Abstract: In literature, the topic of pursuing the idealistic world with innocence and staying far away from society is not unusual to discuss, for example Kafka’s Metamorphosis and what we want to analyze, The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. Jerome D. Salinger, an American writer in the 1930s, approaches from a psychological point of view showing how difficult it is to preserve the innocence of childhood and cope with the vulgar American adult society for Holden Caulfield, the main character of the novel. The research makes it clear that how each character involves in the novel and contributes to its value by having connection with Holden Caulfield.

The aim of this dissertation is to show the important characters in the novel. There are means of ways to portray a character, such as building dialogues or monologues and illustrating writer’s own remarks. But in novel The Catcher in the Rye, it is impossible to observe any character through writer’s remarks because the narrator himself is the main character throughout the book and only by reading his expressions can we differentiate other characters, mostly by dialogue. Therefore, it leads to an unavoidable fact that by supporting each character, Holden presents them based on his own sense, which may have discrepancy with their genuine traits. To bridge the gap in between, in the following research and analysis, characters will be defined based to a larger extend on simple dialogues than Holden’s opinions. 

The hero, as usual should have been put forward to the forefront, however, based on the main themes of the novel such as alienation, self-discovery, obsession of childhood and maturity and so on, it is the characters around Holden that shape and feature him by working on the reflections of his emotions, struggle and ambiguity. That’s why the analysis of characters is separated by three parts: childhood, adulthood and in between the childhood and adulthood. Characterized by distinctive period each character is going through, childhood is reflected by Holden’s siblings Allie and Phoebe while adulthood by D.B. and Mr. Antolini, and finally in between the two periods Holden is the only representative personality.

Key words: The Catcher in the Rye, character analysis, Holden Caulfield

Contents

Abstract

中文摘要

Introduction-1

I.-Childhood-2

A.-Allie-2

B.-Phoebe Caulfield-3

II.-Adulthood-5

A.-D.B. Caulfield-5

B.-Mr. Antolini-6

III.-In Between the Childhood and Adulthood: Holden Caulfield-8

A.-Obsession of Childhood-8

B.-Dreams of Adulthood-10

Conclusion-12

Bibliography-13

Acknowledgements-14