Holden Caulfield Mental Illness

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"PTSD: It's not the person refusing to let go of the past, but the past refusing to let go of the person" by Anonymous describes the central character of the novel; "The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger. The story is narrated by young, teenage rebel; Holden Caulfield. The book takes place in his hometown New York in the 1950's over the course of two days. In these two days, he openly discusses his feelings about his past and his depressing thoughts as he drifts through his city on his own. There is a common argument among critics and fans alike about what mental state Holden is in. They thoroughly analyze his behavior and the way he views subjects to determine what he has. It would be important to know Holden's mental state so we could have more knowledge about Holden and how his actions display his possible mental disorder. …show more content…
To end the speculation, Holden Caulfield has Post Traumatic Stress Disorder over another disorder like Bipolar Disorder because of his experience with a traumatic event, his flashbacks, and his substance abuse and cynicism that he has shown throughout

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