Group+3+Proposal

= **//The Perks of Being a Wallflower//** =

224 Pages
"What is most notable about this funny, touching, memorable first novel from Stephen Chbosky is the resounding accuracy with which the author captures the voice of a boy teetering on the brink of adulthood." ([|Amazon.com Review]) Choosing just one book to read is always a difficult process, especially when it is done in a group. After all, everyone has his or her own unique interests and preferences when it comes to reading. Even more importantly, there are millions of works of literature in the world, each of which has its own value and intrigue. Despite all of the possible choices, //The Perks of Being a Wallflower// by Stephen Chbosky is definitely worthy of being the book that you approve for our group to read.

The most beneficial thing about reading this book is that it is told from a perspective that is rarely heard. Many movies and novels seem to focus on either more popular people, or simply the average student. However, the main character of this book, Charlie, is a "wallflower" - a shy and awkward pariah in his new high school. Reading this book will allow our group to see the similarities that can exist between two completely different types of people. That is, we will start to understand people who differ from us, the people outside of our own respective cliques. We will be able to see that everyone - no matter what their social status may be - faces similar hardships throughout the course of their lives. We can learn that, even though there are different types of people, we have a lot more in common than we expected. Our group could also gain a new respect for people who are considered to be outcasts and become better people ourselves.

Another reason why we should be allowed to read this book is because, despite the aforementioned differences, it is not completely irrelevant to our lives. In fact, our group can easily relate to the events told in this book. Unlike things like fantasy novels that focus on the impossible - things like vampires and wizards and zombies - the main character in this book is a high school student that is around our age. He also probably has many of the same aspirations and fears as we do. Therefore, our group will really be able to connect to him. By reading this book and understanding the events that unfold in it, we might be able to solve many of our own problems by using the same tactics as the main character. Additionally, considering that we are all similar ages, we could realize that we are not alone; we can find comfort in the fact that other people feel the same way we do. This book will help us as teenagers to connect emotionally because, even though we are different people, we are still human and still have the same emotions.

The final reason this novel would be great to read is that it connects to what we will be learning about in this course and to our past literary experiences. The novel was written as an homage to J.D. Salinger, the author of the acclaimed classic, //The Catcher in the Rye//. Similar to Salinger's Holden Caulfield, Charlie of //The Perks of Being a Wallflower// is a sincere character that despises phonies. Additionally, throughout the course of Chbosky's novel, there are also allusions and even direct references to various other works of literature. For instance, //The Great Gatsby//, //To Kill A Mockingbird//, //Walden//, and //Hamlet// are all discussed within the novel; oftentimes, the meanings of these other works are also explained. Therefore, this book will expand the literary horizons for our group, which is part of a generation that is not usually very interested in reading.

It is true that this book is written differently than the average book because it is written in the format of a series of letters or diary entries. However, the format of a work does not in any way detract from its intrinsic value. Does our class shy away from reading //The Crucible// or //Death of a Salesman// simply because they are plays and not written in the same manner as traditional books? No, we embrace these differences and treasure the tales for the stories they tell. Therefore, this novel by Stephen Chbosky is truly a beautiful flower in the garden of literature - a flower that should be beheld so that all of its perks may be appreciated.

By Aimee Galinski, Susan Lee, Victoria Pane, and Nichole Wrobel

Quote From: @http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/product-description/0671027344/ref=dp_proddesc_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books