HOLDEN CAULFIELD, THE MAIN CHARACTER OF J.D. SALINGER’S THE CATCHER IN THE RYE
A Thesis
Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement To Obtain the Sarjana Pendidikan Degree in
English Education
By:
Name : FX Wisnu Prabawa St. Number : 99 1214 139
ENGLISH EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND EDUCATION FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION
SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY JOGJAKARTA
The more we live, the more we learn, the more we know. From this moment on we share the world;
The more we give, the more we love, the more we grow. The spirit of imagination can lead us through the dark;
The more we see, the more we try, the more we show. The evidence of our confusion, life has left its mark;
The more we fear, the more we lie, the more we hide.
As we walk into tomorrow
(turning away from the path we know) Holding the future with our hands (we carry the weight of the world we go)
Its up to you and I, we hold the key; we hold the answers.
All our thoughts of doubt and fear are leaving one by one The more we live, the more we learn, the more we know. For each of us the road is clear and life has just begun;
The more we give, the more we love, the more we grow. Its time to reach the goals we've set for ourselves; The more we fear, the more we lie, the more we hide.
All we need is just to believe in ourselves; We face the truth; we see it clear, with no disguise.
Cast away our doubt and sorrow (turning away from the past we know)
The universe at our command
(conserving the fate of the world we grow)
Together you and I, we hold the key to all the answers.
Let go...Let go…Let go…Let go…Let go
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are honest,
whatever things are just, whatever things are pure,
whatever things are of good report;
if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. (Philippians 4:8)
But he who, with strong body serving mind, Gives up his power to worthy work, Not seeking gain, Arjuna! Such an one Is honourable.
Do thine alloted task! (The Bhagavad Gita)
With love and prayer, I dedicate this thesis to You
Nama : FX. Wisnu Prabawa Nomor Mahasiswa : 99 1214 139
Demi pengembangan ilmu pengetahuan, saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma karya ilmiah saya yang berjudul:
DISCUSSING WESTERN NORMS AND VALUES FROM THOSE OF EASTERN ONES AS REFLECTED IN THE LIFE OF HOLDEN CAULFIELD, THE MAIN CHARACTER OF J.D. SALINGER’S
THE CATCHER IN THE RYE
beserta perangkat yang diperlukan (bila ada). Dengan demikian saya memberikan kepada Perpustakaan Universitas Sanata Dharma hak untuk menyimpan, mengalihkan dalam bentuk media lain, mengelolanya dalam bentuk pangkalan data, mendistribusikan secara terbatas, dan mempublikasikannya di Internet atau media lain untuk kepentingan akademis tanpa perlu meminta ijin dari saya maupun memberikan royalti kepada saya selama tetap mencantumkan nama saya sebagai penulis.
Demikian pernyataan ini yang saya buat dengan sebenarnya.
Dibuat di Yogyakarta
Pada tanggal : 21 April 2008
Yang menyatakan
First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to The Light Without Heat and The Son, for sending me His Loving Spirit so that I have flourishing energy to accomplish my thesis. It is because of His grace so that I may see His countenance of Love through the countenances of beautiful, kind, and inspiring people around me. Actually, it brings delights during my thesis completion.
Then, I wish to express my deepest gratitude to my major sponsor, Dr. A. Herujiyanto, M. A., Ph. D., and my co-sponsor Ag. Hardi Prasetyo, S. Pd., M. A. for their willingness to spend their energy, time, feelings, and ideas to read and correct my thesis. I am so grateful for their support, patience, advices, and love so that not only accomplishment of my thesis I may get but also more fruits of life I may taste.
I would like to thank all PBI lecturers for their roles in improving vast aspects of my life. They have shared with me a lot of their life so that I can feel assured about handling the incoming tasks in the future. I feel need to send my thanks to the staff of PBI Secretariat who have help me patiently and attentively in dealing with administration affairs and to the librarians in Sanata Dharma University for their smile and support during the exhausting nights in the library.
I would like to send my love and gratitude to my beloved Bapak and Ibu, for giving me their limitless love, sincere prayers, and freedom in life. And, trying to be
A must-person I need to address my gratitude to is Hadi Darmawi. My deep thanks and respect go for him since I always get immediate supports and attention at the very critical moments. Gladly, I also express my gratitude to all of my PBI friends, especially Daniel, Thomas, Guntur, Sutopo Martinus, Lola, Vian, Martha, Anas, Nunuk, and Hening.
I do appreciate for having special kind of love and warm friendship from some guys. They are R. In Nugroho, G. Heliarko, A. Setyawan, T.B. Gandhi, John Nugroho, Abertus Nugroho, and A. Herwanto. Special thanks also go to some people who have enriched my life; Priyo Jatmiko, Bertus, Sahat, Stevanie, Maria Eva, Vincent, Mas Aprie, Katarina Restu Ning Tyas, Anastasia Ratna, Margaretha Indriani, Mathilda Eivalig, Stella Vania, Ajeng, Mas Yuli, Pak Tarmuji, Pantoro’s family and Legowo’s family.
Last but not least, I would thank You and everybody. May You be blessed with everything Your heart desires.
FX. Wisnu Prabawa
TITLE PAGE……….i
PAGE OF APPROVAL………....ii
PAGE OF BOARD OF EXAMINERS ………...iii
PAGE OF DEDICATION………iv
STATEMENT OF WORK’S ORIGINALITY……….vi
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS………vii
TABLE OF CONTENTS……….ix
ABSTRACT………....xii
ABSTRAK………...xiii
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background of the Study……….1
1.2 Aim of the Study………..………4
1.3 Problem Formulation………..……….4
1.4 Definition of Terms……….5
1.5 Benefit of the Study……….6
CHAPTER 2: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK 2.1. Theoretical Review……….………7
2.1.1. Theory of Character and Characterization.………..………7
2.1.2. Theory of Characterization………..………9
2.1.3. Theory of Psychoanalysis……..………10
2.1.3.1. The Conscious and The Unconscious……….………11
2.1.3.2. The Id, The Ego, and The Superego………..…..……….11
2.1.3.3. The Life Instinct and the Death Instinct…….…………...……….14
2.1.3.4. The Ego Defense Mechanisms………...………...……15
2.1.6.1. The Origin and the Nature of Theory of Katresnanism…….………25
2.1.6.2. The Development of the Theory of Katresnanism……….………27
2.1.6.3. The Principles of the Theory of Katresnanism………...………28
2.1.6.4. The Focus and Goal of the Theory of Katresnanism……….….…….. 30
2.2. Criticism ………..………..…………. 31
2.3. Context of the Novel………..………. 33
CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY 3.1 Subject Matter……….……..……….36
3.2 Approaches……….……….…..………37
3.3 Procedures………..….……….. 38
3.4 Sources………..……… 39
CHAPTER 4: ANALYSIS 4.1 Holden’s Personality.……….…...……… 41
4.2. Psyche of Holden Personality………..….…...……… 45
4.2.1. The Id…………….……….………...…45
4.2.2. The Ego………….……….………...47
4.2.3. The Superego………49
4.2.4. The Ego Defense Mechanism of Holden………..………...……53
4.3. Exercise of Western Norms and Values in Holden’s Life..……….………55
4.4. Exercise of the Eastern Norms and Values in Holden’s Life…..………58
CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION 5.1. Conlusion………..62
5.2. Suggestion ………63
of The Catcher in The Rye for the 3rd year Senior High School
Students………...64 b. Implementation of teaching Speaking IV using a
situational conflict faced by Holden Caulfield
found in The Catcher in The Rye for the Fourth Semester
Students of English Language Study Program……….…. 65 BIBLIOGRPHY……….….…... 67
APPENDICES:
Appendix 1: Synopsis of The Catcher In The Rye……….……….68 Appendix 2: Biography of J.D. Salinger……….………81 Appendix 3: Katresnan Criticism: The Nature and Who Does It……….……..82 Appendix 4: The Implementation of Teaching vocabulary using chapter 12 of
The Catcher in The Rye for the 3rd year of Senior High School
Students………...96 Appendix 5: The Implementation of teaching Speaking IV using a situational
conflict faced by Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in The Rye for the Fourth Semester Students of English Language Study
Program………...…99
Main Character Of J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher In The Rye. Yogyakarta: English Education Study Program, Departement of Language and Arts Education, Faculty of Teachers Training and Education, Sanata Dharma University.
