The universal challenge of maintaining individuality is explored in both J.D. Salinger’s novel The Catcher in the Rye and Stephen Chbosky’s film The Perks of Being a Wallflower, yet is approached differently due to contrasting contexts. Both protagonists struggle to withstand the values of their society which conflicts with their own and to succeed despite the expectations placed upon them. As a result of their respective time periods, Holden Caulfield approaches these obstacles with pessimism while Charlie remains optimistic. Salinger employs motifs, foils and symbols to explore Holden’s troubles whereas Chbosky arranges meaningful lighting, editing and metaphors. The Catcher in the Rye andThe Perks of Being a Wallflower both provide insight
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Holden is concerned with being genuine, resulting in a distaste for superficiality and shallowness. Rather than attempt to eliminate these faults in others, he wishes to limit interactions, “I'd pretend I was one of those deaf-mutes [so] I wouldn't have to have any goddam stupid useless conversations with anybody”, and is heavily critical. The motif of “phoniness”, repeated to emphasise the extent Holden values authenticity, highlights his misanthrope attitude. This approach is a reflection of the post-war disillusionment of the 1950s with men reevaluating their place in society and concluding that individual action is futile. This existential angst is evident in The Catcher in the Rye through Holden’s lack of action to correct society’s shortcomings paired with his relentless criticism. Holden struggles to accept society’s ignorance to the importance of being genuine because he is unapologetically individual in his …show more content…
He initially struggles to make friends at high school and continues to doubt his importance as he finds companions, made evident by the high angle shot of him awkwardly socialising with friends, signifying his low self esteem as he admits “[He] didn’t think anybody noticed [him]”. This difficulty to make connections in school was shaped in the context of the 1990s when status groups began allowing adolescent’s interests to diversify and peers to discover a group they belonged to, yet this led to the exclusion of individuals who had entirely unique interests to their cohort. As an introvert highly affected by the traumatic events of his past, to the extent of not participating in his own life, it was a challenge for Charlie to feel appreciated for his reserved and perceptive personality in an environment with such an abundance of individuality. Though The Perks of Being a Wallflower is set in a progressive society which celebrates diverse interests, the challenges of maintaining individuality persists.
Despite the differing contexts, The Catcher in the Rye’s critical protagonist Holden Caulfield and Perks of Being a Wallflower’s reserved protagonist Charlie are both critical of the values they are presented and refuse to accept those which contradict their own individual principles and are victims of their society’s expectations. Though affected in different ways due to cultural changes, the challenge
Holden is concerned with being genuine, resulting in a distaste for superficiality and shallowness. Rather than attempt to eliminate these faults in others, he wishes to limit interactions, “I'd pretend I was one of those deaf-mutes [so] I wouldn't have to have any goddam stupid useless conversations with anybody”, and is heavily critical. The motif of “phoniness”, repeated to emphasise the extent Holden values authenticity, highlights his misanthrope attitude. This approach is a reflection of the post-war disillusionment of the 1950s with men reevaluating their place in society and concluding that individual action is futile. This existential angst is evident in The Catcher in the Rye through Holden’s lack of action to correct society’s shortcomings paired with his relentless criticism. Holden struggles to accept society’s ignorance to the importance of being genuine because he is unapologetically individual in his …show more content…
He initially struggles to make friends at high school and continues to doubt his importance as he finds companions, made evident by the high angle shot of him awkwardly socialising with friends, signifying his low self esteem as he admits “[He] didn’t think anybody noticed [him]”. This difficulty to make connections in school was shaped in the context of the 1990s when status groups began allowing adolescent’s interests to diversify and peers to discover a group they belonged to, yet this led to the exclusion of individuals who had entirely unique interests to their cohort. As an introvert highly affected by the traumatic events of his past, to the extent of not participating in his own life, it was a challenge for Charlie to feel appreciated for his reserved and perceptive personality in an environment with such an abundance of individuality. Though The Perks of Being a Wallflower is set in a progressive society which celebrates diverse interests, the challenges of maintaining individuality persists.
Despite the differing contexts, The Catcher in the Rye’s critical protagonist Holden Caulfield and Perks of Being a Wallflower’s reserved protagonist Charlie are both critical of the values they are presented and refuse to accept those which contradict their own individual principles and are victims of their society’s expectations. Though affected in different ways due to cultural changes, the challenge