How to Read Literature Like a Professor

Chapter 1 -- Every Trip Is a Quest (Except When It’s Not) 
List the five aspects of the QUEST and then apply them to something you have read (or viewed) in the form used on pages 3-5.

The Five Aspects:

• A quester
• A place to go
• A stated reason to go there
• Challenges and trials
• The real reason to go

No Country for Old Men

• Quester: Anton Chigurh
• A place to go: Anywhere the money goes. He is tracking the money and, inadvertently, Llewelyn, so he pretty much goes where Llewelyn goes.  
• A stated reason to go there: He is tracking down the money he believes to be rightfully his.
• Challenges and Trials: Many people stand in Chigurh's way, and these are his trials in a sense. He must remove everyone from the path to what is rightfully his. He is challenged by the attitudes of some, but ultimately does whatever he has to do to get his money. 
• The real reason to go: Chigurh believes that the money is rightfully his and he has been wronged by everyone that has stepped in his way. Thus, he must deliver justice to those who have wronged him. This is his real reason for going on his quest. 

 The Perks of Being a Wallflower

• Quester: Charlie
• A place to go: Forward. Charlie is stuck in the middle of a horrible life and has nowhere to go but forward, to discover what life is really about, who he really is, and to get help along the way. 
• A stated reason to go there: He wants to participate in life, and is urged to do so by his teacher. 
• Challenges and Trials: Charlie is haunted by visions of his late Aunt Helen and her death, the death of his best friend, and losing his friends at certain points in the novel. 
• The real reason to go: Self-knowledge. Charlie must find himself and figure out who he is to move forward with his life. 

 Chapter 2 -- Nice to Eat with You: Acts of Communion
Choose a meal from a literary work and apply the ideas of Chapter 2 to this literary depiction.

Looking for Alaska
In Looking for Alaska, the Colonel's mother invites Pudge and Alaska to have Thanksgiving dinner at their home, a trailer. Once they arrive at the trailer and get to know more about the Colonel and who his mother is, they suddenly understand everything. Where the Colonel comes from tells everything they needed to know about him. This communion scene gives a deep look into the character of the Colonel and explains why he is the way he is; he comes from pretty much nothing so he resents those that have everything handed to them. This scene is vital to the novel because without it, there would be no way for the audience to begin to understand the character.

Chapter 3: --Nice to Eat You: Acts of Vampires
What are the essentials of the Vampire story? Apply this to a literary work you have read or viewed.

The Essentials:

• An older figure representing corrupt, outworn values
• A young, preferably virginal, female
• A stripping away of her youth, energy, virtue
• A continuance of the life force of the old male
• The death or destruction of the young woman  

The Lovely Bones

• Older figure: George Harvey, the neighbor of the main character. He lures her into his underground den and murders her.
• Young female: Susie Salmon, the 14 year old girl who is murdered by her neighbor after falling prey to his smooth talking. 
• Stripping away: Susie's murder strips away her youth, energy, and virtue all at once. 
• Continuance: George's life continues on until his demise at the end of the film. 
• Death/Destruction: Came early on in the movie when Susie was murdered but really hit home toward the end when her destruction impacted her family and their struggle to heal with her being gone. 

Coraline

• Older figure: The witch/the "Other Mother" (though she isn't a man, she is a perfect vampire symbol)
• Young female: Coraline
• Stripping away: The Other Mother tricks Coraline into becoming trapped in the other world where she drains her youth and energy, as she did to three other children. 
• Continuance: The Other Mother becomes more powerful as she feeds off of Coraline's soul/energy.
• Destruction: Coraline's destruction comes in the form of destroying her link to the other world in the walls of her home, which effectively destroys the beliefs she held about her real mother and her real life/real family. 

The Program

• Older figure: (Not really much older, but...) Michael Realm, an undercover handler who tricks Sloane into believing he is helping her. 
• Young girl: Sloane, a girl who develops depression and is tricked by the seemingly perfect Realm, who is really feeding off of her pain. 
• Stripping away: Realm is "feeding" off of Sloane's pain and tricking her into having her memories erased and falling in love with him, which takes every ounce of her dignity away over time. 
• Continuance: Realm's life continues on as normal, aside from the fact that Sloane is continually placed on higher medications and her memories are erased one by one.
• Destruction: Sloane's memories are ultimately erased, destroying who she once was and leaving a blank slate in her place. 

 Chapter 5 --Now, Where Have I Seen Her Before?
Define intertextuality. Discuss three examples that have helped you in reading specific works.

Intertextuality: Works of literature draw inspiration from pre-existing works - there is no such things as a wholly original work of literature. Everything is based off of something.

