- A one-paragraph STAARS analysis of some portion of the text (15 points)
- A one-paragraph personal response through which you defend an original controlling idea or thesis using specific details cited from the text (10 points)
- A question for your peers that requires textual investigation to answer AND/OR a 3-5 sentence response to a peer's question that includes evidence from the text for support (5 points)
Your first post, which should pertain to Parts 1 & 2 of the book, is due by Tuesday 3/1. Your second, on something from Parts 3-5, is due by Tuesday 3/22. There will be no exceptions to these deadlines.
I will be moderating the blog on a regular basis and am always available to answer your questions so please don't hesitate to ask for assistance!
Thank You,
Mrs. Siragusa
Julie Ryan
ReplyDeleteSiragusa
English H 4AC
2 February 2011
S-subject- Trauma
T-theme- Traumatic experiences that occurred when someone was young can effect how they mature when coming of age.
A-audience-adolescent, or someone maturing
A-attitude-sad, confused.
R-rhetorical device-symbolism
S-strategies/textual evidence
“I had to stop watching at that point because I started to feel sick, but it kept going on, and they kept doing other things, and she kept saying “no.” Even when I covered my ears, I could still hear her say that”(pg31)
“She would be alive if I were born on a day that didn’t snow. I would do anything to make this go away. I miss her terribly. I have to stop writing now because I am too sad.”(pg92)
The Perks of Being a Wallflower,by Stephen Chbosky is a bildungsroman
novel that shows how traumatic experiences that occurred when someone was young can effect how they mature when coming of age. In the novel, symbolism is used to show how certain events represent trauma that can hinder an adolescent. In the novel, the main character Charlie experiences trauma when he was young and this effected how he grew up. Symbolism of sexual abuse is used when Charlie was exposed to a rape scene. “I had to stop watching at that point because I started to feel sick, but it kept going on, and they kept doing other things, and she kept saying “no.” Even when I covered my ears, I could still hear her say that”(pg31). Charlie witnessed a rape scene when he was little, also was exposed to other sexual things like walking in on his sister with her boyfriend. Charlie seeing someone being raped could effect how he acts in a relationship when he is older. This use of symbolism helps the reader understand Charlie by showing the trauma he was exposed to in the past. Symbolism is used to represent trauma in the form of death when Charlie’s Aunt Helen dies. “She would be alive if I were born on a day that didn’t snow. I would do anything to make this go away. I miss her terribly. I have to stop writing now because I am too sad”(pg92). Charlie blamed himself for his Aunt’s death, and it made him sad and depressed to think about it. Because of this, he was very emotional and was held back by this guilt that it was his fault, which also hindered him from moving on and participating in everyday life. This symbolism of death in Charlie’s life also helps the reader understand his emotions and behavior. The effects of the trauma that Charlie experienced is different from the effect of Holden’s behavior in The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger. The trauma that Charlie was exposed to cause him to be an introvert and to stand of to the side quietly. Holden’s experiences with his brother dying and lack of communication with his parents cause him to act out. Instead of being an introvert, Holden was the opposite and acted out, as well as not applying himself in school. Nevertheless, the experiences they had changed the way they acted.
How does Charlie's Aunt Helens death effect him and how he responds to situations in his everyday life?
ReplyDeleteYelena Odeychuk
ReplyDeleteMrs. Siragusa
English 3 4AC
22 February 2011
Subject- Growing up
Theme-Growing up can be affected by many influences which occurred in the past or present.
Attitude- Straightforward, solemn, empathetic
Audience- Teenagers
Rhetorical Strategy- Allusion
Textual Evidence- “The family watched It’s a Wonderful Life, which is a very beautiful movie. And all I could think was why didn’t they make the movie about Uncle Billy?”(page 76).
“The family was sitting around, watching the final episode of M*A*S*H, and I’ll never forget it even though I was very young” (page 16).
“Bill gave me one book to read over the break. It’s The Catcher in the Rye. It was Bill’s favorite book when he was my age. He said it was the kind of book you made your own” (page 75).
The Perks of Being a Wallflower, a bildungsroman by Stephen Chbosky, is an exploration of how growing up can be affected by many influences which occurred in the past or present. The author’s tone is straightforward, solemn, and empathetic. Throughout this novel, the author uses the rhetorical strategy of allusion, which is a reference in a literary work to a person, place, historical event or other work of art. The first example of allusion is when Charlie writes, “The family watched It’s a Wonderful Life, which is a very beautiful movie. And all I could think was why didn’t they make the movie about Uncle Billy?”(page 76). This is a very famous movie watched by many families around Christmas. The author put this in the novel so we can relate to Charlie because most of us already saw this movie. Relating to Charlie is important because we can understand where he is coming from and the other things he says throughout the novel. Another instance of allusion is when Charlie writes, “The family was sitting around, watching the final episode of M*A*S*H, and I’ll never forget it even though I was very young” (page 16). Charlie remembers this because his dad was crying and he made Charlie promise not to tell anyone. This is affecting how Charlie is growing up and how he sees his dad. The author puts this in the novel because he wants to make a connection to the outside world so the reader realizes Charlie is just a regular teenager. The last example of allusion is when Charlie says, “Bill gave me one book to read over the break. It’s The Catcher in the Rye. It was Bill’s favorite book when he was my age. He said it was the kind of book you made your own” (page 75). The Catcher in the Rye is a book about growing up and this is exactly what Charlie is going through. This book later on, could affect how Charlie acts and what he says. His teacher gives him books to read so he can learn from them and be able to grow up easier. The author used allusion to help us understand what Charlie is going through so we can connect to him. Some memories Charlie has remembered for a long time and is still affected by them. These experiences help Charlie enter into adulthood. This novel is similar to The Catcher in the Rye because both of these stories are a coming-of-age story. Also, in The Catcher in the Rye, Holden likes this girl but she is with Holden’s friend, Stradlater. In The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Charlie likes a girl named Sam but she is too old for him and is dating another kid. There are many lessons to be learned in both of these novels.
The novel, The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky shows us that a death in a family can have a negative impact on someone’s life. Charlie’s Aunt Helen died when he was young but he still is sad about it now, especially around Christmas. He says, “If this get’s any worse, I might have to go back to the doctor” (page 94). His guilt is really bad and he has gotten help for his emotional problems from a doctor. He says later on, “That you wanted to sleep for a thousand years. Or just not exist” (page 94). He says this when he is thinking about his Aunt Helen and this is not a normal thing to say. He makes him sound like he wants to kill himself and this is a very negative impact. Losing someone in your family at a young age can affect how you grow up and it usually is a bad consequence. Charlie is also an outcast at the beginning of the novel and some people describe him as a wallflower who observes everything. Charlie is not very popular and this could be because he lost a loved one when he was young and it negatively affected him.
ReplyDeleteIf you were Charlie, would you blame yourself for Aunt Helen's death?
ReplyDeleteMolly Lomondo
ReplyDeleteSiragusa
English H 2ac
24 February 2011
Subject- Adolescence
Theme-Growing up is difficult for any teenager. Unfortunate circumstances in the past can strongly influence how a person goes through their adolescence. These influences can interfere with a teenager reaching maturity.
Attitude (tone) - sad, lost (confused), misunderstood
Audience- Teenagers
Rhetorical Strategy- Foreshadowing
Textual Evidence- “I used to play sports when I was little, and I was actually very good, but the problem was that it used to make me too aggressive, so the doctors told my mom I would have to stop.” Page 52
“I don’t know if you’ve ever felt like that. That you wanted to sleep for a thousand years. Or just not exist. Or just not aware that you do exist. Or something like that. I think wanting that is very morbid, but I want it when I get like this. That’s why I’m trying to think. I just want it all to stop spinning. If this gets any worse, I might have to go back to the doctor. It’s getting that bad again.” Page 94
In “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” a bildungsroman genre, by Stephen Chbosky, we see how growing up is difficult for any teenager. Unfortunate circumstances in the past can strongly influence how a person goes through their adolescence. These influences can interfere with a teenager reaching maturity. Throughout the novel, Chbosky uses the literary technique of foreshadowing, where the author gives hints and clues to suggest what will happen later on, to support this theme. “I used to play sports when I was little, and I was actually very good, but the problem was that it used to make me too aggressive, so the doctors told my mom I would have to stop.” (page 52) This quote shows that Charlie struggled throughout his childhood coping with his emotions. He clearly has trouble dealing with the death of both Michael and his Aunt Helen. Charlie also shows his inability to control his emotion when he cries in situations that shouldn’t be so emotional. As we read, we begin to sense this will lead to Charlie further losing control of his emotions and the way he interacts with others. “I don’t know if you’ve ever felt like that. That you wanted to sleep for a thousand years. Or just not exist. Or just not aware that you do exist. Or something like that. I think wanting that is very morbid, but I want it when I get like this. That’s why I’m trying to think. I just want it all to stop spinning. If this gets any worse, I might have to go back to the doctor. It’s getting that bad again.” (Page 94) Charlie continues to express his failure to cope with his emotions in this passage. He becomes more depressed and troubled. As Charlie gets worse we realize that there is a sense tragedy coming closer in the story. While we hope for the best for Charlie and his new friends, Patrick and Sam, we can’t help but to think that Charlie is having less and less control over his emotions. The book “The Catcher in the Rye,” by J. D. Salinger is a similar story to “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” in that the main character Holden expresses his lack of ability to control his emotions, much like Charlie.
Trevor Brudz
ReplyDeleteMrs. Siragusa
English 3H 4AC
26 February 2011
Subject - Abuse
Theme – Sometimes in one’s life, they are unfortunately a victim of abuse or know of one. The ones who love the victim often do whatever they can to assure that it never happens again. Sometimes families break apart or sometimes they come closer together and unify even more.
Attitude - tragic, unfortunate, surprising
Audience - Young adult or adolescents
Rhetorical Strategy - Foreshadowing
Textual Evidence – “And he wound up and hit her hard across the face” (page 11).
“It ended finally when my great uncle Phil saw bruises on my aunt Rebecca…The guy died four days later in the hospital” (page 87).
