Holden is my hero. Several other details match those found in the first chapter of Catcher, including a reference to the mother of one of Caulfield's schoolmates and to his own mother sending him a gift of ice skates, but the story ends with his returning home instead of running away from school. So I google searched. I really dont think I could. I am also bipolar, and I find that I do not burn out so quickly when I am experiencing a serotonin high, but then eventually crash due to how much Ive been exerting my hypersensitive autistic brain (my serotonin is high during manic episodes). Tons of girls telling him how hot he looked, like this conceited bastard needed anyone else to tell him how good looking he was. Pencey is a good school, everyone always says, but it was filled with a bunch of phonies. Her green dress hanging in the closet and all. His life was complicated by the death of his younger brother, and the negative reaction that it invoked from his parents. Salinger's novel The Catcher in the Rye. After the play, Sally and Holden see, Holden sees all the people and views them all as phony, At the end of the first act we went out with all the other jerks for a cigarette. I read a lot of books and I am pretty smart. She was a very nice, polite little kid. Did You Know Anxiety Can Enhance Our Relationships? Life is a game that one plays according to the rules.". She hates them, that old Pheobe. They were right. She doesnt always have anything good to say, but she never stops talking. I do not have this exact diagnosis, but a lot of people close to me do, including Tech, and I have noticed that certain traits line up with Catchers main character and most likely contributed to his trouble with education and generally fitting into the world. Holden Caulfield is a troubled character who shows clear signs of clinical depression. Holden talks about his siblings and refers to them both as smarter than he is, but we can see that Holden is quite an articulate, observant, and creative boy. He was crying and crying. Interestingly, Holden also struggles with his own authenticity. Game, my ass. Some game. What I really felt like, though, was committing suicide. I could hardly see straight (Salinger 80). WebLast Updated: Jan 24, 2023 Article History Table of Contents Holden Caulfield, fictional character, the teenaged protagonist and narrator of J.D. The novel recounts Holden's week in New York City during Christmas break, circa 1948/49, following his expulsion from Pencey Prep, a preparatory school in Pennsylvania based loosely on Salinger's alma mater Valley Forge Military Academy. This leads to a number of bad decisions that occur over three days. I thought it was a nice touch that he seemed to absorb or mimic the mannerisms and vocabulary of whoever they interviewed/ or who he spent the most time with at given points. None of them played football, and they didnt give a damn about our schools team until they got here at Pencey. to the brutally forced suicide of James Castle at Elkton Hills. Also, the event that probably destroyed all faith and trust he had in society and people were when James Castle from Elkton Hills, jumped to his death. However, when looking at all of the data together, it seems more likely that Holden is heterosexual. Edubirdie. Hes sarcastic, nasty, and completely unlikeable. ", "One thing? Whenever Brian showed up or was mentioned on screen I immediately thought he was autistic. One time that kid was staring out the window for an entire math class and when Mr. Atticus called on him, I swear, that kid started talking about spelling words, like he totally forgot what class we were in. He has the potential to be the first realistic teenage homosexual character in English literature, which would give him a special significance. Attached: 220px-Rye_catcher.jpg (220x346, 33K) April 2, However, his ability to function in social situations such as parties and other highly social areas [71] contradicts what most people refer to as an Aspie trait, so it cant be AS. WebHolden Caulfield Character Analysis. He just keeps falling and falling. I remember this kid at my first school that was a real pain. I could do what they wanted when it made sense to. "You dont like anything thats happening.". I was afraid some teacher would catch me rubbing it off and would think Id written it. Holden, just home from camp, is waiting on the porch with his suitcases as Vincent comes back with Kenneth's unconscious body. But one question that has continued to intrigue readers is whether or not Holden Caulfield, the books main character, is gay. He probably does this because the words feel good in his mouth or head or because they are words he has learned to say in certain situations, in other words, scripting. Real-world depression patients often have a cynical outlook on life and are untrustworthy to cope with their depression, Cynicism is part of a defensive technique taken as protection (Depression and Cynicism). You cant ever find a place thats nice and peaceful, because there isnt any. Can Humans Detect Text by AI Chatbot GPT? Joined: 5 Jul 2004Age: 42Gender: FemalePosts: 5,039, Joined: 7 Nov 2006Age: 30Gender: MalePosts: 398Location: Ann Arbor, MI. I could puke every time I hear it (Salinger 57). The fact that Holden seems to be analyzing and categorizing everyone else he speaks to, such as his description of Stradlater as what might be the first example of a Chad jock and of Ackley as an abhorrent, socially unaware loser that Holden is glad he is not, contributes to this. