The Perks Of Being A Wallflower By Stephen Chbosky

If Tyler Durden from Fight Club was sitting inside $340,000 Lamborghini Aventador, his hatred towards materialism probably would have driven him to accelerate the car right into the ocean. If James Twitchell was sitting inside of it, he probably would have just left the car in a parking structure with the keys still inside. Chuck Palahniuk’s novel Fight Club and James Twitchell’s essay “The Allure of Luxury”both take negative against the concept and phenomenon of Western materialism, where society indulge on luxurious items to the extent of being the focus of life. In Fight Club, the idea of anti-materialism is taken to a great extent, with the book’s main character and Tyler focusing on destroying the materialistic society with violence to restore a more primitive way of living. However, in Twitchell’s piece, materialism is taken more moderately, describing how materialism has rapidly expanded throughout the Western nations, questioning the if it is beneficial or malicious. I believe that materialism does provide great benefits that allowed us human beings to advance as a society. However materialism introduces numerous complications that impact our society on a macroscale. Before comparing and contrasting my view of materialism, we will first explore Twitchell’s essay, then Fight Club to first better understand their stance and concept of materialism.

The novel All the Bright Places, written by Jennifer Niven, positively impacted my life. I read the book the summer before my junior year and it taught me to not wish away my time at home. I related to the book in many ways and it was like the author was writing specifically for me. The novel is set in small town Indiana and the main characters hate their lives. This novel changed my outlook on the small Indiana town that I live in.

If Tyler Durden from Fight Club was sitting inside $340,000 Lamborghini Aventador, his hatred towards materialism probably would have driven him to accelerate the car right into the ocean. If James Twitchell was sitting inside of it, he probably would have just left the car in a parking structure with the keys still inside. Chuck Palahniuk’s novel Fight Club and James Twitchell’s essay “The Allure of Luxury “both take negative against the concept and phenomenon of Western materialism, where society indulges on luxurious items to the extent of being the focus of life. In Fight Club, anti-materialism is extremely prominent with the narrator and Tyler are focused on destroying the materialistic society with violence to restore a more primitive way of living. However, Twitchell takes a more moderate stance on materialism has rapidly expanded throughout the Western nations, questioning if it is beneficial or malicious. I believe that materialism is a very misunderstood concept that I will describe later in the essay. Before comparing and contrasting my view of materialism, we will first explore Twitchell’s essay, then Fight Club to first better understand their stance their concept of materialism.

The book “The Other America”, written by Michael Harrington, describes poverty in America in the 1950s and 1960s, when America became one of the most affluent and advanced nations in the world. The book was written in 1962, and Harrington states that there were about 50,000,000 (about 25% of the total population) poor in America at that time. The author did extensive research with respect to the family income levels to derive the poverty numbers, and used his own observations and experiences to write this book. This book addresses the reasons for poverty, the nature of poverty, the culture of poverty, the blindness of Middle Class America with respect to poverty, and the responsibility of all Americans in addressing the issue of poverty in America.

In their texts Harry Potter and the Philosophers’ Stone and The Perks of Being a Wallflower J. K. Rowling and Stephen Chbosky explore how their main characters travel on a journey of growth. Throughout both texts each author uses a variety of techniques to show how many of their characters grow from timid, lonely boys to confident, young men through the use of narration, descriptive language and theme of abuse throughout each novel, readers are able to see how Rowling and Chbosky show their main protagonists’ journey of growth.

Molestation is when one or multiple people assault or abuse another or others in a sexually way. In the book perks of being a wallflower by Stephen Chbodk, he talks about Charlie, a fifteen-year-old who has just entered high school. In this book, Charlie has faced many challenges but one was very hard for him to overcome. The most shocking part of the book is when Charlie found out that his aunt molested him.

