Approximately 6.7 % of the American population is living with depression, but only about 1 out of every 3 persons is being treated. The novels Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger and The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath explore just what it’s like having major depression. The two main characters in these novels are both different and similar in many ways. A huge difference between the two is their gender roles; one is male and the other female, however both struggle with conforming into them. The biggest similarity between the two is their difficulty with battling their mental illness and the detachment from life as a result. In the novel Catcher in the Rye, Holden is the main character in the story and it is told from his male perspective. Because