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Those goddam pills didnt really do much for me. WebHolden has finally decided that he will avoid adulthood and escape his problems by running away from home and beginning a new life in the wilderness, where he plans on living Salingers The Catcher in the Rye was published in 1951, it was an instant success. mso-wrap-style:square'> His general health is poor. On the train back to New York, I checked my Instagram and thought about posting some crap about Pencey, but remembered that my mother and father followed me, and I didnt want them to know I had gotten kicked out. To those whom have read the book, you can see that he has some Aspie traits like social awkwardness. Mostly I use my account so I can make comments on my sister, Pheobes profile. Holden has suicidal thoughts multiple times throughout the novel. When talking about a student in his school, Ackley, he says, He hardly ever went anywhere. Fincher and Salinger both utilize numerous strategies so as to feature these difficulties, including setting, the topic of companionship/reliability and imagery. Holden begs him to stay, Have just one more drink, I told him. After Holden drops out of school, his roommate Stradlater brags to him about what a good time he had with Jane Gallagher. That is what the protagonist of the novel, Holden Caulfield feels like. WebI don't think Holden Caulfield has ASD, but he is definitely not neurotypical. -Graham S. The timeline below shows where the character Holden Caulfield appears in, It is several months into 1950, and 16-year-old, that he and his date decided to leave the football game early. In "The Stranger", published in Collier's December 1, 1945, Babe Gladwaller and his sister Mattie (a proto-type for Phoebe) visit Vincent Caulfield's former girlfriend, now married, to tell her about his death and deliver a poem he wrote about her. Salinger's various stories (and one novel) featuring a character named Holden Caulfield do not share a cohesive timeline, and details about "Holden Caulfield" and his family are often inconsistent or completely contradictory from one story to another. PDF downloads of all 1699 LitCharts literature guides, and of every new one we publish. "Name one thing. Holden does the same. Although J.D. I gotta run now, though. Salinger 's novel, Catcher in the Rye, is an excellent example of a psychologically sensitive portrayal of a child with autism spectrum disorder. Privacy Policy Privacy Policy I mean, I just have a Finsta. Its no secret that he suffers frequent mood swings, specifically bouts of depression and anger But no matter what I said, he asked me to say it again. Where are you going? WebThe character of Holden Caulfield in J.D. In this blog post, well take a look at some of the evidence that suggests Holden might be gay, and well also discuss why his sexuality matters. Thats good. The main character, Holden Caulfield (or Holden Cauliflower, as I affectionately call him) is a bit controversial and a bit polarizing. What Holden probably didn't realize in the novel was that his idea of those who are innocent is not very accurate. I had to stop taking them every few weeks so it didnt stunt my growth, and there was no difference in how well I listened when I was on them or off them, so my mother stopped giving them to me by the end of that year. But she never posts any selfies. You dont like a million things. Joined: 12 Nov 2007Age: 65Gender: MalePosts: 7,015. Gladwaller's relationship with his younger sister can be seen as a parallel to Caulfield's relationship with Phoebe. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of. You dont like any schools. All rights reserved The problems that Holden and Mark face are distance, selling out and character. Salinger where Holden Caulfield, an adolescent, is the protagonist and narrator (first person omniscient). Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. Growing Up Twitbook: Top 10 Predictions Of Life in 2024! WebHolden Caulfield is gay because of the way he speaks about women, his interests, and his overall demeanor. He asks many adults in the novel where the ducks go, and either they dont have an answer, or they give a nonsensical onewhich shows that adults dont know too much about growing up either. Holden obviously believes that he is more intelligent, more enlightened, or somehow better than all of those around him, but this is not the case. By the end of the novel, however, Holden realizes you cant protect anyone and you shouldnt to begin withyou should let them figure it out for themselves. Imagine that you are living in the middle of the 1950s and you are located in the middle of New York City, ordering a smoothie from a store with your girlfriend. He is out of shape because he smokes too much. He is alternately depressed, confused, angry, anxious, WebHolden Caulfield character explanations intentions communication concepts 03 Share This fall I think youre riding forits a special kind of fall, a horrible kind. The books