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Psychological Issues In Catcher In The Rye

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Factors outside of one 's control can influence one 's mindset and emotional behavior. This could be a result of events that couldn 't have changed despite the fact that the person believes the events shouldn’t have happened. Whether it is the loss of someone important at an early age or having abusive parents, the mindset will change as a result. In the novel, “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger, the main protagonist Holden Caulfield has unstable behavior issues. Holden finds trouble when trying to “fit in” with his society because he believes there is no one to relate to, and even when he starts to believe someone is relate-able, he often drives them off. “Don 't ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody“(Holden …show more content…
Throughout the book, Holden mentions the name Jane Gallagher as she is the one and only person whom he truly loves. He spent his whole summer with her and feels as if she is one of the few who could relate to Holden. From a Freudian psychoanalytical perspective, Holden would seem to be developing his id, where he wants Jane and wants her at the moment he mentions her. As a result, this causes Holden to become frustrated at the fact that he can 't have her and causes him to perform actions that are irrational and regrettable. Holden tries to substitute his desire to have her by hiring prostitutes or talking to other women. These substitutions are a result of irrational behavior and acts on impulse, and Holden finds himself regretting his decisions. In the novel, Holden decided to hire a prostitute to lose his virginity, but soon after he states, “ 'The thing is I had an operation very recently. '...Then she sat down on my goddam lap... 'I 'm still recuperating '” (Holden 96). Psychoanalysis would suggest that Holden 's superego is in effect where his morals make him realize that his decisions aren 't necessarily the best ones and tries to avoid the situation soon after. In the end of these events he often finds that his partner believes that he isn 't worthy enough as he doesn 't have a proper education and is different from other men. This drives Holden insane as he personally believes that everyone in his society are “phonies” and are all fake. At times Holden even admits and expresses his anger as he mentioned to Sally. He states, “I shouldn’t have said it and I probably wouldn 't 've ordinarily. But she was depressing the hell out of me” (Holden 133). Freud would believe that Holden 's superego conflicts with his normal ego as he blatantly said that Sally was annoying him, but he was hesitant in telling

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