Salinger and the picaresque

[David Simpson]

Outstanding comments. However, there's a third category of novel -- a sort of bridge between or combination of the bildungsroman and the picaresque. Not sure if it has a name or not, but instead of portraying a central character's adventures and moral development from childhood to adulthood (a la David Copperfield or Great Expectations), it concentrates on a crucial phase of late adolescence and specifically on some particular adventure or set of exploits that ignites an epiphany and propels the character into sudden manhood or womanhood. Perhaps we might
call this form a "rite-of-passage" or "adolescent hero" novel. Examples would include Huckleberry Finn, Red Badge of Courage, and especially "The Bear" episode in Go Down, Moses. Holden C. would seem to present a late, ironic version of this sort of adolescent quester/picaro.

Dedalus wrote:

> _The Catcher in the Rye_ is definitely picaresque in structure.  Since
> it spans only a couple of days and follows Holden through a series of
> unrelated adventures, it qualifies as picareque on that count.  Remember
> also that picaresque fiction (in its purest form) generally portrays a
> picaro who existson the fringes of that society which he, ironically, is
> trying to "enter" at some level (cf. _Lazarillo de Tormes_).  Likewise,
> Holden rails against
> "phonies" and such, yet emerges as one of the many phonies in the book
> because of his continued attempts at entering an adulthood he seemingly
> rejects (eg. he tries to get served liquor, he solicits a prostitute,
> etc.).
>
> Picaresque fiction also portrays a picaro who undergoes some sort of
> "initiation" into that society he seeks to enter, and Holden certainly
> has a series of experiences that could qualify as "initiators" (the
> moment he leaves Pencey?  His fight with Maurice?  His abrupt exit from
> Mr. Antolini?  Seeing Phoebe at the carrousal?)  Finally, picaresque
> fiction presents social commentary on the picaro's society (often, but
> not necessarily, satirical), and _Catcher_ is replete with that,
> especially in Holden's conversations with Sally Hayes (p. 132), Mr.
> Antolini (pp. 189+), and, of course, Phoebe (p. 173).
>
> One thing, however, makes the book decidedly un-picaresque.  The rogue
> is traditionally part of the lower-class, yet Holden is from an affluent
> New York family.
>
> A bildungsroman, in its purest form, follows a character over several
> years (usually  childhood to adulthood) and, through its depiction of
> the experiences, demonstrates how the main character or narrator has
> grown and changed over the course of his/her lifetime.  Hence, books
> like _Jane Eyre_ and _Of Human Bondage_ are often regarded as true
> examples of the genre, because we get to see the character over a span
> of years. _Catcher_ doesn't elapse over enough time to be regarded as a
> true bildungsroman, and his sense of "learning" something by the end,
> when he watches Phoebe on the carrousel and realizes that "the thing
> with kids is, if they want to grab for the gold ring, you have to let
> them do it" (211), is a bit too reactionary and fleeting (in the
> following chapter, we cannot be entirely certain Holden has truly
> "learned" enough to get his life in order).  True awareness and
> learning, like what Philip Carey experiences in the Maugham novel, is
> more typical of the genre.
>
> Of course, as you can undoubtedly tell from the genre discussion on the
> list this past week, genre is a slippery thing.  Salinger employs
> aspects of both to suit his needs as a writer.  Personally, I find
> _Catcher_ much more picaresque than bildungsroman.
>
> Dedalus
>

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