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a coming-of-age novel written by Stephen Chobsky. In this novel the reader observes many aspects of modern era societies such as adolescence, drugs/alcohol, homosexuality, social class distinctions or even abuse. Sometimes in one’s life, they are unfortunately a victim of abuse or at least know of one. The ones who love the victim often do whatever they can to assure that it never happens again. Sometimes families break apart or sometimes they come closer together and unify even more. Chobsky utilizes the rhetorical device foreshadowing to assist the reader in comprehension and in making connections throughout the novel. “And he wound up and hit her hard across the face” (page 11). This all began because of the boy becoming very angry with Charlie’s sister. Sometimes, that is all it takes for abuse to happen. Charlie stood up to his bully and his sister was perplexed as to why he didn’t which is the main reason for his anger. Although not noticeably, this first act of violence foreshadows more acts of abuse. Another act for example would be the one that Charlie’s Aunt Rebecca was exposed to. “It ended finally when my great uncle Phil saw bruises on my aunt Rebecca…The guy died four days later in the hospital” (page 87). This is another act of abuse. This quote shows that Charlie’s great uncle Phil took matters into his own hands to protect his niece and sister from abuse. In times of peril, families and friends come together to stop those who do what is morally wrong in most eyes. Even though these events are not directly foreshadowed, the reoccurrence of abuse makes the reader suspect that more events like these are to come. Chobsky’s novel can also be compared to The Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger. Both novels, being a bildungsroman, deal with psychological, moral, and social shaping of the personality of a character. Both protagonists deal with struggles as they move on and let go.
On page 27, Charlie claims to believe in God. From a Catholic or even Christian point of view, some of the things that Charlie partakes in appear to be morally wrong. Do you think what he says is true? If not what do you think Charlie believes in?
ReplyDeleteAnswering Yelena's question:
ReplyDeleteAs the novel progresses, I believe that Charlie does blame himself for her death. On page 92 Aunt Helen says that she was going shopping for his birthday present. If one was to delve into Charlie's mind at the time of her death he might be saying that "if i wasn't alive, then my Aunt Helen would be," which requires unselfish and mature thoughts which is just what the reader observes as the novel progresses.
Mya Pennington
ReplyDeleteSiragusa
Eng H AC4
27 February 2011
STAARS Paragraph
People are made to be outcasts in society because they seem different or weird from the average person. People are afraid of change and differences, so sometimes it can cause those weird people to be alone and left out of society unless humanity gives them a chance to be their own individual. Once people are given a chance to be their own individual, the world can grow as a whole, but people are scared of that because it brings them another step closer to death. People may feel like they cannot be themselves because of the certain stereotypes that have been set by society. "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" explores that sense of being different. Charlie learns that it is okay to be a wallflower. People are not the same because they have different pasts, which cause people to have dissimilar personalities. Charlie’s past happens to involve death, but that is okay. He would not be the guy we know and love today if he did not experience the deaths of his Aunt Helen and his best friend Michael. The author finds the subject of individuality to be good thing because it brings a sense of enlightenment. A person can only learn from a different person. Having individuality can make an adolescent lonely because if that person has learned to embrace their own uniqueness, it means that they are mature for their age. Not many teenagers have learned that it is okay to be different. This is why Charlie may seem more mature for his age. Because he has learned to be who he is, he has grown to understand the world better, which is what the author wanted to show other teenagers. Stephen Chbosky uses the literary technique allusion to show the struggle between individuality and stereotypes. “When we hit the tunnel, all the sound got scooped up into a vacuum, and it was replaced by a song on the tape player. A beautiful song called “Landslide.” When we got out of the tunnel, Sam screamed this really fun scream, and there it was.”(39) This shows us that music can help provide a sense of individualism because it let Charlie, Sam, and Patrick feel okay about each other being themselves. This particular song is about being okay with changing and accepting others during that change, which supports the idea of individuality and explains why they felt so empowered. The three of them were able to overcome the stereotypes and accept each other for who they really were. “Bill gave me one book to read over the break. It’s "Catcher in the Rye." It was Bill’s favorite book when he was my age. He said it was the kind of book you made your own.”(75) This shows that Bill wants Charlie to have his own personality because "Catcher in the Rye" shows readers that Holden is not afraid to be his own being even when it seems that people do not approve of him. The novel will most likely help Charlie accept himself and learn to deal with the sad events that make him who he is.
Personal Paragraph
ReplyDeleteThe roles of the different genders in Stephen Chbosky’s "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" play a major role in developing the different characters. In the bildungsroman novel, males are portrayed as the dominant figures who are supposed to take charge of hard situations. They have to be seen as strong caretakers of the family and they cannot show that they are emotional or weak. The father shows that he a strong man by not crying in front of his family during the last episode of M*A*S*H. He also takes control of the situation like when the sister’s boyfriend was hitting her. The father feels as though he has a male role he has to play in order to take care of the family. The boyfriend felt that he could have more control in his relationship with Charlie’s sister because he was the male figure which let him abuse her. Because of the stereotype that boys are stronger than girls, he felt as though he was allowed to hit her. Charlie’s older brother is a stereotypic teenage boy where he plays football and is popular for being sporty. This is the same for Brad, but he is gay, which is hard for him to accept because he is supposed to like girls. All of these male stereotypes let boys be dominant in our society which is not always a good thing for girls or for boys who do not want to be dominant. Charlie is the exact opposite of his stereotypic brother. Even though he is a male it is hard to figure out what gender role he plays because he does not act like a normal teenage boy. He is very emotional like a girl and he seems weak by being quieter in groups. This makes it hard for Charlie to fit in society and the deaths that he has to deal with must make it even harder for him. He needs to be emotional to let the pain out, but humanity will not let him because it is not acceptable for men to cry. Females can cry and they can be emotional, but they are not allowed to play the dominant role in the family. The father always holds the mother back when he is around. She never seems to get her say into the conversation, but once he is not there she is able to help Charlie and be supportive for when he has his panic attacks. Girls tend to hold back a little when males are in the picture and they act differently, but when girls are hanging out together they tend to speak up and feel more comfortable in a group setting. The stereotypes help influence how genders interact with each other and in Charlie’s case it is not the best situation for when he needs to deal with anxiety.
Question
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think the suicide poem means and how is it significant to the novel?
S-subject: Guilt
ReplyDeleteT-theme: Guilt is something that people always have a hard time letting go, because they convince themselves it is their fault, and it eats away at them.
A-audience: young teenagers
A-attitude: confused, sorrowful,
R: Rhetorical device: Characterization
S: Strategies/Textual evidence
“I remember when I was just about to say good-bye to my aunt Helen, I started crying. It was a real kind of crying, too. Not the panicky type, which I do a lot.”(93)
“She would be alive if I were born on a day that didn’t snow. I would do anything to make this go away. I miss her terribly. I have to stop writing now because I am too sad.”(92)
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky is a novel that tells the story of Charlie as he goes through adolescence, and of the events from his past that haunt his every waking hour. Charlies is characterized as a nice, naïve boy who may act more feminine than a teenage boy may usually act. This very well may be due to the death of his aunt Helen, which he blames himself for and feels constant guilt over it, so bad so that it affected him mentally and he had to repeatedly visit the doctors and was pulled from school . “I don’t know how long I kept going to the doctor. I don’t remember how long they kept me out of school. It was a long time.”(91). Her death had a huge impact on him, and he felt like she would still be alive if she hadn’t gone to get his present that day for his birthday. To him, it was his fault because he was born on a day that snows, which caused the accident that killed her. It shows how troubled he was after she had died, having to go to the doctors repeatedly and being held out of school, probably out of fear that his symptoms, whatever they were, would get out of hand. He may have been rendered mentally unstable after the incident, too sad that she was gone, saying to the doctors she was the “only one who hugged me.”, and wasn’t even allowed to go to the funeral. This may also show Charlie has a fragile stability ever since Helen died, as apparently every time around Christmas and his Birthday, his family got nervous that he would act up, and so would he. “She would be alive if I were born on a day that didn’t snow. I would do anything to make this go away. I miss her terribly. I have to stop writing now because I am too sad.”(92). Around that time of year, Charlie became very worried and nervous, and got worked up rather easily. He started breathing very rapidly, and his mother had to help calm him down. He always put on a smile so that his family wouldn’t worry about him. Helen’s death seemed to make him very emotional, more than a normal teenage boy.
Personal Paragraph:
ReplyDeleteAbuse as a child can greatly effect what kind of person that child grows into. The parents may sexually abuse their child, or physically so as a form of discipline maybe. It also doesn’t even need to be parents or family. Abuse from friends or significant others can traumatize a person as well. Whether they know it or not, it often leads to memories that child never forgets. Charlie has parents who both came from somewhat abusive families. Charlie’s father hit him when he was little as a form of discipline, and as a result he grew to mimic him because he was unconsciously the role model for Charlie’s father. He is a stern man who seems mean at first, but in reality he is not. He has never hit Charlie’s sister, and only hit Charlie once because he accidentally made his aunt Helen cry. He felt terrible for this immediately, and explained that he hit him because his own father hit him, and he promised never to do it again. He kept that promise, and hasn’t hit him since. Charlie recalls that his mother and aunt were beaten by their father once for having low grades on their report cards. He beat them until they were crying, and Charlie’s mother never thought of him in a good light, even when he told the full story of how he wished he could’ve been the one to send them to college. She said that he could never say that to her, not even on her wedding day. Aunt Helen was molested by a family friend repeatedly, which was horribly traumatic to her, bad enough that she started crying when Charlie asked her what happened when he was younger. She told her father even what was happening, but he didn’t believe her because this man was a very respected friend of the family. Even if it happened decades ago, the abuse a person suffered can haunt them for the rest of their life.
Question: During the story, The book "The Catcher in the Rye" is mentioned as one of the books Charlie reads. Do you think this book as any significance or connections to the story? In what way? Could it possibly be a form of freshadowing, why or why not?
ReplyDeleteAnswering Mya's question: I think the suicide poem reflects the progression of a child's life as they grow up and get introduced to the harsh life that they may not have been prepared for. The poem seems to talk about tough times with the family, and how innocence is slowly ruined in reality. Everything just kept going downhill until the boy found no other way to deal with it than to end his own life. The poem reflects in a way the fact that Charlie's friend Michael committed suicide, though the reason was never told it was assumed to be "problems at home" which may be the reason the boy in the poem died.
ReplyDeleteDo you think that Charlie's experiences with Sam and Patrick, like going to parties, are good for his interaction with life? Or are they just a bad influence?
ReplyDeleteIn the novel “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” the author, Stephen Chbosky, expresses through the narrator, Charlie, that it is extremely difficult for a child or teenager to cope with the death of a family member. When Charlie was young his aunt Helen, whom he was very close to, was killed in a car accident on the way buy his birthday present. Now a teenager, Charlie shows that he has not fully dealt with his aunt’s death. “Despite everything my mom and doctor and dad have said to me about blame, I can’t stop thinking what I know.” (Page 92) Charlie has a hard time convincing himself that he is not to blame for the accident since if it was not for him, aunt Helen would not have left. His parents and his docotr realize it was not his fault. However, because Charlie is so young he can’t help but to feel at fault. “If this gets any worse, I might have to go back to the doctor. It’s getting that bad again.” (Page 94) As Charlie struggles to interact with life he can’t help but to feel alone and distraught around his birthday because he thinks about aunt Helen more than usual. Charlie being so upset over his aunt’s death several years later and blaming himself for her death shows us that it is very difficult dealing with the death a relative, especially as a teenager or child.
