Character Analysis Of Holden Caulfield

Escaping from the mainstream society became the popular topic in the American literature after the Second World War, we can easily find that tendency from the rebellious behavior of the hero in The Catcher in the Rye. Holden is young and energetic, full of vitality, but he refuses values of the mainstream society, and remains consciously on the margin of the society. Holden fights against the mainstream society and its values by isolated vagrancy and confirmation to his individual values. This thesis tries to analyze the social and cultural factors which lead Holden to a rebellious way and finally put.him into an awkward situation. The thesis is derided into four chapters.Chapter one mainly introduces the American social background and trends of thought in literature, and their influence on J.D Salinger when he wrote The Catcher in the Rye. This novel has been widely considered as an autobiographic story of Salinger, so, by understanding Salinger's family and social background, it will be easier to explain Holden's contradictory and rebellious behavior.Chapter two focuses on the study of Holden's spirit world. Holden announces his refusal to the mainstream society values by acting and dressing differently, he tries to overturn the traditional and widely accepted values, and rebuild his self-value through his firmly seeking individual uniqueness or holding esteem for the human nature desire. This chapter also reveals the rebellious living style of Holden. Holden has a very strong awareness of liberty, he always wants'to say "No" to mainstream culture, and expands his free space for outer action and inner realization by abandoning his traditional roles in the mainstream society and denying his responsibilities and duties.Chapter three illustrates cultural and social reasons that make Holden become a rebellious and contradictory person. Holden has sharp conflict with the "phony" American society, his escaping from the mass values and absorption in the inner individual freedom are rooted from his dissatisfaction and protests towards the losing and withering of natural humanity in the post-industrial society. After the Second World War, the whole America society seemed to be a wealthy and comfortable paradise, but...