Holden Caulfield as a Troubled Teenager in The Catcher in the Rye Essay Sample

Do you believe Holden Caulfield‘s behavior through the story is due to deep rooted trauma through his life? Throughout the duration of the story Holden is seen as a troubled teen just trying to get through life as he pleases. Though Caulfield is a troubled teen I believe his actions and behaviors are justified in some way. I have come to the conclusion that Holden‘s actions stem back to issues he’s had with his family dynamic, sexuality, and mental health. 

One of the reasons I believe Holden Cualfield has behavior issues throughout the story is due to the dynamic he has with his family. This is shown to us in quotes such as, “You should see her. You never saw a little kid so pretty and smart in your whole life. She’s really smart… As a matter of fact, I’m the only dumb one in the family.” This infers to us that Holden has a great attachment/ relationship with his sister that he might not have with the rest of his family. He shows us this when he says that he’s the only dumb one in the family. This is telling us that Holden feels unworthy and like the black sheep of his family. Another quote that shows a similar example to this is when Holden says “It made me pretty sad. She bought me the wrong kind of skates - I wanted racing skates and she bought hockey - but it made me sad anyway.” This quote reveals to the reader that there’s a detachment in Holden's relationship between his mother and him. Though his mother tries to show Holden he loves him there’s a detachment in their communication and evidence shows that detachment from families can lead to behavioral issues in life. 

Another reason I believe Holden Caulfields traumas lead to the way he acts throughout the story are because of his issue with his self esteem that persists through the story. One of the first times this is shown to us is when Holden says “That guy had everything. Sinus trouble, pimples, lousy teeth, halitosis. You had to feel sorry for.” I believe this quote reveals to us that Holden has some self esteem issues and I personally believe when he’s bullying others he’s reflecting his own insecurities onto other people to make them feel bad about themselves. In addition to that another quote that shows us are you sure Holdens issues with self-esteem is when Holden is talking about his family. “My brother DB’s a writer and all, and my brother Allie, the one that died, that I told you about, was a wizard. I’m the only really dumb one.” This quote also reveals Holdens insecurities about him versus the rest of his family. Having these kinds of views of yourself can lead you to have many behavioral issues such as bullying, anger outbursts and depression. 

Furthermore Caulfields behavioral issues could also be due to the mental health issues that are evidently displayed through the story. One of the first signs of Holden displaying mental health issues is when he says,“Boy, I felt miserable. I felt so depressed, you can’t imagine. What I did, I started talking, sort of out loud, to Allie. I do that sometimes when I get depressed.” This quote tells us that Holden is struggling with mental health issues such as depression. This also shows us that Holden is feeling lonely and has no one to go to mental health issues can take a strong toll on young adults such as Holden which can lead to many behavioral issues. In addition to this quote there is also another cool telltale sign of mental health issues in Holden‘s life. “I felt so lonesome, all of a sudden. I almost wished I was dead.” This quote is again telling us that Holden is struggling with being lonely but this is also showing us that he’s having suicidal thoughts which can really affect the way someone behaves.

Those are the many reasons I believe that Holden’s deep rooted trauma with family dynamic, self-worth, and mental health issues or why he behaves the way he does throughout the story. One large memorable portion of the story that truly shows us that his trauma has affected him in the long run is the ending chapter that tells that throughout the whole story Holden has been in a mental institution telling his life story through that.