Chapter 1　Introduction 001
Chapter 2　Some Guiding Concepts from Social Psychology and Develop-
mental Psychology 003
2.1　Defining Self-identity in terms of Social Psychology and Develop-
mental Psychology 003
2.2　The Process of Searching for the Self-identity 004
Chapter 3　Contrastive Analysis of The Catcher in the Rye and
Invisible Man 006
3.1　Searching for Self-identity in The Catcher in the Rye 006
3.1.1　The Four-Fold Concept of Identity Status 007
3.1.2　Family’s Influence on the Confirming of the Self-identity. 010
3.1.3　Peer’s Influence on the Confirming of the Self-identity 014
3.1.4　School’s Influence on the Confirming of the Self-identity 016
3.1.5　Quest for the True Self-identity 018
3.2　Searching for Self-identity in Invisible Man 023
3.2.1　The Four Stages of Minority Identity Development 023
3.2.2　Some Important Characters’ Influences on Searching for the
Self-identity 027
3.2.3　The Reasons Why the Protagonist Failed to Confirm His
Self-identity 033
3.2.4　Ascertain the True Self-identity 035
3.3　Comparison and Contrast of the Protagonists in The Catcher in the
Rye and Invisible Man from the Perspective of Initiation Story 039
3.3.1　The Common Points between the Two Novels 039
3.3.2　The Different Aspects between the Two Novels 044
Chapter 4　Contrastive Analysis of Beloved and A Leaf in the Storm 054
4.1　Searching for Self-identity in Beloved 054
4.1.1　Where Did I Come from？ 055
4.1.2　Where Am I Now? 057
4.1.3　Where Am I Going to ? 059
4.1.4　What Will I Do? 065
4.2　Searching for Self-identity in A Leaf in the Storm 066
4.2.1　The Lost Self 066
4.2.2　Contact with Others 068
4.2.3　An Important Guider 069
4.2.4　Devoting Oneself to Society 073
4.3　Comparison and Contrast of Beloved and A Leaf in the Storm from
the perspective of Initiation story 074
4.3.1　The Common Points between Beloved and A Leaf in the Storm 074
4.3.2　The Different Aspects between Beloved and A Leaf in the Storm 079
Chapter 5　Relation between Social Reality and Literary Manifestation 086
5.1　The Relation between Social Reality and Literary Manifest in The
Catcher in the Rye 086
5.2　The Relation Between Social Reality and Literary Manifest in
Invisible Man 090
5.2.1　Ralph Ellison’s Ideology 090
5.2.2　How Does the Fiction Reflect the Reality? 092

5.3　The Relation between Social Reality and Literary Manifest
in Beloved 098
5.3.1　The Background Information of the Fiction 098
5.3.2　Toni Morrison’s Ideology 100
5.4　The Relation between Social Reality and Literary Manifest in A Leaf
in the Storm 119
5.4.1　LinYutang’s Personal Situation and His Ideology 119
5.4.2　The Purpose of Writing the Novel 123
5.4.3　How Does the Fiction Reflect the Reality 125
5.5　Analysis of the Four Novels from the Perspective of Endings of
Initiation Story 151
Chapter 6　Universality, Generality and Particularity of Adolescent
Experience 155
6.1　Universality of Adolescents’ Development about the Self-identity 155
6.2　Generality of Adolescents’ Development about the Self-identity 162
6.3　Particularity of Adolescents’ Development about the Self-identity 178
Chapter 7　Conclusion 192
References 194