Depression
In 1998, suicide was the eighth leading cause of death for all Americans, for ages 15-24 it was the third leading cause of death, and the second leading killer in most colleges. This is often linked to untreated depression. Throughout the book The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield, the main character, shows numerous signs of depression. Many of the things that Holden does and says are warning signs of depression, which can later lead to suicidal behavior.
During the first few pages of the book Holden had a conversation with one of his former teachers about his academic under achievements. He flunked out of Pencey, and had other difficulties at Whooton School and Elkton Hills. (13) In many of those schools his grades were not very good. Consequently, in many cases of children's grades dropping refers to depression. The lack of attention in those classes also causes a drop in grades. Holden had problems in most of his classes besides English. In many of his......
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Approximate Word Count: 707
Approximate Pages: 3 (260 words per double-spaced page) |