• The Bible: Everything seems to relate back to the Bible in some way. Though I've never read it entirely, I'm familiar with many of the stories and can see connections in many things I've read this year, like in The Lame Shall Enter First. I can make biblical connections in many of the stories/novels I read. 
• Shakespeare: Everything seems to relate back to Shakespeare, as well. Even if you don't know of Shakespeare, you've surely heard of his writing or are at least somewhat familiar with it, as variations of it are very popular in modern literature. (Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, etc.)
• Dracula: As cheesy as it may sound, Bram Stoker's Dracula set the precursor for vampire novels and set the bar for where they would be, and many future ones were - and still are - based off of this novel. 

Chapter 6 -- When in Doubt, It’s from Shakespeare...
Discuss a work that you are familiar with that alludes to or reflects Shakespeare. Show how the author uses this connection thematically. Read pages 44-46 carefully. In these pages, Foster shows how Fugard reflects Shakespeare through both plot and theme. In your discussion, focus on theme.

10 Things I Hate About You

One work that I'm familiar with that alludes back to Shakespeare is the 1999 movie, 10 Things I Hate About You. From the very beginning of the movie, it is apparent that it is meant to mirror The Taming of the Shrew, within a more modern setting. The characters name almost exactly mirror the main characters in Taming - Katarina is parallel to Katherine, the shrew, and Patrick is parallel to Petruccio, the tamer. 

The entire movie plot follows the plot of the play, and places it in a modern setting and takes out the Old English vocabulary. The ultimate theme of the play is transformation; nearly all the characters undergo some sort of change, but the most vital change occurs in Katherine - she is transformed completely and is taken from her ways of being a "shrew" and placed in the role of a loving wife, which she adapts to well. While the theme of 10 Things is exactly the same, it plays out with some minor variations.

In 10 Things I Hate About You, high school student Kat is courted by Patrick, who is a rebellious young man after her heart. Ultimately, he wins her affection and Kat is transformed into a social butterfly (for lack of a better word), and is no longer an anti-social "shrew". This parallels the theme of the play it was based on; transformation changes everyone, and most times it's for the better.

Chapter 7 -- ...Or the Bible
Discuss 3 Biblical allusions that appear in a film, short story, or novel other than "The Lame Shall Enter First." Be creative and imaginative in these connections.

The Lion King

1.  Simba is symbolic of Moses; both are wrongly accused of murder and are exiled, then receive instruction from God or some greater power to return to their homelands and eventually free their people. 
2. The jealous Scar hates the new king, which parallels Satan and his hatred of God. 
3. King Mufasa dies to save his son, which parallels Jesus dying to save the sinners. 
4. "He lives in you, look inside yourself" is a line spoken by Rafiki, which parallels the fact that Christ lives in all of us. 

Chapter 8 -- Hanseldee and Greteldum
Think of a work of literature that reflects a fairy tale. Discuss the parallels. Does it create irony or deepen appreciation?

 The Phantom of the Opera and Beauty and the Beast

One work that I can think of that reflects a fairy tale is The Phantom of the Opera. This story closely resembles the fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, in many ways. In both stories, there are men with imperfections, which makes them "hideous creatures". Both men are enraged by ridicule, prompting the townspeople to be afraid of them. In both stories the men hide away from society and keep to themselves. The Phantom falls in love with a beautiful girl named Christine, while the beast falls in love with Belle, both of which seem unattainable. 

Surprisingly, neither of the girls is afraid of either man. In the end, both Belle and Christine open the Beast and Phantom's eyes to love. Christine kisses the beast to prove that she cares, and that he is not hideous. Belle kisses the Beast to prove her affection, at which point he is transformed back into a human. Though the stories don't end the same, both send a message that even the coldest heart can be warmed with love, and that deepens the appreciation for such stories because they can be realistic and heartwarming.

Chapter 9 -- It’s Greek to Me
Write a free verse poem derived or inspired by characters or situations from Greek mythology. Be prepared to share your poem with the class.

 Persephone

Her beauty could be easily seen, 

But who could possibly see

What in reality lies within.

And the memory of her could be

A sour tear on Demeter’s cheek,

For the girl had been gone 

In Hades’ arms all along.

The pain she feels

Reflected on the Earth,

As she forbids the beauty from blooming.
And against her will, 

She sings in pure melancholy,

For a song that can be heard,

Only by those that are dead.

Chapter 10 -- It’s More Than Just Rain or Snow
Discuss the importance of weather in a specific literary work, not in terms of plot.

• In literature, weather is a key element in telling the story or reinforcing emotions or what is happening throughout the story. Weather is symbolic of many things, and it usually shows characters' moods or feelings. In The Lion King, the weather underscores what is happening in the storyline of the movie. When Scar is king, the land is filled with drought, famine, and death (symbolizing Scar's evilness, also), which is the opposite of the bountiful, beautiful lands they had when Mufasa was still alive. Once Simba defeats scar and takes his place as king, the situation reverses itself once again. Things begin to look better and the land returns to its previous state.
• In The Grapes of Wrath, the weather tells the story of the Joad family. When it starts to flood, the rain and earth mix together and the water rises, it is unclear, murky, and unlikable. No one in California liked the Joads because they didn’t know what the Joad family would bring. But like the rain, the Joads had no choice but to fall into the pool with everyone else, and also like the rain it is a continuing cycle that the Joads are already too used to. Originally California was an escape for the Joads, but once again the elements rise to extremes like they did with the Dust Bowl in Oklahoma, and the Joads are trapped in a never ending cycle of repeating horrific and saddening events. 

