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Suicide and death, Suicide, Depression, Otline, Outline - Coggle Diagram
Suicide and death
Death
“One of my troubles is, I never care too much when I lose something” (117).
“What I have to do, I have to catch everybody if they start to go over the cliff- I mean if they’re running and they don’t look where they’re going I have to come out from somewhere and catch them. That’s all I’d do all day. I’d just be the catcher in the rye and all”
“Boy, when you’re dead, they really fix you up. I hope to hell when I do die somebody has sense enough to just dump me in the river or something. Anything except sticking me in a goddamn cemetery. People coming and putting a bunch of flowers on your stomach on Sunday, and all that crap. Who wants flowers when you’re dead?” (201).
As the book progresses and more is discovered about the complex web of emotions Holden faces, more about his character is revealed. It becomes evident that he is desperate to protect innocence as he tries to distance himself from the pain of loss. His previous encounters with death, Allie and James, made him familiar with feelings of grief and suicide. It seems as though he might be in denial about the passing of his brother and desperately wishes things stayed the same. When Holden talks about not caring about losing things, it leads me to believe he might be getting used to the never-ending hardships. Holden is a negative person, leading him to expect less and isn't as surprised when the things he love change or leave.
“What I really felt like, though, was committing suicide. I felt like jumping out the window. I probably would’ve done it, too, if I’d been sure somebody’d cover me up as soon as I landed. I didn’t want a bunch of stupid rubbernecks looking at me when I was all gory” (136).
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“Anyway, I’m sort of glad they’ve got the atomic bomb invented. If there’s ever another war, I’m going to sit right the hell on top of it. I’ll volunteer for it, I swear to God I will” (183).
“I swear if there’s ever another war, they better just take me out and stick me in front of a firing squad. I wouldn’t object” (182).
“I felt so lonesome, all of a sudden. I almost wished I was dead” (62).
Holden's feelings of sadness and depression put him in a dark place. He wishes so desperately that things could stay the same, and when they don't he becomes suicidal. He sometimes cracks jokes as a way to make the audience laugh but also to supress how hurt he's truly feeling. On page 62, he begins talking about him being dead and from there it only worsens. As the book starts to conclude, his negative quotes get more frequent and more graphic, most likely because his mental health was declining and he gave more thought to those negative voices in his head.
“Almost every time somebody gives me a present, it ends up making me sad” (67)
“I felt so depressed, you can't imagine. What I did, I started talking, sort of out loud, to Allie. I do that sometimes when I get very depressed” (49).
Because Holden is almost always left in a constant state of grief and sadness, he is driven to think more about death and the possibility of killing himself. He feels like he isn't worth anything, especially when he sees people less fortunate then him and when he receives gifts.
By looking at Holden's suicidal thoughts and reckless actions, we can see how much of an impact they have on his relationship with himself. This is important because it helps uncover why he thinks so negatively and if he's simply projecting his insecurities onto others when he judges them so closely.
Holden's repetitive thoughts of suicide and self-harm reveal a lot about his inner hatred towards himself. Throughout the book, Holden can be seen feeling bad after buying nice things or receiving gifts. When looking at others eating toast and a coffee, he felt guilty and unworthy of eating a slightly more extravagant meal.
Holden's often acts out in ways that puts his life in jeapordy. However, due to how little self-wroth he has, he doesn't care when placed in unsafe situations. Upon hiring a prostitiute, Holden was attacked and beaten for more money, and instead of returnig home or calling the police, he instead uses that as a reason to get drunk.
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