Disordered Mentality

The Catcher in the Rye is the only novel by J. D. Salinger. It depicts Holden's three-day-roving in New York to reflect the contradictory psychology and the spiritual struggle under the material wealth of American youth in 1950's.Based on Salinger's employment of symbolism, this thesis analyzes Holden's disordered mentality in four chapters. Chapter One introduces the author, the novel, symbolism, literature review and the aim of the thesis. Chapter Two demonstrates Holden's disordered mentality from the perspective of his clinging to the past, missing the present and indulging in fantasy. Chapter Three illustrates the doom of Holden's disordered mentality by analyzing symbolic things. Chapter Four is the reflections on Holden's disordered mentality. Salinger's vivid description of Holden's disordered mentality reflects the people's disordered spiritual mentality after WII and inspires the readers deeply.