Holden Caulfield and Depression Essay Example

in reality being alone was the root of his depression because he had no one to talk to (80). This whole novel shows how Holden has to face his problems with depression and coping with loss or death. He has to deal with his older brother D. B living in Hollywood and Allie being dead. The plot is when Holden leaves Pencey Prep and is alone in New York, because he does not want to go back home to face his parents and tell them he got kicked out of another school.

The conflict is within Holden’s emotions; will he be able to make it another day with depression? Every other page describes how Holden’s depression erupts, for example, “ The more I thought about my gloves and my yellowness, the more depressed I got,” which describes him as a person who seems to become distressed with a simple thought from the past by an emotional connection. In conclusion, character analysis and plot/conflict strongly identifies why Holden’s depression is the common theme, which causes the conflict within this novel.

By the end Holden’s depression culminates in his admission to a mental institution for a psychological breakdown. Although various types of depression can make an individual become emotionally paralyzed when they make mental connections to painful experiences, such as Holden’s brother dying, getting treatment is the first step in feeling better. For Holden it is clear that he could be treated and even go back to school in the fall.