ReplyDeleteS: Growing up
ReplyDeleteT: Growing up isn't alwasy easy. It's a learning experience, both good and bad. It's a journey to find who you really are.
A: Empowered, curious, and confused
A: teenagers
R: Foreshadowing
S: "My dad said "There are other peoplewho have it a lot worse." (pg.5)
"The point is though, is that there is a guy in shop class named Nothing......The kids started calling him Patty when his real name is patrick." (pg. 13)
In the novel "The Perks of Being a Wall Flower, by Stephen Chbosky, Charlie learns all about growing up. Growing up isn't always easy. It's not just about right or wrong. It's a learning experience, both good and bad. It's a journey to find who you truely are. Charlie shows someof the things he is going to have to deal with in the future. "My dad said "There are other people who have it a lot worse." (pg. 5) and "The point is though, is that there is a guy in shop class names Nothing....The kids started calling him Patty when his real name is Patrick." (pg. 13) He shows you that everything you learn in your life is neccesary. This father tells him other people have it a lot worse and when he meets someone like that he understands better. It is very difficult for some people to grow up and easy for others. It all depends on your experiences.
ReplyDeleteDo you think that Charlie's experiences with Sam and Patrick, like going to parties, are good for his interaction with life? Or are they just a bad influence?
ReplyDelete- I think that charlie going to the parties probably wasn't the best idea, but it showed him how drugs and drinking affect you. It gave him experiences to learn by.
S-Subject: Giving
ReplyDeleteT-Theme: As we grow up, we tend to look after ourselves, and ourselevs only. By just giving somebody something small such as friendship, it can really change their attitudes in a positive way.
A-Audience: Everyone
A-Attitude: Positive, Reassuring
R-Rhetorical Device: Characterization
S-Strategies/ Evidence
"Wow. Wow. I can paint the picture for you if you like. We are all sitting in Sam's and Patrick's house, which I had never seen before. It was a rich house. Very clean. And we were all giving our final presents. The outside lights were on, and it was snowing, and it looked like magic. Like we were somewhere else. Like we were someplace better." (65)
".....Sam sat down and started laughing. Patrick started laughing. I started laughing. And in that moment, I swear we were infinite." (39)
STAARS Paragraph:
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a bildungsroman novel written by Steven Chbosky. It tells the story of a teenager going through high school. Charlie, the protangonist, is the social outcast of his family. His brother's away playing football at college, and his sister ignores him and constantly puts him down throughout the novel. He is greatly praised by his teacher at school as he is given books to read and write essays for. As Sam and Patrick be-friend him they take him with them to parties, dances, and even a Christmas get-together. This makes a Charlie happier with life because they gave him friendship.
Answering Molly's question, I think the parties are good for Charlie because they give Charlie expieriences, both good and bad. The drug and alcohol taught him to make better decisions.
ReplyDeleteRyan Joyce
ReplyDeleteMrs. Siragusa
English 3H 4AC
28 February 2011
Subject: Growing Up
Theme: Becoming a teenager is certainly not an easy thing. No longer are children in their own little world they create to give them happiness. They now have to face that life has tragedy, and the challenges we must face are rigorous.
Attitude: Lost, Questioning, Detached, And Melancholic.
Audience: Young Adults
Rhetorical Strategy: Foreshadowing
Textual Evidence:
“I used to play sports when I was little, and I was actually very good, but the problem was that it used to make me too aggressive, so the doctors told my mom I would have to stop.” (Page 52)
"Nobody knew who wrote it, but Bob said he heard it before, and he heard that it was some kid's suicide note. I really hope it wasn't because then I don't know if I like the ending." (Page 73)
"But for now, sledding is enough. I think it would be great if sledding were always enough, but it isn't." (Page 74)
"I remember not being allowed to go to the funeral. I remember never saying good-bye to my Aunt Helen." (Page 91)
“But the thing is that I can hear Sam and Craig having sex, and for the first time in my life, I understand the end of that poem. And I never wanted to. You have to believe me.” (Page 96)
STAARS Paragraph
ReplyDelete“The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky tells a tale of life through the writing of a freshmen in high school names Charlie. The novel is written in the form of letters written by Charlie to a currently unknown address. Charlie pours his heart, soul and mind into these letters as he rapidly advances through life as a high school freshman. As we grow up, we learn new things about the world around us, and for Charlie, this is no exception. The novel deals with many of life’s issues such as abuse, relationships, drugs, alcohol, homosexuality and bullying. At this age, Charlie is beginning to exit the life of a child where everything revolves around them to the harsh reality of the real world faced by all adults. Children are shielded by their thoughts of happiness and perfection, while young adults are able to see the rigorous challenges that they must face in life. Charlie is a rather unique character in terms of what we see in teenagers around us. He is shy, not very sociable, a bit awkward, and tends to keep his thoughts to himself. Throughout the novel, he mentions that he should ”participate” in life rather than just keep to his thoughts. With a somewhat curious yet confused attitude to him, Charlie’s friends Sam and Patrick are his gateways into the life of an adolescent. Due to being rather detached from the social mainstream of high school life in his thoughts, the things he see’s sometimes confuses him, and he relates these observations to the memories of his past. Chbosky’s use of foreshadowing in the novel allows readers to predict the course Charlie will take in life for the remainder of the book or how he feels about life. When remembering his past, Charlie says “I used to play sports when I was little, and I was actually very good, but the problem was that it used to make me too aggressive, so the doctors told my mom I would have to stop.”( Page 52) While some childhood behavioral traits go away as children enter young adulthood, others may stay with them. Charlie’s aggressiveness may still be inside him, and it could possibly drive his future actions. Charlie’s aunt, Helen, is also brought up a lot by him when talking about his past. When speaking about the events shortly after her death, he states "I remember not being allowed to go to the funeral. I remember never saying good-bye to my Aunt Helen." (Page 91) I believe that this could show that Charlie has learned to always cherish the memories he has with others and to always make sure his loved ones get a good bye before they pass away. Despite being curious about life, there are some things that Charlie does not want to believe is a genuine reality. For example, when talking about the poem he gave Patrick, he says "Nobody knew who wrote it, but Bob said he heard it before, and he heard that it was some kid's suicide note. I really hope it wasn't because then I don't know if I like the ending." (Page 73) Charlie, who is scarred by his friend Michael’s suicide, is very susceptible to getting depressed with the thought. Therefore, because it is thought to be a suicide note, Charlie’s curiousity halts. In time, however, I believe that he will soon face the challenges brought up in the poem and must make decisions that could change his life.
s-subject: growing up
ReplyDeletet- theme: Although growing up is an essential part of adolescence. How each person grows up and begins to discover themselves is a unique process to each individual. How we grow up is based on how we interpret our personal experiences and the environment around us.
a-attitude: confused, lost
a- audience: young adults
r- rhetorical strategy: characterization
Strategy/textual evidence:
“I look at people holding hands in the hallways, and I try to think how it all works. At the school dances, I sit in the background, and I tap my toe, and I wonder how many couples will dance to 'their song.' In the hallways, I see the girls wearing the guys’ jackets, and I think about the idea of property. And I wonder if anyone is really happy. I hope they are. I really hope they are.” (P.23-24)
“I walked over to the hill where we used to go and sled. There were a lot of little kids there. I watched them flying. Doing jumps and having races. And I thought that all those little kids are going to grow up someday. And all of those little kids are going to do the things that we do. And they will all kiss someone someday. But for now, sledding is enough. I think it would be great if sledding were always enough, but it isn't.” (P.73-74)
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a bildungsroman novel by Stephen Chbosky which explores how ones personal experiences and interpretation of their environment can affect self discovery and growth. Chbosky uses the rhetorical strategy of characterization to allow the reader to better understand where our narrator, Charlie is coming from. In the novel, we are able to see Charlie’s innermost thoughts and feelings and get a sense of his confusion about growing up. Charlie talks about how he sees the kids in his high school “holding hands in the hallways and going to dancing” and how he tries to “think how it all works.” From this quote on pages 23 to 24 I get the sense that Charlie believes these are activities which every adolescent is suppose to go through in order to grow up because this is what he sees all of his peers doing. He knows that these are the social norms and that everyone will participate in these events at sometime. Although he thinks this way, he is confused as to how everyone is happy just conforming to what their peers do or what society expects from most adolescents. We see this again when Charlie talks about the children sledding on the hill. He says, “And I thought that all those little kids are going to grow up someday. And all of those little kids are going to do the things that we do.” (p.73) This quote shows that Charlie knows the children will all grow up someday and have to go through all of the same events and stages that he is going through or has gone through. He seems nostalgic due to the fact that he wishes he could be care free and not worry about all of the thoughts that constantly pester his brain about whom he is and who he should be. Because he thinks this way he is set apart from his peers and finds himself very lost. He knows starts to believe that he may be the one who is “not normal” and searches for what is the correct way to grow up and discover himself. Because he is unsure of the right way to go about things this ultimately may stunt his growth in the process of self discovery. Charlie greatly relates to Holden Caulfield in J.D Salinger’s novel Catcher in the Rye due to the fact that they both are set apart from their peers and are on a search to find themselves and discover their purpose in life.
The novel, The Perks of Being a Wallflower shows us how trying to discover ourselves can easily be affected by our surroundings and how we interpret them. Charlie sees all of his peers conforming to the social norms and going through the motions of what “normal” adolescents his age would go through. Charlie wants to grow up and find himself but doesn’t understand how people can be happy when they just follow the crowd. He starts to think that maybe he may be the one who is “not normal” and stands apart from the crowd. Readers can gather that maybe Charlie suffers from an identity crisis due to his views of his peers and the fact that he has to choose between conforming to his peers and claiming himself as an individual within the crowd. Most adolescents struggle to figure out what their place is in society. For this reason Charlie should not think of himself as alone and realize that most of his peers think similarly to him. Charlie also talks about how his father works a lot and his brother and sister are very successful in academics, sports and clubs, because of this it may make Charlie even more inclined to want to discover himself so he can find his place not only in society but also as member of his family.
ReplyDeleteCharlie felt guilty in his aunt's death, and if the simplest of things were different, she could be alive. What sort of guilt could Charlie of felt as a result of Michaels death?
ReplyDeleteQuestion:
ReplyDeleteCharlie often talks about his brother being a football star and his sister an environmental activist of sorts. From reading this, one could gather that Charlie believes that this is their purpose in life. The word “purpose” appears many times throughout the novel when Charlie talks about his peers and his future. We realize that Charlie is sort of lost and confused on his journey for self discovery and his mission to find his purpose in the world. What do you personally believe is Charlie’s purpose in the world? What does he think it is? Should he really know what it is at this age? Do you think his purpose will change from one part of the novel to the next?
