In his groundbreaking article published in 1943, Abraham Maslow stated that there was an ascending hierarchy of needs that a person must achieve, which was key to our understanding of human motivation. By studying only individuals with high intelligence and character, Maslow realized that they all shared a common hierarchy of needs that must be met in order to achieve the highest level of humanity, also known as self-actualization. The levels are physiological needs (food, water, shelter, etc.), safety needs (protection), love needs (sense of belonging), esteem needs (self-love), and point culmination of self-realization. A person cannot move from a certain level to another without reaching the previous level. For example, one cannot achieve self-realization from love needs without meeting one's esteem needs. In his later years, Maslow realized that there is an even higher level than the previous ceiling of self-actualization and it is called transcendence. Transcendence is the ability to explain the path to self-realization to others and help them achieve it. Maslow also classified these needs into deficiency needs and growth needs. Deficiency needs are characterized by their absence; such as the need for food and water. Growth needs are important for emotional growth and must be acquired to achieve emotional maturity. These needs can be disrupted by traumatic events such as death, the loss of a loved one, etc. (McLeod). This interesting view of the human psyche is not only widespread in the real world, but also in literature. In J.D. Salinger's novel The Catcher in the Rye, the main character, Holden Caulfield, oscillates between levels of Maslow's hierarchy; however, by the end of the novel, he has finally achieved transcendence. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay At the beginning of the novel, Holden Caulfield, the protagonist, finds himself in a rather desperate situation. When we first meet Holden, he is "at the top of Thomsen Hill" where "virtually the whole school was there except [him]" (Salinger 3). Holden is completely isolated from society and is unable to fit in. The reason for this hopeless outlook on life is that Holden experienced the traumatic death of his brother, Allie, which ended with Holden sleeping in the garage and "breaking all the damn windows with [his ] fist, just for fun.” (Salinger 39). Holden is so traumatized that he can't pursue anything else and he still hasn't recovered from his brother's death, which he learns when he says his "hand still hurts from time to time." when it rains and everything” (Salinger 39). This is a very obvious example of how deeply Allie's death scars Holden's psyche. Due to his childhood trauma, Holden is arguably at the bottom of the hierarchy because he can only meet his basic needs of food and water. He has no sense of love or belonging because he cannot communicate with others. For his part, he has no sense of security either because he lost his brother at a young age and fears that the things he loves will be lost and taken away from him. He is kicked out of the boarding school because he cannot concentrate on anything other than his basic human needs of food and water; a perfect example of Maslow's hierarchy at work. Holden.