In this thesis I aim to analyze the modern classic book The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger (1951) in an attempt to determine whether one can categorize it as a Young Adult book or not. The novel itself was published as an adult book, but my research shows that it gets both mentioned and used as an example as a novel that has influenced Young Adult literature since its publication. Furthermore, it features many of the criteria that define Young Adult literature. The aforementioned criteria are as follows: death, drugs, war, sex, alcohol, politics, suffering, gender roles, (sexual) liberation, and absent or unaware parents and adults. In addition, Young Adult literature usually uses a first-person perspective, which has led to discussions about whether the said narrator can be trusted or not. The Catcher in the Rye demonstrates many of these criteria – death, war, sex, alcohol, suffering, and parental figures and their roles. In my analysis, I focus on death, parents and the narration, specifically whether or not Holden Caulfield can be classified as an unreliable narrator. By researching the history of Young Adult literature – when it first appears as a genre and how the events come about – as well as looking into the criteria that defines the genre, I perform my analysis by doing a close reading of The Catcher in the Rye. By using my newfound facts, I discuss whether or not the novel can be categorized as Young Adult literature.
Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA1/oai:DiVA.org:sh-31811 |
Date | January 2016 |
Creators | Karamouzis, Natassa |
Publisher | Södertörns högskola, Institutionen för kultur och lärande |
Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
Language | Swedish |
Detected Language | English |
Type | Student thesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis, text |
Format | application/pdf |
Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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