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The Perks Of Being A Wallflower Comparison Essay

500 Words2 Pages

Required reading is something my peers overlook and skip straight to spark notes to pass. I believe if well written literature is studied it can be a blessing rather than a curse for the student. The reason teachers force us to read, isn’t just because it’s the standard on the syllabus. The books we have to read inspire debate, enlighten the reader, introduce us to unfamiliar points of view, and have important morals and themes. Two pieces of literature that I’ve never studied together is The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky and The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. These two novels can be effectively studied together due to their similar motifs, protagonists, and genres. They each have a theme of coming of age and alienation …show more content…

The tone of The Catcher in the Rye was sad and cynical while The Perks of Being a Wallflower was more analytical and reflective. The main characters in both novels can be compared and contrasted due to their distant nature. Holden Caulfield the protagonist of The Catcher in the Rye was kicked out of four private schools, is adventurous, and struggles academically. On the other hand, Charlie, the protagonist of The Perks of Being a Wallflower, is introverted and intelligent. Holden is naïve and resentful of the adult world; like many teenagers he is frightened to grow old. Charlie’s aunt died in a car accident, and Holden’s brother died of Leukemia. They alienate themselves as a result of their loved ones deaths and cannot love without fear. However, they also both long for connection, yet Holden pushes people away before he can get hurt. Charlie just wants acceptance and actually makes a group of misfit friends. The Catcher in the Rye was written in the 1950’s while The Perks of Being a Wallflower was written in 1999. Despite the books being written nearly 50 years apart, their connections are not broken by time. I believe it could be an interesting and unexpected treasure to study

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