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

Tim Latina STAARS

Tim Latina

Subject-Hope

Theme-No matter what you have done and what you have been through there is always hope for you in the future.

Attitude-compassionate, caring, hopeful

Audience-Anyone

Rhetorical Strategy-Symbolism

Textual evidence-"But, on one side of the portal, and rooted almost at the threshold, was a wild rose-bush, covered, in the month of June, with its delicate gems, which might be imagined to offer their fragrance and fragile beauty to the prisoner as he went in, and to the condemned criminal as he came forth to his doom, in token that the deep heart of Nature could pity and be kind to him"(50).

"The rose-bush, by a strange chance, has been kept alive in history; but whether it had merely survived out of the stern old wilderness, so long after the fall of the gigantic pines and oaks that originally over-shadowed it..."(50)

In the historical fiction novel, The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne brings up the idea of hope. He says that no matter what you have done or what you have been through there is still hope for you. He puts this idea across by using symbolism. Hawthorne writes "...a wild rose-bush...to offer its fragrance and fragile beauty to the prisoner as he went in, and to the condemned criminal as he came to his doom"(50). When something happens to you, you can always know that there is something good and that there is hope waiting for you when you finish your ordeal. Hawthorne also writes that "The rose-bush, by a strange chance, has been kept alive in history; but whether it had merely survived out of the stern old wilderness, so long after the fall of the gigantic pines and oaks that originally over-shadowed it..."(50). What he means by this is that hope will outlive many of the things we hold dear to us. Hope outlives all other ideals we have and, with it, we should always be optimistic and look on the brighter sides of life All of this relates to The Crucible, by Arthur Miller, in the idea of the hangings. If they confess to doing witchcraft then they won't be hanged and can look forward to being alive and hope that things will improve after it is all done. Also if they don't confess and do get hanged then also their pain and suffering is over. In conclusion hope is always there for you and will outlast every other idea you hold dear to you, with everything looking up for you in the future.

An idea that Hawthorne has is that holding in secrets will destroy you. This is true because during the novel Dimmesdale held in the fact that he had a relationship with Hester making him sickly throughout the book. He was unhealthy throughout until he confessed to the town publicly making him feel extremely better about himself, soon dying afterwards because he released all of his secrets making him clean. This is also true in The Crucible. John was holding in his secret of his relationship with Abigail until he accidentally mentioned it to his wife which soon after caused his life to spiral out of control with his wife being accused of witchcraft and later having her lie in court to protect him.

In a response to Lillie's question I do believe that it can be justified. She thought her husband was dead and would never see him again. She was in grief and couldn't justify her actions. She was just way too upset to think.

Lillie Kenyon

Subject- commitment

Theme- If a commitment is broken then that person may feel ashamed and want to hide that the commitment had been broken. Some people hide their broken commitment as an attempt to protect the person who the commitment was broken with.

Attitude- Love, compassion, sacrifice

Audience-Anyone

Rhetorical Strategy-Symbolism

“…That SCARLET LETTER, so fantastically embroidered and illuminated upon her bosom. It had the effect of a spell, taking her out of the ordinary relations with humanity, and enclosing her in a sphere by herself” (56).

“…To stare into her face, and at the winking baby in her arms, and at the ignominious letter on her breast” (57).

In the novel, The Scarlet Letter, the author, Nathaniel Hawthorne, uses the rhetorical strategy of symbolism. Many themes are presented through the use of symbolism. Hawthorne writes, “…That SCARLET LETTER, so fantastically embroidered and illuminated upon her bosom. It had the effect of a spell, taking her out of the ordinary relations with humanity, and enclosing her in a sphere by herself” (56). If commitment is not honored, there may be consequences, such as how Hester Prynne broke her commitment to her husband when they were in separate countries, and Hester is now forced to wear the letter “A” on her clothes for adultery. Nathaniel Hawthorne also states, “…To stare into her face, and at the winking baby in her arms, and at the ignominious letter on her breast” (57). Hester’s child, Pearl, also reminds her of the commitment with her husband that she broke. Pearl is the child of the affair that she had, representing the broken commitment. This relates to the Crucible, by Arthur Miller because the girls who have accused innocent people of being witches have to see all these people dying and it’s a constant reminder of what they did, and Pearl and the “A” are constant reminders to Hester Prynne of her broken commitment.

