The Perks Of Being A Wallflower English Literature Essay

The Perks Of Being A Wallflower English Literature Essay Author: Stephen Chbosky was born on January 25th, 1970, in Pitsburgh, Pensylvannia. After growing up in Pensylvannia, Stephen pursued a directing career in movies, but ended up writing books. His first book was The Perks of Being a Wallflower, which was set in his very own home state. Stephen said that he relates to Charlie, but his life in High School was in many ways different. Themes: Like most books about teenage boys, this book encompasses the theme of independence. The main character Charlie had just started High School, a time where you become more independent from your parents, and try new things. Charlie never had many friends previously, and the one good friend he did have comitted suicide the year before, leaving Charlie scared, and alone. When friendship is found among some seniors, Charlie starts his journey to a more independent self. He found himself going to parties, smoking, doing drugs, going out with girls, and even driving throughout the book. Another important theme in the book is of happiness. Whenever Charlie walked down the hallway in the school, he would wonder if a person was really happy. In the hallways, I see the girls wearing the guys jackets, and I think about the idea of property. And I wonder if anyone is really happy. I hope they are. I really hope they are. Thoughts like this would constantly occupy Charlies mind. Many thing s made Charlie happy, wether it was an interesting read, a good song, or an inspiring movie. What made Charlie really happy though were his friends, and when he found himself having a good time with them, he would forget all the bad things in his life and enjoy the moment. Later on though, Charlie found out that he shouldnt put peoples happiness ahead of his own, because in the end, he would end up missing out on the best things in life. Characters: Charlie Charlie was the 15 year old protagonist and main character of the story. Hes a timid and introverted guy whos had way too many bad things happen in his life. His best friend comitting suicide, his aunt getting hit by a car, and being the outcast of the school are only a fraction of the things hes been through. He was very intelligent and loved reading books, but that didnt really help the fact that he was socially awkward to the point where he didnt take part in anything that happened around him. He was an extremely emotional kid, but this was due to the things that have happened in his past, which in a way had traumatized him. He loved music though, and along with movies and books, they were a great getaway from his life. He was an extremely caring person too, and always put others ahead of himself, even if a little too much at times. Patrick Patrick was the senior from Charlies woodshop class who ended up becoming a treasured friend to Charlie. He was one of the few homosexuals in the school and was constantly frustrated at the fact he had to sneak around with another guy instead of being open about it. He was a very good friend, and would always take Charlie to fun places with his Sam. He also accepted Charlie for the way he was and never criticized his actions. Sam Sam was Patricks half sister, and Charlies other best friend, also in senior year. She was a beautiful girl who would not leave Charlies thoughts no matter what. She was a great friend to him though, just like Patrick. Even though Sam told Charlie not think of her in any way more than a friend, near the end of the book itss her who finds she loves him with a passion. She would always give Charlie advice when he needed it, and just like Patrick, accepted him for who he was. Setting: The book is set in the years 1991/92, in Pensylvannia, USA. Plot: When Charlies best friend comitted suicide in 8th grade, his life became a mess, and his one good friend was gone. When he overheard some girls talking about some guy that listened, and didnt try and sleep with some girl he could of slept with, he decided to send letters to him anonymously every few days, to make sure people like this, good people, still existed. So the letters went on, for a year, describing his experience in freshman year. Charlie was no ordinary freshman though. His past left him emotionally crippled and socially awkward. When he finally made some friends, he followed his wise English teachers advice to participate, and stop watching life from the sidelines. So his friends became his best friends, and he went on to participate like he was so wisely told. Thats not where it ended though, because family issues werent too far away, neither was drama with girls, or arguments