title is of great importance. CliffsNotes study guides are written by real teachers and professors, so no matter what you're studying, CliffsNotes can ease your homework headaches and help you score high on exams. ., Thats the queerest thing I ever heard, [Phoebe] said. for their second studio album, Kerplunk (1991) after lead singer and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong read The Catcher in the Rye. Holden Caulfield is much more than a whiner--he sees the underbelly of a person and he is a saint--the world troubles him, and he's right, it sure is troubling. WebIhab Hassan, in J. Holden's fears and desires are understandable, but his solution (avoiding reality) is impossible. We were about to arrive in New York, but I wasnt tired. He read a couple pages and gave up. There are many reasons why Holden Caulfield is straight, but the most convincing evidence is that he does not exhibit any of the common signs or symptoms of homosexuality. I remember being a teenager and begging my father to read Catcher in the Rye because I didnt know how else to explain what was happening to me. And who can forget phony? I told him about breaking the windows in my garage. Holden Caulfield in experiencing adolescence in J.D. A second reason why Holdens sexuality matters is because of how people treat him differently depending on whether or not they think he is gay. Boy, was she depressing me. Holden Caulfield is a character close to my heart, and I see him as an example of a teenager with a misunderstood brain that no one knew what to do with. I couldnt wait to get out of Pencey. In terms of interpersonal relationships, Holden seems to do all right on the surface, being able to name friends and ex-girlfriends confidently. character) might have been the same person, but simply renamed in a later work. That was the only good part (Salinger 83). She said she had to meet her friend. WebIs Holden Caulfield autistic? He often insults others and makes fun of them, criticizing their problems without recognizing his own. Holden even has a fantasy about pretending to be mute and living in the woods so he no longer has to meet peoples expectations. But I fee like I relate to him because of my own ASD-related issues. It's all scripted and fake when he speaks. I did know. Press J to jump to the feed. The exact causes of depression are unknown. Terms of Use, Holden Caulfield: A Troubled Character With Signs Of Clinical Depression., Holden Caulfield: A Troubled Character With Signs Of Clinical Depression [Internet]. In chapter twenty, Holden is feeling very lonesome so he calls a friend to have a few drinks with. Nobodyd be different. During this three-day period, Holden makes many bad decisions. Im lonesome as hell. Most kids are. What do we make of Holden Caulfield? The ducks are migrating and he wants to know where they are going. It just didnt make any sense to me. The plot of the book, with Holden running away, having frequent crying spells, freezing in the middle of tasks, and generally losing his grip on his emotions, could be explained as him encountering burnout and fatigue from masking and not knowing how to cope. Some people love the sound of their own voice. They got out of break a little earlier so I could see that she was hanging out at the skating rink with these two other girls. Dont say that. But, in my opinion he isn't autistic, just has some personality "disorders". I care about you deeply, Holden. It makes me depressed to think about it. It made me feel not so depressed any more. He is out of shape because he smokes too much. I seek novelty, but tend to burn myself out pretty quickly when I do. He begins to see the world as unfair, after Allies death. He talks about all children (his brother Allie and his sister Phoebe) as if they are perfection personified, even though it becomes clear Phoebe isn't as nice or innocent as Holden thought her to be. This shows a lot about Holdens own mental disorders and the mindset he is perpetuating. I wasnt feeling sexy with her at all and I didnt want to lead her on. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Posted on 26/01/2012 Anyone whos read The Catcher in the Rye probably thought, at one point or another, that Holden Caulfeld is flat out bipolar. ", "Because you dont. "The Last and Best of the Peter Pans" relates the story of Vincent's draft questionnaire being hidden by his mother. She and I kind of have a friends with benefits thing, but I think she wants to be FBO. Holden also says things like where do the ducks go in the winter? which seems completely obvious to me and I didnt understand until the 8th time I read this book that it is symbolic. Another short story of note with relationship to Caulfield is "The Boy in the People Shooting Hat", which was submitted to The New Yorker sometime between 1948 and 1949 but was never published. He kept telling me to start reciting the Declaration of Independence, like it was so important. Here's an excerpt from my "diagnosis" of Holden. On edge because of the play and because of Sallys question about Christmas Eve. "I shoot people in this hat.". Gladwaller spends part of the day with his little sister before Vincent Caulfield arrives. ", "Like hell it is." Holden Caulfield is so very dear to my heart. And I was