Holden's Failure to Join the Human Race in The Catcher in the Rye

Many tag Holden Caulfield. the main character of JD. Salinger‘s famous novel The Catcher in the Rye, as depressed. But depressed is a strong word, and I‘m no psychologist. I may not be able to diagnose Holden, but i can tell you that he’s got a lot of emotions and no idea how to handle them. Holden’s emotions are unpredictable and overwhelming, often leading to depressive periods. As Holden interacts with other, less sensitive, characters we see his reactivity more clearly.

William Faulkner penned that Holden “tried to join the human race and failed”, a diagnosis which is certainly on point: Holden’s failure to join the human race can be attributed his irregular but immense sensitivity, as illustrated by the character JD. Salinger includes. We first see Holden‘s peculiar sensitivity arise as Stradlater, Holden’s roommate at Pencey Prep, describes his date with Jane Gallagher. Jane is Holden’s childhood friend who holds a bit of romantic interest.

Jane is honest, kind, and innocent. Stradlater is just the opposite: an insensitive, sex-driven teenage boy who cares namely about his appearances. Holden appreciates and values Jane as a special person. He adores the quirky way she used to play checkers- “She wouldn’t move any of her kings. She’d get them all lined up in the back row. She just liked the way they looked when they were all in the back row.” Holden is upset by Stradlater’s ignorance of James true personality, preferring to pay attention to her body, Stradlater.

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and his date with Jane, are included to show the reader Holden’s complicated relationship with sex. Although Holden is excited by the maturity and pleasure of sex, he is also deeply upset by the subsequent adulteration and feelings of dirtiness. Holden’s sensitivity surrounding sexuality ultimately hold him back from normal social and sexual development.

Holden‘s sensitivity continues to unfold as he tells us about his siblings. He starts with D.B.. his older brother. Holden introduces DB. as an author who writes great stories, But Holden’s description of DB. quickly turns from admiration to heartbreak- “He wrote this terrific book of short stories. It killed me. Now he’s out in Hollywood, D,B., being a prostitute.”Holden is heartbroken over D.B.’s decision to sell out, work for a big industry, and join all the other “phonies” in Hollywood. DB. Caulfield reminds Holden of all the fake people in this world, which anger and overwhelm him throughout the novel. JD. Salinger includes 0.8. as the first introduction to Holden’s massive distaste for seemingly fake people (and maybe to have a character who also goes by their first two initials), This obsession with “phonies” arises numerous times throughout the novel, and is a clear handicap in Holden’s social interactions Holden‘s next sibling is Allie, who is deceased. According to Holden, “You’d have liked him.

He was two years younger than I was, but about fifty times as intelligent (m) But it wasn‘t just that he was the most intelligent member of the family. He was also the nicest, in lots of ways.” (Salinger, 38) Holden admires Allie‘s unique red hair, sharp intelligence, and soft innocence. As Holden is so appreciative of Allie, his death is earth shattering Holden tells us “I slept in the garage the night he died, and I broke all the goddam windows with my first, just for the hell of it.” As per usual, Holden won’t tell his reader that he is emotional, but we can infer he is from his actions. Even in more recent times, Holden is still sensitive to Allie’s death. With poeticism, Holden opens up about Allie being in a cemetery; “That‘s what nearly drove me crazy.

All the visitors could get in their cars and turn on their radios and all and go somewhere nice for dinner— everybody except Allie.  ljust wish he wasn’t there.” Using meager language, Holden further reveals his painful connection to Allie, For Holden, Allie is a beacon of uniqueness, intelligence, and sensitivity. Holden admires these traits in Allie, especially because they are missing from his perceived world. Although Allie never speaks, he brings attention to Holden’s lust for innocence and uniqueness. Passages including Allie make readers aware of Holden’s desire to connect with more unique, memorable, and intelligent people. The last, and most involved, sibling is Phoebe. Holden references Phoebe consistently. and she is the only sibling Holden actually interacts with during the novel. Much like his other siblings, Holden likes and appreciates Phoebe. Holden loves her energy, attentive listening, and dancing skills.

Phoebe is everything Holden wants someone to be; young, funny, and holding the same views as Holden. Holden enjoys reading her diaw. which is full of lighthearted entries about plans with friends, fictional characters, and astrology. But Phoebe is more than a younger sister, and more than a friend; Phoebe is the character who puts the spotlight on Holden’s obsession with youth and innocence. The climax of this is when Phoebe asks Holden to name one thing he would like to do for a living. Holden sidesteps the question at first, but finally lands on one “career”- protecting children in an imaginary field of rye. Connected to the novel’s title, this imagined scenario is clearly important. Holden imagines himself standing on the edge of a cliff near a field of rye with children playing in it. As the children carelessly run towards the cliff, Holden catches them, saving them from falling. This famous metaphor represents childhood and adulthood, specifically Holden’s romanticization of saving children from growing up.

Holden’s immense sensitivity, in this case triggered by children becoming adults, disallows him from functioning normally, as he is overwhelmed by his strong emotional reaction, Phoebe plays a vital role, as she causes Holden to finally vocalize his emotional connection to adolescence. It’s important to note that Holden’s sensitivity is irregular. Holden consistently lies, contradicts himself, and changes his mind. As Duane Edwards explores in his article “Holden Caulfield: ‘Don’t Ever Tell Anybody Anything”, Holden has only reliable trait: he’s unreliable. (Edwards, 555) It is vital to keep this in mind as we explore the idea of Holden as a sensitive character. One should not accept his seemingly sensitive reactions at face value. Instead, one should question the possibility of Holden actually overreacting due to his questionable mental state. Holden is immensely sensitive, but this sensitivity is more irrational than it is defendable.

For example, Holden yearns to see less “phonics”, and more interesting people. However. he uses topical judgements to slap stereotypes onto these so-called phonies, never giving them a chance to show their individuality or creativity. Keeping in mind the basis of Holden’s sensitivity. we can gather a more pragmatic understanding of Holden’s world. Whether rational or not, Holden is one sensitive teenager. He’s angry at “phonies”, he’s depressed by adulthood, he’s confused by sex, and he has no idea how strong these emotions are. JD. Salinger includes characters such as Stradlater, Jane Gallagher, and Holden’s siblings to help provoke some insight to Holden’s murky emotional world. And as we come to understand Holden’s complex emotional situation. we can understand why he is so far disconnected from mainstream culture.