Independent Reading

By Monday 5/16, you need to post to this blog on your independent novel. The instructions have remained the same except for the question/answer portion since you will all be reading different books. The other requirements have been repeated below:

• 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 rating out of 5 stars for your novel (5 points)*
  

Please bear in mind that while these discussions are taking place outside of class via this technology, your participation is a part of your course work. This means that conventions (spelling, grammar, punctuation) count and, while your tone can be informal and you may directly address your peers by name, you are expected to focus on the literature and refrain from making any personal comments about your peers and/or their posts.

As always, please review the instructions on the STAARS process that you have been given multiple times already this year. Especially review "Attitude" and the proper format for the commentary paragraph (TEAR). Please cite your evidence from the text properly with a page number in parentheses followed by a period, ex: "This is an in-text citation" (1).

Also, please be sure to comment on THIS POST rather than creating your own or commenting on one created by another student. That way, you can benefit from reading everyone's responses and it's all in one place when it comes time for me to harvest the comments for grading. As always, please see me with your questions or concerns.

Thank You,
Mrs. Siragusa

*New!

_Perks_ Blog #2

By Tuesday 3/22, you need to post to this blog on The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Parts 3-5. The instructions, repeated below, have not changed:

• 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)

Please bear in mind that while these discussions are taking place outside of class via this technology, your participation is a part of your course work. This means that conventions (spelling, grammar, punctuation) count and, while your tone can be informal and you may directly address your peers by name, you are expected to focus on the literature and refrain from making any personal comments about your peers and/or their posts.

To resolve some issues from the first blog, please review the instructions on the STAARS process that you have been given multiple times already this year. Especially review "Attitude" and the proper format for the commentary paragraph. Please cite your evidence from the text properly with a page number in parentheses followed by a period, ex: "This is an in-text citation" (1).

Also, please be sure to comment on THIS POST rather than creating your own or commenting on one created by another student. That way, you can benefit from reading everyone's responses and it's all in one place when it comes time for me to harvest the comments for grading. As always, please see me with your questions or concerns.

Thank You,
Mrs. Siragusa

Perks of Being a Wallflower

Ruby Stettner
Mrs. Siragusa
1AC
Blog post/STAARS

S- Growing up
T- As children grow up they will often encounter feelings and situations that can be difficult for them to comprehend. Many times they will keep these encounters to themselves and try to understand them.
A- Adolescents
A- Sad, Confused, Compassionate
R- Characterization
S- “And I did. And I really hurt Sean. And then I started crying.” (pg. 7).
“ It’s like when you are excited about a girl and you see a couple holding hands, and you feel so happy for them. And other times you see the same couple, and they make you so mad. And all you want is to feel happy for them because you know that if you do, then it means your happy too.” (pg. 96).

The Perks of being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky is a bildungsrosman novel. It is an exploration of how as children grow up they will often encounter feelings and situations that can be difficult for them to comprehend. Many times they will keep these encounters to themselves and try to understand them. Throughout the novel Chbosky uses the literary technique characterization which is a method employed by the writer to help develop the character. When Charlie gets in a fight with another kid named Sean he starts to cry afterward because he feels bad about hurting Sean, “And I did. And I really hurt Sean. And then I started crying.” (pg. 7). The reader may find it odd that Charlie is the one crying when it was Sean who got a worse beating, this shows how Charlie feels things more deeply than others and how he is very compassionate towards others. Also because of the way the quote is stated the reader may get a sense that Charlie is confused as to why he is crying. Charlie often encounters conflicted feelings like on page 96 when he states that “It’s like when you are excited about a girl and you see a couple holding hands, and you feel so happy for them. And other times you see the same couple, and they make you so mad. And all you want is to feel happy for them because you know that if you do, then it means your happy too.” At one point he says that he feels happy for this couple and then he states that he is mad at this couple for no reason in particular. Also Charlie views that if you feel happy for others then you will be happy also. This is a perception on happiness that many people seem to ignore or at least not understand. Chbosky’s characterization of Charlie throughout the novel helps to give the reader a better understanding of what is going on in Charlie’s head and the reasons as to why Charlie makes certain decisions.

