CITR #2: Alienation as a Coping Mechanism

It is obvious that Holden is a very troubled person. He has flunked out of school, shows absolutely no interest in his future, and doesn't seem to be able to connect with people. He is continually criticizing others for being phony while he himself is a compulsive liar.

Holden is an unhappy person. In addition to labeling people as phonies, he often describes himself, things and other people as depressing. For example, when he gets his "crumby" room at the hotel in New York, he didn't care much because he was "too depressed to care whether I had a good view or not" (p 61). He then describes the bellboy depressing because he is old and bald. Holden describes himself as depressed more and more often as the book progresses. For example, while in a club in New York City, Holden finds the conversations around him to be depressing and phony. Later, Holden becomes depressed while hanging out with the ladies in the lounge of the hotel because they are obsessed with movie stars. Holden also becomes depressed when the prostitute comes into his hotel room.

I think that Holden is probably scared. He doesn't know who he is, what he's doing, or he is going to become. He doesn't really seem to have any balance in his life. He doesn't seem to have any hobbies anything he is particularly skilled at. I'm guessing that he judges people because by pointing out other people's weaknesses (or their perceived weaknesses), he makes himself feel better about who he is. Although he may have nothing going for him, he makes himself feel better by bringing other people down. When he creates these quick judgments of people, labeling them "phony," he is actually demonstrating to the reader that his own perceptions of others are superficial. Obviously this is not sustainable behavior and I think it is also contributing to his depression.

Kai, what do you predict will happen with Holden's depression throughout the book? Is he just going through a phase? Will it become worse? Will he have some turning point/moment of realization in which he comes to understand his self-worth?