Perks of Being A Wallflower

Part one:

The ending for the story is appropriate given the plot of the book. Charlie obviously struggles both internally and externally with multiple conflicts. He is mentally ill, and so for the book to end, as if nothing bad ever happened to the poor kid, then the ending would have been inappropriate. The reader knows that he is struggling through life, and can infer that something had happened to him in his life. So, when the reader learns that he was sexually abused, the reader can infer that the abuse is what has caused him to be mentally ill. The ending of the boo, although it is sad, is appropriate.

Part two:

“I would die for you. But I won't live for you.” 

The overall meaning of the story is that relationships cause us to develop into who we are. This quote relates to the meaning of the story because people may love each other enough to risk their own life for them, yet they must love the person enough to let them live their own life. Everybody ,use participate in life, and then share their life with the people around them that they love.

“Things change. And friends leave. Life doesn't stop for anybody.” 

This quote relates to the meaning of the story because the relationships in Charlie's life have developed him into who he is, and he has had to learn how to deal with change and loss. It is not an easy task, but he has had to learn how to live his life, after the change in his relationship with some people. Charlie can't stop his life because he lost a lived one, or a friend went away to college, therefore he learns to live without these people with him all of the time. 

“There's nothing like deep breaths after laughing that hard. Nothing in the world like a sore stomach for the right reasons.” 

This quotes relates to the meaning because Charlie was a quiet kid, until he met Patrick and Sam. They are crucial to the development of Charlie. It is kind of like they are his foundation; they keep him stable and give him something to stand on. With their help he blossoms into this new child. His personality flourishes when he becomes friends with them. He has these great times when he is with them, and he just develops into this entirely different character than who he was in the beginning if the story.

Mixed Tape

1. Second Chance By: Shinedown
     After going through all the drama and struggles of growing up, sometimes I believe that getting away from the problems that I must face will make it not easier, but better for me. I know their will be problems wherever I go, but I also feel as if separating myself from unnecessary drama  is a good decision. Also, I deal with a lot of crap from my parents, and so getting away from them would be nice. They hold me back, and put me down.

2. Roar By: Katy Perry
     I picked this song because although people put me down, and try to make my life harder, I will not back down. I refuse to go down without a fight. I know who I am, and what I stand for, and I will not let somebody else control me. I am tired of being the quiet child, who never stands up for herself, and I won't be that person anymore.

3. Bruises By: Train Featuring Ashley Monroe
     Everybody has faced some sort of problem or challenge at one point in their life. You cannot live, and not face a problem. I feel like these difficulties are what makes us who we are. They make us unique, and mold us into who we are. These "bruises" are what makes us empathize with others.

4. Demons By: Imagine Dragon
     I picked this song because every human being has struggles that they face everyday. I know personally that their are decisions that I have made that I truly regret, but I can't undo them, so I have to live with them everyday. Most days it isn't easy to face them, they haunt me, and the decisions that I make now. They haunt me too because no matter what I do, I can't forget them, and neither can others. They are thrown in my face, as if I don't feel bad enough, others have to make me feel worse.

5. Let It Go By: Tim McGraw
     I love this song because I feel like everybody can relate to it. No matter what demons haunt you, if you let it go, then you can move on with your life. It is not always easy, but it is important for people to not let their problems hold them back.

6. Titanium By: David Guetta
     This song describes basically everybody. People have to be strong to survive. The hardships that people endure make them stronger. This song describes that.

7. Numb By: Linkin Park
     This song speaks to me because in an attempt to please others around me, I lost sight of myself. I felt as if I was just there, and it was as if nothing mattered to me anymore. I was who everybody else wanted me to be. So, I had to do some soul searching to find myself. Now I live my life for me, and I am who I am.

8. Easy By: Rascal Flatts
     I love this song. It is so true. It is easy to go out and live life, and make people think you are happy. Anybody can put a smile on their face, but just because their is a smile on their face does not mean they are truly happy. It is not easy to make people think you are happy. The easy part is going out, and doing activities. Being happy in itself is not happy.

9. Oath By: Cher Lloyd
     This is one of my all time favorite songs. Anybody who really knows me knows that I love my friends and family with everything in me. I truly live and genuinely care about those that are close to me. If I say I have your back, then I have your back. So, I feel like this song just relates to me because that is the type of friend that I try to be to all of my friends.

