being an academic layabout and being reclusive seem to center from his biggest issue

In the beginning of the novel the reader learns that Holden has been kicked out of his school Pency-Prep.

“And I'm standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff--I mean if they're running and they don't see where they're going, I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That's all I'd do all day. I'd just be the catcher in the rye and

This demonstrates the common idea throughout the entire novel that Holden believes that life should not be as complicated as it seems. He assumes that everyone is hypocritical in their own ways, and it is what makes the world less than what it should be. He also says in the book, “Even if you did go around saving guys’ lives and all, how would you know if you did it because what you really wanted to do was be a terrific lawyer, with everybody slapping you on the back when the goddamn trial was over, (...) How would you know you weren’t being a phony? The trouble is, you wouldn’t.”

Holden's poor relationships with his classmates and teachers, or people in general, was evident before he went to Pencey Prep as well as during his stay at Pencey Prep. When Holden thinks back to his previous school,

He's having a conversation with his sister and she asks him what he plans to do with his life and he respond with "I’m standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff—I mean if they’re running and they don’t look where they’re going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That’s all I’d do all day. I’d just be the catcher in the rye and all." this quote here shows a lot about how holden feels about childhood and that he will play the role as the protecter of their inocence.

One of Holden’s main defense mechanisms in the novel is isolation and same isolation can derive from his constant depression.. Holden chooses to isolate himself many times throughout the storyline because of his saddening past. An article by Debbie Roome acknowledged “Depression is another prime cause of isolation. A depressed teen loses interest in everyday activities and drops out of social groups at school” (Roome). The reader will in fact see this early on in the book demonstrating Holden flunked out of his school! The quote “Where I want to start telling is the day I left Pencey Prep. Pencey Prep is this school that’s in Agerstown, Pennsylvania” (Salinger 2) is an example of where Holden flunked out of his school, he in fact failed

Holden wishes to be free from the phoniness of Pencey Prep and also the adult word. The negative effect of leaving the school without his parents’ knowledge can be seen after Holden leaves Ernie’s and returns back to the hotel, “The whole lobby was empty. It smelled like fifty million dead cigars. It really did. I wasn't sleepy or anything, but I was feeling sort of lousy. Depressed and all. I almost wished I was dead.” (Salinger 90). Holden finally got what he had wanted, to be alone. As explained in chapter 25 when he reveals his wishes of moving away and becoming a deaf-mute. Instead of being happy in his isolation, finally free from the phonies in the world around him, Holden becomes deeply depressed, even expressing thoughts of suicide. This is also evident after Holden leaves the Wicker Bar drunk and is wandering around Central Park in the cold, “…it was getting very cold out again, and my teeth started chattering like hell. I couldn't make them stop…I started walking over to the park. I figured I'd go by that little lake and see what the hell the ducks were doing… I didn't have anyplace else special to go to--I didn't even know where I was going to sleep yet--so I went. I wasn't tired or anything. I just felt blue as hell.” (Salinger 153). Holden is in clear need of help and instead of calling home and telling his parents the truth, he pushes away further and decides to go to the duck pond, once again surrounded by his depressing thoughts. In Holden’s fight to become independent he only further launched himself into his depression. During adolescence a person needs things like love and encouragement in order to succeed, but by alienating himself from the people who love him most, he is taking that away from himself. Similar to Holden, Christopher also tries to become

“And I’m standing on the edge of some crazy cliff. What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff--- I mean if they’re running and they don’t look where they’re going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That’s all I’d do all day. I’d just be the catcher in the rye and all” (Salinger 93).

Holden’s desires and actions ultimately show how innocence is almost impossible to protect and is temporary. Holden wants to save everybody from maturing because he is afraid of change. All he sees are the bad things adulthood has to offer and is struggling with the hardships he is facing. He misses the innocence of his childhood and doesn’t want anyone else to lose it. Therefore, he tries several times to protect them from the downfall he is facing. Ultimately, his attempts are useless because innocence turns into an illusion as you mature. You can never change back once you become an

At first glance, Holden is trying to find closure about his short time at Pencey. He wants to let go of all his failures on his own term. Of course, the school is expelling him on their terms, but Holden wants to physically leave and say goodbye on his terms. At a deeper glance, however, Holden wants to feel some

If Holden is trying to apply himself and does well in school, there is no reason for Holden is fail out of school or get kicked out. This is a very important moment in The Catcher in the Rye, which makes it a little sad that it happens so close to the end of the book. The reader does not get to experience this new Holden which is trying to have a bright future in which he actually applies himself in school, which has never happened before. Holden’s experiences in the mental facility, really help holden learn the priorities of life and to not fear the normal teenage experiences, which consists of changes.

Holden’s immaturity causes him many problems throughout the story. Although he is physically mature, he acts more like a child. “All of a sudden I

Everybody feels depressed at some time or another in their lives.  However, it becomes a problem when depression is so much a part of a person's life that he or she can no longer experience happiness.  This happens to the young boy, Holden Caulfield in J.D Salinger's novel, The Catcher in the Rye.  Mr. Antolini accurately views the cause of Holden's depression as his lack of personal motivation, his inability to self-reflect and his stubbornness to overlook the obvious which collectively results in him giving up on life before he ever really has a chance to get it started.

Holden has very noble goals, he wants to protect children’s innocence. He says to his little sister “‘Anyway, I keep picturing all these little kids playing some game in this big field of rye and all. Thousands of little kids, and nobody’s around-nobody big, I mean-except me. And I’m standing on the edge of