Boorstin, a famous historian, once said, "We suffer primarily not from our vices or our weaknesses, but from our illusions. We are haunted, not by reality, but by those images we have put in place of reality."" These words by Boorstin essentially mean, to overcome the suffering of illusions, one must not look at life pessimistically, or they will be forever haunted by fear and anxiety. Rational thinking based on reason is a key to overcoming the misery of false impressions. The works of J.D. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye and Shakespeare's Othello are very similar in many ways, in that they both use akin aspects of characters to reveal how they are alike. Through situations, characters suffered because of the false images their mind created from harmless scenarios. Through the words and actions of various characters, illusions had been created, because of their naivety. Finally, through the characters misinterpretations of symbols, torment became a consequence. Holden Caulfield and Othello both experience similar situations where they suffer immensely because of the fear that false illusions and images had created. .
Through two significant situations, Holden Caulfield and Othello experience similar scenarios where illusions are caused and suffering ensues. As Iago and Cassio speak of Bianca, a hussie, Othello misinterprets this conversation and feels they are speaking of his wife, "I marry her! what? a customer! Prithee, bear some charity to my wit: do not think it so unwholesome. Ha, ha, ha!- (IV, i, 138-140). Instead of carefully examining the origin of Cassio's words, Othello assumes he is speaking of his wife, which stirs many vile thoughts in his mind, and in turn, causes him misery throughout the play. Minutes before Desdemona's appalling death, she asked Othello to get Cassio to confess that they had an affair, Othello responded by saying, "He hath confessed- (V, ii, 85). Othello's illusion that Cassio was cheating proved extremely costly as he lost a loyal wife that never committed a crime.