McCarthy 1

Owen McCarthy

Mrs. Cox

Contemporary Lit.

2nd Dec. 2021

Contemporary Lit Exam Essay

Though the sights and sounds of life change throughout the years, the concept, along with

trials and tribulations, of life have largely remained the same. Children spend their years wishing

they were adults, adults do the opposite. One thing that has changed for the better, however, is

the understanding and discussion of issues regarding mental health, especially among young

people. Many kids today face at least one or even multiple mental health disorders, whether it be

depression, anxiety, ADHD, or even things like schizophrenia, and many kids live with the

constant anxiety observed in asylum patients around the time that JD Salinger wrote The Catcher

in the Rye.

According to the article “Holden Caulfield Revisited” by Mark Phillips, Salinger

experienced a childhood much like that of Holden, being “farmed out to prep schools,” likely

filling him with the fiery cynicism displayed by Holden during the book. The parallels between

Salinger and his character lead the reader to believe that Holden could even be a representation

of Salinger’s own feelings about life during his adolescence. Combining this possibility with

Holden’s incessant inner dialogue about his own feelings of depression and suicidal ideations

allows for the conclusion that Salinger, and likely many other kids from his generation, felt the

same things that many kids today are struggling with, and Salinger unknowingly published a

story in 1951 that would resonate with kids and adults alike that feel the same way that he did,

even seven decades later.

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Along with this, Holden’s seeking of help is a message that continues to be heeded for

those who are hurting and those who will hurt in the times yet to come. Chapter 19 consists of

Holden meeting a former student advisor by the name of Carl Luce for a drink to “catch up.”

After Holden shows immaturity through asking Luce about his sex life, the conversation begins

to take a surprisingly heavy and mature turn, as Holden asks Luce, whose father is a

psychoanalyst, if he can be “fixed,” in a roundabout way. Luce refrains from giving him a

straight answer, but instead instructs Holden to set up a meeting with Luce’s Father (192).

Holden seeking help is a major first step in his battle against his mind, and the beginning and

ending of the book showing that the story is a flashback being told in the chair of a therapist

proves he’s trying. Seeking help and admitting something is wrong is scary. Many adults never

seek help for their problems, let alone children and adolescents, who tend to see their problems

as lesser, or that they don’t even exist. For them to see how possible it is to seek help, they can be

inspired to do so themselves. Even if they cannot find the strength to ask for help, it can help just

to know that if someone was able to think of this scenario, and likely lived it, they are not alone.

The long and short of it is that Holden Caulfield is a relatable character, regardless of

time period, or his irrational cynicism and unbiased hatred of things he thinks are “phony.” The

relatability to all does not come from his personality, but rather the thing that drives the ship. His

mental health struggle hits home with many, and will continue to do so as long as the rates of

mental illness continue to rise around the world.