Can someone please explain Catcher in the rye? I've read that he was hopitalized. But why?

Question

I just don't understand it. I only ready it once. When i was in high school. So maybe i need to give it another shot and read it again. Can someone explain further so i know a little more as i'm reading it again?

I didn't read it with my high school i read it on my own time.

Answer 1

Holden is hospitalized because he has burned out. He has reached a mid-life crisis far before he's anywhere near mid-life. Consider his fascination with children. He misses being young and innocent, and truly despises the corrupted world of adults. He has chips on both of his shoulders and he starts projecting his own feelings of inadequacy onto other people like Stradlater, Mr. Spencer, and every other character except his young sister, Phoebe, who turns out to be wiser and more mature than Holden.

While I consider The Catcher in the Rye a classic, it's also trapped in its time period. The 1950s gave rise to post-Freudian thoughts about the mind and culture. When one's mind does not play well with one's culture, madness necessarily results. It's a world view that is no longer valid. You can find people of your own tribe in other countries' cultures or on the Internet, etc.

Just some thoughts. Enjoy the book.

Answer 2

IMHO, that book should not be given to high schoolers... I read it again at 45 and it made so much more sense... As I see it, essentially, Holden Caulfield goes mad with grief over the death of his older brother... he loses it towards the end of the book... I don't think enough is played up about this aspect of the book... so many people think of it as a book about teenage rebelliousness, but I think that is just one part of a much bigger story. Holden hasn't really gotten over the death of his brother and so as a result, he sees the world as phony & meaningless...

At least that's my opinion. I liked the book much better the second time I read it, 30 years later...

Answer 3

wait i dont remember holden being hospitalized...hmm maybe i should re read it ..