American Literature thematizing youth, adolescence and initiation draws on a long tradition reaching back to the 18th century, including writers like Herman Melville, Mark Twain, Henry James and William Faulkner. After the Second World War, the American novel of adolescence flourished again in a period that also gave birth to the genre's arguably most prominent representative:
When J.D. Salinger's novel The Catcher in the Rye first entered the American book market in 1951, its critical reception could not have diverged more. Salinger's first novel, after publishing a number of short stories in the New Yorker, was mostly attacked for its extensive use of colloquial language. Initial reviews ranged from “an unusual brilliant first novel” to “wholly repellent in its mingled vulgarity [...] and sly perversion”.
In 1985, thirty-four years later, Less Than Zero, the first novel of Bennington College student Bret Easton Ellis, was published and also received widely mixed criticism. While Interview Magazine called his debut “startling and hypnotic”, Paul Gray wrote in an article for Time Magazine that the novel “offers little more than its title promises”, referring to its lack of depth and fully developed characters.
The first part of this work will lay the theoretical foundations and discuss the genre of the novel of adolescence in respect to the two novels under investigation.
After covering the theoretical basics, the second part of this paper intends to concentrate on detecting parallels in the themes and presentations of adolescence and initiation in both works. Since social criticism is always a central genre-specific characteristic of the novel of adolescence, the next part will briefly discuss this issue in respect to The Catcher in the Rye as well as Less Than Zero and point to a possible interpretation of a diachronic development of American society that the two novels delineate. Subsequently, the focus will be shifted to the final chapters of both novels and center upon questions concerning epiphanies, progress and outlook for the respective protagonist.
Eventually, this paper intends to give a far reaching picture of the presentation of adolescence in two novels from very different backgrounds, that, in all their diversity, are so astoundingly similar.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The Catcher in the Rye and Less Than Zero as Novels of Adolescence
2.1 The Novel of Adolescence
2.2 The Catcher in the Rye and the Novel of Adolescence
2.3 Less Than Zero and the Novel of Adolescence
3. Initiation in Salinger and Ellis
3.1 The Catcher in the Rye: An “Initiationsreiseroman”
3.2 Less Than Zero: A Deconstruction of the “Initiationsreiseroman”
4. Symbols, Motifs and Themes of Adolescence
4.1 Symbols and Verbal Iterations
4.2 Family, Friends and Tutors
4.3 Childhood, Innocence and Change
4.4 Communication and Isolation
4.5 The Media and Consumerism
5. The Dimension of Social Criticism
6. The Protagonists: Epiphanies, Progress and Outlook
7. Conclusion
8. Bibliography
Research Objectives and Key Topics
The primary objective of this thesis is to provide a comparative analysis of the presentation of American adolescence in J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye and Bret Easton Ellis' Less Than Zero. The research aims to evaluate how both novels engage with the literary genre of the "novel of adolescence" and the "Initiationsreiseroman," while simultaneously investigating the protagonists' quest for identity amidst a corrupt and alienating society.
- The theoretical grounding of the "novel of adolescence" and initiation structures.
- A comparative study of symbols, motifs, and verbal iterations used by both authors.
- An investigation into the absence of family support and the resulting isolation of the protagonists.
- An analysis of the role of mass media and consumerism as catalysts for social decline.
- A critical evaluation of the protagonists' potential for maturation and future outlooks.
Excerpt from the Book
4.1 Symbols and Verbal Iterations
The first parallel of the two works that becomes apparent is the fact that both titles refer to a representative piece of art. The title of The Catcher in the Rye is a modified version of the poem Comin Thro' The Rye by Robert Burns, and the title Less Than Zero is borrowed from a song of the same name by music artist Elvis Costello. Throughout the literature, the metaphor of the catcher in the rye who saves children from falling off a cliff, has been interpreted as Holden's wish to save children from making mistakes and thus falling from innocence into maturity. Holden's subsequent abandonment of this dream symbolizes his acceptance of the necessity of errors in the process of growing up, and constitutes in itself a point of maturation for him. The title of Less Than Zero, on the other hand, unfolds its metaphorical meaning as another contribution to the novel's overall atmosphere of entropy and also “places the book in the wider context of the youthful punk and rock revolt” by referring to a rock and roll song.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Outlines the literary tradition of the American novel of adolescence and provides a rationale for comparing Salinger's and Ellis' seminal works.
2. The Catcher in the Rye and Less Than Zero as Novels of Adolescence: Defines the genre's key attributes, such as the protagonist's age and the quest for identity, evaluating both novels as genre representatives.
3. Initiation in Salinger and Ellis: Explores the "Initiationsreiseroman" sub-genre, contrasting Holden's journey toward potential social integration with Clay's movement away from a corrupt environment.
4. Symbols, Motifs and Themes of Adolescence: Examines shared symbols—such as the loss of innocence and fear of disappearance—while highlighting the stark differences in tone and characterization.
5. The Dimension of Social Criticism: Discusses how both novels reflect the diachronic development of American society, focusing on moral decline, consumerism, and the pervasive impact of media.
6. The Protagonists: Epiphanies, Progress and Outlook: Analyzes the potential for maturation and future prospects of both protagonists, weighing optimistic readings against cynical interpretations of their development.
7. Conclusion: Synthesizes the findings, asserting that despite their differences, both novels provide authentic and critical portrayals of the adolescent experience.
8. Bibliography: Lists the academic literature and primary sources consulted for this research.
Keywords
Adolescence, American Literature, Initiation, The Catcher in the Rye, Less Than Zero, J.D. Salinger, Bret Easton Ellis, Initiationsreiseroman, Identity, Social Criticism, Consumerism, Isolation, Maturation, Youth Culture, Symbolism.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this thesis?
The thesis focuses on a comparative study of the "novel of adolescence" as represented in J.D. Salinger’s 1951 work and Bret Easton Ellis’ 1985 work, examining their shared themes and distinctive differences.
What are the primary thematic areas covered?
The study covers key themes including family estrangement, communication, isolation, the influence of mass media, consumer culture, and the symbolic loss of childhood innocence.
What is the research goal?
The goal is to determine how both novels function as platforms for social criticism and to analyze the protagonists' initiation processes within their respective societal contexts.
Which scientific methods are applied?
The paper applies literary analysis based on genre theory, specifically the "Initiationsreiseroman," to interpret symbols, motifs, and the narrative structure of both novels.
What is discussed in the main body?
The main body investigates the theoretical foundations of the genre, the geographical and psychological nature of the protagonists' journeys, and the specific impact of their environments on their development.
What define these works?
They are defined by the quest for identity, the conflict between adolescence and the adult world, and the use of specific literary markers like verbal iterations and recurring symbols.
How does the thesis interpret Clay’s passivity in Less Than Zero?
It interprets his passivity as a symptom of his environment but acknowledges small outbursts of conscience as indicators of a rudimentary struggle for moral reform.
Does the thesis reach a definitive conclusion about the protagonists' successful initiation?
No, the thesis concludes that both novels leave the success of the initiation open-ended, though it argues that Holden shows more signs of positive progress toward maturity than Clay.
- Citar trabajo
- Christopher Göhn (Autor), 2008, American Adolescence: J.D. Salinger's "The Catcher in the Rye" and Bret Easton Ellis' "Less Than Zero", Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/137276
