Abstract

J.D. Salinger is an influential writer in post-war American literature, who is well known for his description of adolescents with spiritual dilemma. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger is regarded as a modern classic after experiencing a long dispute. The Catcher in the Rye introduces a dual distribution, the childhood and the adulthood, in society in the novel. After the Second World War, the social situation can be seen as absurd Adults become to doubt, confuse and even fear their life, whose social principles turn to be twisted as well as their whole philosophy such as a sense of social responsibility, a sense of value and so on. They seem to live in the wasteland, whose life is pointless, whose spiritual world is sterile, even though living in a materially rich age. There exists a sort of power to dominate humans’ behavior and lust. However, people are not conscious of the vicious existence. In the novel, Holden is the main character whose childhood coordinates with innocence, while the adult are the other opposite side characterized by experience and hypocrisy. Between childhood and adulthood life, Holden avoids being contaminated by people’s immorality and unethical concept. The thesis aims to analyze the adult universality which specifies the various individuals in the novel, based on law of the unity of opposite in theory of Marxism, in order to list elements of the adult world, and understand the constitution of it.

Keywords: The Catcher in the Rye; adult world; universality; individuality; degeneration

Contents

Abstract

摘  要

Introduction.1

I. Salinger and His Novel..2

A. The Author, Salinger3

B. Holden and His Story.4

II. The Universality of Social Spirit..5

A. “The Beat Generation” During 50s in American.6

B. Influence of the Adults on the Opposite World—Child World..6

III. Individuality of Adult Characters.9

A. A Double-Sided Intellectual—the Spencer, History Teacher..9

B. A Degenerate—Sunny, the Prostitute.10

C. Religious Angels—the Nuns11

IV. Causes of the Rampancy of Moral Degeneration.12

A.Influence of Social Environment..12

B.Degeneration of Inner World of the Adult.13

Conclusion.14

Notes...15

Bibliography17