Mark Nesbitt
Mrs. Siragusa
2/28/11
2AC
S-Friendship
T-Giving someone the gift of friendship can make all the difference in someone's life. In this case, Charlie is a lonely boy in need of some companionship to make it through his freshmen year. He is scared, and doesn't know anything about high school life. He just wants a friend. Sam and Patrick take that role.
A-Happy, companionship, something to look forward to, or just knowing someone is there for you.
A-Teens
R-Characterization
S-This quality in Sam and Patrick shine through when they want to be Charlie's friend. It shows they are nice people, and have kind hearts towards people seeking help, or in need of someone. On page 13, Patrick says: "Listen, you either call me Patrick, or you call me nothing." Patrick had his feelings hurt when kids were making fun of him, so he knows how it feels to be alone, or picked on. His experience made him want to not be mean to Charlie, and be his friend. He is basically acting on the statement do unto others as you would want others to do unto you. On page 22, Sam says: "Charlie has a Charlie-esque crush on me, Patrick." She is being nice about the creepy things Charlie just told her. Instead of being mean, and offended, she just brushed it off and was nice to Charlie.
the perks of being a wallflower is a billdungsroman novel. Throughout parts one and two, Charlie witnesses drugs, sex, alcohol use, and homosexuality. These are common high school/coming of age activities adolescents participate in, in order to fit it or explore what's out there. Charlie knows literally nothing about these activities, which is kind of cheesy and dumb I believe. Him learning about these activities for the first time, and viewing them with his own eyes, were sort of traumatic for him(controlling idea). He sees some of these activities taking place, and he doesn't know whether it is bad, or acceptable. He is a confused, and lost child. On page 31 it he says: "After a few minutes, the boy pushed the girls head down and she started to kiss his penis." Honestly? You seriously don't know what that is? You must be ignorant or something. Exactly my point of the cheesiness. But, he is seeing this and he does not know what to think of it. He just lets it happen, he thinks it is okay until his sister comes in. She calls him a pervert for letting it happen and watching. Charlie then knows it is a bad thing, and he is kind of traumatized. Also, on page 56 there is another example of how Charlie could possible be "traumatized", more of an influence i'd say. "My grandfather usually just complains about black people moving into the old neighborhood..." this can influence Charlie to not think very highly of black people. Since it is okay for his grandfather to talk that way about them, he thinks it is okay for himslef to. Charlie experiences traumatizing/influential events quite often for a freshmen. He must have an exciting life now. But anyways, all of his encounters have an affect on him that will show in his personality until he realizes they are bad.
My question: How does the little Christmas gathering at Patrick's house affect the way Charlie will act in his life now? What i'm trying to get at is that, how will the presents being passed around change Charlie's thinking about what is okay, and what isn't?
Jordan Ray
ReplyDeleteMrs. Siragusa
English Honors 2AC
1 March 2011
S-Subject-Life Experiences
T-Theme-Life experiences that happen at an early age can shape your life forever
A-Audience-Adolescents around same age
A-Attitude-Serious, Distressing
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”. (Page 31) -“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.” (Page 92)
The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky is a coming of age novel that teaches how childhood experiences that happen at an early age can shape your life forever. Throughout the novel, symbolism is used to emphasize and illustrate how different events represent how important it is to start coping with sadness as an adolescent. In the novel, Charlie experiences sadness at a very early age. This affected Charlie as how he started to cope with a lot of different events around his life. Symbolism is shown in this quote as Charlie explains what he saw; “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” (Page 31). When Charlie is exposed to such events as these they have a negative impact on his life as teenager when he began mature. When Chbosky uses symbolism in this novel it helps the reader better understand the character of Charlie and what he is experiencing through his mind and perspective. Symbolism is also used when Charlie is explaining what had happened to his Aunt. “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” (Page 92). Charlie is very depressed about what happened to his Aunt and shows how much compassion he still has for her. He may also think that he is to blame for her death, which may be in part why he can not move on and cope with his emotions about her. Many of these things that Charlie was submitted to have caused him to be the person he is today; quiet and lonely. In the novel The Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger, Holden Caulfield’s experience with his sister and the death of his brother contribute to his lack of achievement and success in school.
Charlie has many breakdowns throughout the first part of this novel. What do you believe is the primary cause of this? Do you think he’ll be able to cope or fix most of his problems as the novel moves on?
-JRAY