This thesis discusses The Catcher in The Rye, a novel written by J.D Salinger. There are three problems that become the basis of discussion in this thesis. The first discussion deals with Holden Caulfield’s personality. The second discussion is concerned with how the Western norms and values are reflected in Holden’s life. The last discussion is focused on how the Eastern norms and values are reflected in Holden’s life.
The method applied in this study is library research. I collected the information to support the analysis from the novel itself, criticism of the work and other sources related to the novel.
I used some theories to analyze the novel. They are Theory of Character and Characterization; Psychoanalysis Theory; Theory of American norms and values; and Post-Colonialism Theory, in this case, Katresnanism Theory. The first two theories are used to analyze Holden Caulfield’s personality, while Post-colonialism and the American norm and values are used to discuss the norms and values exercised by the East and West as reflected in the novel.
After conducting the analysis, I got three findings. First, Holden Caulfield is cynical, deceitful, irresponsible, emotional and temperamental, and stagnant. Psychologically, Holden Caulfield is carried by the notion of the so-called companionship, affection, lack of commonly accepted action, physical health deterioration, generosity, and future orientation. Second, the reflected Western norms and values in the life of Holden are directness, openness and honesty, personal control over the environment, action and work orientation, equality, and privacy. The last finding shows that some reflected Eastern norms and values in the life of Holden are cita wicita wicitra, sithik edhing, mrantasi, andhom slamet, and nalar.
Finally, besides writing some suggestions for the future researchers, I also suggest to use the novel as the materials to teach vocabulary in Senior High School and Speaking IV in English Education Study Program.
Character of J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher In The Rye. Yogyakarta: Program Studi Bahasa Inggris, Pendidikan Bahasa dan Seni, Fakultas Keguruan dan Ilmu Pendidikan. Universitas Sanata Dharma.
Skripsi ini membahas sebuah novel karya J.D Salinger. yaitu The Catcher in The Rye. Ada tiga permasalahan yang menjadi pokok bahasan dalam skripsi ini. Bahasan pertama mengenai kepribadian Holden. Bahasan kedua mengenai norma dan nilai Kebaratan yang tercermin dalam kehidupan Holden. Dan bahasan terakhir mengenai bagaimana norma dan nilai Ketimuran tercermin di dalam kehidupan Holden.
Metode yang saya gunakan adalah studi pustaka. Saya mengumpulkan informasi-informasi yang dibutuhkan dari novel ini sendiri, kritik terhadap novel tersebut, dan sumber-sumber lain yang berhubungan dengan novel itu sendiri.
Saya menggunakan beberapa teori untuk menganalisa novel tersebut. Di antaranya adalah Teori Tokoh dan Penokohan, Teori Psikoanalisis, Teori Norma dan Nilai Amerika, dan Teori Poskolonialisme, dalam hal ini, Teori Katresnanisme. Dua teori yang pertama digunakan untuk membahas kepribadian Holden, sedangkan Teori Norma dan Nilai Amerika dan Teori Poskolonialisme digunakan untuk membahas norma dan nilai Kebaratan dan Ketimuran sebagaimana yang tercermin di dalam novel tersebut.
Setelah mengadakan analisa, saya mendapatkan tiga temuan. Pertama, Holden Caulfield adalah pribadi yang sinis, pendusta, tidak bertanggung-jawab, emosional dan temepramental, dan stagnan. Secara psikologis, Holden Caulfield terpengaruh pandangan oleh apa yang biasa disebut sebagai pertemanan, afeksi, kurangnya penerimaan terhadap tindakan-tindakannya, penurunan kesehatan fisiknya, kemurah-hatian, dan orientasi masa depan. Kedua, nilai dan norma Kebaratan yang tercermin dalam kehidupan Holden Caulfield adalah keterus-terangan, keterbukaan dan kejujuran, kontrol pribadi terhadap lingkungan, orientasi kerja dan tindakan, persamaan derajat, dan privasi. Temuan terakhir menunjukkan beberapa norma dan nilai Ketimuran yang tercermin dari kehidupan Holden adalah cita wicita wicitra, sithik edhing, mrantasi, andhom slamet, and nalar.
Akhirnya, di samping mencantumkan beberapa saran bagi peneliti selanjutnya, saya juga menyarankan penggunaan novel ini sebagai materi untuk mengajar Vocabulary di SMA dan Speaking IV di Program Studi Pendidikan Bahasa Inggris.
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION
1.1.Background of the Study
Human being’s life is like a wheel, which is always rolling. It implies changes in life. It is hard to be predicted exactly what it will be. It is a kind of God’s grand design. Although the destination and the route are not very clearly seen, those who are wise will know at least the direction where the wheel of their life goes. According to Erikson in his book Abnormal Psychology, a New Look, human being must pass each stage in life wheel sequentially (1964: 12). Moreover, if a human being fails at one of the stages he/she also seems to fail to progress through any of the higher stages. The process of the stages is variation of each individual and it attacks the childhood and social classes (Marshal P. Duke and Stephen Nowicki, Jr. 1986: 493).
As the Javanese say that everything in life has its own pance’an or stepping stone; things that come before the other new, humans are granted with free-will. They have their own choices which are decided based on their respective mentality and consciousness. Nevertheless, most people do not realize what and why they are doing and what for their action actually means and its effects toward themselves and others. Sometimes they do not realize that their will controls them. It’s supposed to be they who control their will, not the other way around. People then tend to find themselves lonely although they are along with the crowd. They become isolated, arrogant and sometimes they underestimate people and condition around them. Everything seems to be wrong and incorrect to this kind of people. They have
difficulties in accepting this condition. In this case, it is like a God’s test to human beings whether or not they can survive, and how they face the conditions.
