Catcher in the rye brings out the anguish and confinement in a teenage boy called Holden, in the mid-1950 (Bratož 95). Holden is faced with disparities in life, which makes him to reconsider the meaning of life. Similarly, Charlie, in perks of being a wallflower is faced with problems that Holden encounters in life. Despite living in different social, economic and cultural confinement, ideologies represented in the two pieces of literature are uncanny.
Holden was a victim of the World War 2 post-war trauma in the United States of America. The post-war conditions had forced Holden to give up hope of ever having a fairly decent life, and had strolled down the path of depression (Bratož 98). Growing up during the post-world war era was decorated with teenage boys having more on their plate’s than they could handle. The combination of the life disparities alienated Holden from the society he once adored. Similarly, Charlie in Perks of being a wallflower faces alienation from the society, just like Holden.
Textual forms used include descriptive clauses that connect the reader to the main character. For instance, Holden in Catcher in the rye seems to connect directly to the audience, as the author uses a colloquial talk to represent Holden, which brings out sympathy and feeling to the content. Colloquial talk by Holden includes referring to people by ‘phony’ (Bratož 97). In perks of being a wallflower, the author uses similar techniques to portray the sufferings that Charlie goes in a bid to gauge the meaning of life.
The life of Holden in Catcher in the rye is construed by feelings of a teenager who does not want to become the ‘scum’ that is adulthood. At the beginning of the novel, Holden is bound to watch the drunkards and their pervert behaviors as they stroll around. Later in his life, is the inability to handle his sexuality ends Holden in the pervert behaviors which he so detested. The parity of life experiences leads t the development of antisocial behavior that Holden is confining.
Thus, the character finds solace in his interpretation of lie, rather that the overrated experiences that are common to other people. Similarly, Charlie solace is in doing what he deems right to his well-being, despite the judgments made by other people (Brown, and Hammer 258). The essence of the two characters being more alienated to the society than connected brings out similar attributes in their functions.
However, the differences and similarities between the works of the two composers, ideology and characterization are not only based on physical confinement but also the entanglement the two have in connecting to the society. Therefore, the essence of having both Charlie and Holden as outcasts to their societies is one facet that keeps the two composers similar in setting. Moreover, Holden in Catcher the rye, and Charlie in Perks of being a wallflower try to solve the problems of life through indulgent behaviors. The two characters indulge in the consumption of drugs such as alcohol. Charlie even tends to commit rape and is shunned by the society. Life is not good for the two composers, and their experiences interfere with their sanity.
Another similarity between the two composers is that the drive or earnest to gauge the meaning of life by analyzing their experience in life. Even on indulging in drugs, Holden sought to understand the meaning of the confinement method of dealing with life disparities. Unfortunately, both characters end up mentally challenged. Social and economic factors are the major drivers to the disparities that face the two composers.
For instance, the economic setting that Charlie exists is different from the social setting that Holden exists. During the post-world war era, the economic depression was imminent, and the economic setting was not developed. Conversely, Charlie exists in a flush era with economic development. The ideology of setting Holden in a post-war era reflects that the economic status was low, while setting Charlie in the mid-1990 when development was the rampant shows high economic setting for the character (Brown, and Hammer 259).
However, contrasts between the two composers overwhelm the similarities that the two composers have. For instance, Holden in Catcher in the Rye lives a life of isolation, unable to connect to other people in the society. Emotional assistance is a problem for Holden, who seeks to indulge in drugs. Due to his inability to connect with the society in a positive way, Holden if cast out to deal with his problems, and also his growing responsibilities.
On the contrary, Charlie in Perks of being a wallflower has a lot of friends and emotional support that he needs. Therefore, the magnitudes of disparities faced by Charlie differ significantly from the life disparities faced by Holden. Connection to friends in Charlie’s case reflects that the character was inclined to fight his definition of life, with the help from friends. Furthermore, the social setting of Holden is reflected by his lonely life in the society.
Apparently, the composer of catcher the rye uses a language structure that brings out sympathy and reflection on the characters o the book. The reflective and persuasive language is an emblem to ensure that the reader gains an oversight of the main theme of the literature material. In this perspective, the adolescence problems that Charlie and Holden are reflected by the forms and structures that the authors employ in their books. Speeches are mostly used in catcher the rye to connect Holden to other characters in the book. On the other hand, perks of being a wallflower portray the undertakings of Charlie by the use of descriptive narratives.
Moreover, catcher in the rye is set in a post-war era, where trauma from the war is rife. Holden is smart, but his transition to the society makes him make stupid decisions in life, such as indulging in drugs. However, Charlie if from a lavish time where development is rapid, but Charlie is having problems coping with the world (Brown, and Hammer 258). The third still shows Charlie trying to have a conversation, but there seems to be a petite connection between Charlie and the society. Charlie goes to a college and becomes a freshman with a perfect life.
Lastly, after meeting his first love, Charlie’s life seems to be flawless, until he starts to understand the nature of his life according to the experiences that he has with his friends. The alienation from the society in Charlie’s case is represented by a small group of friends that don’t seem to complement his life. In summary, perks of being a wallflower and catcher in the rye are similar in structure but have a vast difference in forms, and language.
Works Cited
Bratož, Silva. "A Stylistic Analysis of Four Translations of J. D. Salinger's the Catcher in the Rye." Elope. 1 (2004): 95-104. Print.
Brown, Colton, and Tonya R. Hammer. "The Perks of Being Relational: Reviewingthe Perks of Being a Wallflower." Journal of Creativity in Mental Health. 10.2 (2015): 258-261. Print.
