Compare the ways the director of American Beauty and author of The Perks of Being a Wallflower explore individuals and their relentless search for happiness. The fundamental human desire for happiness is presented in Stephen Chbosky’s novel The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Sam Mendes’ film American Beauty. This concept is explored similarly by both authors in common settings: contemporary, generic, unnamed cities in the United States of America. Chbosky’s protagonist, Charlie, a fifteen year-old boy, is a damaged individual due to traumatic events from early childhood. Consequently, he lacks the ability to connect with his peers, but as he befriends some benevolent adolescents he discovers hope in his otherwise depressed world. A contrasting …show more content…
Although Chbosky and Mendes use different mediums, for the most part, their use of characterisation, symbolism and narrative perspective are comparable. The creation of accessible characters, in particular, adds conviction, shedding light upon the writers’ main ideas on happiness. Characterisation is a device used to explore the constant changing of feelings and ideals that affect happiness. The leading characters incorporated by both authors attempt to remedy their personal flaws and, in the process, endure emotional journeys. The narratives both conclude after considerable tension and ordeal with an intense desire for happiness, which is never fulfilled. In The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Chbosky presents Charlie’s coming-of-age story (bildungsroman) as he enters high school with the goal to “participate”. Unlike Lester, Charlie is drawn to normality after having spent the majority of his life as an outsider. He has no qualms about the idea of just being ordinary. In American Beauty, Angela Hayes – the object of Lester’s desires and one of the reasons for his