with friends. Throughout the course of this book, Charlie was forced to learn how to jug gle school, friends, and family, and when some secrets from his past were revealed, it seemed like his life couldnt get any worse. Literary Techniques: The author uses quite a few literary techiniques succesfully in the book. The book is comprised of letters alone sent by Charlie to a friend of his, therefore it is in first person narrative. Early on in the book, Charlie informs the reader that his teacher criticized him for writing run on sentences, and since the book consists of letters written by Charlie himself, some sentences are purposefully run ons, and the reader understands this. Also, since these letters are just a place for him to express his ideas, he doesnt utilize very creative language. He also explained this in the book and said that he found it pointless writing words that one wouldnt even understand. But I just have never heard anyone use the words corpulent and jaundice ever in my life. That included teachers. So, whats the point of using words nobody else knows or can say comfortably? The author also utilized flashbacks by allowing Charlie to share past experiences in his letters. As one woul d expect, no ones life can be interesting all the time, so when Charlies life loses interest, so does the reader in reading about it. Then again, when Charlies life has drama in it, it is almost impossible to put down the book. Target Audience: This book is aimed at an audience of teenage boys and girls. As the main character is a boy sharing his experience in High School, the book will mostly find its way into boys hands who are experiencing the same thing. Although Charlie has a complicated life, readers can easily relate to him and his experience at school and at parties. Its an easy read due to the lack of complicated language and basic plot, so most people can read this book, regardless of interest level. Purpose: The purpose of this book is mostly to entertain its readers. The book doesnt follow much of a plot and seems to include random ideas at times, but somehow the readers find themselves strangely attached to the main character, and feel the need to keep reading about this boys life. This book also opens the readers mind in a way, as to how High School was 20 years ago, and allows them to compare the two.

Lawrence School Poems

David Herbert Lawrence was an English novelist, poet and playwright. In 1908 Lawrence qualified as a teacher and found employment at Davidson Road School in Croydon. According to the author of D. H. Lawrence: The Life of an Outsider (2005): â€Å"He found the demands of teaching in a large school in a poor area very different from those at Eastwood under a protective headmaster. Nevertheless he established himself as an energetic teacher, ready to use new teaching methods like performing the Shakespearean dramas they had as text. Best of School† and â€Å"Last Lesson of the Afternoon† are two poems about his experiences as a teacher. Quite extraordinarily, they present two completely contrasting views. â€Å"Best of School† is about the pleasure a teacher experiences while partaking his duties as a teacher, while â€Å"Last Lesson† speaks about the unpleasant task of teaching. â€Å"Best of School† begins with an image of the â€Å"boys and the roo m in a colourless gloom of underwater float†. The poet compares the boys working in a classroom to an underwater scene. Their ideas and thoughts are like â€Å"bright ripples†.Their ideas are defined as â€Å"bright† because they are young boys and full of creativity and innovation. These boys’ heads are ‘busily bowed† in pursuit of knowledge, they are completely blind to the outside world. The teacher separates himself from the boys as a passive spectator sitting â€Å"on the shores of the class†. The pupils require no external help from him; they are a single entity, united in their pursuit of knowledge. They tend to look up to him from time to time to gain morsels of inspiration for their work and then carry on working busily. Having got what was to be had†, he stresses the fact that he does not actively take part in the children’s learning process, it is natural and voluntary. The â€Å"ripening morning† echoes th e ripening thoughts of the young boys and in the â€Å"sunlight† reflects the light of knowledge and intellect. â€Å"Last Lesson†, on the other hand is an exact opposite view. It begins with an image of weariness and disgust, the teacher begins by conceding defeat. Both the students and the teacher are being forced to sit in the classroom, waiting for the bell to ring.He says â€Å"I can haul them and urge them no more†. The teacher is experiencing