S-Subject Growing Up
ReplyDeleteT-Theme As kids go through new stages in life, they look for what makes them happy, and tend to cut out what doesn't.
A-Audience-Adolescents
A-Attitude-Happiness, Belonging
R-Rhetorical Device
S-"So this is my life. And I want you to know that I am both happy and sad and I'm still trying to figure out how that could be." (Pg 2)
“She would be alive if I were born on a day that didn’t snow. I would do anything to make this go away. I miss her terribly. I have to stop writing now because I am too sad.”(pg 92)
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a novel that shows a teenage boy who is going through a new phase in his life, and how his past comes into play with it. The novel shows how he trys to be happy, but at times, his sadness can overwhlem him. The quote, "So this is my life. And I want you to know that I am both happy and sad and I'm still trying to figure out how that could be." shows that he tries to be happy, and is, but sometimes has these moments of sadness, like blaming himself for his Aunt Helen's death in the quote on page 92. Charlie lost his only friend to suicide before going into high school, so he goes in alone, which has to be tough. He tries not to think about it often because he becomes sad when he does. It shows that he is trying to cut the sadness out of his life. He becomes friends with two seniors that take him under their wing and he starts being truly happy in his life. Charlie cuts out sadness in his life and becomes truly happy as he finds a sense of belonging.
Question-Why do you think Stephen Cnbosky has it so that Charlie's english teacher assigns "The Cather in the Rye" as a book they have to read?
ReplyDeleteSubject: death
ReplyDeleteTheme: A death of an important relative in a child’s life can be extremely traumatizing and, depending on how the child reacts, can either help build their character or mentally and emotionally destroy them. Without acceptance and closure, guilt and anxiety can overcome the child.
Attitude: closure, acceptance, anxiety
Audience: adolescence
Rhetorical strategies: Characterization
Textual evidence: “I remember when I was just about to say good-bye to my aunt Helen, I started crying. It was a real kind of cry, too. Not the panicky type, which I do a lot. And I made my aunt Helen a promise to only cry about important things because I would hate to think as crying as much as I do would make crying for Aunt Helen less than it is.”
The Perks of being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky, is a bildungsroman, fictional, young adult novel that looks into how abuse and death can shape a family and teen. A death of an important relative in a child’s life can be extremely traumatizing and, depending on how the child reacts, can either help build their character or mentally and emotionally destroy them. Without acceptance and closure, guilt and anxiety can overcome the child. In the novel, the author helps support this theme when he uses the literary technique of characterization to depict Charlie. In the letter he writes on October 28, Charlie describes a typical party and how he cried when he realized that he had friends and that everyone was accepting him. This is very unusual behavior for a 15 year old boy, but feeling accepted is something that Charlie seems to have never felt before. He seems to feel isolated and alone due to the death of his aunt, who he earlier describes as his best friend. Another instance of the characterization of Charlie is when he describes masturbation and says how he does it frequently but feels guilty about it. This shows how Charlie feels that he should not feel pleasure because he still, deep down inside, feels guilty for Aunt Helen’s death and does not feel that he deserves to feel good. These are all sub-conscious feelings but Charlie will never work through them without proper grieving. Chbosky’s characterization of Charlie really allows the reader to get a good look at how important acceptance, closure and proper grieving can affect the development of an adolescent.
In the novel, The Perks of being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky, the author of the letters, and in turn main character, Charlie discusses child and spousal abuse in his family. It is shown in the story how abuse, more often than not, negatively affects a family, but occasionally can make an individual stronger. Charlie’s aunt Helen and father were both abused as kids, along with their mother, by their stepfather. Aunt Helen emerges from her childhood weakened by this and then ends up marrying men just like her stepfather and must endure abuse again. She is a person who is stuck in the cycle of abuse. Charlie’s father, however, sees the error in his stepfather’s ways and vows to never hit his children. The one instance where Charlie is hit by his father, his father immediately feels ashamed and remorseful and apologizes and explains to Charlie what happened. These two characters show how abuse can drastically affect a person’s development and mind set for the future.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Ryan’s question…
ReplyDeleteIt appears that Charlie and Michael were extremely close. In the novel Charlie even writes how one time Michael slept over. Michael’s death would probably cause Charlie to feel guilty that he could have helped and talked to Michael about his problems. He also might feel lied to and confused because Charlie might feel as though he were close enough to Michael to help him talk about these issues. Charlie also states in his first letter that the worst part of Michael’s death was that he does not know why or what cause Michael to kill himself, which is different than his aunt Helen’s death.
Tommy Jenkins
ReplyDeleteMrs. Siragusa
English 3H 2AC
28 February, 2011
Subject: Growing up
Theme: As People get older, things change and some things get much harder. Things change for the good and bad, and many things happen to create the rest of the life for a person.
Attitude: Confused, Misunderstood
Audience: Young Teens
Rhetorical Strategy: Foreshadowing
“And he wound up and hit her hard across the face.” (page.11).
“She would be alive if I were born on a day that didn’t snow. I would do anything to make this go away. I miss her terribly. I have to stop writing now because I am too sad.”(92)
Staars Paragraph:
In the novel, “The Perks of being a Wallflower” By Stephen Chbosky, growing up and the change of people personalities and ideas change. Things change for the good and the bad, and many things happen to create the rest of a person’s life. As Charlie grows up, the author illustrates how the death of someone close to you can change the rest of someone’s life, like how Charlie’s Aunt dying changed Charlie’s life, some for the good, some for the bad. Charlie’s aunt past away in a car accident on her way to go get Charlie’s birthday present, and Charlie still has not fully coped with the problem, and he still believes it was his fault. “And he wound up and hit her hard across the face.” (page.11). Charlie stood up to the boy that was angry at Charlie’s sister, and didn’t really have a reason to do anything to the boy, except he had built up anger. When this happens, it is possible for someone to hurt or do something that may not be so much like their personality. In Charlie’s case, he had anger, probably at himself from his aunt’s death, and turned it into anger toward others. This foreshadows the possible ways Charlie is going to live for the rest of his life and possibly the injuring of someone because of his built up anger toward himself. Another example of foreshadowing is, “She would be alive if I were born on a day that didn’t snow. I would do anything to make this go away. I miss her terribly. I have to stop writing now because I am too sad.”(92). As he is writing this, he is remembering all the good times they had, and it is making him upset. He says he would do anything to make this go away, this referring to the feeling of self guilt. This foreshadows the possible things he will do to get the anger and frustration toward himself out. This book is compared to J.D. Salinger’s novel, The Catcher and the Rye. In both books, teenagers are coping with the death of a lost family member, but they both do it in different ways. Holden acts out and is kicked out of many different boarding schools, while Charlie acts out in different ways, and blames the death on himself.
Personal Response:
In Perks of Being a Wallflower, problems must be dealt with changes must be made to ensure a successful life in the future. As Charlie starts to grow up, he is trying to cope with the fact that his aunt past away. One thing that is not going to help this process is the fact that he thinks is completely his fault that she died because it snowed on his birthday, and she got into the accident because of the snow. “She would be alive if I were born on a day that didn’t snow. I would do anything to make this go away. I miss her terribly. I have to stop writing now because I am too sad.”(92). One thing that shows him growing up, is the fact that he wants to take responsibility for it, even though he did not do it and there is no need for him to take responsibility in this case. As kids start to become adults, they must deal with many problems, such as other people, problems, and the way they deal with those problems. The way they deal with the problems is the difference between adulthood and childhood.
Question: Why does Charlie blame himself for his Aunt Helens death? And do you think it is helping the way and speed at which he copes from her death?
David Steves
ReplyDeleteMrs. Siragusa
English 3H 2AC
27 February 2011
Subject: Adolescence
Theme: Being a teenager is not easy for anyone because everyone faces challenges when they are growing up and trying to find out who they are.
Attitude: sad, progressive, misunderstood
Audience: Teenagers
Rhetorical Strategy: Allusion
Textual Evidence: “The family was sitting around, watching the final episode of M*A*S*H, and I’ll never forget it even though I was very young” (page 16).
“Incidentally, the book Bill gave me was Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie” (page 28).
The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky is a bildungsroman novel that depicts a young boy’s transition from a kid into a teenager trying to find out who he is and why he is that way. Throughout this book the read is immersed into modern age teenaged life of drugs, sex, sexual preferences, and social problems. In the story Chbosky implements a literary technique called allusion, where he placed certain things like titles of books or TV shows to help the reader connect more with the antagonist. Here is an example of this technique used in the novel, “The family was sitting around, watching the final episode of M*A*S*H, and I’ll never forget it even though I was very young” (page 16). The TV show M*A*S*H is a well known program that aired during the 1970’s, which helps the reader have a connection. It helps the reader feel like they know the antagonist, Charlie, and/or feel as though they went through similar occurrences. When using something as simply as a TV show, Chbosky can have the reader feel like they are there with Charlie and actually understand what’s going on unlike in David Copperfield. Another example of allusion is, “Incidentally, the book Bill gave me was Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie” (page 28). Like M*A*S*H, Peter Pan is a well know piece of cultural entertainment. This also helps the reader connect to the story with a little “Easter egg” included the quote. In Peter Pan, the antagonist goes on a transformation from being a boy to being an adolescent similar to Charlie in The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Both of these quotes assisted Chbosky in connecting the reader to the antagonist to emphasize the bildungsroman genre of the book better. The novel the Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky is similar to the novel David Copperfield by Charles Dickens. These two novels are similar because they are both part of the bildungsroman genre.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a novel that gives readers a look into the life of a teenager and the problems that many teens face. In the adolescent stage, teenagers try to find out who they are. As they are trying new things to find who they are, sometimes their searches fall upon the use of alcohol. In the story, Charlie tries to figure out who he is and why he is so different from everybody else. For instance, when Charlie was at the Secret Santa party at Sam and Patrick’s house and everyone was drinking brandy. Charlie could have said, “No thanks, I’m good” and passed on the brandy but he didn’t. The reason for that, which at the time wasn’t a conscious thought to Charlie, was because he wanted to fit in with everybody else. He wanted really feel like he was a part of something, to “participate” in something instead of sitting on the sidelines. Participating in activities is good for a teenager but some activities they shouldn’t do, like drinking. Finding yourself is hard, and for Charlie it was just that but you do not need alcohol to find yourself or to fit it.
ReplyDeleteQuestion: Is Charlie’s isolation in the beginning of the book due to the lose of Michael or the lack of support from his family?
