Comparison Of Depression In The Catcher In The Rye And The...

Compare and Contrast Depression; (n.) feelings of severe despondency and dejection; A mental health disorder characterized by persistently depressed mood or loss of interest in activities, causing significant impairment in daily life. Around 350 million individuals worldwide suffer from depression today; However, in the 1950s, depression was considered a rare condition. Today, doctors offer a wide variety of therapies and coping techniques for individuals but in the 1950s, electroshock therapy was the main procedure used on individuals. Among the â€Å"rare† cases were Sylvia Plath and J.D Salinger. Sylvia Plaths The Bell Jar and J.D. Salingers The Catcher in the Rye express two teenagers attempts to escape from repressive situations as†¦show more content†¦She is fascinated with the idea of death and different ways to die. Holden, however attempts to portray himself as an older man. He goes to bars and tries to get away with ordering alcohol, â€Å"I ordered a scotch and soda and told h im not to mix it- they lose their jobs if they get caught selling to a minor. I’m a goddamn minor.† (Chapter 10). Holden’s depression is subtle, but it affects him greatly. He hates being â€Å"young†, and abuses his privileges much too often, such as going to bars and ordering drinks. He even orders a prostitute later in the novel. Holden’s coping mechanism is different yes, but it works for him. While both Salinger and Plath portray themselves through Esther and Holden, their levels of expression differs greatly. Sylvia Plath expresses her own thoughts and wonders of death through Esther and while she is obviously depressed, Holden is more subtle, and reacts to situations differently. Although Holden and Esther are introverted, their outtake on life as well as their depression helps them go on to make astonishing discoveries about humanity. Both The Bell Jar and The Catcher in the Rye are set in New York City at some point throughout the novel. Ba sed on the knowledge of the location and the decade being the 1950s, we can assume that people are not the friendliest. Esther, having poor experience with men, once again comes to the harsh realization of men’s true desires, â€Å"I started to walk off. Marco sprang to his feet and blocked myShow MoreRelatedThe, Loss Suffered By Holden Acts As A Contributing Factor For His Inner Turmoil And Mental Illness2376 Words   |  10 Pagesdescribed Allie as ‘mature’ for his age. This could perhaps be why Holden has such negative associations with growing older: all he sees ahead is death. Therefore, loss endured by both Holden and Esther leads to their eventual depression and isolation from society. Furthermore, depression and isolation of characters also stems from failure in the academic sector. Initially, Esther was making huge progress in terms of her talented writing skills and was offered a range of literary opportunities growing up