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1、Holden Caulfield: A Rebellious Hero against Mainstream Culture in the Catcher in the RyeCONTENTI.IntroductionII.The Connotation of the Mainstream Culture in 1950sIII. Rebellion in Holdens 3.1 Rebellion against the Clique Spirit of Pencey Prep3.2 Rebellion in Holdens Speech 3.3.1 Loose Danglings3.3.2
2、 The “Grammatical Errors” in Holdens Speech3.3.3 The “Vulgarity” and “Obscenity” in Holdens Speech3.3.4 Holdens SlangsIV.Conclusion V. BibliographyVI. AcknowledgementAbstract J.D.Salingers The Catcher in the Rye is a “modern classic”, as one of the most controversial novels in the contemporary Ameri
3、can literature. my paper illustrates Holdens rebellion，mainly analyzing Holdens rebellion in three aspects: Holden rejects the clique spirit-form personalinterest clique and discriminate against dissenters，which Pencey Prep embodies ; he completely denies the core part of the mainstream culture-the
4、pursuit of the American Dream， the pursuit of the material success，thoroughly exposing the deceptiveness and corruption of the American Dream and shattering its requirements of him into pieces; his acts show the characteristics of“escape”-he considers the social status and material success，which the
5、 masses are fascinated with，worthless and runs farther and farther away from the mainstream culture，and his violent language shares the common characteristics with that of the counter-culture movement: various kinds of language expression whose existence cannot be permitted by the mainstream culture
6、-loose danglings and perpetual insistences，grammatical errors obscenity and profanity in his speech and the slangs are like daggers thrown at the heart of the mainstream culture.Holden clearly shows his rebellion against American mainstream culture in 1950s. Also with this comprehensive interpretati
7、on will the hero-Holden be deeply understood.KEY WORDS: Holden; the mainstream culture; rebellion摘要J.D.塞林格的麦田里的守望者是一部“现代经典”，是当代美国文学中最具争议性的一部小说。小说通过霍尔顿考尔菲德(Holden Caulfield)离开潘西中学后在纽约的游荡经历,深刻地揭示了现代社会中的疏离感和孤独感。霍尔顿厌倦同学间的冷漠、欺诈和虚假。他只身到纽约游逛，进而发现社会更加平庸、鄙俗和腐败。他感到非常沮丧。霍尔顿似乎代表了所有的年轻人,他们觉得自己被来自四面八方的各种压力所包围,他们要
8、成长,并要按照准则去生活,要断绝有意义的人际接触,要抑制自己的个性,并顺应一个索然无味的文化标准。 论文主要从三个方面加以分析:作为一个不随波逐流、不妥协、不服从的主人公，霍尔顿抵制潘西中学所体现的拉帮结派、排斥异己的“团体”精神，他完全否定主流文化的核心表现形式美国梦对个体的要求，彻底揭露了美国梦的欺骗性和腐败性:他采取逃遁的反叛形式，对群体社会中大众竭力去追求的社会地位和物质财富不屑一顾，以自己坚决的行为离主流文化越来越远;他激烈的言辞则具有战后反文化运动语言的相同特征:大量的句末附着语和添加附着语、语法错误、粗俗语和污秽语以及俚语等丰富多样的但为主流文化所不容的语言表现形式，像匕首，像投
9、枪，直入主流文化的心脏。霍尔顿鲜明地表现了对50年代主流文化的反叛。同时，通过这一深入阐释，对霍尔顿这个人物有更深入的理解。关键词：霍尔顿;主流文化;反叛I.IntroductionJerome David Salinger (1919- ), an outstanding American novelist and short story writer, is best known for his controversial novel The Catcher in the Rye (1951). Salinger is recognized by many critics and read
10、ers alike as one of the most popular and influential authors of American writers after World War II. His only novel, The Catcher in the Rye, has become one of the two “modern classics” in contemporary American literature. First published in 1951, The Catcher in the Rye continues to be one of the mos
11、t popular novels ever written as well as one of the most frequently banned books in the United States, the most controversial novel in American contemporary letters. Surprisingly, the first reviewers of The Catcher in the Rye were mixed. Some reviewers praised the novellas a significant success. S.N
12、.Behrman wrote a lengthy and very favorable review in New Yorker, and Clifton Fadiman wrote, “That rare miracle of fiction has again come to pass: a human being has been created out of ink, paper, and the imagination.” In a review that appeared in New York Times on the day of the novels publication,
13、 Nash K.Burger called The Catcher in the Rye “an unusually brilliant first novel” and Paul Engle, in the Chicargo Tribunt, found it“engaging and believable”, a novel “full of right observation and sharp insight.” Other critics were less enthusiastic about it. Anne Goodman, in New Public, said that “
14、the book as a whole is disappointing”. It is “a brilliant tour-de-force, but in a writer of Salingers undeniable talent one expects something more”. Ernest Jones admitted that The Catcher in the Rye was a case history of all of us, but he said that though the book was always lively in its parts, The
15、 Catcher in the Rye, as a whole was predictable and boring. In England, the critic for Times Literary Supplement has also thought Holden is very touching and the endless stream of blasphemy and obscenity in which he talks is incredible.Even less enthusiastic were the notices that appeared in Catholi
16、c World. Reley Hughes, the reviewer in Catholic World complained about the novels excessive use of amateur swearing and coarse language, which, he argued, made Holdens iconoclastic character monotonous and phony. Morris Longstreth, writing for Christian Science Monitor, found the novel to be wholly
