An Odyssey In Search Of Selfhood

Adolescence, as the transitional period from childhood to adulthood, is a special and critical phrase in a person's life. The ambivalence and bewilderment in the adolescence lead to the adolescents' spiritual perplexity and identity crisis. The protagonist in J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield, just finds himself in that special phrase. Meanwhile, Holden confronts the new social problems brought by the post-Second World War American civilization, such as sexual perversity and alienation. Under the effect of the dual factors, Holden loses his identity. In order to search for his true identity, Holden runs away from his family and his phony society and engages in the odyssey of retraining his true identity and integrity.In this thesis, the author probes the hidden psychological and anthropological connotations behind Holden's growth and observes that his odyssey of searching for identity is indeed the process to maturity. The deposit of the collective unconsciousness of the ancient initiation rite in modem people's psychology and the conflict between innocence and experience form the main reason for Holden's eventual odyssey of searching for identity. Through a concrete analysis of Holden's odyssey, the author finds that it is essentially an affirmation of his complete self against the restricting social institutions. During the course of the odyssey in search of selfhood, Holden ultimately gains a new self after experiencing three times symbolic death. However, facing the powerful social reality, Holden can't find a way of self-affirmation independent of his society. But that does not necessarily imply that Holden's odyssey is meaningless, for the courage itself, the courage of questioning and rebelling against the social establishments and value systems is the source of the meaning.