Re: I luv Holden

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---Cheryl Cline <ccline@uclink4.berkeley.edu> wrote:

> Salinger's characters' breakdowns seem merely to
involve a lot of tears.
> All of Salinger's characters have recovered or are
in the process of
> recovering by the end of each novel, (of the two
I've read, Catcher and
> Franny and Zooey, I don't know about the others)
but the question is
> whether or not the characters have mental problems
during the story. 
> Actually, Franny seems pretty stable to me, but
Holden's feeling that is
> he disappearing seems to betray a mental
disturbance.  Also, admitting
> that the stories are "about people getting better"
mentally suggests
> that there is a mental problem that they are
recovering from.
> 
> I don't mean that Holden's some kind of raving
lunatic-I just want to
> hear others' opinions on whether Holden is really
mentally clear
> throughout the novel or if he does in fact have
schizophrenia or some
> other problem.  I was told that Holden's fear of
disappearing is a
> symptom of schizophrenia-I heard an example of a
man imagining himself
> to be an orange, who then fears being peeled, eaten
and gone.  Of
> course, Holden doesn't have such extravagant
delusions, so I could be
> wrong.
> 
> I think that if there was any mental problem at
all, it would have had
> to be caused almost totally by Allie's death-it is
only when Allie dies
> that Holden first does something questionable, that
is, puts his fist
> through all the garage windows, and the family
starts to think about
> getting help for him.  Actually, it's possible that
all this
> mental-illness thing is just severe grief for
Allie, a grief that kind
> of muddles Holden's perceptions, although not to
the extent of a disease
> or disorder.
> 
> Cheryl
> 
> 
> 

i shouldn't be replying to this because there are
some hundred other messages left to read but:

in "rime of the ancient mariner" there was originally
no albatross. wordsworth added that part. (this is
already coming out wrong) anyway it is possible to
feel almost exactly the way holden does in the novel
and never have any of your brother's die. maybe or
maybe not salinger put allie's death in the novel to
make it easier for people to find a reason for the
way holden acts. for the same reason's that
wordsworth added the albatross.

anyway i have had no time to think about this and
about as much time to type it.

so there you are.
paul.
p.s.
don't yell at me for being stupid and then use this
post to prove it, please. thank you.
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