Question: Do you think Charlie realizes that many of the things that Sam and Patrick have introduced him to are often viewed as bad or things that you shouldn’t do?

Laura Wright's Perks of Being a Wallflower Blog

Laura Wright
Mrs. Siragusa
3/1/11
4AC

Subject: Friendship.

Theme: It always feels good to know that you have someone who is on your side that you can count on to help and talk to you if you need it.

Audience: Young adult, maturing teens.

Attitude: Happiness, Companionship, Saftey.

Rhetorical Strategy: Characterization.

Textual Evidence:
"In middle school, Susan was very fun to be around. She liked movies , and her brother Frank made her tapes of this great music that she shared with us. But over the summer she had her braces taken off, and she got a little taller and prittier and grew breasts. 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 as happy" (Pages 6-7).

"Mary Elizabeth is a very interesting person because she has a tattoo that symbolizes Buddhism and a belly button ring and wears her hair to make somebody mad, but when she's in charge of something, she acts like my dad when he comes home from a "long day" (Page 47).

Commentary:
The Author of The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Stephen Chbosky used the Rhetorical Strategy of Characterization throughout his novel. Characterization is the method used by a writer to develop a character. He uses this to develop a strong sense of the characters personalities and what their lives were truley like during their high school experiences. Chbosky explains how people change for both the better and for the worse, like how Susan did. Stephen makes it so that the readers are able to relate in a way with the feelings and events that occur throughout their years of high school. For example, Charlie states "The reason I wrote this letter is because I start high school tomorrow and i am really afraid of going" (Page 6). I believe everyone has some type of fear of going to their first day of Freshman year because they are unsure of what to expect and sometimes feel as though they may need to change to fit in.

TEAR:
The Novel The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky is bildungsrosman novel. It reassures the fact that it always feels good to know that you have someone who is on your side that you can count on to help and talk to you if you need it. Stephen uses the rhethorical device of Characterization to develop the Characters in the novel. When Charlie gets in a fight with Sean his bully, Charlie ends up beating him up and says"..And i did. And i really hurt Sean. And then i started crying" (Page 7). This shows how Charlie has done what he felt he had to do, but when it was all done and over with he felt very guilty and upset because it wasn't truley the kind of person he was. It also symbolizes how he feels sorry and doesn't like to hurt anyone. Characterization gives us a better, more clear explanation of what the Characters are like and a discription of them. This helps us to be able to relate to them and be able to feel with them if we have gone through some of the same changes in personaltities and events in our own high school years. Both The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky and The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger are great novels on the troubles and experiences of a teenager going though school and feeling some type of fear along the way. In The Catcher in the Rye Holden gets kicked out of his fourth straight school for failing and this is because he has had tough times in his life with his brother dying and it really effects his actions and how he applys himself. In The Perks of Being a Wallflower Charlie's Aunt Helen died in a Car Crash on his Brithday. This made it difficult for him at times throughout his freshman year because he felt as though he was to blame for her death.

My Question:
Why do you think Charlie begins to blame his Aunt Helens death on himself? What are some examples of what he begins to say about this? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

Blog post thats not late

Henry Davignon
Mrs. Siragusa
1AC
Blog post/STAARS

S- Friendship
T- Stephen Chbosky exhibits the many different types of friendship around and with the main character, Charlie. He says there are many different types of it and some better than others.
A- open-minded, kind-hearted, thoughtful
A- Young Adults mainly, but suitable for more mature people as well
RS- Symbolism
Evidence- “The first present is going to be a mix tape. I just know that it should. I already have the songs picked and a theme. It’s called “One Winter.””
““Well why don’t you chip in with your sister and buy him that sweater?” Charlie replied, “ I don’t want to I want to buy him something.” … “ My sister decided to buy the sweater on her own.””