17、repellent in its mingled vulgarity and sly perversion. Longstreth concluded that The Catcher in the Rye “is not fit for children to read.” For although Holden is alive and human, he is also preposterous, profane, and pathetic beyond belief. The criticism on The Catcher in the Rye and Salinger became
18、 so active that they finally resulted in“The Salinger Industry”. In Saturday Review, the novelist and critic Harvey Swados expressed dismay at the outpouring of articles, essays, and speculations about the writer. Unquestionably, Salinger is a clever writer, with a first-rate ear for the mannerism o
19、f speech peculiar to young people.Obviously, the above comments show that critics and readers chiefly focus their attention upon the text itself. They stressed on “being concerned with the text itself”. But the text is only the basis for the analysis of a work of art. For Salinger, it is very diffic
20、ult to completely separate his works from his life and the sensitive and particular era of American history he lived and his novel were published in: the 1950s. Though he has once lived a recluse life, he can not escape the influence of this situation. According to Lionel Trillngs theory, there are
21、many factors shaping a work of art. Literature can not be separated from the outside influences and forces. These outside factors often take the form of social, political or historical or cultural background. In The Catcher in the Rye, Holdens rebellion against mainstream culture is omnipresent in t
22、he whole novel which deeply impressed me. My paper aims to analyze Holden Caulfield as a rebellious hero against mainstream culture through the social and cultural perspective.My paper concludes the following chapters. Chapter One is introduction. Chapter Two is devoted to the connotation of the mai
23、nstream culture in 1950s, mainly analyzing the definition of the mainstream culture, American Dream, and the language at that time. Chapter Three explores Holdens rebellion against the mainstream culture as is shown in his rebellion against the clique spirit of Pencey Prep, rebellion against the Ame
24、rican Dream and rebellion in language; Chapter four is conclusion，functioning as the conclusive remark of my study of Holdens rebellion against mainstream culture in 1950s.II.The Connotation of the Mainstream Culture in 1950s2.1 The Definition of the Mainstream CultureBefore defining mainstream cult
25、ure, it is very necessary to explain the meaning of “culture”. It is well known that there are several hundreds different definitions for “culture”. Among these definitions, a couple of them are widely accepted by the people all over the world. I choose one of the definitions for culture from Kamali
26、ni Draids book Acculturation of Anti-culture. In this book, the author holds a belief that culture is made up of peoples manners, customs, its technology, its religious organization and its system of valuation. There is another widely accepted definition for culture. It comes from Bruce A.Rondas boo
27、k The Discourse of American literature culture and Expressions from Colonization to Present. In this book Ronda thinks that culture puts emphasis on the importance of the current meaning as “way of life”. His definition for culture has a more general and more inclusive meaning. In this book, Ronda a
28、lso expounds the meaning of “discourse” .He thinks that discourse is a system of expression. As a matter of fact, writing is one of the systems of expression. One society can articulate its culture by this kind of expression. Literary works also reflect the dominant view of whats real and meaningful
29、. As a result, the mainstream culture finds its expression in literary works to reflect the dominant view of whats real and meaningful in the way of life. In other words, the mainstream culture reflects the dominant values and ideals in the way of life of the society.But with the development of the
30、mainstream culture, some people can not accept the dominant views and values of the society. So, in their own inner heart, they feel greatly suppressed and depressed. This happens to many writers. They feel disappointed with the mainstream culture and begin to express their dissatisfaction and rebel
31、lion against it. J.D.Salinger is one of them. Like other writers, Salinger expresses his defiance against the mainstream culture in his writings, especially in his novel The Catcher in the Rye. His masterpiece is created as a typical rebel Holden, the hero of his masterpiece against the mainstream c
32、ulture in the 1950s.2.2 The American DreamThe American Dream plays a major role in Americans life. It is an age-old，glorious dream. Its emergence closely accompanied the American myth，which the earliest immigrant who came to the north American continent made up. In these early immigrantsminds，they w
33、ere meant to reestablish a commonwealth based on the Teachings of the Bible，restore the lost Paradise and build the wilderness into a new Garden of Eden on the new continent，where man could at long last live the way he should and unbounded opportunities could be met through hard work and wise manage
