Language And Alienation

J. D. Salinger's only novel The Catcher in the Rye pushed him onto the worldwide literary platform. The novel is about a sixteen-year-old boy Holden's three-day spiritual pilgrimage in the streets of New York before Christmas Day after he is expelled from his prep school. It vividly depicts the boy's confused state of mind and his ceaseless query for love and innocence in a "phony" world.The theme of alienation has been discussed in many articles and theses. Some blames the context of society and American culture; others blame the protagonist's character. My thesis also explores the theme of alienation with Lacan's theory. In my eyes, Holden's alienation results from Oedipus complex. He longs for Other's desire but he refuses to accept Name-of-Father, which leads to his agony. He hopes to retreat to the forest and keep silences, a total refusal of language and symbolic order. But he can't stand being refused by Other. Finally he uses language to alleviate his agony and anxiety, which propels his entry into the Symbolic Order.Chapter One is a brief introduction including the novel, its author, and the responses to the novel.Chapter Two focuses on alienation. Holden's Oedipus complex is the root of his alienation. His rebellion towards Name-of-Father and his longing for Other's desire lead to alienation.Chapter Three discusses Holden's language strategy. His deliberate violation of language rules is his rebellion towards the Name-of-Father.Chapter Four further explores the relationship of language and alienation. With the aid of language, Holden enters into the Symbolic Order and the society, and Salinger attains social status and incoming. However, language can't eliminate the state of alienation.Conclusion: Language alleviates the agony caused by alienation. However, it deepens alienation in the long run. People should live in the present and the real to escape from alienation.