A DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF MENTAL ILLNESS IN “CATCHER IN THE RYE”, J.D. SALINGER

The purpose of this research paper is to address the issue of mental illness, particularly as evidenced in the “Catcher in the Rye.” Originally written as the autobiographical account of a fictional teenage prep school student named Holden Caulfield, the “Catcher in the Rye” (1951) established J.D. Salinger as a phonetically innovative American novelist unafraid to deal with material that was socially scandalous for the times. As an intelligent, inquisitive, and painfully sensitive young man, Holden put his world to the test: the sexual mores of his peers and elders, the principles of his education, and his own emerging sense of self. Salinger’s control of Holden’s easy, controversial manner makes the introduction of these large things appear natural and believable. (French, W.) To begin with, I should like to proffer some content regarding the novel. One outstanding aspect of the summary or plot of the “Catcher in the Rye,” is that it not a serious of events that build one on another toward a climax. Holden Caulfield is a 16 years old prep school student who has flunked out of school the week before Christmas. Several days b...