34、ment. This new world was in sharp contrast with the old one，with the Americans as Newmans standing simple and sincere before the world. The world was just reborn and the human beings were endowed the second chance to reestablish a complete new ideal life. The earliest successful representative of th
35、e American Dream was Benjamin Franklin，whose image inspired countless Americans who wanted to create a new world with their own dreams fulfilled. As time went on，the American Dream gradually integrated into the American life and even developed into an American Dream complex which hundreds of thousan
36、ds of Americans clung to. But with several hundred years development，especially with the prosperity of the economy and the Prevalence of the materialism，the connotation of the American Dream experienced serious distortion and deformity. It was greatly corrupted and degenerated. In the Roaring twenti
37、es，through the description of F.Scott Fitzgerald，The corruption of the American Dream was exposed. The Death of a Salesman (1949) by Arthur Miller revealed the deceptiveness of the dream and further Pointed out its important change: college education became the key to success. When the time reached
38、1950s，the society became highly prosperous and material culture became the dominant trend in life. People were alienated by the materialized technocratic civilization and lived on the spiritual“wasteland”，having lost their spiritual faith. The Pursuit of the material success became the sole content
39、of the American Dream. The important means by which to achieve the dream was college education. People in 1950s tended to see a college degree as a means of a good，safe career rather than as the mark of a liberal education. Working in the office，making a big money and driving a Cadillac were their i
40、deals. Cars became the materialized symbol of the American Dream，reflecting a persons wealth and social status.2.3 The American Language in 1950sAs we all know, language is the carrier of the culture which it tries to express. Language is also the mark that indicates the civilization and progress of
41、 the human beings. So the mainstream culture of any nation inevitably requires a kind f civilized expression which conforms to its standards.In the 1950s, America had come to a stage of prosperous and affluent industrial society. American people were not concerned about the social problems any more.
42、 What they wanted to do was to make fortunes and become a member of the middle class. For most intellectuals at that time, they were employed by all kinds of postwarbureaucratic agencies. They became the new middle class and the toll serving for the bureaucratic agencies. As a result, they lost thei
43、r independence and moral convictions. In their writings, they used a formal and elegant language to describe America as a paradise. At the same time, several prominent writers such as Mark Twain and Hemingway used the colloquial language in their literary writings. However, this kind of language was
44、 rarely found in most writings. It was inevitable for most writers to be influenced by the mass media. So their writing was greatly commercialized. They wrote with a language that conformed to the language standard of the mainstream society. Whats more, there was a strict censorship system in Americ
45、a. The writings full of obscene and rude words were not allowed to publish and banned from schools and libraries. Any writer at that time knew what risk he had taken if he wrote a work full of rude and obscene words. However, J.D.Salinger in his masterpiece The Catcher in the Rye in 1951 created his
46、 hero Holden who opposed to the mainstream culture and spoke an inelegant, obscene and profane language.III. Holden: A Rebel against the Mainstream Culture3.1 Rebellion against the Clique Spirit of Pencey PrepThe clique spirit is characteristic of Pencey Prep school in which Holden studies. The cliq
47、ue spirit of Pencey Prep is one of the important parts of the mainstream cultural code. The so-called clique spirit makes students in several cliques and trains them to cling to common interests and hobbies of the clique. Finally they can form akind of so-called fraternity or brotherhood. When they
48、grow up and enter into the society, they continue to belong to those fixed cliques and strive for the profit of the organization. In the post-industrial society, the clique spirit is very important to the young men.In this novel, Holdens parents fail to choose a proper prep school for him. They only
49、 send their son to one private prep school after one another. Pencey Prep in Agerstown, Pennsylvania is the third expensive private prep school. It claims to mold boys into splendid clear-thinking young men, the “strictly for the birds.” In fact, Pencey Prep strangles the individuality of the youth. In Holdens eyes, the school is boring, trivial and full of phonies. The atmosphere of Pencey Prep suffocated him. He cann