great despair by having to sit in the classroom with his â€Å"pack of unruly hounds†, who are straining to be free. There is a sense of utter frustration; neither is the teacher interested in teaching and nor are the boys interested in gaining knowledge. The teacher can â€Å"no longer endure the brunt† of teaching a mass of uninterested children. The speaker in â€Å"Best of School† goes on to say that the boys are â€Å"like birds that steal and flee†.The boys raise their heads from tim e to time for getting the discipline necessary for concentration; the very presence of the teacher is an unspoken motivation for the students. He compares the glances of the students to the movement of tiny birds. â€Å"Touch after touch I feel on me†, he can almost feel the bright, inspired eyes of the students looking up to him for inspiration. He calls this inspiration â€Å"grain/Of rigour† that â€Å"they taste delightedly. † In complete contrast, the teacher in â€Å"Last Lesson† calls his students’ work â€Å"insults of blotted pages† and â€Å"slovenly work†. It is a sharp negative feeling that he expresses.He turns to the pile of sickly books on his desk and exclaims that it is impossible for him to plough through his corrections. To him it is a Herculean task, it is tedious and tiresome. The students are not interested in learning so the work seems to be a vivid insult to the teacher. He asks himself in desperation â€Å"sh all I take/ My last dear fuel of life to heap on my soul? † and ascertains, â€Å"I will not! †, â€Å"I will not waste my soul and my strength for this. † He realizes that it is a complete waste of both his time and energy to try to discipline his students and take them on a path to knowledge.He declares that he no longer cares how his students will fair because his students are so disinterested that both the teaching and their apparent learning, â€Å"goes down the same abyss†, down a deep dark hole of forgetfulness and oblivion. He continues the argument deliberately reducing the scope of education to inconsequential things like â€Å"A description of a dog† and saying that all his efforts are going to waste because his students are completely frustrated and not at all enthusiastic about learning. The larger picture of holistic education is lost due to their unwillingness to learn but the teacher also deviously justifies his argument.He says that the whole situation is rubbish and that nobody cares so there’s no point in this unnecessary pursuit. His final analogy in â€Å"Best of School† is probably the strongest and most beautiful one. The minds of his young pupils are like the â€Å"tendrils that reach out yearningly†. The young enthusiastic minds cling to the teacher for support. It is merely for inspiration and not learning. The teacher (tree) is wise, tall and firm. The students need the support and guidance of the teacher like a silent and strong beam of enlightenment on which they can fall back in times of trial.The teacher and student relationship is shown to be a beautiful one. The teacher is sitting at a distance but feels his students â€Å"clinging† to him. This is not an actual dependence for notes and explanation but it is spiritual and emotional, self-motivational. A stout and sturdy tree covered in tendrils seems to be covered in a green coat. Their lives are closely entwined and they grow together. The speaker says, â€Å"my time/Is hidden in theirs, their thrills are mine. † It is a delightfully rewarding experience for him to be able to contribute to the student’s spiritual growth and enlightenment in an unobtrusive way.The two poems, as mentioned earlier, present complete contrasts to each other. While the speaker in the â€Å"Last Lesson of the Afternoon† is tired of teaching and disturbed by just being in the classroom, the speaker/teacher in â€Å"Best of School† enjoys a fresh look at his job. Education is believed to be an individual process. Each one learns at their own pace and in their own way. When pupils find pleasure in learning by themselves, the process of teaching becomes an extremely rewarding one for the teacher. When the student is motivated, education is most worthwhile.The teacher believes that the pupils should make the journey on their own as only then will the journey be meaningful. It is surprising that whereas in one poem the teacher delights himself by inspiring his students, in the other the teacher is under a terrific compulsion to sit and wait for the bell before he can rush out of class. These two poems, present together, a great insight into the two perspectives of gaining education and knowledge. One is a tiresome, hauling process while the other demands independence and free thinking.

