麦田里的守望者 英文书评

MajorThemesPainfulExperiencevs.NumbnessPerhapsthegreatestthemeofthenovelinvolvestherelationshipbetweenthepainofactualexperienceandfeelingone'sfeelings,ontheonehand,andontheotherhandtheequallydevastatingnumbnessthatcomeswithshuttingdownone'semotionsinordertoavoidsuffering.AfterthedeathofAllie,Holdenessentiallyshutsdown,forcinghimselftoloseallattachmentstopeoplesoasnevertobehurtagain.Herepeatedlymentionshowimportantitisnottogetattachedtoanyone,sincethiswillleadtomissingthemoncetheyaregone.Bytheendofthenovel,hehasspiraledsofardownwiththistheorythathehasbecomeafraidtoevenspeaktoanyone.PhoebeisperhapstheonlyreminderthatHoldenstillhasthecapacitytolove.Whenhelooksather,hecannothelpbutfeelthesametorturedlovethathefeltforAllie.Nevertheless,thesurgesofthesefeelingsleavehimevenmorebereft.HeknowshemustleavePhoebetoprotecthimself,butwhensheshowsuptoaccompanyhimonhisjourney,ultimatelyheputshisloveforherfirstandsacrificeshisowninstincttofleeinordertoreturnhome.Holden,itseems,isinthethroesofanexistentialcrisis.Toagreatdegreeheisnumbtothepainsandjoysoflife.Unabletocometotermswithhisbrother'sdeath,hehasnoonetoshowhimthekindofparentalorbrotherlylovethathehimselfgaveAllie.Wheneversomeonedoesendupshowinghimevenahintofsuchlove(suchasMr.Antolini),Holdenendsupbeingdisappointed.LoveandSexAthiscore,Holdenisadeep,sensitivesoul,atbottomunabletosublimatehisfeelingsintonumbness.HeenviessomeonelikeStradlaterw,hocansimplypickupgirlswheneverhelikes,andwhotreatssexasacasualpleasure.ToHolden,however,sexisdeeplydiscomforting.Hecannothaveitwithgirlshelikes,andhecannotmanagetonumbhimselfenoughtotreatgirlscasually.Numbinghimselftolove,itseems,isHolden'sgreatestchallenge.Hefeelstoodeeplyabouttheworld,aboutpeople,totrulyshutdown.WhenhefinallydoesfallinlovewithJaneGallagher,hesoondiscoversthatStradlaterhasadatewithher,whichconfirmshissuspicionthateverythingheloveseventuallydeteriorates.HeleavesPenceywithsomehopeofinventinganewidentity,buthecannotbreakoutofhisbeing.Eveninthepresenceofaprostituteh,ecannotthinkofhavingsex,onlyofhavingaconversationinthehopeoffeelingsomeglimmerofhumanaffectionwithher.AllHoldenwantstodoistalk,buthecannotfindsomeonewhowilllisten.LossofInnocenceHoldenmustfacethatforkintheroadofadolescencewhenonerealizesthatmaturityentailsalossofinnocence—thatgreaterknowledgeofoneselfandothersandthecircumstancesallcomeswithaprice.InHolden'scase,hecannotbeartoacceptthedeathofAllie,thedeathofpureinnocencethathadnogoodreasontosufferordie.InHolden'seyes,Allieistruth,whileeveryoneelseis“phony.”InnocencegoeswithidealismandacertaininabilitoyrunwillingnesstobearandaccepttheharsherrealityH.oldencannotbeartoholdontohisinnocencebecauseinnocencebringsitsownharms;peoplecontinuetodisappointhim.Thusthecostofmaturityismuchless;innocencehasbeenquitepainful,too.Innocencehasbeenproblematic:theprostitutedemandsmoremoneyfornothing,themanwhotakeshiminseemslikeapedophile,andthecabdriversberatehimasstupidwhenheaskssimplequestionsaboutthebirdsinthepark.WhileAlli’esmemorycanhelphimpreservehisinnocence,thisisnotenough,forhecannotfindrealloveintheoutsideworld.Besides,losingAlliehasbroughttremendouspain.Holdenalsohasthecommonadolescentexperienceofperceivingthattimeinschoollearningmundanelessonsfeelspettywhenhisentiresoulisinfluxasitcomestogripswithreality.Whentheentireworldaroundhimappearsphony,wherecanhegotograspholdofsomerealitys,omestabletruth?WithoutanexplanationwhyAlliewastakenfromhim,thereappearsnoreasonbehindtheworld'sevents,andinthisrespectHolden’smaturityinvolvesadeeplossofinnocencesuchthatheperceivesthattherealityoftheworldisitsveryirrationality.Phoninessvs.AuthenticityHoldenlabelsalmosteveryonea“phony,”exceptingPhoebe,Allie,andhimself.InHolden'seyes,“pahony”issomeonewhoembracestheworld’smundanedemandsandtriestomakesomethingoutofnothing—thatis,justabouteveryonewhostudiesinschoolorwhoputsonairsinordertodoajoborachieveagoal.Thefactthatnooneisacknowledginghowtriviaalndfleetinglifeis,comparedwiththegrandthingswetelloneanotheraboutrealit—yhowdifficultitistotrulyloveandshareoneselfwithpeopleknowingthatall,likeAllie,willevent—uaclaluysedsiehimtoburnwithfrustration,evenrage.Holdenunderstandsonsomeleveloneofthemostprofoundtruthsofmortallife:thesuperficialmatterslittlebecauseitwillnotlast,yetitismadeseemsomuchmoreimportant.Meanwhile,allaroundhim,hemustwatchsuperficialpeoplewinhonorsthroughtheirartifice.Hethusholdshisdeepestcontemptforthosewhosucceedasphonies:Stradlater,theHeadmaster,andalltheboyswhotreatschoolasifitisaclubtoberuledbySocialDarwinism.AllHoldenwantsissomeauthenticliving,toholdontosomeonelikePhoebeorAlliewhoknowsnothingoftheworld’ssuperficialiatnydthereforeisnottaintedbyit,butheisafraidtomakeittoorealoutofthejustifiedfearofonedaylosingthemforever.LifeandDeathAkeypartofHolden’semotionallifeinvolveshisreactiontoAlli’esdeath.Peopleliveforawhile,butalltoosoonwealldie.Alliedidnotchooseit,butHoldenthinksaboutJamesCastle,askinnyboywhojumpedoutthewindowatschoolandfelltohisdeath.Holdenhimselfentertainsthoughtsofasimilarsuicide.Thedecisiontonumbhimselftohisfeelingsaboutlifeisadecisiontoshuthimselfdownemotionallysomuchthatheisnolongertrulyliving.Itisadecision,however,thatremainsfundamentallyimpossibleforHolden.WhenhethinksaboutJamesCastle,hecannotbeartoimagineJamesjustlayingthereamidstthestoneandblood,withnoonepickinghimup.Holdenmightseesomeromanceinsuicideandsomecomfortintheideathatitendsinternalpain,butdeathdoesseemworse,theultimateloneliness.Heseentheeffectsofdeathonthelivingaswell.HethuscannotdotoPhoebewhatAlliehasdonetothemalready.Heplodson,onlysurethathemustgraduallyweanhimselfawayfromPhoebesothatshegetsusedtolosinghimforever--andsothathegetsusedtobeingawayfromher.ThoughHoldenneedsclosenessandloveinordertorenewhislife,hekeepsdrivinghimselffurtherawayfromitinordertoavoidtheinevitableloss.Themorehewantstoexperiencelife,themoreantisocialhebecomesandthemoreheimaginesdeath.ThisparadoxispartofH’osldleinfe:thereispaininshuttingdownone'sfeelings,andthereispainintheriskofopeningoneselfupagain.Heimpossiblytriestoavoidpainsthatareinevitableforhumanmortalswhiletheylive.LackofAuthorityFiguresHoldenisprofoundlyalone.Hisparentsareabsentexceptforinsistingthatheprogressalongaconventionalpathandstayinschoolaslongashecanbeforeheiskickedoutortiresofeachinstitution.Hisparentsdonotlethimregroupbutsendhimofftothenextschool.AtPencey,Holdenfindsnoadulttotrustwithhisfeelings;mostpeopleeverywherearephony.Someadultsevenseemsoselfishthattheyarewillingtoabusechildren.Overall,Holdenviewsadultswithintensedisappointment,evencynicism.Howisitthattheoldertheyget,thefartherfromauthenticitytheyget?Meanwhile,thegradualdeteriorationofthebodydisgustshim.Uponvisitinganoldprofessor,muchofhisthoughtsarededicatedtotheawfulnessoftheoldman'sbody.Thereisnoallureingrowingolder.Authoritydoesnotseemrelatedtowisdom,either.AdultstellHoldentofinddirectionandthusstability,butheviewssuchadviceasbothsuspiciousandnave;playingsuchagameisinauthentic.Goinghisownwayautonomously,asalawuntohimself,doesnotworkoutsowelleither,soitisunclearwhereHoldenmightfindlegitimateauthority.LonelinessHoldenisverylonely,andhisadolescentlonelinessseemstorunmuchdeeperthanthefeelingssocommonlyfeltatthatage.Headmitstohislonelinessopenly,anditgiveshimevidencethatperhapshemightstillhavesomeemotionsleft.Atthesametime,Holdentakesfewstepstomitigatehisloneliness.Wheneverhefeelstheurgetomeetsomeone,tocallupagirl,tohaveasocialexperience,heendsupsabotagingitbeforehecangethurt.Hethusprotectshimselfsofullythatheeffectivelsyhutsoffanypossibilitieosfalleviatinghisownloneliness.HemightwanttocallJane,forexample,buthehangsupbeforeshegetsonthephone.Hemightwanttosleepwithaprostitutetofeelhumancomfort,butthiswillnotdo.Hemightwanttointeractwithfriendsatabar,butheendsupsayingsomethinghurtfulsothattheyabandonhim.Pushingthemawayprovidesadeeperanddeeperloneliness,butatthesemomentsofchoiceheiswillingtoendureitratherthaneventuallyfacetheultimate,devastatinglonelinessoflosinganotherperson.likeAllie