     I think that The Perks of Being a Wallflower is exceptional in its class of literary works mainly because Chbosky chose to push the limits of teen fiction. Most young adult writers are afraid to further explore the world of drugs, sexuality, and depression in too much detail. What most writers fail to realize is that high school vividly explains all those things. Young readers are ready for a book that seems to understand that too. Chobosky did a wonderful job at developing and defining each character. He made them seem real, which helps readers relate. Although many may think that the number of controversial issues discussed in the book makes it negative, the book is really about finding yourself in the midst of chaos and peer pressure. Charlie eventually

In the novel, The Stranger by Albert Camus, Meursault the protagonist, becomes drawn into a “senseless” murder that has to face the absurdity of life and because of his actions, Meursault is presented as a danger due to his lack of “morality” to society. Meursault who is not able to take control of his life but respond to what life offers him believes in the simplicity of life. He tries to understand the living through logic and objectivity, which ultimately turns futile, as he himself cannot maintain proper control over his thoughts and emotions. From the interactions between Marie, to the murder of the Arab, and the meeting with the Chaplain, Meursault overcomes his indifferent views to form an opinion about what life really means. The central theme presented by Camus is how the threat of mortality becomes a catalyst for understanding the significance of life.

It is a parent’s right and responsibility to protect their child in every way. They deserve to have complete control of what their child sees, hears, and reads. If parents wish for their child not be be exposed to books containing drug use and sexual activity, their wish should be granted. Teenagers are are willing, curious being looking to try new things. If everybody is doing drugs and partaking in sexual activity, they most likely would join the crowd. This is exactly what parents in the Dubuque community school district are worried about. Books, such as Perks of Being a Wallflower, put a large emphasis on these activities. Parents are not happy that these books are being forced upon children in class without their consent.

Lauren Gualdino ENGL 242 DLA Literature and Psychology Professor Enrico The Giver The Giver is a novel written by Lois Lowery and published in 1993. It is set in a utopian society that promotes sameness and formality. The novel is focused on Jonas, who is a young member of the society. When he reaches the age of twelve he is assigned the task of the Receiver of Memory.

Throughout my life there have been many books that have had a strong influence on me. The two that I still hold with me today are I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings and The Outsiders. I thoroughly enjoyed reading these books. I loved learning about Maya Angelou’s story and the perseverance that she has bestowed in her life. This novel was inspiring to me because all that she went through she was able to overcome every obstacle that life threw her way. It helped me to learn that there will be hard times in life, but you always have to light in every situation. Even though The Outsiders was slightly different it still influenced me. It taught me the importance of true friendship and equality to all. Ponyboy had a hard life that become even harder

Death, as an integral part of life, should be accepted and respected. However, in The Stranger, Meursault views death almost joyously, going through life without care or consideration, as death to him is nothing but inevitable. His opinion on death creates his identity, his own personality mirroring the carefree opinion of death that he holds. Throughout The Stranger, Camus employs symbolism of Meursault’s surroundings to convey the absurdity of life that is central to Meursault’s identity, causing his actions against society’s strict moral code, until his eventual realization when finally faced with death himself.

Gothic tales are known for being mysterious and gloomy. Certain elements are integrated throughout the narrative to create the desired effect, and simultaneously suggest other ideas. Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane and “The Yellow Wall-Paper” by Charlotte Perkins Stetson are significantly similar, by the way both settings highlight the idea of madness. The relationship between setting and madness is induced by the display of physical isolation, disturbing elements, and hallucinatory incidents.

Today I read books like no tomorrow and I learn quite a lot from them. I never knew books could reflect your life or even share experiences that other people might feel or have been through. It all began in high school, my second year of school and my class was beginning a new book called Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. After reading the book, I learned it is explicit in its warnings and moral lessons aimed at the present. I could not care less about the world but after reading Fahrenheit 451, I became more aware of the world now. Another book that inspired me to read more was called Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, learning about how we should not forget the fundamentals of what makes human a human. These kinds of books impacted my life to

Graham Greene's novel, The Quiet American, is more than a political statement about whether or not America or any other country for that matter should become involved in the affairs of another country; Greene makes the question human and personal. The novel can be read as a political and moral reflection on the opening stages of the United States’ involvement in Southeast Asia. Therefore, Greene’s novel becomes a commentary on the pointlessness of the United States’ later investment of men and material in a political action that could only end, as it did for the French, in defeat.