ReplyDeletePersonal Response
ReplyDeleteThe Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky is a fiction novel told through the words of Charlie, a shy, coming of age freshman in high school. Throughout the novel, Charlie's guilt drives his behavior, emotions and actions in both the past and as he writes. A key example is his for his aunt's death, as shown in the following quote: "And I know that my aunt Helen would still be alive today if she just bought me one present like everybody else. She would be alive if I were born on a day that it didn't snow. I would do anything to make this go away. I miss her terribly. I have to stop writing now because I am too sad." (Page 92) Obviously, Charlie's aunt was a very important in his life. She was the one in his family who was most like him, and he could go to her for anything. I believe that his feelings are natural. After a loved one dies, people may think of ways that they could be alive. In fact, I would probably have the same thoughts if I was in his shoes. Another similar feeling of guilt the Charlie felt was when his best friend. For example, when speaking to the school guidance counselor, he screamed at the counselor, saying "Micheal could have talked to me." (Page 4) Losing a friend as a child is hard enough, but to learn that he took his own life is devastating psychologically. Charlie's mind was spiraling out of control with questions similar to what he felt during his aunt's death: what could've been done to prevent this?
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAt the beginning of the novel, "Charlie" says that all of the events actually occured in real life, however he does not want the person he is writing to to realize who he is. Who do you believe is the person that "Charlie" is writing to and why does he not want them to know who he is?
ReplyDeleteSubject- grief
ReplyDeleteTheme- When dealing with the loss of a loved one it may have a negative impact on a person and they may blame themselves
Attitude- compassion, depressed, solemn
Audience- teens
Rhetorical strategy- allusion
Textual evidence-
“I have finished To Kill a Mockingbird. It is now my favorite book of all time, but then again, I always think that until I read another book.” (p. 9).
“Of all the things I’ve done this year so far, I think I like The Rocky Horror Picture Show the best.” (p. 47).
A bildungsroman novel, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, was written by Stephen Chbosky and published in the February of 1999. Chbosky uses allusion in the novel which is a figure of speech that makes reference to, or representation of, a place, event, literary work, myth, or work of art, either directly or by implication. For example, “I have finished To Kill a Mockingbird. It is now my favorite book of all time, but then again, I always think that until I read another book.” (p. 9). In this example, Charlie, the protagonist, references a literary work directly and alludes the reader into thinking that this book has somehow changed his life. His English teacher gives him books to read out of class and he always finds them interesting and that is simply all he says about the novel. Another example would be, “Of all the things I’ve done this year so far, I think I like the Rocky Horror Picture Show the best.” (p. 47). When Charlie joins Punk Rocky, he feels like he fits in somewhere finally and this is when he starts to make friends. He implies that it was the best thing that happened to him so far. It is a work of art that was stated directly. Charlie can relate to Holden Caulfield in the novel The Catcher in the Rye because they both are in search to find themselves and to find their place in society.
Personal Paragraph:
The Bildungsroman is a genre of the novel which focuses on the psychological and moral growth of the protagonist form youth to adulthood. In The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Charlie experiences a loss of a loved one which prevents him from finding himself because he is so caught up in grieving over his aunt. He is a very sensitive character who searches for a role to play in society. Men are usually characterized as strong, leaders of the family, and who are supposed to be dominant in society. Charlie realizes that they aren’t always strong when he sees his dad cry during M*A*S*H. Charlie is seen as an outcast because he is not the typical teenager.
Question:
Why do you think Charlie wants to remain anonymous and never reveals who he’s writing the letters to?
Allyson Swarts
ReplyDeleteSTAARS
S- Innocence
T- When you become an adolescent you have a hard time transitioning from a child to a teenager. As you get older you question things, including yourself and you lose your innocent child-like thoughts. This can be confusing to someone who has lost someone and can forever change them mentally.
A- Confusing, somber, melancholy
A- Teenagers
R- Repetition
Textural Evidence:
"Now she acts a lot dumber in the hallways, especially when boys are around. And I think it's sad because Susan doesn't look happy. To tell you the truth, she doesn't like to admit she's in the advanced english class, and she doesn't like to say "hi" to me in the hall anymore." (7)
In the coming-of -age novel, The Perk of Being a Wallflower, Stephen Chbosky uses repetition to show how Charlie thinks things through with a bit of innocence still. A close friend of his dies, as well as his Aunt Helen. Both of these things could effect how he translates his thoughts to us. "To tell you the truth, she doesn't like to admit she's in the advanced english class," is an example of Charlie not realizing what goes on in the mind of his peers and, "and she doesn't like to say "hi" to me in the hall anymore," reinforces this ides. Most people who have "grown out of" their innocence see girls like this and understand what they're motives are as a teen. Charlie repeating the confused thoughts about this girl show that he's not like most of the people his age and doesn't not see that sexual thoughts are going on in his peer's minds. The death of Michael sort of left Charlie alone and without a friend. This left him without a friendly example of another person his age. Without someone to share thoughts with Charlie could be maturing slower and experiencing things later and we see this with the repetition of innocent thoughts in his head.
Personal Response:
In the novel, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, the character Charlie doesn't seem to have any strong relationships. We can see through the mind of Charlie how relationships effect the way we grow up and the things we do. Any friendships we have can influence our outcome and outlook in life. The only close friend Charlie had was Michael and he's gone now. When you don't have someone to vent to or relate to you begin to look at the "norms" for your age and you follow the things other people do to fit in and help "find yourself". Sam and Patrick are the people Charlie follows and they lead him a partying teenage-hood for a while. He experiments with alcohol and drugs and sexuality. These things can be normal for teens but no everyone experiences them, let alone goes through them alone. Charlie doesn't have a strong relationship and he does these dangerous things, not having someone there for you can definitely effect the outcome of yourself.
Why is it the Charlie doesn't reach out to anyone else after the death of Michael? It would take a while for someone to cope but, wouldn't it be easier if you had someone to talk to or lean on?
ReplyDeleteS- Identity
ReplyDeleteT- Everyone has their own unique identity. As an adolescent, finding your identity can be difficult and sometimes overwhelming.
A- Difficult, stressful, overwhelming
A- Adolescents
R- Narration
S-
"I laid down in his old bed, and I looked through the window at this tree that was probably a lot "I walked over to the hill where we used to go and sled. There were a lot of little kids there. I watched them flying. Doing jumps and having races. And I thought that all those little kids are going to grow up someday. And all of those little kids are going to do the things that we do. And they will all kiss someone someday. But for now, sledding is enough. I think it would be great if sledding were always enough, but it isn't" (pg. 73-74).
"I laid down on his old bed, and I looked through the window at this tree that was probably a lot shorter when my dad looked at it. And I could feel what he felt on the night when he realized that if he didn't leave, it would never be his life. It would be theirs. At least that's how he put it" (pg. 88).
The Perks of Being a Wallflower, written by Stephen Chbosky, is a bildungsroman novel built on the basis of personal discovery and the perception of one's surroundings. These are used to convey the idea that everybody has their own unique identity. Being an adolescent, finding an identity to call your own can be difficult and even overwhelming at times. Chbosky uses narration to recount events that lead to the narrator's discovery of his identity. "I walked over to the hill where we used to go and sled. There were a lot of little kids there. I watched them flying. Doing jumps and having races. And I thought that all those little kids are going to grow up someday. And all of those little kids are going to do the things that we do. And they will all kiss someone someday. But for now, sledding is enough. I think it would be great if sledding were always enough, but it isn't" (pg. 73-74). Charlie's observation at the hill shows how growing up changes everyone in some shape or form. The kids sledding symbolize unity. They all think alike, share the same interests. As they grow up, interests will change and perceptions will follow suit. Charlie, who is realizing the struggles and difficulty of being unique, wishes if just for a moment everything could be simplified, instead of struggling to find out who he really is. "I laid down on his old bed, and I looked through the window at this tree that was probably a lot shorter when my dad looked at it. And I could feel what he felt on the night when he realized that if he didn't leave, it would never be his life. It would be theirs. At least that's how he put it" (pg. 88). This is a small revelation for Charlie. He realized his dad's past helped shape his future. His dad didn't want to be apart of the abusive cycle so he left before "they" could take over his life. He separated himself from everyone else, creating his own identity and going down his own path. Charlie knows the stressful situation that his dad was in was overwhelming and he needed a change. Maybe this can set a spark in Charlie to find out who he really is. Charlie is similar to Holden Caulfield in the novel The Catcher in the Rye. They both struggle to find their personal identity. Neither really connect with many people and neither have many people in their lives. They could both use a change in scenery as they struggle to connect with anyone, although this is more of a struggle for Holden than Charlie.
To answer Katie's question, I believe Charlie's purpose will end up being a writer. He even mentions the idea of writing in one of his letters ("I have decided that maybe I want to write when I grow up"). Looking at all of the letters he has written to his unknown friend and his interests in books, it seems to be a good fit. I think he will realize this more as the plot unfolds.
Why do you think Patrick and Sam bother to take Charlie under their wing, especially since he's a freshman and they're both seniors? Are the group Patrick and Sam hang out with more tolerable than most of the other kids their age? Is this why the group is okay about Brad and Patrick's relationship, because they're just more tolerable?
ReplyDeleteS:Acceptance
ReplyDeleteT:There are many facets in the transition from childhood to becoming an adult, some things are good/happy and some are bad/sad. The things that people are most likely going to remember are the happier memories, for example, when one is accepted for who they are.
A:Overwhelming, questioning, seeking acceptance
A:Teens
RS:Characterization.
"Bob nodded his head. Patrick then said something I don't think I will ever forget. "He's a wall flower." And Bob really nodded his head. And the whole room nodded their head. And I started to feel nervous in the Bob way, but Patrick didn't let me get too nervous. He sat down next to me. "You see things. You keep quiet about them. And you understand." (37)
"And the whole group said, "To Charlie." I didn't know why they did that, but it was very special to me that they did. Especially Sam. Especially her." (38)
The Perks of being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky, is a bildungsromans novel that follows a young boy through his experiences as a high school freshman and his struggle to be accepted for who he is. Throughout the novel, Charlie's life unfolds as less than "normal". Events including the death of his aunt, death/suicide of his friend, becoming exposed to drugs and alcohol, as well as sex and sexual preferences, a not so expressive family when it comes to love, and everything in between depict his experience as overwhelming and tragic, but there are certain moments of acceptance that give the reader a sense of hope for Charlie through the use of characterization. One such moment is at his first high school party, "Bob nodded his head. Patrick then said something I don't think I will ever forget. "He's a wall flower." And Bob really nodded his head. And the whole room nodded their head. And I started to feel nervous in the Bob way, but Patrick didn't let me get too nervous. He sat down next to me. "You see things. You keep quiet about them. And you understand."(Pg. 37). This is a beautiful moment for Charlie, after all he has been through, he is still able to be accepted and not judged for being himself. It continues on, "And the whole group said, "To Charlie." I didn't know why they did that, but it was very special to me that they did. Especially Sam. Especially her."(Pg. 38). This part of the story gives it a mixed sense of family and friendship, everyone is accepting Charlie for who he is and it's something he will never forget. This is also a part of the novel where Charlie doesn't question the truthfulness of someone's actions, he truly believes that the group is accepting him.
