Two Different Readings Of J.D.Salinger's The Catcher In The Rye

J. D. Salinger's novel The Catcher in the Rye is a literary legend that boasts an enduring popularity for more than half a century on one hand and is met with the most diverse controversial reception on the other. Whatever the critical approach, most readings of The Catcher in the Rye have invariably offered an interpretation of the novel's concluding part. Although there has been general agreement that Holden reaches a new level of awareness in this part of the book, there have been marked differences of opinion as to whether this awareness is positive. This thesis sets out to prove that there are two sets of clues existing side by side in the novel. They are parallel in structure but contrary in meaning. In other words, one set of clues points to Holden's process of spiritual maturity whereas the other builds up tensions toward his final mental breakdown.With regard to Holden's process of spiritual maturity, Holden's internal crisis is reflected in three aspects, namely his bewilderment toward sex, toward death and toward himself. After examining the novel's plot development, we will find that Holden's psychological development in these three aspects follows a similar pattern: the protagonist finds himself alienated from his fellow creatures, especially girls, because of his failure to communicate with them; he is perturbed by his confusion about death and change; and he is met with a series of frustrations in his effort to find a catcher; but gradually he saves himself from falling into all these"crazy cliffs"after experiencing several epiphanic moments with the help of his sister Phoebe, and hence overcomes all these three crises. As for his process of mental breakdown, this novel also seems to focus on Holden's sense of disillusionment as a modern man in society. That is to say, by observing Holden's changing attitude to love, to death and to himself, we see a process of growing disillusionment leading to the ultimate mental breakdown. This juxtaposition of the two contrastive interpretations of the same novel illustrates the multiplicity of writing.