The Perks of being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky is a coming of age novel about a traumatized boy named Charlie. Chbosky makes great use of symbolism to enhance his subject of friendship in the novel. In the book Charlie talks about his Secret Santa present to Patrick saying, “The first present is going to be a mix tape. I just know that it should. I already have the songs picked and a theme. It’s called “One Winter.”” Charlie shows his true friendship for Patrick by making him a heartfelt mix tape , a symbol used throughout the book to express love (his sister’s boyfriend). Just the gift itself took actual knowledge of being his friend to justify each song. Next is Charlie Christmas shopping for his dad where he and his mom, ““Well why don’t you chip in with your sister and buy him that sweater?” Charlie replied, “I don’t want to I want to buy him something.” … “My sister decided to buy the sweater on her own.”” Charlie’s sister just wants to get a gift so that it can be over even though she has to pay a little extra. However she did buy a gift so however the love may be a little empty, it is still true. Charlie goes on to 4 different stores to find the right gift (the last episode of MASH) which brings back memories and is very loving of him. Chbosky uses all these different gifts and scenarios as different symbols of strength of love. Charlie’s gifts are deep and full of both meaning and love. His friendship is strong with those he knows. People like Charlie’s sister give gifts for the sake of giving which is very empty and symbolizes a less full friendship.

In this book, Charlie is faced with the worst problem in his childhood. He loses his best friend, his loving Aunt Helen, watches a girl get raped, and he walks in on his sister having sex. The book is showing how badly a kid will or will not be messed up based on a traumatic childhood. This is reinforced with the fact that Charlie is just now being exposed to normal social activities and adolescence. This makes the “experiment” pure because all the traumatic incidences happened as a kid, mostly. Then, the book will have some parenting lesson at the end of it to raise your kids good or they will be depressed teenagers who make bad decisions.

Would Charlie’s life be taking a different course if he was not trying to put himself out there and make friends like Sam and Patrick? Explain your answer.



Last minute FTW

Stephan Ouelette
Mrs. Siragusa
4ac
STAARS/TEARS


"S" Subject- Coming of age

"T" Theme- Throughout our lives we come across situations that change who we are and how we act. We understand more thoroughly when certain scenarios involve us and our lives can be altered for the better or worse.

"A" Attitude- Toleration, Understanding, Apprehensive, Anxious, Concerned

"A" Audience- Charlie is writing to anyone who seems to be older and more mature than himself. Chbosky is writing to the generations who are coming of age.

"R"- Characterization

"S" - The two real friends Charlie has in high school is Sam and Patrick. Since the suicide of his friend Michael,Charlie has not had anyone to befriend him. The characterization of Sam and Patrick respect Charlie and make him feel wanted. On page 22 Sam says:"Charlie has a Charlie-esque crush on me , Patrick." Normally if a young boy was to say intimate things to an older girl in high school usually the boy would be harassed verbally or physically. But Sam's characterization allowed us to see that instead of freaking out she was mature about the situation. Instead of making Charlie feel completely wrong and disrespected she comforted him about the things which are normal feelings to have. Patrick has felt some of the same feelings as Charlie has felt about being left out or purposely disregarded. On page 44 Brad says:"Man, I was so wasted. I don't remember a thing." This refers to the intimate relations between Patrick and Brad. Brad, to avoid tarnishing his reputation, blames his relations with Patrick on drugs and alcohol. Patrick's personal character sees Charlie as a lost soul that needs guidance. He doesn't want Charlie to feel the loneliness that he feels when he knows that Brad is only with him behind closed doors.

