Essay Comparing The Perks Of Being A Wallflower And Catcher In The Rye

The novel "Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger is very interesting novel in which the main character, Holden, intrigues the reader with his unpredictable actions and upfront judgments of his surroundings. Holden alienates himself to try and help protect him from the outside world and conserve his innocence. He constantly proves this to reader many in times in the novel by, telling characters he feels different, wearing clothing that makes him stand out even though it may make him look stupid, and failing to come through in relationships with characters in the story.

From the two novels, The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky and The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, we have read thus far several connections can be made either between characters or between the storylines themselves. One of the more obvious connections is how trauma plays a significant role in the main characters lives. Both of these characters experienced significant trauma early on in life that impacted how they acted throughout the following story. Charlie was influenced in his social interactions by the trauma he underwent in regards to his Aunt Helen along with the death of his friend Michael. Holden has a similar experience with his younger brother Allie, who was also a significant person in the character's life who he then lost at a young age. This loss of a significant person in their lives leads to a trauma that is described through the NPR article by Laura Starecheski, “Take The ACE Quiz — And Learn What It Does And Doesn't Mean,” that the class read through. Paired with several other studies that have been conducted on trauma and the effects it has on adolescence by the CDC and other organizations, it is clear that Holden and Charlie were negatively affected by the trauma they endured. Holden and Charlie are more similar than they are different in many cases and the cementing piece is their reactions to the trauma they experienced. Both characters, Charlie and Holden, were impacted in a negative ways, either through human interactions being

In literature, a character’s unique perspective on common human experiences can both engage the reader, and vastly contribute to a text’s endearing value and significance. The Catcher in The Rye offers a rich portrayal of such themes as, the impact of alienation as a form of self-preservation, resistance to change, and the psychological effects of unresolved grief. By telling the story directly through the first-person narration of Holden Caulfield, Salinger offers an unusually in-depth perspective of an emotionally complex character, who is struggling to find his place in the world. Unlike many coming of age stories, the reader of Salinger’s novel is left with a strong sense that Holden will continue to struggle with the protective wall of

The novel The Catcher in the Rye written by J.D. Salinger is one of the most frequently challenged pieces of literature of the twenty-first century. Salinger’s novel contained vulgar language, violence, and sexual implication resulting in a ban from public schools’ reading lists. However, teens still read Salinger’s story of a relatable, alienated, American teenager. The events Salinger describes in The Catcher in the Rye occur in the 1950’s. The author narrates the story through an unconventional New York teen named Holden Caulfield. Over the course of the novel, Caulfield describes various impulsive and self-destructive decisions he has made while experiencing symptoms of unexplained depression and emotional distress. J.D. Salinger uses multiple symbols throughout the text prompting the reader to see beyond the text when evaluating Caulfield’s experiences. In chapter twenty-five Salinger uses the golden ring and the carousel as a symbol of Holden’s most intimidating internal conflict: transitioning from childhood to adulthood.

In the bildungsroman Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger employs the struggle of individuality, inevitable maturation, and the childhood corruption of adulthood to reveal Holden’s alienation from society.

J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye has become a classic novel of literature. It is one of the best selling novels because of its humour, its criticism of the middle-class society and their values, and the word choice in which Salinger captures the idiomatic speech and vocabulary. The Catcher in the Rye will take you by surprise as you shelp along with the main character, Holden Caulfield, as he travels around New York City. The book is certainly one of the novels to a lot of debate and controversy, however this is what makes it so captivating to read.

To begin with, in J.D Salinger’s book The Catcher in the Rye, Holden portrays as a character that

Word choice is a crucial element in a well-crafted story. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger is about a 16-year-old in New York in the 1950's named Holden Caulfield. The book is about his exploration in the world as he suffers from severe mental trauma from his point of view. J.D. Salinger uses word choice for realism, theme, and depth of character to make the story relate to the reader and add dimension. The Catcher in Rye contains many distinct characters, and the dialogue and inner thought are crucial in the reader’s view of them. The word choice is one of the key components in displaying the character’s personality, and makes them into a round character.

Throughout J.D. Salinger’s novel; The Catcher in the Rye, Salinger uses the perspective of Holden to show a recurring theme of loneliness. Holden does not seem to fit in anywhere he goes, which alienates him from society. As an outcast, Holden learns the true meaning of what it is like to be lonely. He doesn’t have any real friends and instead progresses from one meaningless relationship to another within a few days, not wanting to commit time with anyone because in Holden’s opinion, people are all too phony. When Holden arrives in New York, he enters a phone booth, prepared to call some of his friends but instead,“I ended up not calling anybody.

Ermert 1 Joshua Ermert Ms. Steele English 10 / Period 4 05 December 2017 Mind of a Teenager Imagine you are going through one of the greatest steps to growing into an adult. You must learn that as a teenager, you are not alone experiencing very traumatic realities, and literature like J.D. Salinger’s the Catcher in the Rye reminds us of that. Many schools have been speculating on the idea of banning this famous novel for the discussion of sensitive and inappropriate material for a high school English curriculum. Catcher goes into more sensitive topics that can help teenagers feel understood and could help teenagers with problems they may be experiencing. Salinger’s hit novel was made very relatable to many teenagers, which can ultimately help

Catcher in the Rye influenced Perks of Being a Wallflower in many ways that makes their connection vary strongly, from the way it’s written, the tone, and the characters. Holden and Charlie both go through traumatic experiences that end with the boys being hospitalized. Not only Charlie and Holden had a connection, but so did their siblings: Charlie’s brother and D.B. takes up celebrity-like careers. Charlie and Holden relates in loosing people who are close to them. For example, they lost a family member and both of their classmates had committed suicide.

J.D Salinger’s 1951 novel “The Catcher in the Rye” and Stephen Chbosky’s 2012 film “The Perks of being a Wallflower” both explore parallel contextual concepts. Both set in America the composers aim to emphasis the dynamic nature of society and the importance of contextual factors determining values. The composers take first person narration to their advantage through protagonists Holden & Charlie to tell two coming-of-age tales about the negative consequences of trauma and society’s perception on individualism. Catcher in the Rye and Perks of Being a Wallflower both reflect how societal values and context influence an individual's personality.

Spectators across the world and across the decades have marveled at the candor in meaning behind J. D. Salinger’s novel The Catcher in the Rye . The novel relays a personal story to each reader, manifesting many different truths and themes about humanity, society, and innocence. “On one level, The Catcher in the Rye may be read as a story of death and rebirth,” (Miller, 1). Or, “Revolt against the adult world may be key to the book,” (Moore, 2).

Throughout many people’s lives, there will be periods of time where they feel alone and want to have others around them. In J.D Salinger’s coming of age story, Catcher in the Rye, rather than wanting to find others to ease his pain, Holden uses his loneliness as a shield in order to not feel pain from losing others. During the course of the novel, Holden meets many distinct and unique characters which deepen his hatred for “phonies”, but ironically prefers to stick around these people. He does this because Holden feels as if they were to leave him, he would not feel any emotional detachment from his loss. Also because of his shield, he does not have connections with others that he does care about and if anyone tries to make an emotional connection with Holden, he effectively rejects their approach and almost always leaves them in a hurry. In comparison to Holden, my personal experiences parallel his actions, but currently I do not feel the same isolation that he feels. Therefore, in Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger, Holden uses isolation as a means of protection against those who try to make a genuine connection with him, but over the course of the novel, Holden realizes that it is necessary for him to take responsibility for caring for others and effectively grows into an adult by the end of the novel.

I’m not saying ‘the Perks’ isn’t great–obviously it is. I just made a judgment mostly by my instinctive feelings.