Interlude -- Does He Mean That

Chapter 11 --...More Than It’s Gonna Hurt You: Concerning Violence
Present examples of the two kinds of violence found in literature. Show how the effects are different.

 The two kinds of violence that are used in literature are:

1) the violence that a character inflicts upon himself or another character

2) when the auhor uses violence on a character only to make an advancement in their story. 

An example of the first type of violence is in Harry Potter when Voldemort kills Harry's parents, and tries to kill him as well. Voldemort is inflicting this violence onto Harry. This makes Voldemort out to be evil, and furthers the plot with the fight between good - Harry - and evil - Voldemort.

The Avengers also contains a large amount of character inflicted violence in the movie, which furthers the plot and shows the struggle between good and evil. 

An example of the second type of violence is in the novel, New Moon, where Harry Clearwater dies from a heart attack. His death shows no significance to the story, except to push the plot along and lead to confusion when Edward mistakenly believes Bella has died. Thus he goes to the Volturi to have himself offed. 

Chapter 12 -- Is That a Symbol?
Use the process described on page 106 and investigate the symbolism in something we have read this year (short story or novel).

The Lame Shall Enter First 

• The telescope: What is the significance of the telescope? What does it have to do with anything in the story? Once reading the story, the answer is obvious. Norton's obsession with the stars and finding his way to outer space is symbolic of what is going to occur in the story. Ultimately, Norton commits suicide and begins his movement into the stars and space.
• Sheppard: Who is he? Why is he important to the story? It's really obvious after having read the story. Sheppard is symbolic of the Bible, a Christ figure that sacrifices himself and everything he has to save Rufus. 
• Rufus: Why is he important to the story? He is symbolic of the devil. He makes his way into Sheppard's life and tears it to shreds, effectively taking everything from him - including pushing his son to commit suicide.
• Rufus's club foot: Is it important? It's highly important, as it symbolizes Rufus's own personal shortcomings, i.e. being abused, becoming a problem child, ruining someone else's life, etc.

Chapter 13 -- It’s All Political
Assume that Foster is right and “it is all political.” Use his criteria to show that one of the major works assigned to you this year is political.

 Politically speaking, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a perfect specimen of political writing. The story is based in the 1990s, and contains many elements that were actually happening in the 90s. The stigma around high school and how much it sucks is true, and Chbosky's own opinions find their way into Charlie's thoughts and writings. The book reflects the happenings and teen culture at the time the novel takes place; in other words, all of the sex and drugs is politically correct for that age group at that time frame.

Chapter 14 -- Yes, She’s a Christ Figure, Too
Apply the criteria on page 119 to a major character in a significant literary work. Try to choose a character that will have many matches. This is a particularly apt tool for analyzing film -- for example, Star Wars, Cool Hand Luke, Excalibur, Malcolm X, Braveheart, Spartacus, Gladiator and Ben-Hur.

 In The Lord of the Rings, Gandalf the Grey is a Christ figure. 

• He entertains children with tricks, meaning he is good with children. 
• He sacrifices himself for his fellowship. 
• Gandalf calls on help from higher powers to help save his fellowship. 
• He defeats death and is resurrected. 

Chapter 15 -- Flights of Fancy
Select a literary work in which flight signifies escape or freedom. Explain in detail.

 In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry uses flight to escape. In the mortal world, Harry and his friends are ridiculed and mocked and made to feel ashamed of who and what they are, especially Harry. When Platform Nine and Three Quarters is sealed and they are trapped in the mortal world, they quickly find a way back to the wizard world - via flying car. This flight symbolizes Harry's escape from the pain and shame he feels in the mortal realm back to what he considers his true home. 

 Chapter 16 -- It’s All About Sex...
Chapter 17 -- ...Except the Sex
OK ..the sex chapters. The key idea from this chapter is that “scenes in which sex is coded rather than explicit can work at multiple levels and sometimes be more intense that literal depictions” (141). In other words, sex is often suggested with much more art and effort than it is described, and, if the author is doing his job, it reflects and creates theme or character. Choose a novel or movie in which sex is suggested, but not described, and discuss how the relationship is suggested and how this implication affects the theme or develops characterization.

In Breaking Dawn, Edward and Bella have sex on their wedding night, which isn't specifically written or explained in the slightest. Their relationship flourishes after this for many reasons; first of all, Bella becomes pregnant with a half vampire half human child, which puts her life in danger, prompting Edward to be even more protective of her. Bella's character grows tremendously in this time. She goes from being selfish and self-oriented to actually caring about the child growing inside of her and learns to love it. She effectively transitions from a cliche outcast teenager to a mother in a mere few chapters.