10. Second Chance By: Shinedown
     After going through all the drama and struggles of growing up, sometimes I believe that getting away from the problems that I must face will make it not easier, but better for me. I know their will be problems wherever I go, but I also feel as if separating myself from unnecessary drama  is a good decision. Also, I deal with a lot of crap from my parents, and so getting away from them would be nice. They hold me back, and put me down.

The Perks Of Being A Wallflower

Discussion Question:

To be a wallflower means that you can blend in and adapt to any situation. Yet, you are also your own person, and you are unique in your own way.

Characterization:

1.       The protagonist in the story is Charlie because everything revolves around him. The letters are sent by him, and they are about him, so he is the protagonist.  He is a quiet kid, and he is awkward, and very vulnerable. He tries to blend in, so that he won’t be noticed. Until he meets Sam and Patrick, he doesn’t hang out with anybody. They help to bring him out of his shell.

2.       Charlie is a round character because as the reader reads about him, they come to know of his life. Charlie’s family are all flat characters. Sam and Patrick are both round characters.

3.       Charlie has good parents who do try to take care of him. Yet, they still have their flaws. Charlie’s father does not show affection, except for on rare occasions.  His mother attempts to show love, yet she still lacks concern for her son. It almost as if the parents don’t take interest in their son’s life.

Point Of View:

                The point of view for this story is third person limited because although the story primarily revolves around Charlie, the story does not directly use I, me, or other possessive words. It revolves around all of the characters, but it does not tell all of their stories. It is telling Charlie’s story, but at the same time we do not know every detail of every characters life. By using this method the author is able to keep the readers interest. It is effective in conveying details about the characters without giving away too much information.

Plot:

                There is a conflict between Charlie and society. He struggles to fit in. There is also a conflict between Charlie and himself. He fights with himself to not goes into the empty space, and to not think about Sam in more than just a friend way. There is also a conflict between society and the beliefs of children. Patrick is gay and wants to be with Brad, yet they cannot be together because of Brad’s dad.

The exposition draws the reader, and attracts their interests, so that the reader will want to keep reading.

How to Read Literature Like A Professor:

                There are communion scenes in this story. Also, the weather chapter is used in this story. Violence is used because Charlie fought with another boy. Symbolism is used.  It’s all about sex. Except Sex.  Don’t Read with Your Eyes.

Quotes:

                Everybody goes through problems, and some peoples may be worse then others. Yet, life is not going to be easy for anybody, and we can’t let our struggles hold us back from living our life.

                This means that if we think we deserve trash, then we will stay with somebody who treats us like trash. Yet, if we think we deserve monetary objects, then we will seek somebody to give us the things we seek. We as people seek a companion who will gives us the things out heart desires.

                This quote means exactly what it says. The person is happy, yet at the same time, they are sad. Their life still lacks something important, and while they have things that make them happy, they lack something to really complete them. This could be a person or an emotion.  Some things in their life make them happy, yet overall their life is dismal. 

Reflection on this Class

Throughout the past four weeks, I have come to enjoy the class. I have read many interesting stories. I feel as if my writing skills have developed.

I have learned many new writing skills, as well many new English terms. These terms help me to analyze stories.

If I had to pick a favorite short story, it would probably be The Sorrowful Woman.

If I had to pick my least favorite I would pick A Rose For Emily. I enjoyed the story the first time I read it. This made what seemed like the fiftieth time that I had read it.

I don't know what to say to do to improve the class. It is a great class, and I learn new things everyday. The times writings are really helpful. Everything is helpful.

Points of View

First Person: The author participates as a character. Word choice of I, me or other personal and possessive words indicate that the author is using first person. The reader must be cautious because the point of view can be one sided and biased.


Third Person Omniscient: The reader knows all things about the characters such as: what they are thinking, how they are feeling, what is going on in their life, etc.


Third Person Limited: The reader only knows the details of the characters that are provided.


Third Person Objective: The author has a point in writing. The author writes about something that is happening, and the reader can not infer anything else.


Third Person Collective: The author writes the work from the perspective of a group or community. The author does not participate as a character.

