Thesis Statement For The Perks Of Being A Wallflower

Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a coming of age novel that was first published in 1999. After five years of having random ideas such as “a boy standing in a tunnel”, a girl he likes, and parties he goes, the author began to write the novel when he was facing difficult times in his life. Set in the 1990s, the novel follows Charlie through his first year of high school where he faces challenges many teenagers may experience, including drugs and alcohol, sex, love, depression, homosexuality, and just feeling like you don’t belong. Chbosky has stated in interviews that he wrote the book as “a blueprint for survival... for people who have been through terrible things and need hope and support.” Perks was intended to be an unparalleled

The movie The Perks of Being a Wallflower, written and directed by Stephen Chbosky, is based in Western Pennsylvania and directed towards teenage boys and girls. The story begins with a teenage boy named Charlie Kelmeckis who is entering his freshman year of high school. He is trying to cope with the death of a close friend and close relative, his own life, his lack of friends, and starting a new life at a new school. Chbosky does a miraculous job at narrating all of these issues through the eyes of the shy, introverted teenager. The reader will experience waves of emotion as they progress throughout the movie about Charlie’s life as he goes down the road of realization and grows up. The story is written as a series of letters from Charlie

Adolescence is a time of many changes including puberty, high school and finding one’s identity. Among the many changes in this period of development there are many new experiences combined with a greater amount of responsibility. Adolescence can be a difficult time for many people especially when trying to find out who they want to be. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a movie about a freshmen in high school who is going through experiences most kids his age do. Depression, suicide, peer pressure, first love, and the importance of friends and family are all elements in the development of an adolescent.

Greg Graffin’s Anarchy in the Tenth Grade represents the in-group theory presented by Gordon Allport. The in-group theory proposes that people belong to cliques, some by choice and others by chance, and society affects or has influences on these in-groups through equal out-groups. Mr. Graffin explains how it feels to be a new kid in a new school and how he became a punker. Mr. Graffin explains his endeavours through the in-group “punk” and also expounds on how different out-groups react to his in-group.

The film, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, follows the story of Charlie as he braves through the challenges of freshman year. Throughout his first year, Charlies experiences friendship, alienation, love, mistakes, depression, acceptance of past events and newfound motivation. With the help of his love interest Sam, her stepbrother Patrick, and other likeminded individuals, Charlie is able to gain a sense of belonging and a boost of confidence that ensures his survival for the high school years yet to come (Halfon, Chbosky, 2012). This essay will delve into an in-depth analysis of adolescence from a socio-cultural perspective, using events from the film to provide examples and further enhance arguments. Furthermore, topics highlighting what I believe to be the most crucial aspects of adolescence will be discussed. The analysis of hegemonic masculinity, age induced frustration and restrictions, and the discourse of innocence will be defined and elaborated on. Finally, a comparison between the socio-cultural and developmental lenses of youth analysis, the unique view they each offer and my personal experience using the socio-cultural lens, will be discussed.

There have been several pieces of literature that we have read this semester that use the topic of outsiders but one work shone the brightest. Sherman Alexie’s essay, “The Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and Me,” employed the topic of outsiders through his sharing personal experiences with himself as an outsider in his community. His writing is the model example of the use of outsiders because of Alexie talking about how his parents raised him, his childhood experiences in school, and adult

The novel, The Outsiders, written by S. E. Hinton is a story of a teen gang in rural Oklahoma through the eyes of fourteen year old Ponyboy Curtis while he struggles to learn right and wrong in a society in which he believes he is an outsider. Ponyboy has a hard time maturing after his parents die in a car accident and he is forced to live with his two older brothers Darry and Sodapop. The greatest internal conflict within this novel is the struggle of choosing between his youth and maturity occurring within Ponyboy’s mind. Although Ponyboy is just a 14 year old boy the death of his parents put a shockingly new amount responsibility on his shoulders that he personally felt he could handle. Ponyboy can either continue to behave like his peers,

People like to be different and unique, one wants to stand out. But trying too hard to exclude yourself and separate yourself yourself from the rest of society only leaves you lonely and an outsider. Not being able to connect with people is not “cool”. In the bildungsroman novel, The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky we follow the main character, Charlie, through the beginning of high school. The entire year the readers follow his story we also see how this type of isolation effects Charlie's mental health, and the differences in his mood when he is with his friends and when he is alone.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower, a Fascinating Book and Movie “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.” (2). The book, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, written by Stephen Chbosky, has a very bumpy storyline featuring a teenager named Charlie. Charlie starts out his freshman year with no friends, but he eventually he meets Sam and Patrick, two seniors at his school.

1. The Perks of being a Wallflower is a story about a high school freshman named Charlie. Through the entire novel Charlie is writing letters addressed to an anonymous friend. In these letters, he talks about his journey throughout his first year in high school. Where he experiences everything for the first time – first dates, family drama, drugs and new friends. In other words; growing up.

High School. The epitome of how poorly someone can be treated based on what they like, or what they wear, or say and do. The doors you walk through each day are the entrance to the jungle; it seems harmless at first, but as soon as you enter you are stalked and watched by the predators. Any high school looks great to an outsider, but deep down they all consist of a ludicrous social hierarchy. In The Body of Christopher Creed by Carol Plum-Ucci, Victor “Torey” Adams experiences these things first hand after he pulls away from the scum he once knew and loved, those who contributed to Christopher Creed’s disappearance.

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” This quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson tells the world that it is okay to be who you are and that people shouldn’t listen to others who are going to try to change them. Donald Zinkoff, the energetic and unique protagonist in Jerry Spinelli’s book Loser achieves individuality inadvertently. Donald Zinkoff is a young boy that lives with his mom, dad, and baby sister Polly in a suburban ‘brick-and hoagie’ town. The book follows Zinkoff’s life starting in first grade where he starts to show that he is positive, kind, and impatient at John W. Satterfield Elementary going up to Monroe Middle School. During that time no matter what people

He espouses a crisp, and articulate writing style that keeps you affected, engaged and curious about the characters and the story's path. I enthusiastically recommend this book, it is well worth the

He sees things. He keeps quiet. He understands. The Perks of Being a Wallflower’s main character Charlie, is a wallflower: reserved, isolated, and observant. Like a fly on the wall, he stays in the background, and goes unnoticed by many. In fact, he has not felt true recognition since he was a child, when his Aunt Helen visited from time to time. Aunt Helen made him feel loved and wanted, however, as a child, he did not recognize her actions for what they truly were: sexual abuse. Throughout his life, Charlie experiences flashbacks of moments spent with his Aunt, eventually understanding her actions as sexual misconduct, and suffering from the emotional turmoil stemming from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Although the typical representation of PTSD in movies can often alienate viewers, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is an exception, because Charlie’s flashbacks allow us to be empathetic to his situation, normalizing the stigma around suicidal-depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

In “I Just Wanna Be Average” by Mike Rose, a student describes his admiration of an unlikely idol, his high school English teacher Jack MacFarland. The way Rose initially defines his newly found idol creates a full, vivid image of the type of man Jack was. He seemingly transports the reader into this time in his life. The text has a subtle bohemian feel, thanks to the words we’re given to describe main character, Mr. MacFarland. Rose recalls, “He was a beatnik who was born too late.”