Chapter 18 -- If She Comes Up, It’s Baptism
Think of a “baptism scene” from a significant literary work. How was the character different after the experience? Discuss.

 In The Program, Sloane is a deeply depressed girl whom everything has been taken from. Her brother committed suicide, and her boyfriend got himself sent away to the program that strips away depression and, coincidentally, every single memory an infected person has. Fearing the worst and reaching her breaking point, Sloane goes to the river her brother died in and attempts to kill herself. She, however, can't go through with it and she exits the water she is an entirely different person. She is now determined to find out what is happening around her and get her boyfriend back. Sloane is essentially "reborn".

Chapter 19 -- Geography Matters...
Discuss at least four different aspects of a specific literary work that Foster would classify under “geography.”

In Hush, Hush, the main character Nora lives in the middle of nowhere (isolation), in a small town, in a dreary marsh area with an eerie feel. She falls for a fallen angel called Patch, whose personality is reflected by the aspects of the place Nora lives in. Patch is a dark, eerie, desolate boy who likes to keep Nora all to himself - his mission is to kill her, after all. The geography of Nora's home is reflected perfectly in Patch and his characterization. 

Chapter 20 -- ...So Does Season
Find a poem that mentions a specific season. Then discuss how the poet uses the season in a meaningful, traditional, or unusual way. (Submit a copy of the poem with your analysis.)

In Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer's Day by William Shakespeare, Shakespeare is comparing the woman he loves to a summer's day. Summer is a season of love and happiness, which is apparent in this poem. He mentions the beauty of a summer's day then points out that this woman is more beautiful, which makes the poem more meaningful. He also says that their love will not die or end, like summer does, which effectively shows that he really does love this woman. He used the season of summer to beautifully and effectively express his love of this woman.

Interlude -- One Story
Write your own definition for archetype. Then identify an archetypal story and apply it to a literary work with which you are familiar.

An archetype is a person, concept, idea, or situation that has been copied/emulated many times and has thus become easily recognized. A story that contains several archetypes would be Shrek, and more specifically, it contains the damsel in distress. In this case, Fiona is the damsel in distress. She is a princess, locked away in a tower surrounded by lava to ensure she never escapes. It is Shrek's job to rescue her, much like the handsome prince charming in every other princess fairytale. Ironically enough, there's even a curse on Fiona that can only be lifted by true love's kiss. Fiona is a walking archetype.

Chapter 21 -- Marked for Greatness
Figure out Harry Potter’s scar. If you aren’t familiar with Harry Potter, select another character with a physical imperfection and analyze its implications for characterization.

A character marked with a special scar/mark or physical implication usually hints that the character is going to accomplish something great. It also shows that the character is different; Harry Potter is marked with a lightning bolt shaped scar, which he received when his mother sacrificed her life to save him and Voldemort's attack didn't phase him. Naturally, I would think his life is already different than everyone else's. Since his life was saved, Harry is now out to save others' lives to kind of return the favor. 

Harry had many struggles to face such as battling evil to save the world. In addition to his uniqueness, Harry had many problems to deal with. Because of his scar, he was seen as a different person - a weird person. People acted like he had the plague or something. Aside from that, he is one of the strongest - if not the strongest - student wizard in the school and one of the most stressed. He had to work harder than many others to achieve the things he does. His scar is the mark of a hero; it made him a stronger person because it filled his live with struggles, and marked him with a destiny greater than anyone could ever imagine.

 Chapter 22 -- He’s Blind for a Reason, You Know
Chapter 23 -- It’s Never Just Heart Disease...
Chapter 24 -- ...And Rarely Just Illness
Recall two characters who died of a disease in a literary work. Consider how these deaths reflect the “principles governing the use of disease in literature” (215-217). Discuss the effectiveness of the death as related to plot, theme, or symbolism.

In Twilight, Edward becomes a vampire at the height of the Spanish Influenza outbreak of 1918. Edward and his parents were all infected and suffered as they faced the fact that they were all slowly dying. We aren't bothered by such things with today's technology, but the audience will automatically feel bad for those who had no choice but to fight for their lives with what little was available to help them back then. This takes care of Foster’s first principle, that not all diseases are created equal. Since Meyer gives vivid descriptions of them being pale, sickly, and ghostly looking, it is also picturesque. The origins of the disease are mysterious because of the fact that nobody really knew where the infection came from. These three only apply to the deaths of Edward’s parents. However, though the reason why Edward and his family get the disease and the deaths of his family are simply to work with the plot, it is also symbolic of Edward's transformation into a vampire. After being infected, nearly dying, and being turned into a vampire, Edward is doomed to a life of loneliness, instinct to constantly kill, insatiable blood lust, and believing that vampires don't even have an afterlife to look forward to.