Question:

Do you believe that it can be justified as to why Hester Prynne committed adultery considering her husband sent her to America and took so long to come to America himself? Why or why not?

Cody Didas STAARS for The Scarlet Letter

Note: It would not let me underline the names of books, therefore I italicized them.

S-Sinning

T-Although it may be difficult to admit to a sin, once admitted it can become an actual good thing as society may earn the respect back.

A-foreboding, harsh, critical

A-This would be directed toward anyone who has ever committed a sin and not opened up about it.

RS-Symbolism

Textual Evidence- "On the breast of her gown, in fine red cloth, surrounded with an elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of gold-thread, appeared the letter A. It was so artistically done, and with so much fertility and gorgeous luxuriance of fancy, that it had all the effect of a last and fitting decoration to the apparel which she wore..." (page 55). "We impute it, therefore, solely to the disease in his own eye and heart, that the minister, looking upward to the zenith, beheld there the appearance of an immense letter,-the letter A,-marked out in lines of dull red light." (page 161)

Our class recently read The Scarlet Letter, a historical fiction book by Nathaniel Hawthorne that was 225 pages long. Hawthorne explains that although it may be difficult to admit to a sin, once the sin is admitted to then it may become a good thing as society may earn the respect back. He successfully uses symbolism throughout the book to explain this theme. "On the breast of her gown, in fine red cloth, surrounded with an elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of gold-thread, appeared the letter A. It was so artistically done, and with so much fertility and gorgeous luxuriance of fancy, that it had all the effect of a last and fitting decoration to the apparel which she wore..." (page 55). This quote is the narrator explaining the letter on Hester's bosom in the very beginning of the novel. Throughout the novel the letter is used to symbolize various things such as adultery, able, and eventually as a symbol of strength. In the beginning of the novel it is looked at as a symbol of adultery by the townspeople as they scorn Hester Prynne for her sins. While Pearl Prynne is growing up, Hester lives secluded from society, yet is very involved within the community as she does community service and is the main seamstress within the community, turning the symbol of the letter into able. Eventually once the townspeople begin to respect Hester they look to the letter as a sign of Hester's strength, for overcoming everything she has been through. Another object symbolized is the meteor that is seen by Dimmesdale while on the scaffold. "We impute it, therefore, solely to the disease in his own eye and heart, that the minister, looking upward to the zenith, beheld there the appearance of an immense letter,-the letter A,- marked out in lines of dull red light" (page 161). Dimmesdale immediately interprets this as if he needs to wear a scarlet letter of his own as he believes that he is the equivalent of Hester, as he is the man she committed the adultery with. The few townspeople who see the meteor interpret it as a sign that the recently deceased Governor Winthrop has been taken by an angel to heaven. This shows how a certain object can symbolize different things for different people. Hawthorne's main intention was for the meteor to humble Dimmesdale and feel remorse for his sin.



Nathaniel Hawthorne says that although admitting to a sin maybe difficult, in the end you may benefit in The Scarlet Letter which is a historical fiction novel. "We impute it, therefore, solely to the diseas in his own eye and heart, that the minister, looking upward to the zenith, beheld there the appearance of an immense letter,-the letter A,-marked out in lines of dull red light" (page 161). The symbolism of the meteor enhances this passage because the reader can feel the way Dimmesdale feels as he realizes that he has remorse for what he has done. The Scarlet Letter, is alike The Crucible because they are set in the same time period and place and both deal with covered up adultery, in The Crucible John Proctor tries to keep his affair with Abigail out of the public eye for as long as possible, the same occurs in The Scarlet Letter between Dimmesdale and Hester.


Question: How come Hester does not allow Pearl to go and give her kiss to Dimmesdale in the crowd?

