Holden Case - Relationships

Patient Overview

After the long twenty-six hours I have spent with Mr. Holden Caulfield many things rushed to my mind. There were many things I could tell he was struggling with in his day to day life; including school, family, relationships, getting over his brother's death. Many times over the hours he had said he was crazy, and put himself down. While studying him many mental illnesses came to mind, but the patient's behavior in this case indicates that he has clinical depression. I believe his relationships, his brother's death, and life in general are what caused the Holden to fall into depression at such a young age.

Analysis

Relationships

Throughout the many hours I shared with the patient he talked about many people and I've come to understand that he didn't have many stable relationships. While at Pencey Prep he had difficulty with his roommate Stradlater and another boy named Ackley. One night after Stradlater got home from a date Holden was feeling very irritable and "tried to sock him" (Salinger 43). It occurs to me that with Pencey Prep being "about the fourth school" (9) Holden had attended he didn't have one really good friend. Boys of all ages need to have a friend to help them through stuff, and Holden did not have one.

Holden had a few relationships with quite provocative women. That was not good for a boy of his age. Once he left Pencey Prep and made it to New York he called a woman "that wasn't exactly a whore or anything, but didn't mind doing it once in a while" (63).Her name was Faith Cavendish. He also had another encounter with a woman named Sunny. She came over to his hotel room and while there he asked her "don't you feel like talking for a while?" (95). This shows that Holden had a tough time making up his mind. He invited Sunny the prostitute into his room, but while she was there he decided he would rather talk to her.

The only good relationship I found Holden had was with his little sister Phoebe. When he arrived in New York he thought about giving her a call, but decided not to because it was quite late. Later on in our time together when he tells me about his visit with Phoebe he tells me about reading her notebooks. This shows that he has a big interest in his little sister's life. IT was awfully nice of Phoebe to lend him her Christmas dough. This shows that they do have a relationship that both take part in. Phoebe was trying to do the right thing for her brother. I think Holden having a good relationship with Phoebe is what kept him somewhat on track in life.

Allie's Death

The patient had a little brother named Allie who died of leukemia when Holden was thirteen. This is one of the biggest reasons for the patient's depression. "I like