Bushra Zaman

Period 5
Catcher in the Rye
Literary Criticism Essay: Psychoanalytical

As a person undergoes a new experience they undergo a transformation in their behavior

and personality. The Catcher in the Rye is a life story of young Holden Caulfield. Holden’s

disposition in itself is much different than most children during his time. Children of the 1950’s

were respectable young people. They only spoke when spoken to, and only of topics that could

not be questioned or elaborated upon. Holden, however, ponders new ideas and questions what

is already set in stone. He is viewed as foreign because of his thinking; therefore his identity

leads to the diagnosis of Histrionic Disorder.

Histrionic Disorder is a dramatic personality disorder that deals with the mental health of a

person. Those with Histrionic Disorder have to rely on others for approval of who they are. Like

Holden, a Histrionic patient “dresses provocatively and exhibits inappropriately seductive or

flirtatious behavior” (Mental). “We horsed around a little bit in the cab on the way over to the

theatre. At first she didn’t want to because she had her lipstick on and all, but I was being

seductive as hell and she didn’t have any alternative” (Salinger 125). The young women who

Holden was out with did not want to engage in intimacy; however Holden persisted until he got

his way. “In my mind I’m probably the biggest sex maniac you ever saw. Sometimes I can think of

very crumby stuff I wouldn’t mind doing if the opportunity came up” (Salinger 62). He tries to

assure himself of his own greatness by averting attention to all things sexual. Holden always acts

melodramatic when he asks his friends, and acquaintances, about their romantic and sexual

relationships.

Holden enjoys digging into the lives of other people, hoping that he will recover answers

that will help his sex life. According to “The Truth about Mental Illness: Choices for Healing”,

those with Histrionic Disorder have “exaggerated, often inappropriate emotional displays”

(Whitfield 133). While staying in New York Holden calls up Carl Luce, an old friend from the
Whooten School. Luce was Caulfield’s student adviser while he was at the Whooten School. Being

an older and more mature boy, Carl continuously gathered the other boys together for talks

about sex and homosexuality. As an older, somewhat authoritarian figure at the school, the boys

looked to Luce for advice on sex and relationships, often leading them to question their own. The

moment Luce takes a seat with Caulfield at the bar, Holden dives into a sea of questions

concerning Luce’s sex life. “The first thing that he said when he sat down was that he could only

stay a couple of minutes...’How’s your sex life,’ I asked him. He hated you to ask him stuff like

that” (Salinger 144). What Holden does not seem to understand is that a person cannot jump

into a conversation that involves such a sensitive and personal topic. “That’s the trouble with

these intellectual guys. They never want to discuss anything personal unless they feel like it”

(Salinger 144). Such conversations can not be tossed around like everyday chit chat. When

Holden brings up the talk of sex he starts to act comically.

Other peoples view of Holden Caulfield is that he is “approaching theatrically” (Whitfield

133). By being over dramatic, Holden steers the attention of others towards himself. A symptom

of Histrionic Disorder is to “act very dramatically, as though performing before an audience, with

exaggerated emotions and expressions, yet appears to lack sincerity” (Mental). After Carl Luce

leaves Holden, he sits at the bar wallowing in self pity. As time passes by Holden becomes

intoxicated and conceited. “When I was really drunk I started that stupid business with the bullet

in my gut” (Salinger 150). His act consists of a gunshot to the stomach. Holden continues the

drama long after he is told to leave the bar. “So what I did, I gave old Sally Hayes a buzz…’They

got me. Rocky’s mob got me. You know that? Sally, you know that?’” (Salinger 150-151).

Caulfield’s antics continue as he attempts to buy drinks at his young age. He lies about his age,

making himself older than he really is, and uses his graying hair as a signal of just that. When

others do not believe him, he often acts out, sometimes even violently.
 Holden has become “excessively sensitive to criticism or disapproval” (Nichols). At school,

Holden’s roommate Stradlater asks him to write an essay for him. The essay could be about

anything. Holden decides to write about his late brother Allie’s baseball mitt. The mitt is covered

in poetry written by Allie. Reading it, Stradlater becomes furious. “’No wonder you’re flunking the

hell out of here,’ he said. ’All right, then, give it back to me, then.’ I went over and pulled it right

out of his goddamn hand. Then I tore it up” (Salinger 41). Instead of trying to persuade Stradlater

about the paper, Holden reaches for the anger inside him and tears the paper up. All his time

and work is wasted. He falls too easily under Stradlater’s criticism. Holden often does not stop to

think about his actions. This therefore leads to his sensitivity to the criticism and disapproval

from others. That is their reaction to his rashness. During his trip to New York, Caulfield goes out

on a date with Sally. Holden divulges his true emotions towards school and his failure. He tells

Sally that learning at school just isn’t for him. Suddenly, he has an epiphany. He asks Sally to run

away to the woods with him. Holden explains that he would get a job and that they would build a

cabin in the forest. “’We’d starve to death. Why, the whole idea’s so fantastic. Don’t you want to

go with me? Say so if you don’t’” (Salinger 132). Sally quickly changes the subject, acting as if

nothing happened. Again, Holden forgets to think about his plans. Sally’s way of thinking is very

realistic, she is thinking about their wellness, if something were to go wrong. He sees her

disapproval as a threat to his way of thinking. “’C’mon, lets get outa here. You give me a royal

pain in the ass, if you want to know the truth’” (Salinger 133). Holden’s frustration causes him to

run his mouth off in anger. Histrionic patients “have a low tolerance for frustration” (Nadelson).

Those with Histrionic Disorder have no control over their emotions, especially anger. They

are “easily bored and never finish what they start” (Nadelson). In The Catcher in the Rye,

Holden’s current school that he is attending is Pencey Prep. It is a prestigious all boys school.

Holden seems to be asking to be kicked out of Pencey. “This is about the fourth school I’ve gone

to” (Salinger 8). To Holden Pencey is just another school full of boys who care only for a woman’s
looks, yet strive for the same distinguished life. Holden does not try to better himself

educationally, or have hope for a life after school, “I was flunking four subjects and not applying

myself and all” (Salinger 4). He has lost faith in his school work, not even realizing that with an

education live and work as he pleases. “’I passed English all right,’ I said, ‘because I had all that

Beowulf and Lord Randal My Son stuff when I was at the Whooton School’” (Salinger 10). Holden

gives the impression that he does not care for school, or even his future.

Holden Caulfield is seen as a confident and young man by outsiders. Unfortunately, he

deals with a number of inner demons. He dresses provocatively, has inappropriate emotional

displays, is over dramatic, is sensitive to criticism, and cannot handle frustration. An average

child of the 1950’s does not hold such characteristics in his/her mind. Children from that time are

quiet, well-behaved, indirect young people. Holden Caulfield is outspoken, rowdy, and blunt. This

disposition of himself leads to the diagnosis of Histrionic Disorder.