摘 要

杰罗姆•大卫•塞林格的《麦田里的守望者》是当代美国文学的“现代经典”作品之一。这篇小说主要讲述了一个名叫霍尔顿•考尔菲德的青少年从离开学校到纽约的内心世界的变化。

霍尔顿是一个有理想的人。他想要做一个麦田里的守望者，他想要远离尘嚣与纷扰。但是，现实却很残酷，他的理想被一一打破。本文通过讨论他成长过程中的困惑、顿悟以及成熟这三个方面阐发了《麦田里的守望者》中的成长主题。

通过分析霍尔顿•考尔菲德的成长蜕变的过程，本文在探索成长现象的基础上发现成长过程中的实质问题，揭示了从童年世界到成年世界的蜕变过程中正确指导的必要性。

关键词：《麦田里的守望者》，霍尔顿，成长，困惑，顿悟，成熟

Contents

1. Introduction..............................................................................................................1

2. Demonstration..........................................................................................................2

2.1 Confusion in the Process of Growth..................................................................2

2.1.1 The Confusion for Death............................................................................2

2.1.2 The Confusion for Social Identity...............................................................4

2.2 Epiphany in the Process of Growth....................................................................6

2.2.1 The First Epiphany......................................................................................6

2.2.2 The Second Epiphany.................................................................................8

2.3 Maturity in the Process of Growth....................................................................10

2.3.1 Searching for love.....................................................................................10

2.3.2 Forgiveness to Everybody.........................................................................13

3. Conclusion...............................................................................................................15

Notes............................................................................................................................16

Bibliography................................................................................................................17

An Analysis of Holden’s Growth in The Catcher in the Rye

1. Introduction

J.D. Salinger is an excellent novelist, and even a well-known short story writer. He is more powerful and significant than other authors in American literature after World War II. The Catcher in the Rye is considered as J.D. Salinger’s greatest novel and a classic of American literature. The novel mainly tells Holden Caulfield’s experiences in the process of growing up. It reflects young generation’s rebellious attitude towards traditional judgments of religion, sex and the way life of American after the World War II. For young generation, it is the abnormal phenomena in the growth process. J.D. Salinger’s description of Holden Caulfield’s growth is vivid, and we can see his confusion for death and social identity, his two shocking insights, and his searching for love and forgiveness to everyone. Finally, Holden Caulfield becomes maturity.

The Catcher in the Rye has already been popular both at home and abroad since its publication for growth theme. J.D. Salinger describes Holden Caulfield’s growth process from moving child world to adult world. To some extent, Holden Caulfield’s growth process is the reflection of the teenagers’ life under that society. A great number of researchers have explores J.D. Salinger and the novel from different perspectives and aspects.

In the thesis “On Holden’s Inferiority Complex in The Catcher in the Rye” published by Zhang Ting¹ in Central South University in 2009, the emphasis is put on the inferiority complex in Holden’s helpless and hopeless of exploring into and school and society. Only has well circumstances and correct guidance can help those adolescents with inferiority complex get out of dilemma.

In “An Analysis of the Adolescent Problems in The Catcher in the Rye”, published in Asian Social Science in 2009, Chen Lingdi² says the adolescent problems Holden Caulfield confronts many adolescent problems in the course from child world to adult world, which include Holden’s excessive protection of innocence and kindness, his disgust for the adult world full of phoniness.

Luo Huijuan’s “On Holden Caulfield’s Dilemma in The Catcher in the Rye”³, a master’s thesis from Shanghai International Studies University 2011, pointed out the problems that young people meet in the growing process after World War II. Holden Caulfield has no other choice but to go insane because he fails to change the world.

To sum up, the thesis consists of three parts. The first part is introduction. It mainly presents the introductions of author, works, the main character, different viewpoints in different researchers’ minds, and why uses “growth” as its subject. The second part is demonstration. It makes an overall analysis of the growth theme from three aspects, including the confusion, epiphany and maturity in Holden’s process of growth. The last part is conclusion. It’s a summary of the thesis. Through a systematic study of Caulfield’s growth, it not only indicates the youth who suffer from spiritual crisis after World War II but also shows the importance of the correct guidance for young generation from childhood to adulthood and enjoy a better comprehension of his works.