 Chapter 25 -- Don’t Read with Your Eyes After reading Chapter 25, choose a scene or episode from a novel, play or epic written before the twentieth century. Contrast how it could be viewed by a reader from the twenty-first century with how it might be viewed by a contemporary reader. Focus on specific assumptions that the author makes, assumptions that would not make it in this century.

In The Black Cat, a man who loves animals ends up killing his own wife and attempts to kill his pet cat. At the beginning, Poe says this man is an alcoholic. A person today would read this story and assume the reason the guy is acting violent and strange is because of his drinking problem. A person living before the twenty-first century would read this story, and not focus on his alcohol problem. They would say a part of him is lost and once he did wrong, he essentially turned evil. In the story, the man was abusive to his wife and his cat when he was drunk. Today, spousal abuse is unacceptable, but not before the twentieth century. In that time frame, women were abused more often. Then along comes a second cat, which contained a patch of fur shaped like a gallows. In early times this was an acceptable form of killing, but today's readers would not be terrified as this is no longer the case.

Chapter 26 -- Is He Serious? And Other Ironies
Select an ironic literary work and explain the multivocal nature of the irony in the work.

 

The Monkey's Paw contains many ironic moments throughout the story. In the beginning, before Mr. White makes his three wishes, he states that he has everything he wants. So it is ironic that he makes wishes despite this statement. Readers would probably expect the wishes to bring good luck because of intertextuality and other fairy tales indicating that they do. However, this is not the case. The wishes bring devastating outcomes. Mr. White's son dies at work, which is how they get the money they wished for. Ironically, the wishes left them more sorrowful than before. To reverse the first wish, the son's life is wished for but he returns as a monster. The mother ironically states that she would not be afraid of her own son, which she nursed. In the end, though, she is terrified of her monster son. The father ultimately wishes for his death, which is ironic of the stereotype of loving father. 

 

 Chapter 27 -- A Test Case
Read “The Garden Party” by Katherine Mansfield, the short story starting on page 245. Complete the exercise on pages 265-266, following the directions exactly. Then compare your writing with the three examples. How did you do? What does the essay that follows comparing Laura with Persephone add to your appreciation of Mansfield’s story?

 

 The story signified the upper class seeing themselves as the only thing that matters and being self indulged. Aside from Laura, the rest of her family doesn't care about the working class man who died at all. Their fancy party was more important than their neighbor’s death. This was a portion of the answer, but not the answer in its entirety. At first glance, the Persephone comparison didn't click, but once I read the answers, I completely understood. Earlier in the chapters I wrote about Persephone so I was really surprised that I missed the connection, but I see it plainly now.

No Country for Old Men

Themes

1. Chance. Chance is a very important theme in the movie; when Chigurh is presented with the chance to kill, he lets the flip of a coin decide the person's fate (though it can be argued that the choice lies with Chigurh and not the coin, as Carla argues later in the film). This theme of chance is displayed many times throughout the movie when Chigurh flips the coin to let the person's state of existence rely on the coin.

2. Greed is another theme in the movie, mostly because it portrays the fact that greed leads to nothing good. Llewelyn was tempted by greed to take the money, and he did. It was this greed and the desire to keep the money that kept him running with it, even when it put his wife in danger, and it was this greed that ultimately led to Llewelyn's death. The greed that led to him picking up the bag of money was the same greed that led to him living on the run and his demise. This highlights the fact that greed never leads to anything good.

3. Justice could be a theme of the movie, though it is portrayed in a rather ironic fashion. Justice in the movie is carried out by serial killer Chigurh. He kills anyone who stands in the way of his prize, thus, in his mind, delivering justice to those that deserve it. They are doing him an injustice by helping his enemies, thus they are to be delivered to justice.

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Meaning of the Work as a Whole

After thinking for hours about what the meaning of the movie could be, I was still left with nothing. The only thing I got from it was that Chigurh was killing people, and that was about it. After doing some research, the best answer I can come up with is that the meaning of the movie as a whole is that, when looking at the bigger picture of life, nothing matters. Life goes on, even when some things feel like they're coming to an end, and even when there are dramatic developments happening. The main point is that in reality, no one thing really matters when you're looking at the overall picture. In the end of the movie, everyone is dead, the money is no longer of importance, and the sheriff is retiring, all because nothing that got them to that point matters anymore, if it ever did at all.

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3 Important Quotations

***Type out each quote and in 3-5 sentences explain how/why that quote is significant to the overall meaning.

Anton Chigurh: Well done! Don't put it in your pocket, sir. Don't put it in your pocket. It's your lucky quarter.
Gas Station Proprietor: Where do you want me to put it?
Anton Chigurh: Anywhere not in your pocket, where it will get mixed in with the others and become just a coin, which it is.

This quote really shows the overall meaning of the story. Basically this quote is saying that by chance, the gas station proprieter has called the coin and "saved his own life". Chigurh tells him not to put the coin in with others because once this happens, there is nothing special about the coin anymore. That one coin would no longer matter because it would be just like the others. 

