American Canon 2/13/2020

 Catcher in the Rye has a great plot telling people they are not alone in some people’s perspective with how many people that suffer from depression reading it can lead you to make you sad or more depressed by reminding how the person feels; but, science has shown that reading can help to cope with depression. We should be opened about depression and grief mostly because this can lead to things no wanted. What knocks us down is someone bullying or someone telling us that we don’t have something we have. It’s the importance of trying not to take it personally even though it is personal. If The Catcher in the Rye didn’t have Holden, with depression it would change a whole perspective about reading this book.

Many people do say it is easier to connect by reading like what we do today; for example, texting or blogging. It is nice to have a so-called supporter when you are suffering from a mental illness in which people can treat you differently this way. Now there will be people out there that will still be mean and not the best people to be around. But 99.99% of people will support you and be there for you; this book shows that when blocking people out it gets harder to deal with your mental health. In a way people do learn a lesson from this book in an important way, people need to know what they are dealing with and what others deal with.

This book shows people aren’t alone in this situation; Holden’s words do give a taste of what he has. Holden says “I am always saying "Glad to've met you" to somebody I'm not at all glad I met. If you want to stay alive, you have to say that stuff, though.” He really lives on the edge with him suffering from depression but it does show a good look about why Holden is who he is. It does show that people do say this kind of stuff more than you can think but reading can help with connecting with a mental illness like depression.

Even though people may not like reading and sometimes it is not the best way to learn, sometimes the best way to do this is to help people learn a lesson or let them learn on their own. Another way for people to learn about depression is by reading newer books get put into these categories which will help people connect better. It is harder to connect with dead white guys that have been dead for quite a long time. But, books are a good character to use to get people more connected to society.

For people that don’t have depression, The Catcher in the Rye can be an eye-opener; some are still jerks about someone having depression. Their mind won’t change until something happens to someone that they know. In the end, the book will help the situation of depression to expand people’s minds and hopefully help people who really need to get help. In other words, people will get impacted by these kinds of stories; which is why Catcher in the Rye should be in the American canon.