Many literary works often present the daily events. They can be poems, novels, plays, and shorts stories. They are sources providing the audience with various sorts of situations, condition, and problems with some implicit suggestions lying beyond fragments of life depicted in the works. Therefore, it will be more beneficial if the reader can understand the content of the story very well. The reader can be more responsive and analytical on those problems, and be able to put the best solving way into action for the sake of themselves and others. The example of the problems in the daily life is a problem in facing and surviving in the changes of situation which may come at any time.
The focus of the discussion then is to see east and west culture reflected in Holden’s life. This study aims at seeing the norms and values reflected only in the three days experienced by Holden.
The publication of the novel was in the time of the fast growing American industrial economy which made the nation prosperous and entrenched social rules serving as a code of conformity for the younger generation. Due to its slang, profanity, and also its open exposure to sexual life, this novel provoked a great controversy up on the day of its release. Some critics argued that the novel was not serious literature citing its casual and informal tone as evidence (Salzberg, 1990). The book was banned in some communities and it consequently has been thrown into the centre of debates.
Holden Caulfield, the main protagonist of the novel, experiences self-destruction over a period of day that then forces him to deal with the society’s attitude toward the human condition. Although he is merely a 16-year-old-boy, he knows how to deal with the society during his adolescence. As Engle has written in the Chicago Tribune, Holden’s attitude and action is typical of a teenager (1951: 3). How he thinks and behaves shows that it is rare for the young boy like him to face the world with its complexities that sometimes ignores the adolescent and their thoughts. Holden Caulfield as the protagonist and also as the narrator of the story is described as the unique teenager who always feels sorry for the world which he considers as phony. He sees many incidents taking place in his roommates, his teachers, and even his parents.
his underlying mentality. This means discussing the norms and values exercised by Holden Caulfield in his actions. It is unavoidable that the discussion deals with east and west norms and values. In doing so, the writer need to see the personality of the main character. Besides, it is also necessary to see the underlying mentality of the character. To see a life of a person requires information about values, norms and angles to objectively observe considerations and actions taken by the main character towards situations and people he faces. It requires points of view. Therefore, I need to see his life with both point of view of Western life and that of Eastern one. This way, the possible conflicts between East and West can be prevented from taking place. This is precisely the urgency of this study to be conducted.
1.2 Aim of the Study
The aims of this study is to see the Western norms and values from those of the Eastern ones as seen in the actions exercised by Holden Caulfield, the main character of The Catcher In The Rye. The discussion deals with the norms and values reflected in the series of events taking place in his life during the three day time when he left his school for good.
1.3 Problem Formulation
To meet the above aims of the study, there are three problems that need to be formulated in this study. They are:
1. What is Holden Caulfield’s personality?
1.4 Definition of Terms
In this study, I would give some definitions of several terms that are considered to be the keywords to avoid misinterpretation of words since one word might have more than one meaning.
Life, according to Cambridge Anvanced Learners’ Dictionary, is the period between birth and death; the experience or state of being alive. While according to Ayn Rand, life is a process of self-sustaining and self-generated action. Life can be kept in existence only by a constant process of self-sustaining action. The goal of that action, the ultimate value which, to be kept, must be gained through its every moment, is the organism’s life (1964: 12-13).
Another term I need to define is norms and values. We often lump together values and norms as considerations which affect our actions and feelings in similar ways. However, values – such as good and bad, or even freedom and injustice – differ in important ways from norms, which tell us what we ought or ought not to do. Further, we require a better understanding of values and norms since the relation between values and norms is still not well understood. Little is known about the link between these two logical entities (http://www.affective-sciences.org/human-values-details.html).
The term of main character refers to characters that appear more often than the other characters in the story. This character performs an important role in clarifying the theme of the novel. More discussion about main character will be presented in the next chapter.
1.5 Benefit of the Study
This study intentionally will have some benefits for me, the readers, and the literary world. I will get better understanding about character of the main character based on his thought, feeling, and actions. In a broader scope, I will have better knowledge to understand people. Besides, knowing Eastern and Western values of life will give additional points of view in seeing the life and guidance to a better way of behaving.
To the reader, this study will be another critics, reference or additional information to understand the novel for a certain intended purpose. Hopefully, the readers also have a new understanding towards the personality of the main character and both Western and Eastern views on Holden Caulfield’s life.
CHAPTER 2
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
2.1. Theoretical Review
2.1.1. Theory of Character and Characterization
The existence of character and characterization are important in literary pieces, particularly prose. An author uses its complexity and other elements to shape a story (Little, 1963: 1).
A character is very important to contribute the content of the literary works. The author usually introduces the character by the dialogue in the player and the action of the characters. Abram in his Glossary of Literary Termsdefines ‘character’ as the person in dramatic or narrative work, endowed with moral and dispositional qualities that are exposed in what they say, e.g. the dialogue, and what they do, e.g. the action. The ground character’s temperament and moral nature for his speech and action constitutes his motivation (1957: 20).
Characters can be categorized as such through the complexity of the characterization, the attention given to them by the author and by the other characters and also the personal intensity that they seem to convey. On the basis of importance, characters can be categorized into major and secondary character. The major characters are the center of the story. The secondary characters are characters that perform more limited functions. They are limited in ways that the major characters are not. They may be less sophisticated so that their responses to the experiences are less complex and interesting (Murphy, 1972: 71).
Little states that to portray a character, the character should be considered based on the characteristic of the character which consists of the physical characteristics, the personal relationship between the character and another characters in the novel, and his mental qualities, e.g. his typical ways of thinking, feeling, and acting (1981: 93).
There are two types of character, which are defined by E.M. Forster in his Aspect of the Novel. They are flat character and round character. A flat character built around a single idea or quality and presented without much individualizing detail. Therefore, he/she can be fairly and adequately described in a single phrase or sentence. This kind of character is called flat because we can only see on one side of the character, which is easily recognized and represented only, or mainly in one aspect. A round character is a character that is always capable in surprising the readers in a convincing way. He or she is more life like than the flat character because in a real life, people are not simply embodiments of single behaviour. His/her temperament and motivation are more complex that they cannot describe in a single sentence.
reference, as foils to the major characters, as analogous to the main characters, as composite conditions of the human situation, and as symbols of aspects of the governing state of being”(1983: 100).
