\ Depression in
J.D. Salinger's
The Catcher in the Rye
Dedria Bryfonski, Book Editor
GREENHAVEN PRESS
A part of Gale, Cengage Learning
:
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» CE'NGAGE Learning-
DetroigfiNew York • San'Francisco •.New Haven, Conn • Waterville, Maine • London
Contents
Introduction
11
Chronology
16
Chapter 1: The Background of
J.D. Salinger
1. The Life of J.D. Salinger
Warren French
The publication of The Catcher in the Rye in 1951 was
the watershed event of Salinger's early career. He had
been working on versions of "the Holden Caulfield story"
for a decade, introducing characters by that name into his
short stories and working on a draft of a novel. Salinger's
experiences in World War II, however, caused him to reshape Holden into the more complex character that can
be seen in The Catcher in the Rye.
2. J.D. Salinger as a New Yorker Writer
David L. Stevenson
Although Salinger's works are not strictly autobiographical, he uses events and settings from his life throughout
his fiction, as well as a technique referred to as the New
Yorker writer.
22
38
Chapter 2: The Catcher in the Rye
and Depression
1. Holden Caulfield Is Disgusted by Phoniness
Harrison Smith
Holden Caulfield despairs at the phoniness he sees
around him and is acutely drawn to beauty and innocence. Salinger's genius in The Catcher in the Rye is in the
way in which he uses colloquial language to capture the
emotions of a troubled adolescent.
45
2. Holden Caulfield Is Searching for Love
Arthur Heiserman and James E. Miller Jr.
Holden Caulfield is engaged in two simultaneous
quests—he needs to return home at the same time that
he needs to leave home. Salinger's major theme in all his
works is the hell of being unable to love. Holden
Caulfield is obsessed with the desire to be good and to
love his fellow man with a childlike innocence.
48
3. Holden Caulfield Is Searching for a Father
Jonathan Baumbach
Holden Caulfield wants to be a saint and to protect and
save children. At the same time, he is also searching for a
spiritual father who will protect and save him.
58
4. Holden Caulfield Is Depressed by the World
and by His Own Failings
Ihab Hassan
Holden Caulfield's depression is caused by his scorn for
the false values he sees in adult life and his self-disgust
about being unable to live up to the vision that he has
for humanity.
68
5. Holden Caulfield Suffers from Unresolved
Sexual Conflict
Duane Edwards
Holden Caulfield has significant faults as a person and
shares in the phoniness that he despairs of in others. At
the heart of his neurosis is unresolved sexual conflict,
probably the result of latent, repressed homosexual tendencies.
79
6. Holden Caulfield's Problems Are Sexual
James Bryan
Holden Caulfield's crisis in The Catcher in the Rye is a
sexual and moral crisis. He has a suppressed incest desire directed toward his younger sister, Phoebe.
90
7. Holden Caulfield Is Unable to Cope with
an Adult World
Peter J. Seng
Holden Caulfield is a tragic figure whose flaw is his inability to exist in an adult world. He will survive his
mental defeat, but only when he learns to accept all of
humanity with the love he has for children.
103
8. Holden Caulfield Is Afraid of Growing Up
and Competing in an Adult World
Joanne Irving
Holden Caulfield has feelings of extreme inferiority
combined with aspirations of superiority. As a result, he
is ill-equipped to take on the tasks of preparing for a
career and forming adult emotional and sexual relationships.
112
9. Holden Caulfield Is Dealing with the Expected
Psychological Angst of Adolescence
Peter Shaw
Critics assessing whether Holden Caulfield is normal or
has a serious psychological problem need to remember
that adolescence is a time when abnormal behavior can
be normal. At times Holden is remarkably insightful,
and at other times he displays failures of judgment—
such variances are not uncommon during life's most
complex years.
124
10. Holden Caulfield Is a Teenage Everyman
Robert Coles
The author interviews Anna Freud, distinguished child
psychoanalyst and the daughter of Sigmund Freud, who
read The Catcher in the Rye after many of her young
patients drew her attention to the book. She diagnoses
Holden Caulfield as having a narcissistic personality
disorder, but she also says that he is representative of
every adolescent boy who is trying to figure out what is
important to him in life and why.
137
11. Holden Caulfield's Problems Are Caused
by Capitalism
Carol Ohmann and Richard Ohmann
The Catcher in the Rye is Salinger's critique of capitalism in post-World War II America. Holden Caulfield's
depression is caused by his aversion to class distinctions and meaningless social rituals.
148
12. Holden Caulfield's Depression Is Caused
by Emotional, Not Political, Factors
James E. Miller Jr.
Carol and Richard Ohmann's neo-Marxist interpretation of The Catcher in the Rye is simplistic. Holden
Caulfield is troubled by personal rather than political issues. The problems of a sensitive adolescent can not be
solved by social or political means.
162
Chapter 3: Contemporary Perspectives
on Depression
1. Many Risk Factors Can Trigger Depression
Bev Cobain
For teens with risk factors that predispose them to depression, there are stressful events that can trigger bouts
of depression. Knowing what these risk factors are can
help depressed teens understand their emotions and seek
help.
169
2. An Inability to Communicate Feelings Puts
Teenage Boys at Risk of Depression
Ellen McGrath
Anxiety disorders and depression are increasing among
adolescent boys. A significant contributing factor is the
inability of many teenage boys to discuss their feelings.
178
3. Many Children Are Not Treated for
Their Depression
Marianne D. Hurst
Between 5 and 11 percent of school-age children are experiencing depression. Approximately two-thirds of them
are receiving no treatment for their condition, and most
schools are not equipped to identify or treat depression.
183
4. The Transition to High School Increases
the Potential for Depression
Barbara M. Newman, Philip R. Newman,
Sarah Griffen, Kerry O'Connor, and Jayson Spas
A study of 205 eighth- and ninth-grade students examined the relationship between depression and changes in
social support during the transition from middle school
to high school. The results indicated that social support
declines during the transition to high school and that
symptoms of depression increased in the participants.
191
5. Young and Depressed
Pat Wingert and Barbara Kantrowitz
Although teenage depression is becoming more widespread, it is still difficult to spot and diagnose. However,
once it is diagnosed, treatments combining therapy and
medication are helping more young patients.
198
For Further Discussion
206
For Further Reading
207
Bibliography
208
Index
212