Depression in The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger Essay

Depression, a common mental disorder that presents with depressed mood, loss of interest or pleasure, feelings of guilt or low self-worth, disturbed sleep or appetite, low energy, and poor concentration. This mental illness demonstrates to affect teens as much as it affects adults. Studies show that 20 percent of teens will experience teen depression before they reach adulthood. When you deal with depression, you often find it difficult to live an everyday normal life. The â€Å"Catcher in the Rye† written by J.D Salinger, narrates on the main character Holden Caulfield, a hostile and negative person, who suffers from severe depression. Teenage years are, without argument, the most confusing and difficult years of a person’s life as they†¦show more content†¦Teenagers such as Holden who have thought of suicide do not desire to die but they want to escape from the problems in their life that at that particular moment the impression of dying was the only way out. Holden often lies to himself to ease the emptiness and guilt he is living with that even Holden himself tells us that he â€Å"really felt like, committing suicide† (104). Even if we did not have the evidence that Holden was depressed through his actions of lying and having suicidal thoughts we still have the profound statement of all. What other way to prove that Holden Caulfield is depressed then Holden himself announcing that life itself â€Å"makes (him) so depressed† (75). Every single page of the novel is gorged with Holden telling us he is depressed. Whether it was Holden remembering someone say please and Holden comment ing â€Å"that’s depressing† (211) or Holden warning us to never sleep in Grand Central, because â€Å"it’ll depress you,† (194) it is obvious that Holden is suffering from a mental illness. Holden Caulfield encounters himself facing issues of acceptance of death, growing up, and parental neglecting that prevents him from completely understanding why it is that he is severely depressed. One of the hardships Holden must cope with is his inability to come to terms with death, of his younger brother, Allie. We often discoverShow MoreRelated Comparing A Separate Peace and The Catcher in the Rye Essay example1500 Words   |  6 PagesComparing A Separate Peace and The Catcher in the Rye The coming of age novels, The Catcher in the Rye, written by J.D. Salinger, and A Separate Peace, written by John Knowles, both interpret the lives of adolescent boys journeying through their conflicts and inner confusion to reach the level of maturity. 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