wonderingwhat psychological "disorder" does Holden (main character) have? Instant downloads of all 1699 LitChart PDFs What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliffI mean if theyre running and they dont look where theyre going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. The darkest form of Holdens social disconnect is when he hints that he has been a victim of sexual violence before, which is more likely to happen with autistic kids because of a lack of a sense of danger. He is reportedly "killed during one of the landings in the Pacific". What brought me to this blog was me randomly thinking of Holden today and connecting the dots that maybe he is autistic alt="wiki ommons" style='width:175pt;height:4in;visibility:visible; Thousands of little kids, and nobodys aroundnobody big, I meanexcept me. equinn, Joined: 2 Dec 2006Age: 36Gender: FemalePosts: 408Location: somewhere else. Youll learn from themif you want to. Expulsion from Pencey Prep. Holdens biggest problem with other people is the lack of authenticity he often encounters. They didnt get sanctioned as severely as Holden expected. I never found out what happened to Carl. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. In The Catcher in the Rye, Salinger gives us many hints suggesting that Holden may be gay. For instance, many have speculated that Holdens brother, D.B., is actually Vincent. I was only thirteen, and they were going to have me psychoanalyzed and all, because I broke all the windows in the garage. I felt more depressed than sexy, if you want to know the truth. ! she wrote in the caption, and those two buffoons wrote comments saying the same thing. One of his favorite insults is phony, and he is always going off about other people at his school posturing and protecting their images. That little lake? He is very untrustworthy of people. Returning to the bar after his phone conversation with Sally. I put my red hunting hat on, and turned the peak around to the back, the way I liked it, and then I yelled at the top of my goddam voice, "Sleep tight, ya morons!" "Thats a deer shooting hat. He simply didn't fit into a NT world as hard as he tried. "Life is a game, boy. My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking the themes as a class., Requesting a new guide requires a free LitCharts account. She would probably be asleep, but I wanted to see her anyway. [W]hile I was sitting down, I saw something that drove me crazy. They said that I had to learn to follow directions. He also has some unusual ideas of what is important, such as his recurring question about where the ducks go when the pond freezes over. WebHolden Caulfield is a typical anti-hero from the 20th century who features as the main character from the novel, Catcher In The Rye by J.D Salinger. path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f"> This fiction reveals more truth about the world than an individuals reality can often supply. WebIts the LXVIIth time theyve met. Feeling terrible for running from Ernies. However, when examined by a keen eye, J.D. bookmarked pages associated with this title. recalls the day his brother Kenneth (Allie) died. A third reason why Holdens sexuality matters is that it impacts his relationships with other characters in the novel, particularly Stradlater and Phoebe. This story appears to form the basis for several key scenes in the first several chapters of The Catcher in the Rye. He from there decided to leave and head for New York City. This is exactly the sort of thing a neurodivergent person who thinks concretely and does not understand social facades would be mad about. You can order a unique, plagiarism-free paper written by a professional writer. I felt like jumping out the window (Salinger 57). From his outlook on the world to his actions, and even his past, it is very easy to see that he has a mental health issue and needed to seek help. When I read Holdens point of view, I felt that I had some things in common with him. Holden Caulfield tells his story with surprising honesty from a hospital in California in a cynical and jaded language. Its possible, he does seem to display signs of neurodivergence. Knowing what you value will help you build the most meaningful life possible. He was suffering the sins of the people and he couldn't move forward. Kenneth dies later the same night. However, there seems to be a wall between Holden and most of the other people he interacts with. Near the beginning as well as the end of the novel, he feels that he will disappear or fall into an abyss when he steps off a curb to cross a street. "I'm Crazy" is closely related to the first chapter of The Catcher in the Rye. Previous Holden tends to rephrase things repeatedly and add on signature phrases such as that it did. Sometimes when this happens, he calls on his dead brother, Allie, for help. From his outlook on the world to his actions, and even his past, it is very easy to see that he When he goes to his old school and sees a curse word scratched on the wall in chalk, he thinks a "pervert" must have snuck in during the night to write it, when it was most likely another kid. Terms of Use But there was something about the way his face looked, like he never had a goddam pimple in his life or something that looked off.