2.1.2. Theory of Characterization
Murphy, in the Understanding Unseen, gives methods to examine the authors’ attempts to make his characters understandable to and comes alive for his readers that are (1972: 161-173):
a. Personal Description
The author describes people appearance, about the physical of the characters look likes.
b. Character As Seen By Others
Instead of describing a character directly the author can describe him through the eyes and opinion of others. The readers get as it were, a reflected image.
c. Speech
The author can give us an insight into the character of one of the person in the book through what the person says. Whenever a person speaks, whenever he is in conversation with another, whenever he puts forward an opinion, he is giving us some clue to his character.
d. Past Life
e. Conversation of Others
The author can also give the readers clue to a person’s character through the conversation of other people and the things they say about him. People do talk other people and the things they say often give as clue to the character of the spoken about. f. Reaction
The author also can give the readers know how that person reacts to various situation and events.
g. Direct Comment
The author can describe or comment on person’s character directly. h. Thought
The author can give the readers direct knowledge of what a person is thinking about. In this respect, he is able to do what we cannot do in real life. He can tell the readers what different people are thinking. In the novel the readers accept this. The readers then are in the privileged position; he has, as it were a secret listening device plugged into the inmost thoughts.
i. Mannerism
The author can describe a person’s mannerism, habit, or idiosyncrasies which may also tell the readers something about his character.
2.1.3. Theory of Psychoanalysis
means. At the same time, psychoanalysis is also a therapeutic method for the neurotic disorders. I use this theory to discover the underlying mentality of Holden Caulfield.
2.1.3.1. The Conscious and The Unconscious
Freud didn't exactly invent the idea of the conscious and unconscious mind, but he certainly was responsible for making it popular. The conscious mind is what we are aware of at any particular moment, people’s present perceptions, memories, thoughts, fantasies, feelings. Working closely with the conscious mind is what Freud called the preconscious, what we might today call "available memory:" Anything that can easily be made conscious is the memories which we are not thinking about at the moment but can readily bring in to mind. The largest part by far is the unconscious. It includes all the things that are not easily available to awareness, including many things that have their origins there, such as our drives or instincts, and things that are put there because we can't bear to look at them, such as the memories and emotions associated with trauma.
According to Freud, the unconscious is the source of our motivations, whether they are simple desires for food or sex, neurotic compulsions, or the motives of an artist or scientist. And yet, we are often driven to deny or resist becoming conscious of these motives, and they are often available to us only in disguised form (Boeree, 2006: 5).
2.1.3.2. The Id, The Ego, and The Superego
toward those ends by its needs – hunger, thirst, the avoidance of pain, and sex. A very important part of the organism is the nervous system, which has its sensitivity to the organism's needs. At birth, that nervous system is little more than that of any other animal, an "it" or id. The nervous system, as id, translates the organism's needs into motivational forces called, in German, triebe, which has been translated as instincts or drives. Freud also called them wishes.
id
superego ego
conscious
preconscious
unconscious
Fig. 1 Psyche
However, as the ego struggles to keep the id and, ultimately, the organism happy, it meets with obstacles in the world. It occasionally meets with objects that actually assist it in attaining its goals. And it keeps a record of these obstacles and aides. In particular, it keeps track of the rewards and punishments meted out by two of the most influential objects in the world of the child – mom and dad. This record of things to avoid and strategies to take becomes the superego. It is not completed until about seven years of age. In some people, it never is completed.
represents society, and society often wants nothing better than to have the organism never satisfy the needs at all (Boeree, 2006: 6).
2.1.3.3. The Life Instinct and the Death Instinct
Freud sees all human behavior as motivated by the drives or instincts, which in turn are the neurological representations of physical needs. These instincts perpetuate the life of the individual, by motivating him or her to seek food and water, and the life of the species, by motivating him or her to have sex. The motivational energy of these life instincts, the "oomph" that powers our psyches He called it as libido, from the Latin word for "I desire." Anyway, libido has come to mean, not any old drive, but the sex drive. Later in his life, Freud begins to believe that the life instincts don’t tell the whole story. Libido is a lively thing; the pleasure principle keeps us in perpetual motion. And yet the goal of all this motion is to be still, to be satisfied, to be at peace, to have no more needs. Freud believes that "under" and "beside" the life instincts there was a death instinct.
2.1.3.4. The Ego Defense Mechanisms
The ego deals with the demands of reality, the id, and the superego as best as it can. But when the anxiety becomes overwhelming, the ego must defend itself. It does so by unconsciously blocking the impulses or distorting them into a more acceptable, less threatening form. The techniques are called the ego defense mechanisms, and Freud, his daughter, Anna, and other disciples have discovered quite a few. They are as follows (Boeree, 2006: 7-12):
a. Denial
Denial involves blocking external events from awareness. If some situation is just too much to handle, the person just refuses to experience it. As we might imagine, this is a primitive and dangerous defense. No one disregards reality and gets away with it for long. It can operate by itself or, more commonly, in combination with other, more subtle mechanisms that support it. Examples of this mechanism are little kids sort of glazing over when confronted by things they'd rather not be confronted by, people who are fainted at autopsies, people deny the reality of the death of a loved one, and students fail to pick up their test results. Anna Freud also mentions denial in fantasy: This is when children, in their imaginations, transform an "evil" father into a loving teddy bear, or a helpless child into a powerful superhero.
b. Repression
aroused the anxiety of the event without arousing their memory. For example an alcoholic who can't remember his suicide attempt tends to claim he must have "blacked out", or someone who almost drowns as a child but can't remember the event even when people try to remind him has this fear of open water. Usually, it is the irrational fears we call as phobias that derive from repression of traumas.
c. Asceticism
Asceticism or the renunciation of needs, is one of most people haven't heard of. It has become relevant again today with the emergence of the disorder called anorexia. Preadolescents, when they feel threatened by their emerging sexual desires, may unconsciously try to protect themselves by denying, not only their sexual desires, but all desires. They get involved in some kind of ascetic (monk-like) lifestyle wherein they renounce their interest in what other people enjoy. Girls often develop a great deal of interest in attaining an excessively and artificially thin standard of beauty. In Freudian theory, girls’ denial of their need for food is actually a cover for their denial of their sexual development. Anna Freud also discusses a milder version of this called restriction of ego. Here, a person loses interest in some aspects of life and focuses it elsewhere, in order to avoid facing reality. A young girl who is rejected by the object of her affections may turn away from feminine things and becomes a "sex-less intellectual," or a boy who is afraid that he may be humiliated on the football team may unaccountably become deeply interested in poetry.
d. Isolation
cavalier manner, acknowledge that they had been abused as a child, or may show a purely intellectual curiosity in their newly discovered sexual orientation. Something that should be a big deal is treated as if it were not. In emergency situations, many people find them completely calm and collected until the emergency is over, at which point they fall to pieces. Something tells them that, during the emergency, they can't afford to fall apart. It is common to find someone totally immersed in the social obligations surrounding the death of a loved one. Doctors and nurses must learn to separate their natural reactions to blood, wounds, needles, and scalpels, and treat the patient, temporarily, as something less than a warm, wonderful human being with friends and family. Adolescents often go through a stage where they are obsessed with horror movies, perhaps to come to grips with their own fears. Nothing demonstrates isolation more clearly than a theater full of people laughing hysterically while someone is shown being dismembered.
