Holden Caulfield in the Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Sallinger suffers from a mental and emotional breakdown that is shown throughout the novel. Holden's depression is illustrated in different ways. In particular, the death of his younger brother Allie, relationship with Jane and other fellow...
Throughout his journey home, he describes bouts of deep depression, impulsive spending and erratic behaviour prior to his nervous breakdown. Despite his material wealth, Holden does not appreciate what he has; he feels guilty. For example, his roommate at Elkton Hills, Dick Slagee had very inexpensive suitcases. "He used to keep them under the bed, instead of on the rack, so that nobody would see them standing next to mine. It depressed holy hell out of me, and I kept wanting to throw mine out or something, or even trade with him" (108). ...
As Holden progresses from spending nights with roommates in a dorm to spending the night by himself in a hotel room he suffers an obvious mental breakdown. This was a downfall that was foreshadowed. Holden's mental state fell slightly with the time that he spent alone and among peculiar people. Holden's psychological breakdown was caused by extreme loneliness and depression. Loneliness is enough to drive anyone insane but the amount that Holden has endured is more than enough to put him in a mental institute. ...
