Ungdomslitteraturens räddare i nöden: En analys av The Catcher in the Rye av J.D. Salinger och ungdomslitteratur som dess potentiella genre
2016 (Swedish)Independent thesis Basic level (degree of Bachelor), 10 credits / 15 HE credits
Student thesis
Abstract [en]
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.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2016. , p. 29
Keywords [en]
Young Adult literature, The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger, genre, criteria
Keywords [sv]
ungdomslitteratur, The Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger, genre, kriterier
National Category
Languages and Literature
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:sh:diva-31811OAI: oai:DiVA.org:sh-31811DiVA, id: diva2:1067458
Subject / course
Comparative Literature
Uppsok
Humanities, Theology
Supervisors
2017-01-232017-01-202021-06-24Bibliographically approved