An Exploration Into the Character of 'Alice' in 'Alice in Wonderland' and How She 'Defies the Female Stereotype'.

In texts ‘The Reader’ and ‘The Catcher in the Rye’ the main characters are outsiders in society. To what extent do you agree with this?

In both ‘The reader’ by Bernhard Schlink and ‘The Catcher in the Rye’ by J.D Salinger, the theme of being outsiders and discriminated against due to certain characteristics the characters portray. It could be argued that they are all outsiders as a result of the time and situation the author has based them in, either the German post war era or the 1950’s America, though other factors may affect them too.

Holden’s family background is well described throughout the book, however the effects of the family’s background on Holden’s attitudes and behaviour was not elaborated on. It’s a typical family household, successful parents and hopefully succeeding children. Its clear Holden has already drifted from the path his parents hoped he take, leaving his parents to lack discipline and attention towards their son, bringing him to become rebellious without consequences, however his family background is a burden on Holden. An interesting aspect to look at is the trauma Holden experienced at a younger age, the death of his brother Allie. Allie was a model child, and Holden felt he had the pressure of living up to his standards, this, and also the fact he could not handle his brother’s death, led Holden down a negative path. Overall, Holden’s families’ death has contributed into turning Holden as a character into an outsider. This is seen as his character becomes permanently disconnected as an individual, his views become more sceptical and cynical, and he only pinpoints the negative aspect out of the environment and the people he is around. For that reason, it is hard for him to find anyone he could truly trust and open up to, causing his negative built up attitudes, which become a basis of him being an outsider. However, If we look into the family background of Michael, his parents are the opposite, they’re very supportive of his condition...