Literary Analysis of Catcher in the Rye. How Overanalyzation leads to rationalization.

Many people think about a situation so much that almost any solution can seem like the right one. In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield's overanalyzation of events leads him to rationalize many of his own decisions. He rationalizes why he has not had had sex, why he ordered the prostitute, why Sally did not want to go with him, and why he only gave the nuns $10. Detailing his own intimate opportunities, Holden considers …

…needed the money, and that he did indeed make the right choice. Holden was prone to overanalyzing things in his life. He overanalyzed having sex, ordering a prostitute, his relationship with Sally, and even why he only gave $10 to a group of nuns. Holden must rationalize everyday occurrences and as a result is lead to inaction and bad decisions. By rationalizing everything he does, Holden is convincing himself that he is doing the right thing.