Comparative Study of Texts and Contexts – ‘Catcher in the Rye’ and ‘the Perks of Being a Wallflower’

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Comparative Study of Texts and Contexts – ‘Catcher in the Rye’ and ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’ The developmental process of the evolution of youth to adulthood in any circumstance can be both tumultuous, disorderly and over emotional. The exploration of one’s inner self during this time can generate a fervent desire to discover the answers to all of life’s questions; however the result can often fail to produce a satisfyingly straightforward response. In both the renowned novel, ‘The Catcher in the Rye’, published in 1951 by author J.D Salinger and Stephen Chbosky’s 2012 motion picture, ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’, both protagonists in the form of Holden Caulfield (Catcher) and Charlie Kelmeckis (Perks) possess surprisingly similar qualities in terms of situation and circumstance despite being set almost forty years apart. The themes of alienation, external and inner emotional turmoil resulting from previous past experiences and the intense yearning for the formation and preservation of relationships, especially with peers, are just a few of the key aspects explored in both texts, within which we as an audience are able to see the journey both characters undertake as they arrive at what is ultimately the precipice where childhood is forced to coalesce with the adult world. The path one takes in order to discover their true self during the period of adolescence is often accompanied with feelings of uncertainty, pronounced insecurity and disorientation in terms of fitting in within a chosen sect in society. During teenage years in particular, the immense pressures to conform to what is seen to be “socially acceptable” is exemplified and the ramifications which can result can often have serious effect on the individual. In the case of young Holden Caulfield however, who is faced with the frightening prospect of having to enter into a world jam-packed with

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