ThePainfulnessofGrowingUp
Accordingtomostanalyses,TheCatcherintheRyeisabildungsroman,anovelaboutayoungcharacter’sgrowthintomaturity.Whileitisappropriatetodiscussthenovelinsuchterms,HoldenCaulfieldisanunusualprotagonistforabildungsromanbecausehiscentralgoalistoresisttheprocessofmaturityitself.AshisthoughtsabouttheMuseumofNaturalHistorydemonstrate,Holdenfearschangeandisoverwhelmedbycomplexity.Hewantseverythingtobeeasilyunderstandableandeternallyfixed,likethestatuesofEskimosandIndiansinthemuseum.Heisfrightenedbecauseheisguiltyofthesinshecriticizesinothers,andbecausehecan’tunderstandeverythingaroundhim.Butherefusestoacknowledgethisfear,expressingitonlyinafewinstances—forexample,whenhetalksaboutsexandadmitsthat“[s]exissomethingIjustdon’tunderstand.IsweartoGodIdon’t”(Chapter9).
Insteadofacknowledgingthatadulthoodscaresandmystifieshim,Holdeninventsafantasythatadulthoodisaworldofsuperficialityandhypocrisy(“phoniness”),whilechildhoodisaworldofinnocence,curiosity,andhonesty.Nothingrevealshisimageofthesetwoworldsbetterthanhisfantasyaboutthecatcherintherye:heimagineschildhoodasanidyllicfieldofryeinwhichchildrenrompandplay;adulthood,forthechildrenofthisworld,isequivalenttodeath—afatalfallovertheedgeofacliff.HiscreatedunderstandingsofchildhoodandadulthoodallowHoldentocuthimselfofffromtheworldbycoveringhimselfwithaprotectivearmorofcynicism.Butasthebookprogresses,Holden’sexperiences,particularlyhisencounterswithMr.AntoliniandPhoebe,revealtheshallownessofhisconceptions.
来源spartnotes
这个网站很好,以后自己找.