Stuff About Books and Literature

D.H. Lawrence Sons and Lovers - photo by Lesley Lanir Sons and Lovers , D. H. Lawrence’s controversial novel is well known for its Oedipal complex theme; However, besides Freudian themes, the realistic setting at the turn of the nineteenth century illustrates Victorian society’s perception of women in Britain. Through the events in the lives of the female characters from two generations, Mrs. Morel, Miriam Leivers, and Clara Dawes and their attitudes to their position in society, D. H. Lawrence exposes the reader to the changing social improvements for working class women in Britain, from their roles as subservient domestics to functioning members of society. Marriage Debilitated Women One of the most debilitating conventions of Victorian society was the institution of marriage; a loveless union used primarily as an escape from the parental home that provided young women with economic security. Jenni Calder notes in her book,   Women and Marriage in Victorian Fiction , 1976, tha...

The Catcher in the Rye - photo by Lesley Lanir Holden Caulfield, the protagonist of J.D. Salinger’s,   The Catcher in the Rye , is a troubled, unstable teenager. Caulfield displays many negative externalising and internalising behaviours but his pessimistic self-narrative also shows that he seems worryingly unaware of his own self-worth. Some of Caulfield’s behaviours, however, are in accordance with Professor David Elkind’s theories on adolescent behavioural development and exemplify his idea of “apparent hypocrisy” mentioned in his article “Understanding the Young Adolescent.” in Adolescence , 1978. Holden Caulfield - Apparent Hypocrisy - Intellectual Immaturity Professor David Elkind states that one of the patterns of behaviours common to teenagers is “apparent hypocrisy” which is normally noticed in obvious discrepancies between their words and their deeds. According to Elkind, “apparent hypocrisy” usually results from intellectual immaturity rather than defects in moral cha...

The Catcher in the Rye - photo by Lesley Lanir Holden Caulfield's behaviour in Salinger's The Catcher In The Rye , exemplifies Professor David Elkind's theory of "the personal fable". Adolescence is a time when a young person's physiological and hormonal development begins to approximate adult maturity and at the same time psychological maturity moves an adolescent in the direction of becoming a responsible part of society. Nevertheless, being a part of society for the protagonist, Holden Caulfield, in   Catcher in the Rye , by J. D. Salinger, is not possible due to his state of confusion. Interestingly, some of Caulfield's behaviours are predictable according to David Elkind in, “Understanding the Young Adolescent.” Adolescence , 1978, since Caulfield's actions exemplify Elkind's theories of  adolescent “personal fable.” Caulfield's Personal Fable – Centre of Attention Not only do teenagers misinterpret people’s intentions and believe they a...

The Catcher in the Rye - photo by Lesley Lanir Holden Caulfield's behaviours in J.D. Salinger's The Catcher In The Rye agree with Professor David Elkind's theories on adolescent pseudo-stupidity and imaginary audience. Adolescence is a complex period of transition. It constitutes a stage in personality development when a child begins to feel less need for the security of familial protection and supervision; because adolescence is such a transitional period, it may cause psychological conflicts resulting in mental instability. Holden Caulfield – A Typical Adolescent The protagonist, Holden Caulfield, is a teenager suffering from a mental disequilibrium that eventually results in his admission to a sanatorium. However, some of the symptoms he displays are considered normal adolescent behaviour if interpreted according to David Elkind’s theory of development in his article, "Understanding the Young Adolescent" in Adolescence , 1978.  David Elkind, former Professor...