e. Displacement
Displacement is the redirection of an impulse onto a substitute target. Someone who hates his or her mother may repress that hatred, but direct it instead towards, say, women in general. Someone who has not had the chance to love someone may substitute cats or dogs for human beings. Someone who is frustrated by his or her superiors may go home and kick the dog or beat up a family member. f. Turning against the Self
feelings of inferiority, guilt, and depression. People refuse to acknowledge the idea that depression is often the result of the anger.
g. Projection
Anna Freud also called it as displacement outward. It is almost the complete opposite of turning against the self. It involves the tendency to see one’s own unacceptable desires in other people. In other words, the desires are still there, but they're not his or her desires anymore. One of this is a husband, a good and faithful one, finds himself terribly attracted to the charming and flirtatious lady next door. But rather than acknowledge his own hardly abnormal lusts, he becomes increasingly jealous of his wife, constantly worried about her faithfulness, and so on. Another one is when a woman finds herself having vaguely sexual feelings about her girlfriends. Instead of acknowledging those feelings as quite normal, she becomes increasingly concerned with the presence of lesbians in her community.
h. Altruistic Surrender
It is a form of projection that at first glance looks like its opposite. Here, the person attempts to fulfill his or her own needs vicariously, through other people. A common example of this is a friend who, while not seeking any relationship himself, is constantly pushing other people into them, and is particularly curious as the relationship is progressing. The extreme example of altruistic surrender is the person who lives their whole life for and through another.
i. Reaction Formation
Someone who can't accept a homosexual impulse may claim to despise homosexuals. Perhaps the most common and clearest example is found in children between seven and eleven or so. Most boys will tell others in no uncertain terms how disgusting girls are, and girls will tell others with equal vigor how gross boys are. Adults, however, can tell quite easily what their true feelings are.
j. Undoing
It involves "magical" gestures or rituals that are meant to cancel out unpleasant thoughts or feelings after they've already occurred. In "normal" people, the undoing is, of course, more conscious, and we might engage in an act of atonement for some behavior, or formally ask for forgiveness. But in some people, the act of atonement isn't conscious at all. Consider the alcoholic father who, after a year of verbal and perhaps physical abuse, puts on the best and biggest Christmas ever for his kids. When the season is over, and the kids haven't quite been fooled by his magical gesture, he returns to his bartender with complaints about how ungrateful his family is, and how they drive him to drink.
k. Introjection
l. Identification with the Aggressor
It is a version of introjections that focuses on the adoption, not of general or positive traits, but of negative or feared traits. If one is afraid of someone, one can partially conquer that fear by becoming more like them. For example girls who are growing up with a particularly moody cat, could often be seen meowing, hissing, spitting, and arching their backs as an effort to keep that cat from springing out of a closet or dark corner and trying to bite their ankles.
m. Regression
It is a movement back in psychological time when one is faced with stress to the last time in life when one felt safe and secure. One who is troubled or frightened often may become more childish or primitive. A child may begin to suck their thumb again or wet the bed when they need to spend some time in the hospital. Teenagers may giggle uncontrollably when introduced into a social situation involving the opposite sex. A freshman college student may need to bring an old toy from home or an older man, after spending twenty years at a company and now finding himself laid off, may retire to his recliner and become childishly dependent on his wife.
n. Rationalization
But that doesn't make them less dangerous – in fact it makes them more so. After a while, the ego can no longer take care of the id's demands, or pay attention to the superego. The anxieties come rushing back, and one breaks down.
o. Sublimation
Freud himself suggests that there is one positive defense, which he calls sublimation. It is the transforming of an unacceptable impulse, whether it be sex, anger, fear, or so, into a socially acceptable, even productive form. So someone with a great deal of hostility may become a hunter, a butcher, a football player, or a mercenary. Someone suffering from a great deal of anxiety in a confusing world may become an organizer, a businessperson, or a scientist. Someone with powerful sexual desires may become an artist, a photographer, or a novelist, and so on. For Freud, in fact, all positive, creative activities are sublimations, and predominantly are of the sex drive.
2.1.4. Theory of American Norms and Values
Adelman and Levine, explain the mainstream American values. I use this theory as a tool to see Holden life from the perspective of American norms and values. They are (1993: 11-15):
a. Personal Control over the Environment
Americans believe that people can alter nature, and to large extent, can determine the direction of their lives. They believe that they have the power to control their life. b. Change
c. Control Over Time
Americans believe that time flies. People are pressured and constrained by time because they are trying to control it. People shouldn't waste or kill time. They must rush to get things done. They must follow their schedules to be productive.
d. Self-help
People can and should try to improve their own lives. Many middle and upper-class Americans have the beliefs that people can "pull themselves up by their own bootstraps". Meaning to say is that they must help themselves.
e. Future Orientation
Americans believe that they should look to the future and not to the past. They disagree that American should live for their ancestors.
f. Action and Work Orientation
In America, work often defines people. Their individual identities respectively come from what they do. They should focus on their work, achievements, and accomplishments.
g. Informality
First name usage, casual clothes, and the lack of formal ritual are typical in American life.
h. Directness, Openness, and Honesty
Americans believe that honesty is the best policy. People should express themselves openly. It is not considered good to "beat around the bush"
i. Materialism
Adelman and Levine further explain the core norms and values of American life (1993: 15-16). They say that Americans want and value privacy. Privacy doesn't mean isolation or loneliness. American may feel the need to give people their privacy or to have their own privacy. In some American homes, parents and children do not enter each other's rooms without first knocking. This emphasis on privacy exists because individuals feel that their needs must be respected.
Another American value is the ideal of equality. Americans like to present an image that everyone is equal. Many Americans choose not to be overly polite and formal with a person of a higher status. Instead, many Americans would rather think of the boss as an equal. In other words, the American tendency is to minimize status differences rather than to emphasize them.
Another American value is future orientation. Americans, on the whole, look to the future rather than the past. Tradition and ritual, reminders of the past, play a small part in most Americans' daily lives. There is instead a focus on progress and change in their lives. This also related to the American belief in personal control over one's environment, and the emphasis on doing and acting.
2.1.5. The Theory of Post-Colonialism
practices of post-colonial writing. Post-Colonial theory has proceeded from the need to address these different practices. Indigenous theories have developed to accommodate the differences within the various cultural traditions as well as the desire to describe in a comparative way the features shared across those traditions (1989: 11).
Philips, in Ashcroft’s Empire Writes Back, says that Nineteenth-century imperial expansion, the culmination of outward and dominating thrust of Europeans into the world beyond Europe, was underpinned in complex ways by the assumptions that the political and monocenterism of the colonial enterprise was a natural result of the philosophical traditions of the European world and the privilege of representation of its systems. In the first instance, this produced practices of cultural disapproval, characterized by one post-colonial critic as ‘cultural inferiority’ (1958). Then, the coming out of identifiable indigenous theories in reaction to this formed an important element in the development of specific national and regional consciousnesses (1989: 12).
