What are the effects of chronic rejection? According to Kipling Williams, Ph.D., being rejected chronically leads to depression, suicidal thoughts or actions, and substance abuse. An example of these consequences can be found in J.D Salinger’s novel The Catcher in the Rye. The book takes place over the span of a few days in New York, and the readers follow Salinger's main character, Holden Caulfield, as he navigates the transition from childhood to adulthood. During this difficult time, Holden is rejected by taxi drivers, strangers, and peers. Holden reacts by abusing alcohol, contemplating suicide, and falling into a deep depression.
Through the book, there are many moments were Holden contemplates suicide. There are also a few instances where he is drunk, and he’s depressed most of the time. There isn’t a better example than chapter seventeen to chapter twenty, the night Holden brings Sally Hayes on a date. Holden ends the night depressed, …show more content…
The first cab Holden took was from Penn Station to a hotel in New York. Holden asks the driver if he’d like to have a few drinks, and the driver politely turns him down. Holden proceeds to get drunk and denied once again by a few girls in a club. Later on, Holden takes another cab, to a different club. He asks the second cab driver if he'd like to get drinks, and this cab driver also says no. Holden gets even drunker at the new club and ends the night extremely depressed, and feeling like he wanted to go “Jumping out the window” ( Salinger 117). Altho Holden isn't as depressed in this example, he still contemplates suicide, and he still abused alcohol. Those actions are in fact reactions to the three rejections that he put up with (The two cab drivers, and the girls at the first club), and that was the second big time in the novel were the reactions were painfully
Through the book, there are many moments were Holden contemplates suicide. There are also a few instances where he is drunk, and he’s depressed most of the time. There isn’t a better example than chapter seventeen to chapter twenty, the night Holden brings Sally Hayes on a date. Holden ends the night depressed, …show more content…
The first cab Holden took was from Penn Station to a hotel in New York. Holden asks the driver if he’d like to have a few drinks, and the driver politely turns him down. Holden proceeds to get drunk and denied once again by a few girls in a club. Later on, Holden takes another cab, to a different club. He asks the second cab driver if he'd like to get drinks, and this cab driver also says no. Holden gets even drunker at the new club and ends the night extremely depressed, and feeling like he wanted to go “Jumping out the window” ( Salinger 117). Altho Holden isn't as depressed in this example, he still contemplates suicide, and he still abused alcohol. Those actions are in fact reactions to the three rejections that he put up with (The two cab drivers, and the girls at the first club), and that was the second big time in the novel were the reactions were painfully