The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Harry Potter: When Harry Met Charlie

      Main character Charlie from The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, is comparable to that of main character Harry Potter from the Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling.

      Harry Potter is a young boy with a troubled past and family. Harry is quite unaware of his full potential and of how important and incredible he truly is. Both Harry and Charlie begin as outcasts-awkward and friendless, they soon befriend people who become their family.

      Harry and Charlie are alike in the fact that they do not believe in themselves fully, due to past problems with family and other disturbing events. Harry, especially in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, deals with self-doubt and a lack of self-worth-as does Charlie. The two, throughout their stories, develop into their own type of hero.

"Children Need Puppy Kisses, Not Beepers" by Krista Ramsey

Ramsey's column, Children Need Puppy Kisses, Not Beepers talks about children's early loss of innocence and their childhood.

http://enquirer.com/columns/ramsey/1998/12/loc_krista26.html

"Cool is fine for Olympic athletes, brain surgeons and pink lemonade, but children are surely meant to be warm." I loved this quote because it is incredibly true-children are meant to be happy and cheerful and full of joy and instead they are being given beepers instead of puppy dogs. The syntax is great with the comma after athletes but not after surgeons to leave impact for the warm children line. 

Ramsey's writing style is mocking and cynical but often humorous. She makes light of the situation but also brings the subject to light in the first place. She covers topics many people try to shove under the rug. 

"They are meant to be the freshest and boldest among us. Able to make fun out of nothing. Willing to try anything once. Unaffected by etiquette, appearance or status. Genuine. Pure-hearted. Whole."

-Children Need Puppy Kisses, Not Beepers (Uncomfortable subjects)

"You see it all the time. Your teenager at the dinner table, waiting for his checkup at the orthodontist's office, sauntering to his car- continually hunched over his smartphone or iPad. You can't help but worry what all that screen time is doing to his posture, social skills and grades. But more and more experts are wondering what it's doing to kids' vision." 
-For Better Vision, Kids Need Time Outdoors (Unthought of Subjects) 

"Manning is a Southern-bred gentleman whose classic suits match up nicely with his classy manners." 
-Super Bowl QBs Score Points for Great Style (Humor)

Questions:
1. What got you into writing in the first place? What was your first piece of writing? 
2. What impact do you think the tone of your writing has on readers?
3. What made you decide to become a columnist other than a normal writer?

My Favorite Line From the Perks of Being a Wallflower

      "When we got out of the tunnel, Sam screamed this really fun scream, and there it was. Downtown. Lights on buildings and everything that makes you wonder. Sam sat down and started laughing. Patrick started laughing. I started laughing.
       
        And in that moment, I swear we were infinite" (Chbosky 39).






        This line is incredibly important to the development of the plot, and is also one of my favorite lines so far throughout the book. Until now, Charlie, the main character, has had a  rough time making friends and feeling like he belongs-hence the title-wallflower. When riding in Patrick's truck, Charlie begins to let go of the pain bubbling inside of him and of everything that has left him withered. He has finally found friends that he can be himself with and who accept him for everything he is. This develops the plot line by giving Charlie a sense of security in his life that he has never had before. With the last line of the excerpt, Charlie writes, "And in that moment, I swear we were infinite" (Chbosky 39). This line is not only poetic and powerful in itself, but it wonderfully explains all of the feelings and realizations about life that Charlie has bottled up inside of him.



A picture representing the iconic quote within the scene in the movie adaptation.

Why I Chose to Read The Perks of Being a Wallflower

     I chose to read The Perks of Being a Wallflower because it is a bestselling, young adult novel. I had heard about it countless times nearing the release of its movie adaptation of the same name. I recently read the synopsis and was immediately interested in the idea of it-the story of a young boy making his way through high school and realizing what it is really like to grow up. In this day and age, the idea of high school is either greatly overplayed or hidden behind a veil and I wanted to understand it from another perspective. Furthermore, I had heard many people rave about the quality of Chbosky's writing and how moving the novel was. Normally, when I pick books to read, I hear about them from a peer or somebody within my family, and the same can be said for Perks with its positive reviews and film promotion; I simply could not wait to get my hands on it.


      Below is a link to Amazon with reviews from people who have read and enjoyed The Perks of Being a Wallflower.


http://www.amazon.com/Perks-Being-Wallflower-Stephen-Chbosky/dp/1451696191