In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield struggles to find a purpose to exist but hides it by pretending to be someone who is unimpressed with the world and all it has to offer. Though it is never directly said in the book, his actions and thoughts give away his extreme depression that he is suffering from without knowing it himself. No one in his life knows what goes through his head because he shelters his feelings so much that they can't see behind the facade he wears. This is a big similarity that he and comedian Kevin Breel share. To their friends and family they are one person, but behind closed doors, they don't know that they are dealing with depression because they are so good at hiding it. In numerous instances throughout the novel, Holden expresses that he is lonely even with a room full of people, this is a sign of depression and how isolated it can make you feel from others. In a way, Holden is also living two lives -- the outer shell who doesn't care about others' opinions and doesn't like adults, and the inner shell who is still in a depressive state due to the death of Allie and fears the world and growing up.