4。2。1 Mr。 Spencer 13

4。2。2 Mr。 Antolini 14

4。2。3 Phoebe 14

4。3 Narrative point of view 15

5。 Conclusion 17

References 18

1。Introduction

1。1 A brief introduction to the Salinger and The Catcher in the Rye From优Y尔E论W文W网wWw.YouERw.com 加QQ75201,8766

Jerome David Salinger (1910--2010), an outstanding writer in contemporary American literature, won a high admiration among a number of young Americans。

Salinger was born into a rich Jewish merchant family in New York City。 He dropped out from the high school and then attended Valley Forge Military Academy at 15。 Although he did not graduate from the New York University, he persevered with writing during his campus life。 In 1940, he published his first short story “The Young Folks”。 In 1942, he joined the army and served in the U。S。 Infantry stationed in Europe during the World WarⅡ。 Four years later, he retired and returned to New York to continue writing stories。 He wrote many stories mainly in the New Yorker magazine。 However, it was his only novel The Catcher in the Rye that propelled him onto the national stage。 论文网

Since the successful publication of The Catcher in the Rye, Salinger seldom published his works except for Nine Stories (1953), Franny and Zooey (1961) and Raise High the Roofbeam, Carpenters (1963), and Seymour: An Introduction (1963)。 In these stories, he created young characters who longed for truth and simplicity but were beset by hypocrisy and complexity of life from the middle class family。 After 1965, it seemed that his personality was influenced by his pessimistic fictions。 At last, he lived in seclusion in a small cabin located in New Hampshire Hill and died in his house(2013: 193)。 

The Catcher in the Rye, one of the one hundred best English novels awarded by TIME magazine, has been translated into a number of major languages in the world。 It has been widely recognized as the most influential work written by Salinger。 Ever since its publication in 1951, this novel has been widely read and highly disputed。 Until today, it remains as a controversial literary work。 

The novel is set in the 1950s and is recounted by a young man called Holden Caulfield。 It portraits Holden’s growth process from innocence to maturity。 The story begins from his narration in a mental hospital。 It mainly narrates Holden’s three-day experiences in New York City after his expulsion from Pencey Prep School and vividly describes a real inner world of a teenager who is beset by the pressure to grow up, the conformity to the bland cultural norm and resentment against the adult world。 Besides, it shows a distinctive language style with lots of vulgar slang expressions in the novel。 

Holden is a teenager, born in a rich middle class family。 He holds a cynical attitude toward the surroundings。 When he was 16, he was expelled from the Pencey Prep School for his bad performance。 He decided to live a three-day wandering life in New York City。 During that period, he had an unpleasant encounter with a prostitute, completely discouraged。 He is a representative of young people full of depression, cynicism and loneliness in that period。 文献综述

1。2 Background and significance of the study

American is a comparatively young country and it has gone through the ups and downs on its road to be a superpower。 This young but magnificent country has been exploring its own cultural identity in the process of its development。 To some extent, the development of the United States is similar to the growth process of a teenager。 The America society is going like a teenager who is full of desire to be mature and well-developed。 Therefore, in American literature, as a reflection of economy and culture, American writers tend to give preference for growth theme in their literary works。 Gradually, the growth theme occupied an important and indispensable position in American literature and American Initiation Stories held a dominant position in American literature。