Utilizing The Sociological Imagination - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 4 Words: 1158 Downloads: 5 Date added: 2019/05/15 Category Sociology Essay Level High school Tags: Sociological Imagination Essay Did you like this example? All around the world, there is inequality in every society. The United States has one of the most diverse populations because of immigration, colonialism, and slavery. One example of where there is an issue of inequality is in race and ethnic groups. African Americans, Native Americans, and Asian Americans are the largest racial minorities in the United States, and Latinos and Jews are the largest ethnic groups (Shaefer 233). Sociologists definition of minorities is different than others because they look at the economic and political powerlessness of the group, not necessarily just by the number of people. Functionalists think that racial inequality is good to keep the society stable. They say that dominant people will benefit from the subjection of the minority. Conflict theorists think that racial discrimination and prejudice can have negative effects on a society. In Karl Marxs class theory, he viewed the exploitation of lower class as the basic part of the capitalist economy. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Utilizing The Sociological Imagination" essay for you Create order Marx said that by having racism, it keeps minorities in low paying jobs, and the capitalists could have cheap labor. With having cheap labor, when the dominant group demanded higher wages, they could be threatened with the thought that someone in the minority could replace their job because they have no choice but to work for low wages (Shaefer 229). Along with racial inequality comes a perspective called the racial profiling. Racial profiling is any arbitrary action initiated by an authority based on race, ethnicity, or national origin rather than on a persons behavior (Shaefer 229). A huge example of racial profiling that happens in our world today is when law enforcement officers assume because someone fits a racial profile, they are more willing to be engaged in illegal activity. Race also plays a huge role in the education of children. A study was done by the University of Chicago to see how different racial stereotypes affected the type of education a child was receiving. It has always been known as a part of history that African Americans have had unequal opportunities when it comes to schooling and education is looked at as social mobility for them. Although African Americans have made a dramatic increase in education progress over the years, they are still far behind that of a white student. In this study, researchers concluded that black students start elementary school with less schooling experience than white students and are more likely to have be below the modal grade for their age than white students. The University of Chicago also reported that gaps in the academic performance between blacks and whites can be clearly seen from age 9 through 17 (Epps 594). Racial inequality has been a large part of not only the American society, but societies all over the world. Another form of inequality pertains to gender. Women have always been inferior to men when it comes to gender gaps in the workforce. The occupational feminization theory is focused on the ratio of men to women in an occupation, and after World War II there was a steady increase in the number of women who started working. As the number kept increasing, the value of the jobs they were entering went down. Men did not want to work alongside women because they felt if a woman could do the same job as them it was too feminine. In a study done to show these gender differences it was said that, Within these feminizing occupations, studies have found a persistent gender gap in income even after controlling for additional factors (Schleifer 389). Women a lot of the time are looked at as less valuable to an occupation and receive less pay because there is this stigma that men can do the job better and more efficient. Within the same occupation, women tend to receive a lower pay than men because their work is devalued and looked at as not as good (Schleifer 390). Gender roles set apart the men from the women and lead them to have certain expectations of what is the right behavior for them to have. Men are looked at to be the bread winners of the family by working a labor-intensive job or being high up in the business realm, while women are looked at as being the caregivers and stay at home moms. Both sexes are equally capable of doing either job, but not many people see it that way. An example given in the sociology book explains that if a father takes his son to the doctors office and sits in the waiting area, the father will most likely get nods of approval by the receptionists and maybe even someone telling him hes a good father. Now, if a mother takes time to leave work or even a stay at home mom comes in with her son, she will not get a reaction at all because thats the stereotype of men and women (Shaefer 252). Functionalist think that gender differentiation provides to the overall social stability and is needed to maintain it. This perspective says that in order for a family to run smoothly and to its best ability, both adults need assigned roles in which they specialize in. Conflict theorists believe that the gender differences in males and females has always been of unequal power. Males are superior to females in the workforce and household duties because of their size and physical strength. In comparison to Marxs class theory, males are like the capitalist and control the wealth and power, while women are like the proletariats or working class. Women must look up to the men and follow their orders for anything to be accomplished. The interactionalist perspective is looked at differently than functionalist and conflict because it is looked at on a much smaller scale. Interactionalists examine every day interactions of the male and female and show that we do gender. By doing gender this means that there are specific things that males and females do all the time and have become accustomed too. Males typically hold open the doors for women and let a girl go ahead of them. Women practice this by consenting to the assistance of males and relying on their help when they think they are physically unable too (Shaefer 261). From a sociological perspective, there will always be inequality in the world and it doesnt matter if its race or gender or anything else. Inequality is simply a way of life. Works Cited Epps, Edgar G., and Carolyn D. Epps. Race, class, and educational opportunity: Trends in the sociology of education. Edmund W. Gordon: Producing Knowledge, Pursuing Understanding, vol. 10, no. 4, pp. 75-89, EBSCOhost. ezproxy.library.ipfw.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=truedb=aphAN=11055886site=ehost-livescope=site. Schaefer, Richard T. Sociology: A Brief Introduction. 12th ed., SmartBook, McGraw-Hill Education, 2018. Schleifer, Cyrus, and Amy D. Miller. Occupational Gender Inequality among American Clergy, 1976â€Å"2016: Revisiting the Stained-Glass Ceiling. Sociology of Religion, vol. 78, no. 4, 2017, pp. 387-410, EBSCOhost. doi:10.1093/socrel/srx032.