The alienating process which initially served to downgrade the post-colonial world to the margin turned upon itself and acted to push that world through a kind of mental barrier into a position from which all experience could be viewed as uncentred, pluralistic, and multifarious. Marginality thus became an unprecedented source of creative energy. The movement towards decentring and pluralism has always been present in the history of European thought and has reached its latest development in post-structuralism (1989: 12).
scholars. Post-Colonial theory is applied to political science, to history, and to other related fields. People who call themselves post-colonial scholars generally see themselves as part of a large movement to expose and struggle against the influence of large, rich nations, mostly European and the U.S., on poorer nations which are mostly in the southern hemisphere (http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~brians/post-colonial/ problemwithterm.htm).
Based on the above explanation, then, I need one comparative theory which represents the theory of Post-Colonialism. Therefore, I use an indigenous theory that is the theory of Katresnanism.
2.1.6. The Theory of Katresnanism
2.1.6.1. The Origin and the Nature of Katresnanism Theory
In his paper, Katresnan Criticism: The Nature and Who Does It, Herujiyanto says that theory of Katresnanism is an ingenuous Javanese theory by nature. Based on the meaning, it is the positive thinking wise and thus promotes positive thinking: this would emerge through practice, either by doing the research or embracing it through the deeds done in daily world situation. To promote positive thinking or to use Katresnanism theory is, then, for us to regard that it is an opportunity for us to introduce ourselves who we really are. Using Katresnanism theory we may explain our true-self (Herujiyanto, 2004: 7).
Theory of Katresnanism (divine love) is a term which refers to the result of an inductive work functioning as a reminder and invitation (eling-kelingan) of one’s true self (jati diri) and one’s existence which was granted due to katresnan
Positive thinking produces a better understanding of things including that of one’s own, so that one may be able to see that “giving means receiving”. Having a positive thinking is thus having an attitude of katresnanism. Since katresnanism is an action of know-how, it may be referred to as katresnanism approach; and because it involves analysis on one’s work, it can also be called a form of critical theory. Due to the nature of components and principles used-which are mostly derived from Javanese philosophy—it is often referred to as philosophical analysis (Herujiyanto, 2004: 4).
Katresnanism as a school of thought is also meant to enquire into one’s work (including that of one’s own): thinking about the work involving the questions "why the work is done as it is, why the doer is the way that he or she is. As a school of thought, katresnanism is following the natural working forces of the unity of mind and heart, common sense (rational, logic) and conscience (ethics, morals, passion), you within me. When the unity is taking place, the so-called corpus is also being formed as energy. This kind of energy is represented in the form of the so-called aos katresnanism or principles of katresnanism. It embraces thought which are having the energy of positive thinking (Herujiyanto, 2004: 4).
Up to now, 33 aos (principles) have been discussed. The fact that theory of
Katresnanism is an open ended may be seen through the words positive thinking and through an invitation to anybody to develop by, among others, proposing for adding more aos. These aos or principles or rather characteristics may also be called the components of the katresnanism (Herujiyanto, 2004: 4).
is to enlighten and to achieve a better understanding of one’s work by finding out the covert or deeper meaning of it so that the door is always opened to all possible angles of development. Theory of Katresnanism (divine Love) may, thus, be seen through the following figure.
t hose who offer kat r esnan = t hose who receive kat r esnan
giving receiving
Katresnan
(pious divine love)
The Real Trut h: Aos Kat resnanism
fig.2. Katresnanism System
2.1.6.2. The Development of the Theory of Katresnanism
Katresnanism enquiries begin with an objective based on positive thinking. It is to enlighten as well as to develop professional knowledge by supporting what one has already known and understood, generating new knowledge and the like mention in aos katresnan. The objective to enlighten as well as to develop professional knowledge suggests a social intent; that it is done for the benefit of others including his or her own. Enlightening one’s work or whatever it is would be closely related to the existing situation. Our readiness to be self-critical is the katresnan energy spreading naturally towards people around us and, therefore, enlightening them (Herujiyanto, 2004: 8).
and justified account of our work and practice continuously and regularly is representing one of aos katresnanism namely, banyu sinaring: becoming a model of learning is an invitation for learning (Herujiyanto, 2004: 8).
2.1.6.3. The Principles of the Theory of Katresnanism
Theory of Katresnanism itself embraces the action principles as mentioned in
aos katresnanism as follows (Herujiyanto, 2004: 10): 1. It celebrates feelings of learning (andhap ashor).
2. It shows the concern and care for others (andhom slamet).
3. It reasons that quandary or predicament may also be there due to the goal
(angon mangsa).
4. It intends appreciating others (atur panuwun).
5. It calls to become a model of learning (banyu sinaring).
6. It promotes working for the sake of the best for others (binerkahan).
7. It requires changing practice in the light of appraisal and versatile (cancut taliwondo).
8. It celebrates doing honestly and truthfully (citra wicita wicitra).
9. It promotes applying calculated steps (duga praduga).
10. It celebrates holding a peace and happy ending (yatna yuwana).
11. It promotes welcoming and wishing good luck others ( kasugengan).
12. It highlights believing in the long run (kraton ndalem).
13. It promotes gratitude due to any situation granted (lothong kemayang).
15. It urges trying it out presenting reliable deeds (mrantasi).
16. It promotes maintaining the fact that no body would like to lose their face
(mulat sarira).
17. It highlights nurturing logical deeds (nalar).
18. It invites holding commitment (ngugemi).
19. It promotes creating pleasure and enjoyment (nyamleng).
20. It celebrating promoting others respectfully (nyumangga).
21. It promotes creating harmony (rukun).
22. It celebrates creating an energy and spirit of so-called united mind and heart, you and me (samanunggal).
23. It promotes having a win-win attitude (sithik edhing).
24. It promotes doing the best one can and full-heartedly the nature to take its course (sumeleh).
25. It promotes creating peaceful end-overt and covert (tentrem).
26. It celebrates acting sincerely (tulus).
27. It believes in reality of faithfulness, loyalty, and following, the system agreed (tuhu).
28. It celebrates the acts of tolerance (teposeliro).
29. It celebrates an open-ended spirit to be able to accept the end result due to understanding one’s limitation (sumarah).
30. It promotes producing an enthralling act and end (mranani).
32. It promotes having thing matched and fitted; not less, not too much either, just right (pas).
33. It celebrates producing one-true family atmosphere: caring and forgiving
(nyedulur mulur).
The practice of Katresnanism theory is to give a response to why enquiring into, say, a work and to gather data to show the process. The very data are treated as evidence that they may be categorized as or at least in the direction of the expectation, namely, aos katresnanism.
2.1.6.4. The Focus and the Goal of the Theory of Katresnanism
The focus of this theory is the application of positive thinking. It is believed, however, that the attitude is for the overt and covert meanings and values. They are seen through applying aos katresnan.
