The Subplot of The Catcher in the Rye

   Losing a relative or a family member is one of the hardest things to go through, especially when you don't talk to anyone about how you're feeling. Keeping all the emotions and thoughts inside is not only super difficult and draining, but is only amplified when you're an adolescent and already going through other possibly irrelevant problems, lol.


   Throughout the novel Holden is seriously struggling with multiple mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety and stress, which are all effects of a past tragedy in his life. This brings me to the point of this post, which would be to address the death of Holden's younger brother Allie, as the subplot in The Catcher in the Rye. I cant even begin to imagine how Holden was able to keep it locked inside and not speak to anyone about it, but then again I guess its a matter of personality, and the fact that his mother is too struggling with depression and his father is a busy man who is tired of him getting kicked out of schools. So level of support = 0. The reason behind Holden's issues could not be understood if the reader didn't read between the lines and understand that his odd, arrogant manners and actions are all a product of his grief.  He pretends to be this cool, mature, nonchalant guy, but really he doesn't know how else to deal with it then cover it up. Holden basically lives by the saying "fake it till you make it".


    If you think about it the subplot of the story is actually so incredibly important because without it Holden wouldn't be the impulsive, angry guy he is. Seriously, there would be no 'Catcher in the Rye' if Allie's death hadn't happened because the whole tale is Holden's recounts of that year, which he writes while in a psychiatric hospital.


   Again, Allie's death is extremely important because it marks the day Holden's life changed and he became this struggling 17 year old. The death caused him to develop stress and depression as he mentions he really liked his brother. Holden also turns to detrimental habits like smoking many, many cigarettes a day and drinking alcohol frequently as an obvious relief method for him when things get too overwhelming.


   If you didn't feel like reading the whole thing all i'm basically saying is that Allie's death is highly significant in Holden's attitude because it causes him to develop mental issues, resulting in peculiar, egotistic interactions and situations. So yeah, overall Holden is super weird and very hard to understand but at the same time he's almost relatable?? Its a love/hate relationship you know?