Holden Caulfield Psychological Analysis

ince the publication of "The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger in 1951, Holden Caulfield has become an icon of angst, anguish, and depression: and he is only a teenager. It is clear that Holden has been troubled since a young age, flunking out of various schools and expressing disdain for practically everything he comes across. Salinger explores Holden’s mental state through a first-person narration in which Holden reveals his personal thoughts. These thoughts, paired with his actions, reveal that he is not emotionally sound. Holden lacks self-control and often acts impulsively. He is also a habitual liar, lying freely and often for no reason at all. This tendency among others results in a void of healthy relationships in his life. Although …show more content…
He is a self-proclaimed liar and is not ashamed of his lying, claiming that he is “the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life” (16). Although he does admit that his habit is “terrible,” he continues to lie and often lies for no reason at all (16). His disregard towards his own behavior indicates mental illness, as excessive, pointless lying is consistent with several mental disorders. Holden lies because it gives him a sense of emotional security. It shows that Holden is not comfortable with exposing his vulnerability to others and he will do anything, including alienating himself from others because of his lies, to avoid being hurt. This becomes clear when he is with Sunny, whom he hires as a prostitute. Holden gives Sunny a fake name and age, which demonstrates the façade that he builds through his lies in an attempt create a separate and less personal identity for himself. He becomes nervous and doesn’t want to lose his virginity because he doesn’t want to grow up. In his first-person narration he reveals the truth that he is “nervous” and “depressed,” but he uses a lie to avoid these emotions (96). He says that “nothing’s the matter […] the things is, I had an operation very recently” (96). Holden feels more secure when he lies because by covering up his emotions, as he does with Sunny, he feels like nobody can hurt him. Holden Caulfield uses lies to avoid emotional damage, and this behavior describes that of a mentally unsound

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