Is Holden Caulfield a good person?

Answer 1

There is an undercurrent of deep sadness running all the way through the novel. When he leaves Pency "I almost felt like crying". When he thinks of the nuns going about their daily routine "It made me feel so damn sad". He also refers in several places to his loneliness.

And his realization that he could never rub out a tiny percentage of the "F---You"s in the world,

and someone will probably put one on his own tombstone depresses him acutely.

Answer 2

I would not medicalize his existence. He is alienated, disillusioned, etc. He may define it as an illness (mental) only because that is all he knows. The U.S. is an extremely individualized society which lends itself to psychological explanations. If alienation was equivalent to mental illness, then mental illness would be at epidemic levels. You need to step out of the personal problems mentality and see the source of the problem in the larger. We are all products of our society (ties) as we internalize the norms and values through socialization. This becomes part of the origin of our personalities. He does not feel that he "fits in". Is that an illness? Most everyone experiences this some time in their

life. I was born and raised in the Middle Atlantic States (U.S.). If I had to spend some time living in rural Mississippi, I would not "fit in". Does that make me mentally ill?

Answer 3

no! he lies to people and he always tells people what they want to hear. Holden lies lies lies.....ALL THE TIME. and he fails at school.

Answer 4

because he was traumatized when Allie, his younger brother died.

Answer 5

he's a depressed boy who can't find his place in the world

Answer 6

No not at all.

Answer 7

Yes.