FREE ESSAY ON CATCHER IN THE RYE

CATCHER IN THE RYE

The Impossible Job: Catcher in the Rye
Recent studies show that depression is common among teenagers. Although the research may
be new, it is not a new disease that has occupied teenagers. In the novel Catcher in the
Rye by J.D. Salinger, the main character Holden Caufield is a depressed young man
searching for good in the world; scenes in this story push Holden over the edge until he
has an epiphany that eventually causes him to have a breakdown. 
Holden's constant inquiry about the location of the ducks in Central Park and his
conversation with Sunny, instead of sexual intercourse, signify a lost boy in desperate
need of help. Holden interrogates two taxi cab drivers about the location of the ducks
during winter in Central Park. As Holden questions the second driver, Horwitz, the taxi
cab driver responds by relating the ducks to the fish in the lake. The taxi cab driver
irritably responds to Holden's barrage of questions by replying, If you was a fish,
Mother Nature'd take care of you, wouldn't she? (109) The answer is satisfactory to
Holden because he knows that wherever the ducks may be, they are taken care of. Holden's
motive for wanting to know where the ducks fly in winter is that he cares for them
because they relate to him. Similarly, Holden is subconsciously searching for help; he
believes that by helping others, such as the ducks, he will find good in the world that
will warm his heart and cure him of his depression. However, he finds the ducks do not
cure his depression and again he discovers himself feeling lonely. Soon after the duck
incident, Holden has his first encounter with Sunny. He starts talking to her and states
his (phony) age. Sunny responds, Like fun you are. (123) Then, Holden recognizes she is
just a kid; prostitution is no way for a child to live. As Holden tries to reach out to
her by initiating a conversation, instead of sex, she only pushes him away by stating,
Let's go. (125) Sunny eventually leaves and again Holden feels depressed. He only wishes
to help her because subconsciously he could relate to her: they were both trapped in a
world in which they did not want to participate.
Mr. Antolini's discussion with Holden, identifying his problem, causes Holden's
depression to soar to a new level. Holden calls Mr. Antolini because he remembers him as
a decent man with whom he could hold a decent conversation. Thus Holden enters his
apartment and Mr. Antolini recognizes something is wrong with Holden. Mr. Antolini
vocalizes his concerns by stating that Holden is riding for some kind of a terrible,
terrible fall. (242) Holden cowers away from his advice by thinking to himself he is
tired. However, Mr. Antolini hammers on stating, But I do say that educated and scholarly
men, if they're brilliant and scholarly to begin with-which, unfortunately, is rarely the
case-tend to leave infinitely more valuable records behind them than men do who are
merely brilliant and creative. (246) Mr. Antolini is trying to help Holden by saying that
if he does not apply himself to receiving an education, he is ruining and depriving
himself of a happy life; his future will depend on the degree of his education. Holden
tells himself he is tired and in fact, he is actually establishing a wall in order to
block out Mr. Antolini's advice. Later, Holden goes to bed and finds Mr. Antolini
stroking his head. He exclaims, What the hellya doing? (249) Holden's new wall is the
assumption that Mr. Antolini is a homosexual. As a result, Holden believes this gives him
the right to flee from Mr. Antolini's apartment. Later, Holden becomes more depressed as
he realizes Mr. Antolini was only admiring him but, he realizes this at a safe distance.
It is another part of his wall to not hear more of Mr. Antolini's diagnosis; he knows he
will never return to the Antolini's apartment.
Holden's depression deepens as he has an epiphany both in the museum and at the carousel.
For example, Holden stands in a tomb (in the museum) and again he views another Fuck you
scrawled under the glass in red crayon. Holden narrates, That's the whole trouble. You
can't ever find a place that's nice and peaceful, because there isn't any. (264) Holden
now realizes, depressingly, he cannot save all the innocent children from the evil of the
adult world; he will never be a catcher in the rye. Next, Holden sees Phoebe as she
approaches him with a suitcase. He asks, knowingly, what the suitcase is for and she
responds, I'm going with you. Can't I? (267) Holden feels as if he is about to faint; he
knows that taking Phoebe with him would be destroying her life too. He knows he cannot
save Phoebe because he must help himself first. They cross over to the carousel; Holden
consequently has a second epiphany. While Phoebe tries to grab hold of the gold ring
Holden states, The thing with kids is, if they want to grab for the gold ring, you have
to let them do it, and not say anything. If they fall off, they fall off, but it's bad if
you say anything to them. (274) Holden realizes you cannot tell a kid not to act as a
kid: they will no longer be innocent. It depresses him to know he will never again be
innocent and that he cannot warn Phoebe of the adult world because she will no longer be
innocent. 
The world is more knowledgeable today about depression in adolescents. However,
depression was just as common long ago as it is today. In J.D. Salinger's book Catcher in
the Rye, Holden Caufield is a troubled, depressed teen looking for a world that is not
phony; eventually four scenes in the novel finally lead him to a breakdown. In the end,
Holden discovers that being a catcher in the rye is an impossible job and that he cannot
he even save Phoebe.
Bibliography
Catcher in the Rye