"Phony" Mythology: Conformity, Socialization, and The Catcher in the Rye
______________
Can
a work remain subversive once it becomes an American classic?
by
Sonja Beck
The
model rebellious teen: an oxymoron?
"Are you phony?"The ghost of Holden Caulfield roams
about the United States today, wearing a red hunting cap and
appearing unexpectedly on the silver screen and in artificially-lit
classrooms, to ask Americans this question. The text that
blasted the hypocrisy of the post-WWII era continues to seek
vengeance, giving the modern reader the chance to evaluate
American society based on both the novel itself and the way
that it has been popularly received. The Catcher in the
Rye has become an integral part of American culture, and
we take many of our ideas, as well as questions, about adolescence,
individualism, rebellion, and materialism from its pages.
The symbol of Einstein's brain functions in a similar way
in French culture. Roland Barthes examines this phenomenon
in his classic collection of cultural analyses, Mythologies.
Barthes details the way that the French view the object in
contradictory terms: as both magical and machine-like. He
discusses how those representations which are seemingly at
odds result in the construction of a "myth" around
the object. These contradictions reinforce a comforting status
quo, or, as Barthes terms it, "euphoric security."
In
other words, the French define this object of fascination
using familiar categories, thus affirming their worldview.
Because Einstein's brain is an object that can evoke fear
by virtue of its mysterious power, the culture strives both
to understand it and to limit its power by turning it into
an object of myth (Barthes 68-70). In a similar fashion, Holden
has become something of a modern myth of American culture
and, in order to make sense of him, we have represented the
book in different ways: as a great work in favor of individualism,
as a portrait of a rebel, as a tool of socialization, and
as a large conspiracy for conformity. The contradictory representations
of the novel itself illustrate the ways in which we reinforce
our social constructs. For example, although as a nation we
may claim to value individuality, our actions speak louder
than our words. And what they suggest is that what we truly
desire most of all is to pass on a stable society through
conformity, arguably one function of a high school, then university
education.
One
of the most contradictory aspects of The Catcher in the
Rye which society has tried to reconcile is the depiction
of the main character. While many view Holden Caulfield as
the archetypal rebellious teen, this figure had not yet become
part of American culture when The Catcher in the Rye
was first published in 1951. As Mark Mordue argues in the
Sydney Morning Herald, Holden was, in essence, the first teenager:
"when the book appeared, there was no Elvis, no Brando,
no Dean, no rock'n'roll." As a result, teens lovingly
embraced Holden as both a hero and a spokesperson for their
demographic. On the other hand, Holden is like an adult in
a teenager's body. His powers of perception and his insightfulness
define him as a sort of genius (Menand). For example, Holden
deduces from one conversation with a schoolmate that "Catholics
are always trying to find out if you're a Catholic" (Salinger
112). He notes that, although the two of them were enjoying
their conversation about tennis immensely, most people feel
more comfortable and enjoy conversations more when they are
assured that the other party shares a vital identity marker
with them. This precocity is markedly different from the immaturity
that many of the later teen idols expressed. Rather than a
young rebel, he could be viewed almost as a troubled adult.
How to be a teenager: a guidebook
Even larger contradictions
are apparent in the way the text as a whole is represented in
our society. Many Americans champion the novel as a glorification
of the individual, holding up Holden Caulfield as an oppressed
youngster who, rather than suffer through a cookie-cutter education,
bucks the system and stands up against the masses. Recent films
have borrowed heavily from this tradition, such as Igby Goes
Down (2002), Rushmore (1998), and The Good Girl (2002) (Mills).
These films highlight the independence and rebellious spirit
of the Holden-reminiscent character. The main characters of
these films refuse to be integrated into their environments,
whether that environment is the New York City upper-crust society,
as in Igby Goes Down and The Catcher in the Rye, or a
Texas discount store, as in The Good Girl. Either way, the audience
finds this "fish swimming upstream" mentality appealing and
they usually finds themselves identifying with it.
Along with this
spirit of individuality, the book expresses a deep sense of
frustration with the status quo, something with which teenagers,
the book's main audience, are no doubt familiar. Holden is
fed up with private schools that exist for the sole purpose
of "molding boys into splendid, clear-thinking young men"
(Salinger 2). Salinger expresses his weariness of the educational
system by saying, "…all you do is study so that you can learn
enough to be smart enough to be able to buy a goddam Cadillac…"
(Salinger 131). Moreover, he feels that hypocrisy is the biggest
problem with society. Not only does he hate that almost everything
people do is a result of their "phoniness" and that their
motivations are rarely pure, but he also feels that people
couldn't free themselves of this insincerity even if they
wanted to. He muses, "How would you know you weren't being
a phony? The trouble is, you wouldn't'" (Salinger 172). Society,
to Holden, is both maddening and terrifying not only because
every member is phony and conforms to a pattern, but also
because he comes to realize self-awareness is impossible in
the crowd; one cannot even find one's self, let alone stray
from the beaten path.
On
the opposite side of the spectrum, The Catcher in the Rye
has become in many ways not just a social criticism, but rather
a tool for socialization, which is certainly an ironic twist
of the plot surrounding the novel.
