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Holden Caulfield´s Narcissism Revisited : A Psychoanalytical Study of the Protagonist in J.D. Salinger´s The Catcher in the Rye

Jerome David Salinger´s Holden Caulfield, the protagonist in The Catcher in the Rye, is seen through the lens of psychoanalytical literary criticism. He is a complex character, who is torn between his dreams and emotions. He is often depicted as a liar, a rebel who drops out of school or as a depressed young man who is admitted into care for his mental problems. Some of these issues are hidden in the vernacular teenage language. The image of Holden as having a personality that is in line with narcissism is therefore discussed. The intention is to question whether or not Holden shows symptoms of a narcissistic personality. Contrary to the personality traits that some critics have described, this essay focuses on the sides of Holden´s personality that show empathy, generosity and love, despite the traumas of his childhood.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:hig-27000
Date January 2018
CreatorsHayward, Sara
PublisherHögskolan i Gävle, Avdelningen för humaniora
Source SetsDiVA Archive at Upsalla University
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeStudent thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text
Formatapplication/pdf
Rightsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess

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