STAARS
ReplyDeleteSubject - Ignorance
Theme - Masked Fear generally builds from ignorance. This ignorance can be found in any persons soul.
Attitude - Solemn, Anxiety, disattachment
Audience - From young adults to elders
Rhetorical Device - Symbolism
Strategies/texual evidence - "He even handpainted the cover. After the movie he rented was over, and he left, my sister gave me the tape." (Page 10)
"And I knew that Bill had called home and told them. And I felt terrible. It was all my fault." (Page 25)
"...I was crying still. I never did stop crying." (Page 4)
The Perks of Being a WallFlower, an insightful novel by Stephen Chbosky is about how masked fear is built from ignorance. The very same ignorance can be found in any persons soul. Chbosky captures his multigenerational audience through his solemn, anxious, and detached attitude, which carries throughout the novella. The entire story consists of symbolism, such as how sociecty tends to fear confrontation which is brought on by ignorance of truth. Evidence of this is on page ten when Charlie tells us about the mix tapes that the boy who has strong feelings for his sister gives her "He even handpainted the cover. After the movie he rented was over, and he left, my sister gave me the tape." This backs up the overall symbolism because Charlie's sister seems to be ignorant towards the feelings that this boy seems to be harboring over her. She seems to scoff his to the side, because of her fear of reality. This also explains why she seems to always be so rude to this boy. She is afraid of confronting her true feelings, that she cannot find the courage to express. Another instance of the fact that fear is sprung from ignorance is when Charlie confides in Bill with his home situation. He tells Bill about how the very same boy had slapped his sister. He had finally gained the courage to express himself, but once he gets home he writes "And now I knew that Bill had called home and told them. And I felt terrible. It was all my fault." (Page 25) Because of Bill telling Charlie's parents this, now instead of Charlie making progress, he is regressing. Charlie is now back into the mentality of society, and he is more weary of the truth. The next instance of this symbolism is Charlie's reaction due to Michael's death. Charlie writes "...I was crying still. I never did stop crying." Charlie has no outlet for his emotions. He represses them inside his mide until they are about to combust. Michael's death had overloaded his emotions, and left him with no way to filter them. His reaction also relates Charlie to Holden from The Catcher in the Rye. Holden also had no outlet for his emotions, and in one instance (when his brother died) he broke all of the windows in his garage. Charlie's crying spree is represention how Charlie fears the realiztion of Michael's death, and how when he stays in his crying stage, he is completely oblivious as to the outside. With reading Chbosky's novel The Perks of Being a Wallflower, we can conclude that we should not conform to society and stay aware of our surroundings.
Personal Response:
ReplyDeleteIn Chobosky's novel, The Perks of Being a Wallflower Characters tend to deal with their emotions in many different ways. Our main character Charlie seems to not have a real outlet for his emotions. He represses them in until they combust. He has a knack for going into interludes of time where he spuratically cries. Two instances would be when Michael dies, and at the party after he eats the laced brownies. Charlie and his father have the similarity where they both cry. But Charlie's father maintains a rough exterior, and smolders his emotions in the back of his head. For instance when they were watching the season finale of M*A*S*H, his father started to tear up. I believe this was because something in the show triggered a repressed memory in the back of his head and he couldn't hold it in anymore. Charlie's sister on the other hand masks her emotions for anger. She simply can not channel her anger in a positive way, so instead she lashes out at those who care for her. Especially the boy who has strong emotions for her. I feel that patrick releases some of his emotions when he yells at the football games. He is channeling his frustrations in a positive way by cheering them out. Brad is a complete opposite. He seems to release his emotions through partying and sex. In this novel we can learn the many ways that people express their emotions. Though many many not be the best way, we can at least make ourselves more aware of the emotions that people are going through around us by understanding those in the book.
In response to Trevor's question, I do believe that Charlie does see himself as some sort of christian. In his mind, I feel that he notices the wrong doings he partakes in, are not right. But he also can see the wrong in other people such a Brad. By comparing himself to others he most likely looks at it as a way of almost gratifying himself, because he isn't as bad. He could also believe that a god might be able to look past some of the things that he has done, and see that he is a good person in his heart
S- Companionship
ReplyDeleteT- The type of companionship people have in life shape who they become, and the happiness of those individuals.
A- Lonely, depressed
A- People in their teens
R- Characterization
S- “That’s why I’m trying not to think. I just want it all to stop spinning. If this gets any worse, I might have to go back to the doctor. It’s getting that bad again” (94).
“I remember telling him how Aunt Helen was the only one who hugged me. I remember seeing my gamily on Christmas day in a waiting room. I remember not being allowed to go to the funeral. I remember never saying good-bye to my Aunt Helen” (91).
“My aunt Helen drank a lot. My aunt Helen took drugs a lot. My aunt Helen had many problems with men and boys. She was a very unhappy person most of her life” (90).
The Perks of Being a Wallflower, written by Stephen Chbosky, is about a boy named Charlie who frequently writes about his life in a journal, which allows the reader to follow him as he goes through his teenage years. The type of companionship people have in life shape who they become, and the happiness of those individuals. Chbosky writes, “That’s why I’m trying not to think. I just want it all to stop spinning. If this gets any worse, I might have to go back to the doctor. It’s getting that bad again” (94). Charlie many times lacks companionship from people and he becomes depressed. When Charlie’s Aunt Helen was little, she had been molested by somebody who was close to her family, and if the person had showed companionship towards her, they would not have done that to her. The author says, “My aunt Helen drank a lot. My aunt Helen took drugs a lot. My aunt Helen had many problems with men and boys. She was a very unhappy person most of her life” (90). From her experience, it made her abuse the use of drugs and alcohol until she got help. In Charlie’s journal, he writes, “I remember telling him how Aunt Helen was the only one who hugged me. I remember seeing my family on Christmas day in a waiting room. I remember not being allowed to go to the funeral. I remember never saying good-bye to my Aunt Helen” (91). Now that his Aunt Helen is gone, he is lacking the companion that kept him happy and helped him through life. The way a person lives is made by their experiences in life and the companionship that was experienced.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, displays that personal experiences many times affect your life, and are responsible for your actions after they happen. Charlie says, “I will just say that my aunt Helen was molested. I hate that word. It was done by someone who was very close to her. It was not her dad. She finally told her dad. He didn’t believe her because of who it was. A friend of the family. That just made it worse. My grandma never said anything either. And the man kept coming over for visits” (90). From everything that Helen went through, she began to drink and use drugs. She became very unhappy, and by using the drugs and drinking, she felt as though she could deal with being molested more easily.
ReplyDeleteDo you think that by not having Sam and Patrick around, Charlie became lonely and it is resulting in him to start to once again act like he did when he was without any friends?
ReplyDeleteS: growing up
ReplyDeleteT: With growing up, you are going to face obstacles and they are not always easy to overcome. With these obstacles they are going to help you grow as a person.
A: depressed,sad,lonely
R: foreshadowing
S: "Boys and girls, I regret to inform you that one of our students has passed on."(pg.3)
"I'm going to buy your birthday present."(pg.92)
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky is a novel about growing up and having some traumatic things happen in your life. Stephen Chbosky shows this throughout the novel by using the literary technique of foreshadowing. Chbosky states,"Boys and girls , i regret to inform you that one of our students has passed on." (pg.3)This is when we find out that Charlie's good friend Michael dies. Michael was Charlie's only really good friend. This is the first sign in the book where we find out about death. Charlie also finds out about his dad's side of the family and also how his Aunt Helen died. Charlie is faced with a huge loss when Michael dies because he was his only friend. He also sees a girl getting raped in his room when he was a little and that is something that no one has to go through. We find out the hard life that Aunt Helen had. Stephen Chobosky writes," I'm going to buy your birthday present." (pg.92) Charlie will always be reminded of how his aunt died and that she was going to get him his birthday present. So he is going to have the guilt that it was his fault she left the house. His aunt was his favorite person and he could always depend on her and now he has to grow up and find someone else to talk too. The novel Cather in the Rye relates to this because they both shows aspects of how teenagers faced death in their families and how they are going to have to overcome those deaths and be able to grow up as adults. Studies show that kids will act differently as they grow up if there was someone close in there family that died when they were little.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower shows aspects of a teenagers life and what they have to go through to become an adult. Throughout the novel we see many things that Charlie has gone through. In the beginning of the novel we find out that Charlie's good friend has died. This is hard on Charlie because they were close friends. While Charlie is young we find out he was in his room while this one girl was getting rape and usually children shouldn't be able to see that. His dad hits him once and his dad regrets it very much because as a child he is dad used to abuse him and he never wanted to be like his father again. He finds out that his mom and aunt had abusive dad as growing up. One day when they came home with a bad report card there dad hit them, but they learned to never have bad grades every again. Charlie also finds out that his Aunt Helen was molested as a girl by a family friend but her parents never believed her because it was a close friend. You should always believe someone if they are to tell you that cause that could leave a lasting impact on someones life. Charlie is also faced with another devastating loss when his Aunt Helen dies. She died on his birthday and she was going to get him his birthday present and he will always be reminded on his birthday of the death that happened. These are things that should not happen to a kid growing up. These events effect kids as they grow up.
ReplyDeleteWhy does Charlie write to his friend mostly everyday? Is it a way with him to cope with the death of his Aunt Helen?
ReplyDeleteSubject: Adolescence
ReplyDeleteTheme: Everyone experiences adolescence during their lifetime. This is a very confusing time, causing some people to completely change their views on life.
Attitude: Confusion, Acceptance
Audience: Teenagers
Rhetorical Device: Foreshadowing
Strategies/ Textual evidence:
“My Aunt Helen would always let us kids stay up and watch Saturday Night Live when she was baby-sitting or when she was living with us and my parents went to another couple's house to get drunk and play board games. When I was very little, I remember going to sleep, while my brother and sister and Aunt Helen watched Love Boat and Fantasy Island. I could never stay awake when I was that little.” (pg. 16)
“And maybe it's just the fact that we loved Aunt Helen, especially me, and this was the time we could spend with her.” (pg. 16)
“Sam then gave me a hug, and it was strange because my family doesn't hug a lot except my Aunt Helen.” (pg. 22)
The novel, The Perks of being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky, tells a story from the view point of Charlie, a confused adolescent boy. The novel begins with Charlie expressing his sadness for the recent loss of his friend, Michael. This loss causes a wave of emotions for Charlie, making him feel lost and confused. I think this loss in Charlies life causes him to remain a child a little bit longer, while his peers enter adolescence. Charlie doesn't understand the changes everyone is going through, so he retreats to his room, finding comfort in his books. Charlies English teacher, Bill, understands what Charlie is going through and suggests that he become more active in school activities. Charlie, responding to authority, gives it a shot. He meets two new friends, Patrick and Sam, and immerses himself into their lives, learning what it is like to be a teenager.