Although much of the book deals with rebellion against society, the novel is now used as a device to help youths navigate the turbulent waters of adolescence. It has become something of a guidebook providing directions on how to be a teenager. The text is now taught in many high school classes (including my own tenth-grade English class) and is considered an integral part of survey courses of American literature. It is considered by many to be suitable for mass consumption by American youth and is thought to pass on the values that we have traditionally found to be important. The text itself even subtly undermines the idea of individualism. Although Holden claims that it is phony to be worried about material things, he has no problem spending great quantities of money (Salinger 107) and he remarks that he doesn't like to share a room with someone whose belongings aren't as nice as his (Salinger 109). Also, although Holden buys a red hunting cap because it strikes his fancy, he is embarrassed to wear it in public sometimes and takes it off when he doesn't want to "look like a screwball or something" (Salinger 61). In this example, Holden's actions contradict the principles that he adamantly insists upon in the novel. Although he is quick to condemn professionals whose only goal is to "look like a hot-shot," he is extremely concerned about the way that he appears to other people (Salinger 172). Holden is not above the hypocrisy he so despises in others.
Don't worry, dear. It's just a phase.
The contradictions
surrounding The Catcher in the Rye suggest that we,
as Americans, have claimed the book as part of our mythology.
We are comforted by the dual nature of representations of
the book because they enable us to question societal standards
without eliminating social constructions and value systems.
Teens feel as though they can identify with and relate to
Holden as a role model; they feel as though they are unique
because Holden is unique and they identify with him. They
are able to live vicariously through Holden and express themselves
through him. And they are also empowered by the fact that
they can often cope with the stresses of adolescence better
than Holden can. It is sometimes a much-needed relief to speak
out against the parts of American life that don't make sense
or that seem to be shallow and empty, while still holding
on to the parts that we still value.
Parents of teenagers,
having once been teenagers themselves, understand that unchecked
rebellion can be dangerous. They also know that it is often
just a short-lived phase. While the James Dean mystique of
"dying young and leaving a good-looking corpse" may be a glamorized
ideal, at the same time, it is also often the reality in American
society. The rebel cannot function in society. Likewise, Holden
cannot enter adulthood with the same framework of attitudes
that he has built for himself. Instead he must adjust to fit
society or else he will be broken down, a sad reality that
is subtly implied in the text, for it is suggested that Holden
may be narrating the book from within the walls of a mental
institution (Salinger 1, 213). It is impossible for him to
fully adopt the role of the rebel and still fit into society.
Because parents realize that the teenage rebellion is temporary,
they know that The Catcher in the Rye is a book that
they can give to their children in order to help them understand
that they are not alone. It is precisely for this reason that
the book is always gaining new readers and remains as relevant
today as when it was first written (Menand). The Catcher
in the Rye is passed down from one generation to the next
just like the epics of old.
The Catcher
in the Rye has become an important part of American mythology,
and this hinges on the fact that individualism is a key part
of the American epic figure. Holden Caulfield has become,
in a way, part of the epic heroic tradition of the United
States. His character helps teenagers to attain the typically
American ideals of uniqueness and individualism in the face
of adversity, examples of which remain limitless in cinema
and literature. The Catcher in the Rye is important
because it is the main text that bridges the gap between adolescence
and adulthood while passing on our values and maintaining
social order. The power struggle between the two groups is
momentarily resolved by the compromise over this novel, because
while teens feel that they are expressing themselves, they
are in fact adhering to social constructions that are older
than they are. Meanwhile, parents understand that the figure
of the rebellious teen is, in reality, a beast that is doomed
to eventual extinction, and that the rebel itself is really
a myth created by society. Parents are comforted by the knowledge
that their children will eventually become fully-functioning
adults and they will not achieve the permanent and dangerous
status of a truly self-marginalized rebel.
Riding back on into town
Barthes' study of
contradictory representations can be extended to the realm of
university education as well. On the one hand, college is thought
of as a place where young people are allowed to exercise individualism
and to break with societal norms, a place where protests, substance
abuse, and sexual experimentation—practices that are taboo
in the world of "respectable" adults—are commonplace
and even encouraged to a certain extent. However, college is
also a place to study novels like The Catcher in the Rye
and other classic texts that connect students with the past
and situate them within age-old traditions of learning; here
rebellion is replaced with the willing pursuit of conformity
all in the name of education. College functions as a sort of
holding pen for teenagers who have not yet been incorporated
into society; rebellion and uniqueness are allowed to be expressed
in designated, traditional ways, but the overall objective (and
the usual end result) of such an education is similar to that
of Holden's prep school.
What
this tells us overall is that while individualism and independence
are a large part of the American historic tradition, what we
desire first and foremost is conformity. On the surface, at
least, we are proud of our uniqueness and our history of rebellion;
after all, this nation was created by a revolution and our collective
past is filled with strong-willed individuals.
But underneath the surface, we crave and demand conformity,
which is frequently disguised as maturity or wisdom gained with
experience. To be a nonconformist is to be marginalized or even,
in the case of Holden, termed to be mentally unstable. Even
our most rebellious heroes cannot be integrated into society—in
the end the renegade cowboy rides off into the sunset, not back
into town. Conformity reassures us that social order will be
maintained and that the values of our generation will be passed
on to the next. In this way, mythology in the form of The
Catcher in the Rye helps us to pass on our culture and values
from the old to the young.
Sonja Beck is a junior studying English and Cinema-Television. Her favorite teen idol is James Dean, and she lived in his hometown for a short while.
