IDENTITY IS MORE DEPENDENT ON CIRCUMSTANCE THAN CHOICE
"The Secret River", written by Kate Grenville, explores the idea of circumstances- such as past experiences, the people around us and social expectations- being more important than choice in shaping a person’s identity. Comparably in Stephen Chbosky’s film, "The Perks of Being a Wallflower", identity and how it is influenced by different circumstances is also shown as a central theme. A wide range of literary and film techniques are used in both of these texts to show how the characterisation of William Thornhill, Charlie and Brad support this idea.
In TSR, Grenville demonstrates through Thornhill’s character how a person’s identity can be largely influenced through past experiences and…show more content… As a popular football player, Brad deeply cares about his image and how he is perceived by other students. This is distinguished through Brad’s refusal to perform in the Rocky Horror Picture Show by stating "No, no way, there’s people out there". Brad is also forced to conceal his homosexuality and feelings for Patrick for the fear of being mocked- emphasised by the technique of shaky camera- where Brad disregards Patrick who is being bullied by members of his football team. Chbosky illustrates how social expectations can control a person’s actions and restrain them from being themselves, reinforcing how identity is reliant on circumstance rather than choice.
In conclusion, "The Secret River and "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" are two texts which incorporate a variety of literary and film techniques in order to explore the concept of identity. Both Grenville and Chbosky intended for their audience to recognise the substantial impact that circumstances have on a person’s identity. This can be seen through their depiction of William Thornhill, Charlie and Brad, and how these characters react to different circumstances, including past experiences, surrounding people and societal
