Catcher in the Rye Essay

Bellum, Sara. “It’s All About Hormones.” NIDA for Teens, Sara Bellum, 19 Jan. 2012, teens.drugabuse.gov/blog/post/its-all-about-hormones.

The Catcher in the Rye

Writing Assignment – 100 points

TEEN DEPRESSION

Directions:
1) Read the following sources carefully. Highlight and annotate for good bits you can use in an essay about depression in teens.
2) Then develop a thesis and write a well-developed essay that argues the role childhood trauma plays in the development of depression.
3) Choose the sources that best support your idea for your paper. You are required to use Catcher in the Rye plus one other of the following sources to write your four-five paragraph essay.

Source A
Salinger, J. D.
The Catcher in the Rye.
Little, Brown, 1951.

Holden uses the word “depressed” over 30 times in the book. Go back through your annotations and find relevant quotes that would help you prove your thesis.

Which passages from Catcher in the Rye can I use to support my thesis?

Source B

What can I use from this source?

According to the chart, “Childhood Trauma,” …

Source C

Childhood Trauma and Its Relation to Chronic Depression in Adulthood

Among the leading causes of the global burden of disease depression currently ranks third place worldwide and first place in middle- and high-income countries [
1
, p. 43]. Wittchen et al. [
2
] even reported depression to be “by far the most burdensome disorder of all diseases in the EU” (p. 669). It is predicted that by 2020 depression will have jumped to second place [
3
]. Depression has a high risk of recidivism: 50% after the first, 70% after the second, and 90% after the third episode [
4
]; 50% of patients relapse after any form of short-term psychotherapy [
5
]. 20 to 30% of patients with major depression do not respond to antidepressant medication and one-third of those who initially responded relapse within a year [
6
]. Depressed patients form a heterogeneous group showing quite different pathogeneses. Traumatic experiences in childhood can be found in most multifactor models on etiopathogenesis as a psychosocial aspect of depression (e.g., [
7
–
10
]). Epigenetic studies further substantiate the finding that a genetic vulnerability will only lead to depression if the individual experienced simultaneous early traumatization. Caspi et al. [
11
] showed that early separation trauma triggers the 5-HTTLPR allele in turn regulating relevant neurotransmitters hence evoking depression. Childhood trauma may be one decisive source of heterogeneity that may also depend on trauma type [
10
].
What can I use from this source?
According to “Childhood Trauma and Its Relation to Chronic Depression in Adulthood,”…

Source D

T

een Depression – Symptoms and Causes

.

It’s not known exactly what causes depression, but a variety of issues may be involved. These include:
· Brain chemistry. Neurotransmitters are naturally occurring brain chemicals that carry signals to other parts of your brain and body. When these chemicals are abnormal or impaired, the function of nerve receptors and nerve systems changes, leading to depression.
· Hormones. Changes in the body’s balance of hormones may be involved in causing or triggering depression.
· Inherited traits. Depression is more common in people whose blood relatives — such as a parent or grandparent — also have the condition.
· Early childhood trauma. Traumatic events during childhood, such as physical or emotional abuse, or loss of a parent, may cause changes in the brain that make a person more susceptible to depression.
· Learned patterns of negative thinking. Teen depression may be linked to learning to feel helpless — rather than learning to feel capable of finding solutions for life’s challenges.
What can I use from this source?
According to “Teen Depression — Symptoms and Causes,”…

Source E

How Childhood Trauma Changes Our Mental Health into Adulthood

Studies on rodents have taught us how the development of the oxytocin system is altered by early trauma. Early life stress changes oxytocin levels within the hypothalamus and the amygdala, which are important brain regions in the production of oxytocin and emotional regulation respectively. Even the functioning of the oxytocin receptor is altered following early life trauma.
Similar changes are also clear in humans exposed to childhood trauma. Women who were exposed to child abuse showed reduced oxytocin levels later in life, as did men who had experienced childhood stress. Oxytocin levels were also lower in children who had been raised in neglectful conditions in a Romanian orphanage.
These long-lasting changes affect behavioural outcomes. Exposure to early life adversity increases anxiety and depressive behaviours in rodents, which endures well into adulthood.
Research has shown how early life stress can impact on the developing oxytocin system resulting in a greater susceptibility to develop drug dependence and being less capable to cope with stress.
In turn, a well-regulated oxytocin system can support greater resilience against excessive drug use and addiction. Animal studies show oxytocin can boost the reward of social connection, lower the effect of drugs, reduce anxiety, and improve management of stressors. But we still need more research in humans.
Early life stressors do not only impact the oxytocin system. A number of other systems that work with oxytocin also change, such as important neurotransmitters and the stress system. This results in changes to how these systems interact and contributes to changes in the oxytocin system and ultimately behaviour.
As oxytocin is critically involved in emotional regulation, understanding how the developing oxytocin system can be affected early in life can help us understand how early adversities can have a long-lasting impact on mental health.
What can I use from this source?
According to “
How Childhood Trauma Changes Our Mental Health into Adulthood
,”…

Additionally, we read these sources in class and for homework. You may use these sources as well.

