Holden Caulfield Grief Analysis

When man goes through a traumatic experience, such as the loss of a loved one, his mind is significantly altered. He will begin to show signs of depression and withdraw from the community, usually engrossed by his own perception of the world around him. According to an article on the psychological symptoms of grief by author Maurice Lamm, a person in grief suffers from accusation of self, a loss of warmth, irritation and anger, hostility, and restlessness. Furthermore, in his article, Brook Noel explains that symptoms of grief include impulsive living in a surreal and dreamlike state. In The Cather in the Rye, J.D Salinger reveals the everlasting psychological results of grief through a teen-aged boy, Holden Caulfield. Holden shows these telltale signs, which are assumed to be a direct result of his loss of his younger brother, Allie. Holden lacks motivation, acts impulsive, portrays aloofness, expresses anger, grief, and …show more content…
His only want is to become a "catcher in the rye", a protector. His deep rooted depression creeps up the tree of life and takes the life from it. After his brother's death, Holden feels as though there is no point to living life anymore, which ultimately alters his perception of his environment. He has no goals, nothing to look forward to or work towards, and no motivation to pursue them if he did. He sees this as overwhelming evidence that life serves him no purpose, and he, it, as well. Any educated person in the field of psychology could explain that, after losing someone, thoughts like these are symptoms of depression. Holden does not view life as a beautiful journey with endless possibilities because his mind can only find faults. He considers older people to be "phonies" and considers their ability to ignore the war as disgusting instead of heroic and reflects on the sadness of the ducks being isolated from their pond when it freezes over, instead of seeing the beauty in the frozen