Carla Jean Moss: You don't have to do this.
Anton Chigurh: People always say the same thing.
Carla Jean Moss: What do they say?
Anton Chigurh: They say, You don't have to do this.

This quote shows that when faced with a perilous situation, people always have the same kind of reaction. This reaction, however, does not matter. This goes to show that once something is decided, any other actions do not matter the slightest bit, which goes right along with the main theme of the movie.

Ellis: Whatcha got ain't nothin new. This country's hard on people, you can't stop what's coming, it ain't all waiting on you. That's vanity.

This quote goes right along with the meaning of the movie, as well. Basically this quote says that what's happening is nothing new, and the country is hard on people. Despite the efforts put into trying to ward off the bad happenings, nothing matters. The work put into saving yourself, it doesn't matter. Nothing matters, because once something is already in motion, nothing else is of importance.

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Character Analysis

• Sheriff Bell- Sheriff Bell is a man that is clearly focused on his work and is determined to make a difference. He ends up pursuing Chigurh, who is chasing Llewelyn. He is really hard on himself and old fashioned. After chasing down the psychopath and witnessing the events that transpire, Sheriff Bell ultimately decides to retire, learning that he has not made a difference and that really, nobody can.  

• Llewelyn Moss- Llewelyn is the main focus of most of the movie. He is a stubborn stereotypical cowboy. Once he has the money in his possession, he does everything in his power to keep it in his possession, even at the risk of putting his own wife in danger. When faced with that predicament, he takes matters into his own hands. He is a man that would confront his enemies and fight his own battles, head first, which is what he would have done with Chigurh if he hadn't been killed shortly after their last conversation.

• Anton Chigurh- Chigurh is a psychopathic serial killer that will take out anyone that comes between him and his prize - the money that Llewelyn is running with. Chigurh is driven by chance and fate; supposedly, he does not determine the outcome of peoples' encounters with him, but rather, fate does. It is this fate that leads people to him in the first place. Chigurh is also driven by the desire to inflict justice upon those deserving of it. In a way, when people are coming between Chigurh and his prize, they are doing him an injustice that he is hard pressed to correct. 

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How to Read Literature Like a Professor

Choose 3 Chapters and Connect those chapters to the movie. Go into specific detail as to how each chapter connects to a part of the movie. 

1. Chapter 1. Every Trip is a Quest (Except When It's Not)

In the movie, both Llewelyn and Chigurh are on quests, even if they don't exactly know that they are. Llewelyn is on a quest to both keep the money and keep himself and his wife safe. Chigurh is on a quest to get the money he feels he rightfully deserves. These quests intersect, thus creating the entire plot of the movie.

2. Chapter 12. Is That a Symbol? 

This chapter relates back to many parts of the movie, but to keep this short, I'll reference it back to the scene at the gas station between Chigurh and the gas station proprieter. Chigurh tells him to keep the lucky coin in a place separate from his other coins, because once it's mixed with the others, there's no longer anything special about it. It will no longer matter. This is symbolic of people; when individualized, people are special and unique, but when thrown together as a group, there is no longer anything special about the individuals. What makes Chigurh, or Llewelyn, or any of the other characters, stand out as individuals will not matter if the characters are looked at as a group. 

3. Chapter 11. ...More Than It's Gonna Hurt You: Concerning Violence

 Violence has a lot to do with the movie as a whole, and the violence in the movie is obviously symbolic, especially the parts that are inflicted by Chigurh. Basically, the violence Chigurh inflicts is symbolic of justice, as I've stated before. Chigurh is delivering justice upon those that stand in the way of him getting "his" money.

Failure and Imagination

Part 1
1. When J.K. Rowling begins her speech, her tone is one of amusement and wit, as she cracks jokes to get the audience comfortable with her speaking in front of them. Directly after that, she shifts into a more serious tone when she begins to speak about failure. This is important because she is trying to ease the audience into the real meat of the speech.

When Rowling speaks about both her parents and her own fears for her coming true, her tone is one of regret, or so it seems to me. She seems disheartened by the past and even says something prior about it being uncomfortable for her to look back on her past self. Directly after that she switched to a more lighthearted tone in which she speaks about failure being beneficial. This is to make her audience see that failure does not only carry negative connotations, and that good things can come from it even if it occurs on a grand scale.

When she is speaking about people having the power to imagine better, she is very direct about it and her tone is one of seriousness, once again. She's very good at being serious. After that, her tone becomes more personal, reflecting back on what she had at 21 and what she wishes for everyone in the audience. This eases them out of the seriousness of it all, and lets them see her as more than this prestigious person; instead they see her as just another person, with whom they have things in common.

2. Quixotic - exceedingly idealistic; unrealistic and impractical.
    Caprice - a sudden and unaccountable change of mood or behavior.
    Apathy - lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern.