the perks of being a wallflower by Stephen Chbosky is a bildungsrosman novel. It focuses on the psychological and moral growth of a protagonist. Throughout our lives we come across situations that change who we are and how we act. We understand more thoroughly when certain scenarios involve us and our lives can be altered for the better or worse. The actions that Charlie encounters during these first 2 parts of this novel could be seen as common coming of age things. He deals with sex, drugs, and alcohol. Charlie is introduced to all of these things in a fast manner. The characterization of Charlie is that he is ignorant, awkward, and uneducated about some aspects of life. On page 36 Charlie's ignorance of homosexuality shows through. Patrick says:"Brad doesn't want people to know." Charlie returns with a "why?" Everyone knows that to be gay is disrespected in our society except for Charlie. He just doesn't understand that to be gay is to be socially unequal. Without Charlie and his nonchalant personality about these new life things helps increase the audiences realization that Charlie is just a lonely boy who has no guidance on such topics. It also shows that he will cling to every word a trusted person will tell him. Charlie in the perks of being a wallflower and Holden in The Catcher and the Rye have similar qualities. They both seek friendship. They both grief the lose of a person close to them. They both have awkward personalities which allow them to be seen as "different."

Question-
What is the deal with Charlie's identity kept a secret? It's not like he's a superhero. He tells us basically his whole life story, the most awkward things he has to say, but we will probably never know his full name.

Perks of Being a Wallflower STAARS

Tim Latina

Mrs. Siragusa
2/28/11
2AC

Subject - Growing up

Theme - As a child starts to go into adolescence he or she may start to experience new feelings. Good or bad many a child will feel new things.

Audience - Young Adult

Attitude - Confusion , grief

Rhetorical Strategy - characterization

Textual Evidence - "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." (pg 23 - 24)

"She would 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 didn't snow. I would do anything to make this go away." (pg 92)

The Perks of Being a Wallflower, a bildungsroman novel by Stephen Chbosky, deals with the coming of age of a young boy who has just stepped into high school and the new experiences he has in his life. We know all of the inner most thoughts and feelings of Charlie because the novel is set as a group of letters written to an unknown person. We may not know who this person is, but Charlie trusts him these feelings. Chbosky uses the rhetorical strategy of characterization to help better understand who Charlie is and what type of person he is. On pages 23 - 24 we see how Charlie feels with him saying " And I wonder if anyone is really happy. I hope they are. I really hope they are." From this we get the sense that Charlie doesn't know if people are really happy with what they do or if they just go along with what other people tell them and how they treat them. He wants to believe that people are happy but he can't accept the fact that they are. Another feeling the Charlie starts feeling is grief. We see this when he says "She would be alive if I were born on a day that didn't snow. I would do anything to make this go away." (pg 92). This quote that Charlie has massive amounts of grief in his life thinking that he is the cause for his aunts death. This helps to show that Charlie is very emotional and maybe even suicidal with what he is saying. With this Charlie is given more depth to his character. The biggest thing though is we learn why he gets emotional whenever he talks about his Aunt Helen and now we can why. Since he has thought this for so long, we can see why he is also removed a bit from society because of all the grief striking him. Charlie relates to Holden Caulfield in J.D. Salinger’s novel The Catcher in the Rye because both of them are removed from society and both have experienced the loss of someone they really loved in their life.

The novel, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, shows us the many experiences that a high school student might face during his transformation into adulthood. Since he is transforming from a child who is sheltered into an adult who has many freedoms, he is going into the stage of adolescence he has more freedoms than he had as a child. He starts to experience new things. When he goes to the Secret Santa party he tries brandy for the first time in his life. Now he didn't have to try it but he does any way to fit in. He could of easily declined it but he wants more freedoms now. Even though he has these more freedoms he doesn't have to partake in these activities. Even though he wants to do new things he doesn't have to and shouldn't feel like he has to either.

Question: Why is it that Bill has taken such an interest in Charlie? Also, why does he have Charlie write papers if they're not going into the grade book?

Perks of Being A Wallflower

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?

Blog Instructions

Twice during your reading of The Perks of Being a Wallflower, you will be expected to post to this blog. Each post worth up to 30 points must include all of the following:

• 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)

Please bear in mind that while these discussions are taking place outside of class via this technology, your participation is a part of your course work. This means that conventions (spelling, grammar, punctuation) count and, while your tone can be informal and you may directly address your peers by name, you are expected to focus on the literature and refrain from making any personal comments about your peers and/or their posts.

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