Abstract：J. D. Salinger is one of the most influential novelists after the Second World War in United States. And The Catcher in the Rye, which is his only full-length novel, is his masterpiece. The main character Holden, a teenager who is very rebellious and cynical, is announced to be the spokesman for Beat Generation in Postwar literature. The Catcher in the Rye is considered as a rare of literature though it has been received a host of criticism and judgments from society.
The Catcher in the Rye describes Holden’s life when he was at school, in New York City after he was kick out, his plan to western U.S and his future return to school. At same time, the behavior from people around Holden is also described. J. D. Salinger intends to reveal a realistic image of an upper-middle class affluent teenager who has been barren spiritually.
In the thesis, I analyzed the process of Holden’s transformation in different aspects and the causes of his transformation. The purpose is to discuss whether the conflict between actual ego and ideal ego belongs to a part of growing pains or not.
My paper is divided into four parts. “Introduction” is an overview of J. D. Salinger and his novel The Catcher in the Rye. Chapter One explores the process of Holden’s transformation based on textual analysis, with special focus on the description of Holden’s personality and behavior. Chapter Two analyzes the causes of Holden’s transformation. “Conclusion” reaffirms ideas presented in the two previous chapters.
Keywords: Holden transformation process external and internal causes
中文摘要：J·D·塞林格是美国二战后最有影响力的小说家之一，《麦田里的守望者》是塞林格唯一的一部长篇小说。小说中的主人公霍尔顿是个叛逆而愤世嫉俗的少年，成为了战后“垮掉的一代”的代表性人物。虽然《麦田里的守望者》遭受了很多社会各界人士的非议，但是这部作品依旧被认为是美国战后文学史上一部不可多得的小说。
小说《麦田里的守望者》通过描述主人公霍尔顿因不满学校生活现状而被开除后回到纽约的种种离经叛道的行为，以及准备去西部谋生，到最后放弃这个想法重归学校的经历和对霍尔顿周遭各种人行为的描写，向读者展现出一个真实的美国二战后社会富裕却精神空虚的中产阶级公子哥的人物形象。
本论文通过用不同的角度来分析小说《麦田里的守望者》中主人公霍尔顿的转变，以及霍尔顿转变的原因，目的是探讨霍尔顿“理想自我”与“现实自我”的冲突是否属于成长过程的一部分，是一个青少年都会经历的过程。
本论文分为四部分：引言部分主是对J·D·塞林格和《麦田里的守望者》的综述；第二章通过文本分析探讨霍尔顿转变的过程，尤其是霍尔顿在性格和行为上产生的变化；第三章对霍尔顿转变的原因进行深入分析，主要分为外部原因（历史背景、学校教育和家庭影响）和内部原因（霍尔顿性格的矛盾性）；总结部分对之前所讨论的内容进行综合论述。
关键词：霍尔顿 转变 过程 外在和内在原因
