Holden's "Profound Loneliness"

In many class discussions, Mr. Mitchell would often use the phrase “Holden’s profound loneliness” to describe the weight of what our protagonist goes through in The Catcher in the Rye. This phrase is written in my notes with a little star beside it for emphasis–those few, simple words stuck out in how perfectly they described Holden’s struggle, for Holden’s loneliness can only be described as “profound.” 

Holden faces a debilitating loneliness stemming from his alienation from society. Much of it is self-imposed, as his thoughts on much of the world being "phony" and "fake" makes it difficult for anyone to live up to his standards. Holden's loneliness is often accompanied by strong feelings of depression, which shows the impact loneliness has on him. "I felt so lonesome, all of a sudden. I almost wished I was dead," thinks Holden, directly after his fight with Stradlater (54). 

This fight scene (if you can even call it that) well portrays Holden's alienation. Stradlater had no idea where Holden's sudden surge of violence came from, as Holden never well expressed to Stradlater what Jane means to him. Instead, Holden isolated himself by speaking in metaphors only he could understand ("she always put her kings in the back") and then lashing out unexpectedly with violence. After the fight, Ackley simply asks what the fight was about, to which Holden still cannot (or will not) express an answer. Through the inability and unwillingness of Holden to make a connection with Stradlater or Ackley, Holden alienates himself further, spurring his ever-growing loneliness. 

We can see a reflection of how much loneliness affects Holden in his desperate attempts to make conversation and connection with people he dislikes, or people that clearly have no interest in him. Holden's futile efforts to invite strangers to have a drink with him or stay and talk for a while confused me at first, as he is often roasting them internally their entire conversation. However, despite his negative inner monologue, Holden needs human connection so badly that he is willing to talk to anyone. The grouchy cab driver who shut down Holden's question about the ducks? A perfect partner for a drink! 

We see Holden struggle for the most basic human interaction in hopes of subduing his loneliness, but it is deep connection that he truly needs, which is the one thing that is near impossible given his standards. Holden could have called up Jane Gallagher, someone that he once had that deep connection with, but never does. I think this is because if he finds out that Jane no longer meets these standards, he has lost one of the few deep connections he has ever had, and his loneliness would be unending. Instead, Holden is content with keeping the version of Jane Gallagher he has in his head, just like how he maintains the image of Allie. However, you cannot connect with memories, and thus Holden's fear of losing a connection leaves him never getting a chance for connection at all. 

This is why I feel that, despite his idealization of the farm life, Holden would not do well living alone on a ranch--despite how much the human race disappoints him and lets him down, Holden struggles to survive without connection. Holden's "profound loneliness" stares you right in the face once you get past his bravado, and his self-destructive cycle of never being able to reach deep connection with really anyone besides his younger sister has a devastating impact.