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Theme Of Teenage Grief In Catcher In The Rye

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Theme Of Teenage Grief In Catcher In The Rye
After examining Holden Caulfield's transcripts, I have reached the conclusion that Holden suffers from teen grief. I have thoroughly analyzed the sessions you have had with Holden and recognized the symptoms of teen grief present in the teen. Major symptoms of teen grief that I have analyzed in Holden are as follows: Indecision, change in appetite, anger, depression, substance abuse, and irritability. Although these signs are common directly after the loss of an important person, Holden has suffered from this grief for the past five years, which we can recognize as Prolonged Grief Disorder. As Holden describes the events of his Christmas to you, Holden appears to downplay events in his life in order to avoid talking or thinking about these …show more content…
I slept in the garage the night he died, and I broke all the goddam windows with my fist" (Catcher in the Rye 38-39). Holden skips over Allie's death incredibly fast, and appears to be extremely hurt over Allie's death. Holden shows other symptoms of teen grief throughout his sessions with you. His transcripts show me that he is always irritated by something or …show more content…
He repeats this several moments later," Boy, he could really be aggravating sometimes" (25). Holden appears to be affected by severe depression as well. Holden laments," I felt so lonesome... I almost wished I was dead" (48). He also states," [Ackley] always brought out the old sadist in me" (22). We can assume that Holden has been referring to himself as a sadist for a long period of time, which raises a red flag. I recognize that Holden's symptoms only appeared after the death of Allie. He describes the museum that he went to when he was young, before Allie's death," I loved that damn museum" (121). However, after the death of Allie and while Holden visits the museum, all of a sudden, Holden just "didn't feel much like going" (122). Now that we realize that Holden is grieving, we can take measures to help him. His past definitely hurts, but in order for him to move on to a better future, we must help him recognize his own symptoms and heal from such a hurtful

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