The energy driving for the action is holding the commitment due to live more fully in the direction of the goal such for the benefit of others including his or her own. Theory of Katresnanism with its aos celebrates doing peacefully for the better. It is the representation of the awareness of the reasons underpinning the commitment for the benefit of others (Herujiyanto, 2004: 8).
happier and, therefore, on the right track to the so-called world with good social order (Herujiyanto, 2004: 9).
2.2. Criticism
Analyzing The Catcher in the Rye to understand the life and personality of Holden will need to review some existing critics. These critics will be a set of supportive material which give the writer additional information about the novel.
It is obviously that The Catcher in the Rye is about a teenager who tries to conform to society. The writer sees miss-match of behaving in the actions of Holden Caulfield who does many things which indicate his adultery but he is actually a teenager. Holden Caulfield is truly adolescence, a transition ages between teenager and adult. It is clear that the main character doesn’t have a sharp distinction of how a teenager behaves and how an adult behaves. A further discussion about how life values of the West and that of the East can be used to observe this distinction will be elaborated in chapter 4.
As stated by one of many critics, Peter J. Seng in his brief article, The Fallen Idol: The Immature Worlds of Holden Caulfield, says that Holden is an immature person because of his failure to encounter with his social environment. His failure is caused by his inability to accept the world as it is. This is Holden’s inability to compromise rather than his selflessness that is Holden’s sources of dignity (1961: 89).
misconception such as hatred; hatred of movie, night club, social, and intellectual pretension. Besides hatred, physical disgust has followed this alienation feeling such as disgust of pimple, sex, and old man picking his nose art all equally cause for nausea (1951). It is also described in the story of the novel that Holden often reveals such a kind of social background. Frequently he thought about his social community which is full of phoniness. Further, James E. Muller said that it is not Holden who has the problem, but the society itself which has the sickness. Simply, Holden wants to blame the society but not himself. Holden is sickened by his experience with phoniness which is rooted in the economic and social arrangement of capitalism. (1977: 65). Different with the earlier critics which give negative judgment on Holden, the later one give positive judgment on the main character. Alfred Kazin says that Holden is a good and critical boy who has pure idea about his social environment. Deeper he says that Holden is consciously clever since Holden’s ability in discriminating between good and bad are more subtle from of exhibitionism and cuteness. For Holden ‘the real thing’ is recognized by a slight imperfection rather than by its perfection and is thereby authentically human. (1961).
Another positive judgment comes from Harrison Smith in Saturday Review of Literature which states that Holden still has a good, moral tendency. He lives in a society which is ugly, evil, and phony. Furthermore, it is said that Holden’s acute responsiveness to beauty and innocence of children in whom he saw reflected his own lost childhood. The environment then must be blamed and Holden is just a victim of his ugly and evil environment (1951: 3).
various good and bad side of personality. One may says that Holden is immature and disorder person but the other one may also say that Holden has pure and good moral tendency. Although dualistic it may be, still, Holden is an adolescent who is in transition mode between the ages of teenager and of adult who tries to keep his life going in a better and more acceptable way. His way of life then need to be discussed further later in chapter 4 by using the Western and Eastern life values.
2.3. Context of the Novel
It is important to put this study on the novel in a context since any approach can be applied on the novel as well as many interpretations and theories. Setting up context of the novel at the very beginning will limit the scope of the study. Meaning to say that context will help me to focus on the answers of the formulated problems without spending extra energy and discussion on subject matter which are not necessary in finding the answer of the formulated problems.
Western norms and values will be represented by that of American while Eastern one will be represented by that of Javanese, Katresnanism. To make clear the context, discussion on both Western and Eastern adolescents will make a significant contribution.
Talking about Javanese adolescent in general will be a talking about adolescent of a peasant society. A formal celebration of adolescence for Javanese boys is considered to be his sunatan or circumcision ceremony which is performed between the ages of ten and fourteen. While for girls, adolescence comes with her first menstruation which is received without special note or ritual. Adolescent boys form a youth group who often go out together, work as agricultural laborers, run errands for other people, and also to have some fun.
Javanese parents indeed tend to teach their children a pessimistic view about life, where hardship and misfortune are constantly present. Early in their lives, they are taught always to feel concern over the hardships of life, and to be in a continuous state of eling and prehatin (forever feeling concern). Javanese teach their children deliberately when to feel isin (shame), a very significant concept in measuring attitudes in social relations (Koencoroningrat, 1977: 122).
Being manut (obedient), keeping good relations with others, helping as much as possible, sharing with neighbors, trying to understand others, and placing oneself in the situation of others (tepaselira) are generally concerned as ideal human virtues. Children are therefore constantly taught to approximate these ideals. (Koencoroningrat, 1977: 122).
world. Based on the observation of Hildred Geertz, male adolescent remains constantly dependent on his parents, even after his marriage. This is because of early learning by mothers who leaving a little opportunity for developing initiative and independence for their children (1961: 120). Even though, according to Koencoroningrat, a male adolescents still has ample opportunity to develop his own initiative in the independence of the umbar gangs outside his house (1977: 121).
CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY
This chapter concerns with the methodology I apply in analyzing the novel. It consists of four parts. They are subject matter, approaches, sources and procedures. Subject matter deals with the novel as my object of study. Approaches concern with approaches I apply to analyze the novel. Sources present the sources of my data. And the last is procedures which concerns with the steps I apply in analyzing the novel.
3.1 Subject Matter
The novel to be analyzed is The Catcher in the Rye written by Jerome David Salinger, an American novelist and short-story writer, born in New York City. This novel was written in the late of 1940 up to early 1950s in New York and published on Monday, July 16, 1951; parts of the novels appeared as short stories in Collier’s, December 1945, and in the New Yorker, December 1946. It was published by Little, Brown and Company. The novel contains 26 chapters and 220 pages.
This novel tells about three-day adventure of Holden, the main character, before Christmas holiday. Holden Caulfield, a teenager growing up in 1950s New York, has been expelled from school for his poor achievement. As an attempt dealing with this, he leaves school earlier from of a term, and goes to New York to take a self-designed vacation before returning to his parent’s wrath because of his expulsion. The book describes Holden’s thoughts and activities over these few days, which he describes as a developing nervous breakdown, unexplained depression, impulsive spending, and erratic behavior. However, during his psychological battle,
life continues on around Holden as it always had. The entire novel was written in the first person point of view of Holden Caulfield. The majority of the story is full with Holden’s thoughts. For three days, he is wandering to an uncertain aim. He just wants to spend his time in order to avoid his parents knowing that he was kicked out. The story ends after he gets his home. He refuses to tell what happen after he gets home and how he gets sick.
After reading this novel, I realize certain points to be conveyed. One of the topics is about personality of tragic figure which represented by how the main character encounters with his society and culture. I present and discuss the topic in chapter 4.