Responding to Molly's Question: I feel that Charlies interactions with Patrick and Sam are a positive addition to his life. By going to parties, Charlie is learning how to interact like a normal teenager. Before meeting Patrick and Sam, Charlie had no friends and spent most of his time alone reading. Now, he feels welcome and loved when he is around Patrick and Sam, causing him to come out of his shell.
Personal Paragraph:
ReplyDeleteBrad is a perfect example of the idea that things aren’t always as good as they seem. Brad comes across to his peers as the typical All-American, popular, jock, who’s also good with the ladies. As the quarterback of the high-school football team, he feels he has a strict reputation to uphold. Inside, he realizes he’s gay, but struggles emotionally. After experimenting with Patrick, he is almost in denial about being homosexual. Brad would say things like “Man, I was so wasted. I don’t remember a thing” (page 44) to kids in school, to make others, and himself, believe whatever happened between him and Pat was totally unintentional. “Brad couldn’t even look at him [Patrick] in the hall, let alone speak with him” (page 44). Brad had a girlfriend at the time in an attempt to conceal his sexuality. He even cried after having sex with Pat because he felt so ashamed. As shown, Brad was psychologically distressed, and going through quite a struggle. To an outsider, Brad seemed like a kid who had it all. I’m sure many boys looked at him with envy, wishing they could be in his shoes. Brad’s struggle just goes to show, things aren’t always as good as they seem.
STAARS
ReplyDeleteSubject-outlook
Theme-A person’s outlook can either be to learn from their negative childhood experiences and improve themselves, or use it as an excuse and refuse top learn from the experiences and suffer.
Audience- adolescents/young adults
Attitude-positive or negative (depending on the person)
Rhetorical Device- Symbolism
Strategies/textual evidence-
“I don’t know why but I really understood why my dad had to leave his house…when he saw his sister start bringing home younger versions of their stepfather to date. He just couldn’t stay” (page 88).
“His stepdad hit him a lot, and he decided in college when my mom got pregnant with my older brother that he would never hit his kids. And he felt terrible for doing it. And he was so sorry. And he would never hit me again. And he hasn’t” (page 26).
The novel The Perks of Being a Wildflower is about a boy, Charlie, who struggled in his younger childhood, and continues to struggle, psychologically, in the present. He saw some pretty startling things at a young age. For example, he walked in on his sister naked, with her boyfriend. He also witnessed his sister being hit by her boyfriend, and then she defended him for it. Another traumatic event that Charlie witnessed was a girl being date raped. Charlie said, “I had to stop watching at that point because I started to feel sick, but it kept going on, and they kept doing other things, and she kept saying “no.” Even when I covered my ears, I could still hear her say that”(pg31). The girl who had been victimized returned to her boyfriend though, and continued to date him even after he disrespected her like that. These things truly bothered Charlie. He could either learn from these events, and remember how lousy the girls must have felt, or blame his difficult childhood, and have outbursts, and abuse the women in his life. Another character who experienced a less than perfect childhood was Charlie’s dad. Charlie says “I don’t know why but I really understood why my dad had to leave his house…when he saw his sister start bringing home younger versions of their stepfather to date. He just couldn’t stay” (page 88). Charlie’s aunt’s habit of bringing home unacceptable guys, like her stepfather, symbolizes her approach, which is a negative one. Instead of learning from her mother’s mistakes, she follows in her footsteps, and makes the same bad decisions, and chooses abusive men. Charlie’s father, on the other hand, learned from his childhood experiences. Charlie says “His stepdad hit him a lot, and he decided in college when my mom got pregnant with my older brother that he would never hit his kids. And he felt terrible for doing it. And he was so sorry. And he would never hit me again. And he hasn’t” (page 26). This symbolizes Charlie’s dad’s positive outlook on the situation, by learning from his father’s mistakes, and making smarter decisions. In conclusion, there are different outlooks one can develop after having a rough childhood. They can either take the high road, and learn from others mistakes, or use it as an excuse, and suffer because of the refusal to learn from their experiences. It all depends on the person’s outlook to the situation.
Question:
ReplyDeleteCharlie struggles on this topic and I ask:
Do you think it’s more important to have a good relationship with your children and have them grow up happy or to have a poor relationship but have them grow up to have a better life than you did? Explain.
S-Maturity
ReplyDeleteT-Maturing is a difficult process that everyone must go through at some point. It varies from person to person and can be a quite confusing transition to take place.
A-confused, overwhelmed, lost
A-Young adults
RS-Characterization
"Bob raised his drink and asked everyone to do the same. 'To Charlie.' And the whole group said, 'To Charlie.' I didn't know why they did that, but it was very special to me that they did. Especially Sam. Especially her." (pg 38)
"Bu the thing is that I can hear Sam and Craig having sex, and for the first time in my life, I understand the end of that poem. And I never wanted to. You have to believe me." (pg 96)
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky is a realistic fiction novel about how maturing is such a straining process. Chbosky expresses this in a confused, overwhelmed, and lost tone. Throughout the novel, Chbosky uses the literary technique of characterization in order to reveal the difficulty of maturing. On page 38, Charlie is sitting in the basement at the party, after eating a laced brownie, and he writes to his friend, "Bob raised his drink and asked everyone to do the same. 'To Charlie.' And the whole group said, 'To Charlie.' I didn't know why they did that, but it was very special to me that they did. Especially Sam. Especially her." Charlie is so ecstatic at this point in the novel, slightly due to the brownie, greatly due to the fact that he feels as if he has reached a niche, or group, of people to fit in with. As a freshmen entering high school, one may feel pressured to essentially fit in or become friends with the "populars." However this is not important to Charlie and obtaining real friends is, this is why the moment feels "special" to Charlie. Also Sam, the upperclassmen that he has a crush on, toasts to him, making him feel as if he is important to her as well. Another case of characterization in the novel would be on page 96, as it is early in the morning on New Year's Day, Charlie is alone watching television, he decides to write, "But the thing is that I can hear Sam and Craig having sex, and for the first time in my life, I understand the end of that poem. And I never wanted to. You have to believe me." Charlie is referring to a poem that he read earlier, directly after kissing Sam on his birthday. It is a fairly lengthy poem that starts out bright and cheerful and by the end the student ends up committing suicide. This shows how much Sam truly means to Charlie,even if he realizes that they are just friends, it tears him up inside to the point of understanding the reasoning behind suicide. With this thought in mind, Charlie can be connected to Holden Caulfield from The Catcher in the Rye. At various times in the book, Holden has extremely low points where he thinks about being extremely depressed or the possibility of suicide. At one of the lowest points in the novel so far for Charlie, he beings to think about it as well. Chbosky is trying to say to the readers that everyone struggles through maturity, however do not stoop to such permanent decisions.
Gabrielle Zaccour
ReplyDeleteMrs. Siragusa
English III 4AC
1 March 2011
S- Death
T- Death can destroy a child’s state of mind if they haven’t gained closure with the person or they believe they were the cause to the person’s death.
A- Young Adult
A- Regret, Grief, Tragedy
RS- Narrative Flashback
Textual Evidence-
“She finally shook her head, smiled, and whispered in my ear. ‘I’m going to buy your birthday present.’ That’s the last time I ever saw her.” (p 92)
“I remember telling him how Aunt Helen was the only one who hugged me. I remember seeing my family on Christmas day in a waiting room. I remember not being allowed to go to the funeral. I remember never saying good-bye to my Aunt Helen.” (p 91)
In The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Stephen Chbosky uses narrative flashbacks to express the theme that death can destroy a child’s state of mind if they haven’t gained closure with the person or they believe they were the cause to the person’s death to the reader. The main character, Charlie, had experienced a traumatizing event with his aunt’s death which had later changed the person he is when he grows up. Chbosky had used narrative flashback in the quote, “She finally shook her head, smiled, and whispered in my ear. ‘I’m going to buy your birthday present.’ That’s the last time I ever saw her.” (p 92) Aunt Helen told Charlie as she was leaving the house she was going to get his birthday present which gave Charlie the idea the reason she died in the crash was because she only left on his behalf. This gives Charlie the feeling every year when it comes to his birthday that he is the reason his Aunt Helen no longer is in this world. Narrative flashbacks give the reader the understanding of how when his aunt Helen died he felt responsible. Charlie writes what he remembers and what was going through his head at the time. Another example of the narrative flashbacks is, “I remember telling him how Aunt Helen was the only one who hugged me. I remember seeing my family on Christmas day in a waiting room. I remember not being allowed to go to the funeral. I remember never saying good-bye to my Aunt Helen.” (p 91) Charlie had been emotionally connected to Aunt Helen and he had experienced a lot of grief and regret never getting to say good-bye. This is narrative flashback because he’s writing in his letter what he remembered any how he felt about the experience. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is similar to the Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger because they both experience traumatic events that change who they are in the present time in each novel. Charlie had been caused to be immature and it makes him socially introvert to what most adolescents say would be the norm. Holden Caulfield is the opposite; he has become extroverted from the death of his brother Allie. It shows that a traumatic event can de change an adolescent.
At the end of Part 2, Charlie says he finally understands the end of the poem, do you think Charlie is suicidal at this point?
ReplyDeleteIn the novel “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” the author, Stephen Chbosky, shows, through the point of view of Charlie, that when someone close to a child or teenager dies, it can have huge implications later on in their life. Charlie experienced the death of his Aunt Helen, the one person he truly felt close to, when she went out to buy him a birthday present. For this reason, Charlie blames himself for her death because his birthday and Christmas are right next to each other and she was the only one that bought him a second present. He enters a state of depression whenever he thinks about it too much, even years later as a freshman in high school, “Despite everything my mom and doctor and dad have said to me about blame, I can’t stop thinking what I know.”(Pg 92). Charlie truly thinks that he is to blame for the death of his aunt when it really wasn't his fault. By experiencing this at such a young age, he wasn't able to see the truth and became stuck on the idea. Charlie explains that, "It got so bad that my mom had to take me to a doctor, and I was held back a grade."(Pg 74). The whole incident didn't mess with just his head, but with school and social interactions. The "feelings" he describes happen every year around his birthday and Christmas, two of the happiest days for a person. If he had had to deal with the death when he was older, Charlie would've been able to understand and rationalize better, but since he was just a kid, it made all the difference.
