Good Psychological Analysis Creative Writing Example

Released in 1951, Salinger's novel "The Catcher in the Rye" is a story of a seventeen year old American schoolboy Holden Caulfield, who was excluded from his school before Christmas for academic failure. The main idea of ​​the novel is the rejection of falsehood, which is manifested in the moral standards prevailing in the society and in the people, events, objects. This is closely linked to the image of the protagonist. Holden Caulfield introduces the reader not only to the external part of his life (time-space of the novel consists of three days, one of which the hero stays at school in Pansy, and the other two - in his home of New York City), but also internal perceptions of the people familiar to him, of certain situations, his own character. The protagonist behaves as a seventeen year old teenager should: recklessly, impulsively, with a challenge. Everything that he says, is presented with the maximum sincerity: Pansy school where children with “loaded” parents are, is seen by Holden, as a place full of crooks and with quite a few "brave and noble young men," as stated in the advertising inscription of the institution. His personality is best described through the following three theories / constructs: Erikson’s psychosocial stages, Freudian psychodynamic defense mechanisms and coping styles.
According to Erikson's theory, the specific development-related conflicts become critical only at certain points of the life cycle. Though Erikson suggests the existence of eight stages of development of the individual, considering Holden Caulfield, it seems feasible to consider only the first six. His character is still in the process of development and he is only 17 years old.
1. Trust or mistrust.
2. Independence or shame.
Starting to walk, children are discovering the possibilities of their body and ways to manage it. They learn how to eat and dress, use the toilet, and learn new ways of movement. When a child is able to do anything on its own, it gains a sense of self-control and self-confidence. However, if the child constantly fails and is being punished for it him for it or called sloppy, messy, incapable, poor, he gets used to feel shame and doubt in his own abilities. Now this concept is slightly off Holden in a way that Holden does not really feel shame or independence. He is a sort of nigilist who simply does not seem to care about the way life was taking him. Of course, Phoebe does spark up a little glow of shame in him for being chucked out of yet another school, but it is swiftly subdued.
3. Initiative or guilt.
Children aged 4-5 years are shifting their research activity outside their own body. They learn how the world works and how they can influence it. Their world consists of both real and imaginary people and things. If their research activities in general are effective, they learn to deal with people and things in a constructive way and gain a strong sense of initiative. However, if they are severely criticized or punished, they get used to feel guilty for many of their actions. Being the nigilist he is, Caulfield is more irritated than he is feeling guilt. He has learnt how to deal with people to make himself most comfortable. When he visits Spencer, the elderly teacher of history starts to reprimand Holden, to which he becomes increasingly annoyed. Caulfield himself knows what he wants, but the school is unable to give it to him.
4. Industry or a sense of inferiority.
At the age of 6 to 11 years, children develop many skills in school, at home and among their peers. According to Erikson's theory, a sense of "I" is significantly enriched with realistic growth of the child's competence in various fields. The increasing importance comparing themselves with peers. During this period, especially strong damage causes a negative evaluation of themselves compared with others. This stag is highly controversial, as Holden has grown up to be a good person. In the scene where he meets the mother of one of his fellow schoolmates, he lie about her son’s behavior showing him in a better light that he is. And the truth is that he cannot even stand the guy.
5. Identity or confusion.
Before the onset of adolescence, children learn a variety of different roles – Student or friend, older brother or sister, a student of sports or music school, etc. Adolescence is important to understand these different roles and to integrate them into a coherent identity. Boys and girls are looking for the basic values ​​and attitudes that cover all these roles. If they fail to integrate a core identity or resolve a serious conflict between two important roles with opposing value systems, the result is what Erickson calls the diffusion of identity. Holden has been expelled from a fourth school running. He does not accept the morale and the norms he was placed in. His academic excellence is failing, and he does not seem to make contact with the people. Just as Erikson claimed, Holden Caulfield has a diffusion of identity.