Part 2 
2. My life is changing others' in many ways, though it has taken me a very long time to understand that this is true. Although I believe myself to be an unnecessary addition to the world and that I am simply existing, it is the fact that I do exist that is changing the lives of people around me. By existing, I am a symbol of hope to others like me and others who have been through things similar to what I have been through. I am still here, and that should give them hope to continue on, too. By sharing my stories or opening up to people, I am changing their lives.

Inwardly I have achieved a lot this school year alone. I've gone from feeling like I am nothing that I do not matter the slightest bit, to feeling like I can make a difference and I can change people. Inwardly, I have become more positive, though it doesn't always show on the outside. My inward achievements are going to influence others to be more positive as well, and to come to terms with themselves because it makes a world of difference.

As I continue to grow and age, I want to continue touching people in a positive way. I want to share my stories of my trials and hardships and I want people to see that there is hope. I want them to see that I've survived thus far, so they can keep going, too. I want my life to make others see that positivity is one of the best things to have in life, and that coming to terms with who you are and what you want, and not settling for what others want for you, is the best decision you can make for yourself. I basically want to show people that it gets better.

J.K. Rowling Commencement Address Questions and Quotes

5 Questions/Topics

1. How does failure relate to the overall meaning of Looking for Alaska?
2. What has been your biggest personal failure?
3. How does one find the courage to deviate from their parents' wishes?
4. Why is imagination important in life?
5. How much courage does it take to deliver a speech such as this one?

Quotes

"It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all - in which case, you fail by default."

 I absolutely adore this quote and everything it entails. I believe it's saying that in life, you are going to fail at something. Everyone is going to fail at something. And if you somehow manage to safeguard yourself and everything you do, then you automatically fail. Failure is necessary. Failure is important; you learn things from it that you would never learn any other way.

"The knowledge that you have emerged wiser and stronger from setbacks means that you are, ever after, secure in your ability to survive." 

I really like this quote as well. I think it's saying that setbacks are going to happen. It's another thing that is simply inevitable. But once you make it out of these setbacks and hardships, you are wiser and stronger than you ever were before. It is these victories and triumphs of such setbacks that helps people grow. It helps them learn and really value their own strength and their own wisdom and knowledge. It is this ability to triumph that shows that you are alright. You have survived, and you are able to survive, time after time.

"We touch other people's lives simply by existing."

Though it has taken me an extremely long time to realize that this is true, I've grown to agree with this quote wholeheartedly. Everything you do, and every part of you, touches other people in some way. Your education and what you do with it. Your actions and hard work. You, in general, influence other people in some way. You have an impact beyond simply existing. By just doing that, you are influencing others. You are touching their lives and showing them things that they could not witness if you were not around. 

1st 9 Weeks Reflection

• What have you learned about English/Literature over the past 9 weeks?
  
  I've learned quite a bit about characterizations and keeping my essays consistent with the topic at hand. I've learned that essays really are easier and more organized if an outline is used, though I'm really too stubborn to actually do them every time I write. I've learned that in stories, everything relates back to one central point - everything relates back to the overall meaning of the work as a whole.

• What have you learned about your classmates?
  
  I learned that I have a lot in common with a couple of them, particularly KJ. I never would've thought she and I had so much in common, but we do. I've learned that everyone is struggling with something, and though my problems take control of my life, I need to realize that I'm not the only person hurting.
• What have you learned about life?
  
  I've learned that life is unpredictable and that anything can happen. I've also learned that it is possible to let agony and suffering drag you into a labyrinth that it's really hard to get out of. But if you have the right kind of people surrounding you and the right kind of attitude, you can conquer the labyrinth and you can conquer anything you're up against.
• Did you enjoy the novel unit (Perks of Being a Wallflower and Looking for Alaska)? Would you recommend I use those two novels next year? What assignments changes would you make (if any)?
  
  I really enjoyed the novel unit. I loved how we covered characters, theme, and the general parts of literature throughout reading the novels, and I really liked learning about the different characters. I definitely think you should use these two next year because they're really good ways of covering everything you were teaching at the time. I would have them write a letter from another character's point of view, to Charlie. Maybe it would be interesting!
• What should I change for next year's class?
  
  Maybe try to make family circle more.. fun? Or completely do away with it. I know I hate it, and some of my friends do, too. Also, if you do group projects next year, have each group evaluate its members because there's been a lot of people taking credit for things they had no hand in doing.
• What area of the AP Exam do you feel that you need to work on the most?I think I really need to work on my speed, and that's really it.

Looking for Alaska Questions

1. Explain the significance of the title of the novel. Explore other titles which might (or might not) have been more appropriate.

"Looking for Alaska" pretty much sums up the entirety of the story. Loss, looking for what is lost, and finding the strength to accept that it is gone. Pudge loses Alaska, a person that had become really important to him. She was his best friend and the girl he loved, and then poof, she was gone. He spent the part of the story after her death searching for her. He continuously tried to figure out what had happened to her, why she had to go, with a question lingering in the background. Accident or suicide? The title of the book puts everything in a nice little box; Alaska dies, Pudge gives up on life while looking for her, and in the end, he finds the strength to accept that she is gone, but she will not be forgotten. She is more than the sum of her parts, after all.

