Catcher In The Rye Anxiety

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Anxiety is defined by the Oxford dictionary as a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease about something with an uncertain outcome and can be described as one of the many characteristics found in the typical teenager’s life. Catcher in the Rye (Catcher) by J.D Salinger and Perks of being a Wallflower (Perks) directed by Stephen Chbosky are two texts which discuss the idea of anxiety in teens when faced with different social scenarios. The composers have been influenced by personal and dominant values as well as their context which shapes the portrayal of individuality and individual management of trauma. Though society is shown to transition over time, Catcher and Perks emphasise the longevity of anxiety and how this characteristic is continually …show more content…
The anxiety people suffered with the desire to have more “stuff” is transferred to the anxiety Holden feels when breaking free from this conformist way of life. He says, “I’m always saying ‘Glad to’ve met you’ to people I’m not at all glad I met. If you want to stay alive you have to say that stuff, though.” This hyperbole shows the strength of social constraints but the desire Holden has to break free from this. It emphasises how Salinger wanted to influence children to be individual. The long shot within Perks showing Brad walking the isles of the library emphasises a feeling of one’s individuality being trapped, as the vector lines portray Brad trapped in box. The library setting is symbolic of him having to keep quiet about his sexuality, in constant fear of the opinions of others. In the 1990s homosexuality was not as commonly accepted in society as we see today. Therefore, Brad’s anxiety comes from having to hide his individuality, whereas his partner Patrick can be much more open about it. The Rocky Horror Picture Show shows the contrast in Brad and Patrick, as Patrick is on stage in an outrageous costume, freeing himself from social constraints. Brad is depicted in the audience, with the dark …show more content…
The differences of each composer continually highlight anxiety common in teenagers when experiencing trauma or the struggle for individuality. This comments that although society has changed, anxiety in teenagers is still a prominent concern in need of
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