6. Intimacy or isolation.
In late adolescence and early adulthood the central contradiction of the conflict is between intimacy and isolation. In Erikson’s description intimacy involves more than sexual intimacy. It is the ability to give a part of yourself to another person of any gender without fear of losing their own identity. Success in establishing this kind of intimate relationship depends on how the five previous conflicts have been resolved. However, the only person Holden feels comfortable with is his little sister. He cares about her and they have an exceptional relationship. Recall the scene where Phoebe came to meet Caulfield when the latter planned to run off. Phoebe brought a suitcase of her belongings wishing to run away with Caulfield. The latter refused and instead took her to an amusement park for a ride. At the same moment we see a delicate thread of intimacy between the two as Holden’s thoughts were now solely about succeeding at a new school to make his little sister proud.
All of Holden’s actions and deeds are aimed at protecting him from the foul word he cannot accept. Freud believed that the ego of a person reacts to the threat of an undesired action in two ways: 1) by blocking the expression of impulses in the conscious behavior or 2) their distortion to such an extent that their original intensity is significantly decreased or deviated.
In the case of Holden e can pinpoint two mechanism of defense which he initiated to protect himself. The first is projection, which is a process by which an individual ascribes his own unacceptable thoughts, feelings and behavior onto others or the environment. Thus, the projection allows a person to put the blame on someone or something for their shortcomings or mistakes. Just like the scene with Sally Hayes, when Holden implored her to run away with him to Massachusetts. The result was obvious and she refused. At this moment Holden started to blame her for the misdoings he was experiencing. Naturally, Sally left even though Holden did apologize for the comments he made.
Substitution is also present here. As a defense mechanism, substitution is a manifestation of instinctive impulse redirected from a more threatening object or person to a less threatening one. Caulfield calls all of his old acquaintances: Jane, Sally, Carl Luce. He feels lonely and is wishing to substitute this intimidating feeling of loneliness with a chat to at least someone who will be ready to listen However, the girls have had enough of him and Carl seeing that the conversation is not bringing him to anywhere good has opted to bail instead.
Another construct worth our attention is the coping theory. Stressful event begins with an assessment of any internal (for example, thought) or external (e.g., reproach) stimulus, the result is a coping process. Coping reaction is triggered when the complexity of the task exceeds the power capacity of the usual reactions. If the situation is evaluated as back-breaking, its overcoming may take the form of a psychological defense.
In the story with Holden Caulfield we observe the emotion-focused style throughout the whole story. All the way until the end. This is a consequence of an emotional response to the situation. It is not accompanied by concrete actions, as is manifested in the form of trying not to think about the problem, the involvement of others in their experience, the desire to be forgotten in a dream, drown the miseries in alcohol, drugs, or food to compensate for negative emotions. Holden is shown drinking and smoking a lot trying to contact his old acquaintances so as not to be alone and somehow get their help in overcoming the troubles he had on him.
However, by the end of the story Holden is moving more towards the problem-focused style. He is shown sanding next to the carousel watching his little sister Phoebe ride it and we see a glimpse of rationale coming through as he promises himself to make it work at the next school. We clearly see the problem-focused style, which is a rational analysis of the problems associated with the creation and implementation of the solution plan to a difficult situation. Its manifestation can be seen in the following reactions: an independent analysis of the case, recourse to another person, seek further information.
Seeing the shortcomings of other people (both physical and mental), Holden Caulfield does not close his eyes on his own flaws: he knows what he is - a liar, because in conversations with adults (old Spencer, mother of Ernest Morrow et al.) he is shamelessly lying to them, saying what they want to hear. He realizes that he is - a coward, when he reflects on his inability to hit a man in the face.
Nonetheless Holden has a deep sense of nature. He likes to read good books, the main measure of the quality of which for him is the desire to make best friends with their authors. He - loves his little sister Phoebe, because she understands everything, as it should, and his younger brother Allie, who died of leukemia. He appreciates people in their strengths. He is inclined to philosophical reflection - in while others care about their ego, Holden can reflect on what is happening with the ducks from Central Park in winter, or to dream of that time has stopped, as occurred with the exhibits of the Museum of Ethnography, in which he went from an early age. He appreciates not only the physical side of love, but also spiritual. This is what Holden Caulfield is like.