UtopiaThe Flawed Pursuit for Perfection - 1000 Words

Perfect societies have long been discussed and debated, prominent in the works of many great philosophers such as Plato and Thomas More. It wasn’t until the 16th century however, that a formal name was to be attributed to this unattainable perfection - a utopia. As a result, utopias and their opposite, dystopias have become prominent in modern works and form the basis for this analysis in William Golding’s The Lord of the Flies and Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games. Through their most recognised pieces, Golding and Collins demonstrate that free will and control cannot be moderated effectively to sustain a utopian society. Demonstrating that human greed and corruption dismantle these ideals, effectively creating a dystopia. Through The Lord of the Flies, Golding demonstrates the degradation of a potentially utopic society, into one that’s heavily characteristic of a dystopia. The downfall of the potentially perfect society within The Lord of the Flies is resultant of the greed and powerlust embodied by the antagonist Jack. Freed from social constructs and an overarching power, the boys are given an opportunity to live freely. Ralph’s government allows for individualism and free will, resulting in the failure of many systems which he tries to implement, such as the signal fire, however his predominant concern with physiological needs including safety and wellbeing creates a positive state on the island. Jack, envious of Ralphs leadership, begins to preoccupy himself withShow MoreRelated Utopia - The Impossibility of Perfection Essay example1686 Words   |  7 PagesUtopia - The Impossibility of Perfection The latter end of [this] commonwealth forgets the beginning. ?William Shakespeare, The Tempest From Platos The Republic to Karl Marxs Communist Manifesto, the search for a perfect social state has never stopped; its ultimate goal of achieving a human society that exists in absolute harmony with all due social justice, however, has proved to be woefully elusive. The pure concept of a utopia can be theoretically visualized as a perfect geometricRead More A Dystopian Future in Brave New World Essay examples4100 Words   |  17 Pagesrebel against the capitalistic class-divisions of their society.   Psychological mottoes and rigid class divisions have replaced traditional societal values such as family, religion and freedom.   A wonder drug that removes all psychological pain, the pursuit of carnal pleasures, and the replacement of identity and soul with idol worship of a Henry Ford type savior serve to create a dystopia that is frightening as well as the path already being forged in society when he wrote the work in the early 1930sRead MorePhilosophy Rejected Essay2019 Words   |  9 PagesPhilosophy is an interesting pursuit. It causes us to search for truth, ethics and ask the question â€Å"why?† more often than we would otherwise. However, I have found that philosophy itself rather distracting. It leads to false answers to what might sometimes be false questions. It leads to radically held beliefs that can be destructive, difficult to understand, and often contrary to reality. Worst of all, it often answers questions that we as humans have no business answering with any certainty. IRead MoreLibrary Management204752 Words   |  820 Pagesof control through rules.3 Other criticism centers on the relationship of the bureaucratic organization to its environment and the tendency of the traditional bureaucracy to ignore the outside world. The bureaucratic organizational model is seen as flawed because it treats the organization as if it were a closed system unaffected by the uncertainties of environment.4 Other criticism faults the bureaucratic model for being overly mechanical and ignoring individual and group behaviors in organizations