ScholarWorks@숙명여자대학교

초록

This paper aims tostudy the problematics of a search for authentic masculinity in J. D. Salinger’swidely-read The Catcher in the Rye. It is well known that Salinger’smasterpiece acidly protests against the corrosive materialism of modern Americafrom the perspective of a young protagonist Holden Caulfield, who struggleswith growing up into adulthood. Holden envisions himself as a catcher, one whosaves innocence from being corrupted into what he calls the ‘phony’ worldwithout. For Holden, the catcher reflects a dream of his own authenticmasculinity that he wishes to realize against the standardized masculinities ofthe conformist society. Then, as this paper argues, Holden’s vision is highlycomplicated. While it is intimately related with the social changes of themid-20th century America that David Riesman mapped out, it seems the visionitself cannot be constructed without Holden’s self-sublimating obsession withinnocence. Holden risks such process to deny growing up, but the failure ofgrowth he chooses may be a meaningful resistance to conformist society and aneffort to leave room for self-reflection.

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