3.2. Approaches
There are several approaches used in analyzing the related literary work. In revealing the personality of main character, I use two approaches. The first one is analyzing character using psychological approach. Psychological approach is an appropriate tool to analyze the novel. Psychology examines human with their motivation, emotions, personality, learning, memory, and thinking. Psychology studies human behavior that can be seen, demonstrated and measured. In this case, psychology is interested in what people do and why they do it (Husband, 1940: 3-5)
As the element of a literary works, I also describe the personality of the character by using Murphy’s theory. Murphy said that characters can be understandable by personal description of the author, character, speech, past life, conversation of others, reaction, thought, and mannerism. Since Salinger presents Holden in the first-person point of view, I analyze the personality by character’s speeches, conversations, reactions, and thoughts.
As an attempt in understanding the Western life of Holden, I use theory of American life norms and values. I also use Katresnanism theory, a post-colonial one, to see the life of the main character. The Katresnanism theory is an Eastern theory about knowing how-to-do in life. I apply the theory to analyze the life of Holden.
3.3 Procedures
To put all the analysis on the novel in to a good study, I need to do the study in a systematic procedure. This procedure requires some steps to be done through out the completion of this study. There are five steps that I take. The first step is reading the novel at least three times. This step will give a view to understand about the general plot and to decide what aspect of the novel to analyze. The decision then lies in the problem formulation and in limited scope of study. It is sure that during the conducting the study, I need to reread the novel in gathering some important information.
and Javanese norms and values. These sources will help the writer in giving a point of view to see the life of Holden as the main character in the novel.
The third is finding some important information such as about the biography of the author and some critics on the works. This information will help the writer to compare the views of other critics on the study and to give additional information which is the complement of the primary theory used in the study. This step is followed by comparing and understanding relation between the complement theories and the primary theories.
The fourth is doing the analysis on the novel which is focused on the personality of the main character and on how the East and West views can be used to understand Holden’s life. The Murphy’s theory of character and the Freud’s theory of psychoanalysis will describe the personality of Holden Caulfield. I use the theory of katresnanism and the theory of American norms and values in the analysis on Holden’s life.
The fifth is composing a results review on findings through out the analysis and compare them to the used theories from the previous step. The comparison will lead the writer to the conclusion and to the fulfillment of the study.
3.4 Sources
post-colonial, and theory of katresnanism. This theory is important and has its role in giving an east view to the western life described in the life of main character of the novel.
CHAPTER 4 ANALYSIS
In this chapter, I present my analysis on the novel. This chapter consists of three sections. The first section deals with the discussion on depiction of Holden Caulfield as the main character of the novel. The discussion covers the area of Holden’s personality. The second deals with the discussion on how Western norms and values reflected in Holden’s life. And the third deals with the discussion on how Eastern norms and values reflected in Holden’s life.
4.1 Holden’s Personality
My analysis requires some data or evidence from the novel to answer the three problems formulated in the previous chapter. It is sure that different selected evidence leads to different analysis and conclusion. I choose selected evidence only from the three-days of thoughts, comments, actions and incidents Holden encounters. Discussing his thoughts, comments, actions, and incidents, I may come to some qualities in his personality.
Speeches or comments of a person may give the readers insight into the quality of the person. As the below evidence shows, Holden tends to construct negative opinion to describe his surrounding things and places.
“At Pencey (Prep.School), you either froze to death or died of the heat.” (23)
Not only toward things and places, Holden also perceives most people to be counterfeited and having self-centered motives. Along the story, he always describes people and everything attached to the people in negative tone. His judgment is poor
and is embedded with his rooted dislike, hatred, and jealousy as it is shown in the next evidence.
“Stradlater was more of a secret slob. He always looked all right, Stradlater, but for instance, you should've seen the razor he shaved himself with. It was always rusty as hell and full of lather and hairs and crap. He never cleaned it or anything. He always looked good when he was finished fixing himself up, but he was a secret slob anyway, if you knew him the way I did.” (27)
Reading the above evidence leads me in to a quality that his description often falls into exaggeration and generalization which then leads him to mislabel people and places to certain negative qualities. Thus, I may say that Holden is cynical.
Another attempt that readers may establish to understand a character is by observing his or her actions and habits. I capture an indication that Holden is having an acute lying tendency to others. He lies selfishly and often changes his reality for certain immediate intention. As in the next evidence shows, he himself admits that he is a terrific liar.
I'm the most terrific liar you ever saw in your life. It's awful. If I'm on my way to the store to buy a magazine, even, and somebody asks me where I'm going, I'm liable to say I'm going to the opera. (16)
As it is seen in the next evidence, he lies in order to get pity and attention from Morrows’ mother by telling the false facts about his friend and his condition. What he tells actually often the opposite of what he thinks and what he does.
"Ernest is the most popular boy at Pency Prep and would have been elected class president if had let the other boys nominate him." "It's me. I have to have this operation... It isn't very serious. I have this tiny little tumor on the brain." (58).
to mislabel others as phony. Indeed, he is the real phony. By discussing his habit of lying, then, I say that he is deceitful.
His academic failures in school explain another quality in Holden personality. In his conversation with Mr. Spencer, Holden admits that Pencey Prep. is the fourth school he attends to. He flunks out four out of five subjects he takes in Pencey Prep. Holden simply reasons that he left the previous school is not because of difficulties he had but merely because of so many phonies he met in that school (13). That conversation implies his lack of responsibility to accomplish his personal tasks. "I left the goddam foils and stuff on the subway." I still didn't look up at him.
"On the subway, for Chrissake! Ya lost them, ya mean?" (20)
By understanding his conversation with Stradlater above, I can identify that that Holden contributes towards the failure of his football team. It shows that Holden also suffers a lack of responsibility towards others. Holden actions are lousy and it makes him a slob.
"No wonder you're flunking the hell out of here," he said. "You don't do one damn thing the way you're supposed to. I mean it. Not one damn thing." (41)
Through Stradlater’s comment above, I understand that Holden is irresponsible. Seeing how he reacts to various situations may tell the reader about his personality. A situation in the dorm shows that Holden is clinging emotionally to his possessions and the attached memories. Holden easily gets angry and tears the paper when Stradlater rejects his composition describing about Alley. The composition is supposed to be a description about a room instead of a glove. In the next scene, both Stradlater and Holden involve in a fight.
Holden’s next statement indicates clearly that his emotion is very unstable.
Holden emotion is very fluctuating and it depends on situation he deals with. He has a lack of emotional control as what he described himself to be ‘touchy as hell’. In a situation where Phoebe, his sister, lend him her money, Holden cries uncontrollably.
Then, all of a sudden, I started to cry. I couldn't help it. I did it so nobody could hear me, but I did it. (179)
By discussing some situations and his reactions above, it is clear that Holden is emotional and temperamental.
Others’ statements about Holden, again, may give me clue to understand Holden’s personality. His action is immature as Ackley says to Holden “For Chrissake, grow up” in page 22. Holden holds stability. He doesn’t want to change and makes any progress. His poor task accomplishment indicates that he has only little concerns about his future as he answers Mr. Spencer’s question.
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