Examples Of Adolescence In Catcher In The Rye

“Adolescence is the conjugator of childhood and adulthood” by Louise J. Kaplan. Holden and Charlie both live in a precarious time of adolescence and need to grab hold of their life in some way. Both are trying to make better sense of the world around them .The existence of adolescence in the catcher in the rye and the perks of being a wallflower are constructed through the examination of innocence, phoniness and isolation. Firstly, the catcher in the rye and the perks of being a wallflower demonstrates Holden’s and Charlie’s innocence throughout the novels. Innocence in The catcher in the rye is shown when Holden explains his idea of the catcher in the rye more fully, it's revealed to be his vision of a protected field of innocence where Holden is the guardian stopping kids as they race towards the edge. Holden lacks matureness to

You keep quiet about them. And you understand.”(Chbosky 37) In this quote, Patrick makes a key discovery about Charlie as a person, and how he thinks more than the average person. Charlie is shown isolated because he does not say much and doesn’t have many friends to tell things to. A wallflower is someone who is a type of loner that can be very shy. Another example of isolation in the perks of being a wallflower is shown when Holden says “It would be very nice to have a friend again. I would like that even more than a date” (Chbosky 21) After Michael's death, Charlie wants any sort of social interaction. He is desperate because a teenage boy wants a friend more than a date. Charlie’s alienation is much more complex, he is not physically isolated from his friends and family. Despite this, Charlie hides his feelings. He spends all his energy in ensuring the happiness of his friends, that he often disregards his own. However, this emotional isolation ultimately enables Charlie to fit in with