What can I use from these sources?

Drug and Alcohol Abuse
Source F

Parentals
Source G

“The Case for Delayed Adulthood”
Source H

“The Kids are not All Right”
Source I

Plan your essay here:

Thesis:

Support from Catcher in the Rye:

Support from Source _____:

Support from Source _____:

ALC: Hettinger

Tips for an Argument Essay with Sources

Intro: Sometimes, the best place to start your essay is smack dab in the middle, or even at the end. For this essay, try it. Use Holden as your start. Begin by explaining a scene in Catcher in the Rye that is relevant to your topic and your sources. You may use Holden to make your point or as a counter to your point. Either way, you are working your way up to your thesis, to letting the reader know why you’re telling the story in the first place. Then connect it to today and set up your thesis.

Body: Here is where you use the sources to make
your point. You’ll want to use CER and make your sources converse speak to each other. That means that you don’t necessarily want to use one source/paragraph. Make a
claim
, use source
s

to prove it, showing how well you know your own ideas in comparison and contrast to the articles provided. Throughout your body for this essay, you’ll want to
thread
in moments from Catcher that relate. Students may write their own opinions in conversation and in response to the sources. You may present your own ideas
with a voice that demonstrates a mind at work,

drawing on what you already know of the topic, Successful writers control the sources rather than being controlled by them.”
(emphasis mine).

When you’re using a passage to make your argument, take the time to unpack the quote. Explain it and what you mean.
Quote bombs
are a frequent problem, so make sure to in. Choose your quotes wisely, and then make it clear why this one is the one that helps you make your point before leading into your next point.

Introduce your evidence with phrases like, According to Source C, …or In Source B, the main point is…which is similar to how Holden… or As seen in Source E, researchers argue…

Add your quote making sure to copy it exactly and then cite it at the end (Source E).

Thoroughly analyze the evidence meaning explain the quotation/unpack it –especially if there are words that need defining in regular words — then explain why it’s important, and finally, how it relates to your thesis and/or the book or your anecdote.

A word about the counter: It’s always good to have a counter because it shows that you realize there are other points of view on your topic. Your counter can emerge anywhere in your essay. Typically, folks will put it at the end, but you don’t have to! You can put it in the beginning, middle or end. Wherever it fits with your argument. You must counter, however simply: “Of course, some may say…” “Others suggest…; however,…”)

Conclusion: Intros and conclusions can be the hardest parts to write. For this essay, once again transition back to Holden, creating a nice frame to your essay. Such a conclusion will help explain how past and present come together. Your conclusion allows you to have the final say on the issues you have raised and analyzed in your paper, to summarize your thoughts, to demonstrate the importance of your ideas, and to propel your reader to a new understanding of the subject. It is also your opportunity to make a good final impression. Your conclusion should make your readers glad they read your paper. (Lofty, I know, but aim for the stars, kiddos!)

1. After reading The Catcher in the Rye, we get a sense that Holden feels alienated from his peers most of the time. However, Holden chooses to accept an invitation to join a secret fraternity that he knows specifically excluded Ackley. This is an action that Holden usually would consider phony. What does this say about Holden’s ability to fit in? In your paper, determine whether or not Holden would fit in at Niles West. Your thesis statement should state whether or not Holden would indeed be successful/unsuccessful at Niles West. When supporting your thesis, describe what his high school life would be like at Niles West. When determining Holden’s experience, use examples from the novel to support why Holden would act in certain ways. Consider these aspects of high school life:
– dating
– academics
– cliques/friends
– sports
– clubs/activities
– philanthropic activities (fundraising, charity work, Dance Marathon,
etc.)

In addition, when considering his success or lack of success, look at the support services that are available at Niles West (Lit. Center, Transition program, social work services, Drop-In Center, various clubs/activities, etc) and were unavailable to Holden in his school.