The Perks Of Being A Wallflower Cultural Analysis

The Perks of Being a Wallflower has a more modern setting than a Catcher in the Rye, taking place in the years of 1990-1991, in America. The 1990s were a much more accepting era in American culture, relative to the time period of A Catcher in the Rye. The conformist culture of Cold War America was an afterthought and replaced with a more individualistic set of ideals. This can be seen in the 1990s grunge movement, where American rock artists challenged the conventions of society, by writing about taboos, such as mental illness and suicide, alongside labelling the mainstream as hypocritical. This movement directly manifests itself on a large and small scale throughout the novel. On a smaller scale we see the impact of the grunge culture on Charlie, when he puts the music of grunge band Nirvana on one of his mixtapes. On a larger scale, the idea of discussing taboos becomes one of the main themes of the novel, which allows Charlie to come to terms with his grievances.

Charlie goes through an intense emotional episode of crying upon learning of the death of his friend. The effects of Charlie’s loss can be seen in his personality, in his docile nature and his extreme sensitivity. While Holden is brash and critical, Charlie is introverted and consolatory. Charlie even becomes dismissive of his own ostracization, thinking that “…other people have it a lot worse.” (Chbosky, 4-5). He tries to put things in perspective in relation to the bigger picture. This is where the “wallflower” tendencies of Charlie become apparent. He is a spectator of his own life, rather than a participant. Rather than acknowledging what causes his personal issues, he instead tries to interpret how other people see