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after the death of Allie shuts down and tries to force himself to lose every attachment he had
with people to avoid being hurt again. The death of his brother immensely affects his ties to
reality and contributed to his mental breakdown. He is also affected by the death of his school
friend who committed suicide. For example, while he is wandering around New York in
chapter twenty-five, we see Holden continually praying for his brother Allie, “Allie don’t let
me disappear.” “Allie don’t let me disappear. ”( Salinger, 89) Holden says this until he got to
the other side of the street. From the novel, we see Holden repeatedly mentioning how vital it
is not getting attached to anyone. According to him, this would make him miss them when they
die, and this is what he avoided. The death of his brother plays one of the significant
contributions to him being isolated from the society. Holden refrains himself from getting too
close to people like Jane Gallagher as he wanted to protect himself from the change which
according to him shows he is grown up and not like his brother who was young and innocent
according to him.
In conclusion, the writer has extensively shown how the past experiences can influence
people differently. For example, Holden’s losing his brother Allie and his friend to suicide had
a negative impact on life. His past traumatic events lead him to isolation from the society which
alters his psychological state. It makes him to be a sociopath, and this is evidenced by his
ensuing rebellious and antisocial behaviors. However, Ruth reacts positively from her past
experiences as she learned from them and grew strong. Therefore, the past may have a positive
or negative influence on different people.
