Open Access
American Research Journal of English and Literature
ISSN (Online): 2378-9026
DOI: 10.46568/arjel
“Rye”, A Utopia, Dystopia, or Heterotopia? - A Comparative Analysis of Catcher in the Rye and Teacher Man
Abstract
The post-war American society has been extensively explored in numerous American literary works, among which J. D.
Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye and Frank McCourt’s Teacher Man are of significance due to their exposure to the “Lost
Generation”. Although The Catcher in the Rye is written from the perspective of an alienated student while Teacher Man
is from the perspective of a teacher, there are many similarities between the two novels. For example, Holden wishes
to be the Catcher in the “rye”, while the protagonist of Teacher Man is the catcher in the “classroom”, who guards the
innocence of children. The symbolic space, represented by “rye” in Holden’s heart and “classroom” in McCourt’s life,
needs to be analyzed. This paper aims to explore the special space symbolized by the “rye” in The Catcher in the Rye
and the “classroom” in Teacher Man, trying to find out what the space actually represents. Is it a utopia, dystopia, or
heterotopia?
