Holden Caulfield Character Analysis

In The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger writes about a troubled teen named Holden Caulfield who undergoes failing school and travels through New York City at night. Salinger depicts Holden as someone with uncontrollable anger, many anxieties, extreme loneliness, powerful love, and numerous fears. All of this molds Holden into a complex person with an unusual personality and unique traits that make him different and unable to accept most of the people around him. In addition, there seems to be a deep connection between many of the things that he did and his own personality traits. The most prominent traits of Holden Caulfield, displayed through his speech, actions, and thoughts, are that he is judgmental, lonely, and depressed.
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The strongest proof of this is when Holden himself admits that he is depressed. Also, in one part of the story, Holden was crazy for girl company, but hearing that she went to the movies, de didn’t feel that way anymore. Additionally, he told Sally that they should run away together and live a new life, showing that he is dissatisfied with society and wishes for a better place. Holden also thinks about moving west where he can become a “deaf-mute,” indicating that he wants to be isolated from society. Furthermore, he also finds the mummies, which in a way, are deaf-mute, comforting. This all shows the depression within Holden. Through his actions, thoughts, and words, we see the major traits of Holden Caulfield. He is judgmental, picking out the faults of almost everyone he knows. Second, he is lonely, always seeking the company of others, and always no getting it. To add on, he is not satisfied with the company that he has since he keeps on looking for other company. Lastly, he is a depressed character, who finds no interest in everyday life, perhaps a cause of why he failed school. Despite all these negative aspects, Holden Caulfield is an interesting character who resembles many of the negative, but realistic, aspect of our