Review
of The Catcher in the Rye: J.D. Salinger
* Bildungsroman - Coming of age story
This book is the definitive guide to a Bildungsroman*.
Painfully embroiled in a turmoil of teenage angst, the reader can empathize
with the protagonist Holden Caulfield, whilst learn from his mistakes. With
tension between Holden and New York society tightening and slackening, the
reader, if fully immersed in the story, will idolize Holden, as a beacon for
misguided teenage souls.
The plot of the book is not
elaborate or action-packed, yet very introverted and spontaneous. His
lackadaisical approach to life, and his definitions of what is meaningful or
‘phoney’ is the pivotal axis of the plot, resulting in many amusingly unpleasant
situations. For example there are encounters with a prostitute and her pimp, a
mother of a fellow student, and previous teachers; all characters judging
Holden on his outward appearance, which he finds very aggravating. His blunt
expression is very refreshing, with wit over-riding seriousness at times, yet
for teenagers, direction on self-expression is useful.
There are faults in the
character, which are indiscreetly addressed. Caulfield is very self-deprecating
which was controversial for readership, after the war where promoting
self-confidence, whilst boosting the moral of the USA was fundamental. There
were other controversial matters: Holden’s tussle with sexual tension and use
of swear words and openness about underage drinking and smoking. People thought
that this would encourage the youth – (those in the 1950s just discovering
their identity and naming their transitional age ‘the teenager’) – to rebel in
such way, and use the symbol of the fag and drink as symbols of the ‘cool’.
However, this image is not damaging, he just is a cool kid hipster who hangs
around in Jazz Clubs in Greenwich Village. What is not to be glorified about
that?
The loss of innocence creates
remorse and feelings of loss. To fully appreciate the book one must be of
correct maturity, whilst still regaining childhood and youth, to connect with
grievances of the younger sister, but also be able to look up to Caulfield if
they decide to. The escapism is so intense that at some points the book is so
emotive and captivating you feel the angst simultaneously. This feeling is only
received when the reader doesn’t skim the surface and doesn’t see Caulfield’s
attitude to life as whinny.
Moreover, this book has been
coined by critics as one of three books, which capture perfectly the spirit of
growing teenagers in USA along with Adventures of Huckleberry Finn & The
Great Gatsby. 'It killed me.'
Review
of Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chomsky
Perks of being a wallflower is a severely intimate and
moving journey. Contrasting to Catcher in the Rye this book is collaboration
and emphasises the importance of friendship however sharing the cynicism to the
mainstream. The bare skeleton for
the book is the stereotypical teenager story about the new kid at school
outsider infiltrates the ‘in crowd’. Despite this, there are many diversions
from the norm. The crowd that Charlie (with much debating we worked out he was
in year 11) becomes friends with are a lot older than him (sixth formers).
Unfortunately this made it harder for a typical London teen to emphasize as in
most schools the older years are unlike to befriend the lower ones. Even though
it is less realistic, the group of friends is for me very inspirational.
Perks
of being a wallflower chronicles the strife of the outsider. Charlie doesn’t fit in because he has
anger problems and his past haunts him. Stephen Chomsky inspires people who may
comprehend these problems and shows them hope. Hope in the form of Patrick -
the gay stepbrother of Sam. Through these two dynamic characters Chomsky
portrays to the readers the ideal friendship, helping and guiding, even though
there may be divisions sometimes and standing up against prejudice. Understanding
someone else’s troubles, is key and that is why the wallflowers accumulate
together into a passionate and creative group of friends. The wallflowers are
glorified as Patrick made the transition from the popular circles onto the
‘other side’; which is still exciting as the creatives explore drugs (countered
by milkshakes) drink and cutting edge music of the early 90s.
Again,
the melancholic language seduces the reader as our characters wallow in teenage
sorrows and self-pity. Again, watching a happy film is recommended after
reading some passages in this book.
Angst reigns from here on. There are sexual exploration moments creating
a tense atmosphere but makes you yearn for more. The joyous and spine-tingling moments
come twice. Sam stands up in her
brother’s car during a drive through a tunnel. A new song comes onto the radio
– David Bowie’s Heroes. Sam clambers into the back and stands on the loading
area of the van. With arms spread-eagled and head back, eyes closed. She,
Patrick and Charlie are drenched into feelings of infinity.
The
book is excellently conveyed through letters as a diary, and is also another
youth bible, where the readers are informed of great books to read like
L’Etranger, ones passed on through generations and the current songs that are
popular: Asleep by The Smiths. Although written in the 2010s it is a time
capsule for those looking for nostalgia, reminiscing the mighty mixtape: a
musical version of twitter.
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