Saturday, December 10, 2011

What is the point of view in the novel and how does it affect the book and why?

In The Catcher in the Rye, the point-of-view is first person flashback told in "sweet style" teenage vernacular arranged in an episodic structure to show a humorous and rebellious tone.  The narration also adds psychological depth of an alienated narrator caught in an unjust society.  The last two points below (K. & L.) are key.


Here are the nuts and bolts from my lecture notes:


I. Narration


A. Bildungsroman: novel of maturation


B. Coming-of-Age (apprenticeship novel)


C. Bookend structure: framed in California; story proper is Penn., NYC


D. Holden’s voice is implicitly male voice


E. American voice


F. Folksy voice


G. Youthful, teenage voice with adult voice behind it


1. conversational style


2. simple language


3. colloquial (slang)


4. lots of repetition


5. cussing


6. many digressions


H. Holden is unreliable narrator


I. Confession (“If you really want to hear about it…)


1. to a psychiatrist/psychologist?


2. to a priest, monk?


3. to Allie?


4. to Phoebe?


J. Narrating from a “rest home”


1. psychiatrist’s office?


2. mental facility?


3. D.B.’s pad?


K. Only rants and complains (no morals)


L. Holden is marginalized (exists on the fringes of society)

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