ReplyDeleteIn The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, the readers are shown that maturing is a difficulty process. This can be seen at various times in parts one and two. One example occurs on page 31, "I had to stop watching at that point because I started to feel sick, but it kept going on, and they kept doing other things, and she kept saying 'no.' Even when I covered my ears, I could still hear her say that." Charlie is witnessing rape directly in front of his own eyes, in his own house. This shows how while maturing one may have to make difficult decisions, such as if someone says no, it means no. As only a freshmen in high school it would be extremely traumatizing to witness a rape. This can be connected to The Catcher in the Rye as Holden believes that Stradlater basically did the same thing to Jane in the back of Ed Banky's car. Another difficult point in maturity can be seen on page 70, "And she kissed me. It was the kind of kiss that I could never tell my friends about out loud. It was the kind of kiss that made me know that I was never so happy in my whole life." While maturing, especially through high school, one may feel pressure to do such things, like drink, experiment with drugs, and interact with the opposite sex. This is Charlie's first kiss, and he had obviously felt pressure to do so before, however is more than likely glad to have waited as you can tell that it will be special to him for the rest of his life. He ended up making the right decision in waiting. Both of these situations show how everyone struggles with personal issues as maturing throughout high school and at times trying to not fit in is the much better decision.
ReplyDeleteConnor Moore
ReplyDeleteMrs. Siragusa
English 3 4AC
1 March 2011
Subject- Companionship
Theme- The teenage years of a person's life can be very difficult and stressful. With the help of friends, it seems much easier and carefree. Companionship is the key to a healthier childhood and it creates a sense of belonging.
Audience- Young adults.
Attitude- Confusion, anxiety, misunderstanding.
Rhetorical Strategy- Characterization
Textual Evidence- "My Aunt Helen was my favorite person in the whole world. She was my mom's sister. She got straight A's when she was a teenager and she used to give me books to read."(5)
"Incidentally, Sam has brown hair and very very pretty green eyes. The kind of green that doesn't make a big deal about itself. I would have told you that sooner, but under the stadium lights, everything looked kind of washed out."(19)
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky is a realistic fiction novel about a teenager who is dealing with the stepping stones of life. Chbosky shows how teenagers deal with stress in their life and what can be done to help them. He uses the literary technique of characterization to reveal the importance of companionship in a young adult's life. This quote is a perfect example of his rhetorical strategy in use. "My Aunt Helen was my favorite person in the whole world. She was my mom's sister. She got straight A's when she was a teenager and she used to give me books to read."(5) This quote is Charlie describing his favorite aunt in the whole world. he adores her with every thing inside him. He characterizes her by saying how she was very smart as a child and how she was nice enough to give him books to read when he was younger. He does this with her more in the novel and Chboksy uses this rhetorical strategy to emphasize certain characters that Charlie likes and dislikes. Whether or not that quote is accurate, it shows that Charlie looks up to his Aunt Helen and whenever he describes her, he brags about her. This is just simply because he loves her. Another example of characterization that Chbosky uses is, "Incidentally, Sam has brown hair and very very pretty green eyes. The kind of green that doesn't make a big deal about itself. I would have told you that sooner, but under the stadium lights, everything looked kind of washed out."(19). This quote is describing the first time Charlie saw Sam. He was in awe and he knew he loved her right away. The way he describes her is not super descriptive, but defnitely shows that he notices her. To Charlie, Sam is a godess. She is what he thinks of as the perfect girl and she knows that he thinks of her that way. She tells him to not think of her that way because he is too young for her and they should just be friends. He understands this and accepts it but he will always love her because of her internal beatuy and how she treats him. Charkie is a lot like Holden from The Catcher in the Rye is some ways, and other ways they are completely different. Both of these characters have had times where they are very down and have low self-esteem. They have even been as low and thinking about suicide. Chbosky tries to use rhetorical strategies, just like characterization, to show teens and young adults reading the novel that there are ways to cope with the stress and obsticles with life, besides feeling sorry for yourself and bringing yourself down.
Personal Response:
ReplyDeleteThe Perks of Being a Wallflower is a novel written to show teenagers that other people are struggling with their lives too. In the novel, Charlie goes through many experiences that are both positive and negative impacts on his life but he has to find ways to deal with the negative. In the beginning of the novel, he talks about how his friend, Michael, committed suicide. This was a heartbreaker for Charlie. He deals with this problem by talking to people aboiut it and always keeping him in his heart. Charlie also has to deal with his Aunt Helen dying. He feels like he is the reason she died because she was going out to buy a present for him. That is a horrible thing for a kid to experience and especially since he absolutely adored his aunt. Charlie just writes about her and always keeps her in his memories and tried to just think about the good times with her. He mostly does a good job but sometimes he becomes very overwhelmed and cannot control his emotions. These are the times when he has to overcome his sadness. Charlie also has to deal with loving this girl, Sam. He loves her as a best friend but also loves her in his heart. He cannot be with her beacuse he is too young and she has a boyfriend but he deals with it and goes on with his life. All of these examples are things that not only Charlie is going through, but many other teenagers struggling with the stepping stones of life. This novel is not only for entertainment, but also a guide for people struggling for hope.
Answer to Audrey's question:
ReplyDeleteI think it is better to have a good relationship with your children and have them grow up happy. If you have a poor relationship with them and they end up having a better life than you did, they could still have regrets about their childhood and look back on it and wish that it was different. If you have a good relationship with them, the memories of their childhood will last a lifetime and that is what I believe is raising a child successfully.
Andrew Troup
ReplyDeleteMrs. Siragusa
period 4A/C
Subject- Death
Theme- Death can cause people to feel bad or guilty for the one that has passed on and force them into being lonely but for others death may bring them closer together to the ones they love.
Attitude- Depressing, guilt ridden, unhappy, lonely, united
Audience- teenagers to young adults
Rhetorical Strategies- Symbolism
"And I know that my aunt Helen would still be alive today if she just bought me one present like everyone else. She would be alive if I were born on a day that didn't snow." (page 92) The snow symbolizes death because Charlie has associated it with his aunt Helen passing away and the fact that he thinks the reason she died because she was going to get him another present has caused him to feel guilty.
"And they found my grandma's second husband in a bar. And they beat him up really bad. My great uncle Phil loves to tell the story when my grandma isn't around. The story keeps changing, but the main point is still the same. The guy died four days later in the hospital. I still don't know how my great uncle Phil missed going to jail for doing what he did. I asked my dad once, and he said that the people that lived around his neighborhood understood that some things had nothing to do with the police." The death of Charlie's Grandma's second husband symbolizes the town coming together for the greater good.
Stephen Chbosky's bildungsroman novel, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, shows how death during any part of a person's life can have both positive and negative effects. Stephen Chbosky uses symbolism in his novel to show how death can effect people differently. “And I know that my aunt Helen would still be alive today if she just bought me one present like everyone else. She would be alive if I were born on a day that didn’t snow.”(page 92) Charlie felt that if he had been born on a different day then his aunt Helen would still be alive. Since she died from an accident in the snow going to get Charlie another present Charlie now correlates snow and receiving presents with being dreadful and thoughts depression. Since his aunt’s death, Charlie has been getting depressed around a normally happy time and this could end up leading to much worse in the future. Stephen Chbosky also used symbolism when he is talking about Charlie’s grandma’s second husband’s death. "And they found my grandma's second husband in a bar. And they beat him up really bad. My great uncle Phil loves to tell the story when my grandma isn't around. The story keeps changing, but the main point is still the same. The guy died four days later in the hospital. I still don't know how my great uncle Phil missed going to jail for doing what he did. I asked my dad once, and he said that the people that lived around his neighborhood understood that some things had nothing to do with the police."(page 87) The death of Charlie’s Grandma’s second husband symbolized the unity in the family and within the town where this took place. The death hear helped bring together a somewhat distraught family in a time of despair and made a small neighborhood closer. The way that death effects some of the characters in The Perks of Being a Wallflower, are fairly similar to that of Holden in The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger. Holden bottles up how he feels just like Charlie because neither of them have a parent or friend that they can go to when they need to talk. However at times they are exact opposites like when Holden starts acting out in anger or just for fun while Charlie stays quiet and out of site as to not draw attention to himself.
Personal Paragraph
ReplyDelete“The counselor said that he suspected that Michael had “problems at home” and didn’t feel like he had anyone to talk to. That’s maybe why he felt all alone and killed himself.” (Page 4) This could be foreshadowing the suicide of Charlie. Charlie seems to have the same problems like not having anybody to go to and the feelings of being alone and depressed. Later in the novel at the end of part 2 this is backed up when Charlie says that he finally understand ths end of the poem he had read to everyone in the secret santa party Sam and Patrick had set up. The end of the poem describes how after being told the truth and realizing the harsh reality a kid decided to give up trying and commit suicide thinking it was the easiest and least painful way out of his situation. Charlie also said that he never had wanted to understand the ending of the poem maybe for the fear that he too might one day lose the will to carry on with his life and commit suicide.
Answering Chloe’s question
I think Charlie is trying to remain anonymous because he doesn’t know how to let people in. His aunt Helen seemed to be the only person that he actually talked to in his family but due to her death he has resorted to caging everything up. Although he is getting close to Patrick and Sam I don’t think he will end up telling them his more private personal feelings for fear that they might leave seeing as they are seniors or worse that they might die like with what happened to his aunt. As to who Charlie is writing the letters to I think that is anonymous for the sole reason that Charlie is writing to himself but acting as if he were writing to a friend giving himself false hope in that it might help him cope with everything he is dealing with.
Question
Do you think Charlie could ever commit suicide?
Rhetorical Device-Characterization
ReplyDeleteThe perks of Being a Wallflower, written by Stephen Chbosky, shows how a young teen reacts to different problems he confronts as he grows up. Chbosky uses characterization to help the reader better understand what Charlie is going through and how he reacts to different situations. Chbosky shows how difficult high school is for Charlie because he lost his only friend to suicide before entering high school. The author shows that Charlie is going into high school alone, and is scared. Chbosky really showed the reader what kind of character Charlie is by having him say, "So this is my life. And I want you to know that I am both happy and sad and I'm still trying to figure out how that could be." (Pg 2) This shows that Charlie has experienced a lot more in his life than other teens his age like the loss of his aunt and friend. His character is deep, and he can be happy on the outside while being sad on the inside. Chbosky's incorporation of characterization in his novel adds a lot of depth to a book that doesn't have a very strong plot, and focuses more on the characters.