STAARS

S- Subject- Sin
T- Theme- Sinning affects everyone involved and has a major impact either intentionally or unintentionally.
A- Attitude- sympathetic, thoughtful, straightforward
A- Audience- The author is writing for people who have faced a sin in their life and feels regret for what they did. Also people who feel trapped in a society where they're always feeling judged and who feel like they're alone.
R- Rhetorical - symbolism
S- Strategies

Textual Evidence- "Mother," said little Pearl, "the sunshine does not love you. It runs away and hides itself, because it is afraid of something on your bosom. Now see! There it is, playing, a good way off. Stand you here, and let me run and catch it. I am but a child. It will not flee from me, for I wear nothing on my bosom yet!" (p. 191)
"But before Mr. Dimmesdale had done speaking, a light gleamed far and wide over all the muffled sky." (p. 159)



Sinning affects everyone involved and has a major impact either intentionally or unintentionally is the theme that is showed in the novel "The Scarlet Letter" by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The genre of this novel is romantic and historical fiction. An example of symbolism in this novel would be the Scarlet Letter that Hester Prynne wears upon her breast. "Mother," said littler Pearl, "the sunshine does not love you. It runs away and hides itself, because it is afraid of something on your bosom. Now see! There it is, playing a good way off. Stand you here, and let me run and catch it. I am but a child. It will not flee from me, for I wear nothing on my bosom yet!" (p. 191). The Scarlet Letter is supposedly a symbol of shame but for Hester it is her identity. Her own child, Pearl, does not even recognize her without it on and she is a complete different person. The letter originally stands for adulterer but as time passes it starts to stand for able. Another example of symbolism would be, "But before Mr. Dimmesdale had done speaking, a light gleamed far and wide over all the muffled sky." (p. 159) The meteor that falls from the sky is symbolism because Dimmesdale sees it and thinks it traces out a letter "A" in the sky. The meteor implies that Dimmesdale should wear a mark of shame upon his chest just as Hester does. The rhetorical strategy, symbolism, enhances the meaning of the passage because it shows the reader what Dimmesdale is feeling and what it is compared to and really makes the reader connect more with the passage. Hawthorne is really good at making the reader connect with his writing and also he is really good at explaining what the characters are going through and what they are feeling. This novel would compare to the novel "The Crucible" by Arthur Miller. Both Proctor and Hester go through a period of shame in which they have to deal with the town looking down on them.

STAARS in TEAR format

Tommy Jenkins

2 A/C

STAARS in TEAR format

November 4th

S- Confession

T- The author talks about how confession influences the person and everyone else around them. The expectations of others make people do the right thing and confess the sins they have committed.

A-Selfish, Responsible,

A-The Author is writing to the people that have deceived someone and has a sin that is not yet confessed.

R-Metaphor

S-“A pure hand needs no glove to cover it! “Thank you, my good friend,” said the minister, gravely, but startled at heart; for so confused was his remembrance, that he had almost brought himself to look at the events of the past night as visionary. “Yes, it seems to be my glove. Indeed!” ” (pg 164)

“But this had been a sin of passion, nor even purpose. Since that wretched epoch, he had watched, with morbid zeal and minuteness, not his acts, - for those it was easy to arrange, - but each breath of emotion, and his every thought.” (pg 209)

In the historical fiction novel, The Scarlet Letter, by Nathan Hawthorne, confession of sins is brought out and is an important part of the novel, and overcoming the selfishness of themselves to admit to the mistakes they have made. In the quotation, “A pure hand needs no glove to cover it! “Thank you, my good friend,” said the minister, gravely, but startled at heart; for so confused was his remembrance, that he had almost brought himself to look at the events of the past night as visionary. “Yes, it seems to be my glove. Indeed!” ” (pg 164) They are referring to the sins of the people as the hand. If they have not done anything wrong, nothing will need to cover up for them because there is nothing to cover. But if a sin has been committed, they will do anything they need to hide it from other people. “But this had been a sin of passion, nor even purpose. Since that wretched epoch, he had watched, with morbid zeal and minuteness, not his acts, - for those it was easy to arrange, - but each breath of emotion, and his every thought.” (pg 209) People must go against their selfishness and confess to the sins that they have committed. Confession is also brought out in the book, The Crucible. The Scarlet Letterrefers to the letter if someone confesses and in The Crucible, they are sentence to imprisonment if they confess to being a witch or being part of the Devils doings. But they are sentenced to death if they do not confess to being a witch.

What would have happened to Pearl if Dimmesdale confessed to the sin when it happened?