Popular Mechanics: Different Point of View

Screaming. That was all I had heard for days, and I was getting tired of it. All they have done for the past month is yell at each other, and I have no idea why. She looks at him, outraged because of something he has done. Yet, he looks at her with a look of disappointment, as if she could not possibly understand. What has happened? They act like they don’t love each other anymore. Yet, they both still love me, and they laugh and smile when they hold me. Well…

Mommy cries, and her tears soak my blanket when she holds me. I want to make her feel better, but I don’t know what is wrong. After, they fight she will come to my crib, and pick me up. Then, she rocks me and sings me lullabies. I love it when mommy sings to me, but sometimes she holds me really tight. It hurts; I know she doesn't mean to hurt me, but she does.

Daddy doesn't really hold me that much. Actually, he doesn’t have much to do with me at all. I know he loves me, but sometimes he does a bad job of showing it. Lately, he has been staying gone a lot. He goes to work early of the morning, and he returns home late at night. He looks tired all the time. I guess I would be too if I had to work as much as he does. As soon as he comes home, the yelling begins again. Sometimes, he gets mad and throws things around. Most of the time, this is what makes me wake up. Once, he threw one of mommy’s pictures, and it hit my crib. I woke up right away. I didn’t mean to cry, but I was scared. Mommy came to me instantly, and she sung me a song. I went back to sleep, and I did not wake up again until the morning.

Then the day came. It was cold outside, and the trees had no leafs, and the snow was melting into slush. Mommy had been keeping the house warmer, and on the rare occasions we had to go down the road, she would put warm clothes on me. I don’t like this time of year, when the snow falls. It is too cold, and I don’t like it when it is cold.

I was in my bassinet, listening to music, and playing with a toy. That is when it happened. Mommy went down the hall, and into the room.

She said, “I’m glad you’re leaving! I’m glad you’re leaving! Do you hear?”

As far as I know, daddy never said anything. I can hear really good, and I never heard him talk, so I do not think he spoke to her.

Then mommy said something I never would have imagined. She called daddy a curse word. I don’t think I have ever heard mommy curse before.

Just after she cursed, she came back through the house, and into the kitchen. She sat something down, but I was not sure what it was. It looked like a picture. A picture of what?

                After she sat it down, she came to me, and picked me up. She walked into the kitchen again. I was hoping she was going to make me a bottle, but daddy came in, and she focused her attention on him.

“I want the baby,” daddy said.

Mommy said, “You’re crazy.”

                Daddy told her that he would have somebody come for my things, but I did not want to go anywhere. I want to stay home. I like my home, and my crib and toys. I started crying. I was afraid that they were going to get rid of me. Had I done something wrong? Mommy began to rock me back and forth, and like always, she sung me a song.

                Just as she shifted her attention to me, he moved towards her. Mommy moved faster than ever, as she stepped away from him. That did not stop him. He grabbed hold of me. He was hurting me. Why was he hurting me? Why wouldn't he let me go? I was screaming now, as pain raced through my body.

                Mommy tried to make him let me go, but he was too strong. He took me from mommy, and I was scared. Mommy grabbed my arm, trying to get daddy to let me go. He refused to let me go. So, mommy pulled, and daddy pulled back.

                Then I saw it. The thing that mommy had sat down on the table. It was a picture…a picture of me. That was the last thing I saw. 

Self Analysis

I am a typical girl on the outside, if you consider being four foot eleven inches tall, typical for a seventeen year old girl. I am not exceptionally beautiful, or smart, and I do not stand out in any way what so ever. I seek to blend in. By doing so, I do not attract any attention, and can hide from the world. Regardless of how normal I look on the outside, I am far from it when you look into my soul. Pain has tainted my heart, and tears streak my face daily. I faces problems, and have to deal with more than I would ever wish on any human being Yet, I know that things could always be worse. Just when I feels like giving up, I finds the strength to go on. I know that I am strong, and I refuse to give up, and let others take control of my life. In the past two years not much has changed. I look the same, and generally thing the same. I am more mature than I used to be, but I still have some maturing to do. Yet, I have changed. I no longer let people run over me like I used to, well most people. I also no longer am as spineless as I used to be. I am slowly finding the courage to stand up for myself. I always try to be the best that I can be, and I do my best to help everybody that I can. I care about people, and love my friends and family with all of my heart. Yet, at the same time i can hold a grudge for as long as I want.  In all honesty, I have not changed very much in the past two years, and as much I regret to say this, I am a static character.