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Perks Of Being A Wallflower Norms Essay

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Norms in Perks of Being a Wallflower Many teenagers view a miniscule percentage of their peers participating in what they would consider ‘social norms’. These norms have disguised themselves as a way to fit in and be connect with others. Many of these things teenagers believe others partake in are not actually happening. The thought of drugs, sex, and constant partying is a myth; in fact, 84% of teenagers wear seatbelts, 70% don’t smoke, and 67% don’t drink when out with friends. This is a much larger percentage than others may perceive. These social norms are present in The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. Chbosky writes of drugs, alcohol, sexuality, and more. The main character Charlie has learned to ignore many of these social norms in order to establish an individual sense of identity. Charlie, in The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, defies many basic social norms, such as: the ideal treatment towards those with non-traditional sexualities, participating in acts of drugs and alcohol willingly at parties, and more. These social norms are even present out of the story and relevant in our society today. In The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Charlie treats his friend Patrick with the same ounce of respect as everyone else, …show more content…

By accepting his friend for his sexuality, he ignores the idea that one has to make fun of the differences in others to fit in. Though Charlie fell into the social norm of drug usage, he learned the hard way of its consequences, realizing that the negative effects outway the positive. These social norms are prevalent in highschool life today through smartphones, socialization, and more. Some norms present in society do not really exist, but are instead believed to be true through rumors and lies, thereby affecting the way individuals act. This is a prevalent theme in The Perks of Being a

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