Going Crazy?

Holden’s mental instability is his lying and depression. The root to his mental instability I believe is being afraid to show people the real him and his brother’s death. Holden was so close to his brother that when his brother died Holden felt like a part of him died as well. Holden makes sure to act like he doesn’t care about other people, but that’s because he’s afraid if he lets someone in, like he did his brother, they will leave him just like his brother did. Holden lies so people won’t see the real him and have a chance to judge him. He is insecure with himself because of how he sees himself compared to his older brother and younger sister. Holden builds up this wall to keep others out so they won’t compare him to his siblings, but I think he just doesn’t want people to know the real him. The depression make it so he feels lonely all the time, but then when he tries to be friends with someone before they get to know him, he psyches himself out by thinking they will judge him and not want to be friends with him. How the lying and depression affect his life is by making him doubt himself and the other people around him.