I think the title fits the story perfectly, but for the sake of answering the question completely, let me break out my creativity. Perhaps something along the lines of "Escaping the Labyrinth" or "Straight & Fast", or even "More Than the Sum of Her Parts" would work, though that last title is aimed specifically toward Alaska which may not be the best way to go about this.

2. Select what you consider to be the most important chapter in the novel and prove your opinion by relating it to the novel as a whole. 

The most important "chapter" of the novel would be the chapter where Pudge finds out that Alaska has died. It is important because it brings everything into perspective and sets the rest of the story in motion. Alaska, his best friend and his love, is gone. She has passed on, never to return, and this shatters Pudge. This also begins his journey and investigation to find out exactly what happened to her. This is where he begins looking for Alaska. This ultimately leads to Pudge's epiphany at the end of the novel that Alaska was more than just the sum of her parts, or the things that she loved or the things that she did. As long as he remembers her, she will never be forgotten. The chapter where Alaska's death is revealed is the pivotal moment of the story, and it leads to the closure (well, almost closure) that was needed.

3. Select what you consider to be the most important quotation in the novel and prove your opinion by relating it to the novel as a whole.

While there are so many amazing quotes in Looking for Alaska, the most important is "We had to forgive to survive in the labyrinth", which Pudge says on page 218. This explains the entirety of the story. The point is that life can really suck, and there is pain and suffering everywhere that everyone feels (the labyrinth). People become trapped in this labyrinth and fight to find a way out. But the only real way out is forgiveness. Alaska would forgive all of the guys for doing the stupid thing and letting her leave in the state she was in. Pudge ultimately forgives Alaska for leaving them, which helps him cope and let go of some of his pain and his grief over her death. This quote shows that the only true way to make it in life is to learn to forgive and let go of the things you cannot control.

4. Select what you consider to be the most important symbol or image in the novel and prove your opinion by relating it to the novel as a whole. 

I believe that the most important symbol in the story was the white flowers that Alaska always had or was always doodling. These symbolized so much for her; they symbolized both her relationship with Jake, and her mother's death (her mother liked white flowers). It is theorized that the doodle of the flowers Alaska created while on the phone with Jake was what made her snap, which lead up to Pudge's loss of her, his attempts to find her, and his ultimate acceptance and forgiveness of her death. The white flowers symbolize forgiveness, in a way, as well. They reminded Alaska of her mother, and though she didn't forgive herself for her death, I believe she forgave her mother for leaving her, and forgiveness is what the story is entirely about.

8. Relate some aspect, character, event, chapter, or quotation in the novel to something of importance in your own life.

Pudge's quote about having to forgive to survive in the labyrinth has had a great impact on me, personally. I carry around so many things that I shouldn't carry with me. I feel so many things and I hold grudges against myself for things that are not my fault. I make myself feel so much pain, and I shouldn't. This quote made me see that if I'm going to survive in this world, I have to forgive myself for some of these things. I need to let these things go before they make me worse.

I also really relate to Alaska and her inner struggle with wanting out. She spoke about death and finding her way out quite a bit, and I understand exactly how she feels. I often struggle with life and balancing my fears and the fact that I desperately want out.

14. Relate some aspect, character, event, chapter, or quotation in the novel to another novel you have read.

I'm going to take the easy way out and relate this novel to Perks of Being a Wallflower. Pudge certainly reminds me of Charlie, in the sense that they are both dealing with change and hope, and they both have to learn to forgive so that they can survive in life.

Alaska reminds me of Sam, in the sense that they are both seemingly unlikeable characters who have very dark pasts and have struggled in life.

Alaska's death reminds me of Aunt Helen's death in Perks, mainly because both deaths send the main character of the stories on a journey that ultimately leads to forgiveness and acceptance. Both Charlie and Pudge realize that in order for them to keep living, they will have to forgive the people that hurt them the most and left them hurt and broken. They realize that everything will be okay, in time, once they extend this forgiveness.

Song Analysis

Daydream by Smashing Pumpkins
Daydream is a song about a person going into a worsening state of mind, to the point that they consider their own self as crazy. I feel that this song is mainly about the fact that what's in a person's head is theirs, and they don't need feelings from anyone else. "I'm going crazy, I'm going crazy. I don't want feelings. Your feelings." This describes Charlie's situation perfectly - he doesn't want anyone else to pity him, or feel bad for him, or to pretend they care. He doesn't need their forced emotions and fake feelings of empathy. He would rather suffer with what he has locked in his head, because that, at least, is completely his.

Nights in White Satin by the Moody Blues
Nights in White Satin is about someone who is going through life, seeing everything around them, and wishing for things they don't have. They talk about love, they talk about aging, children, hope... and these seem to be things they don't have. "Nights in white satin, never reaching the end. Letters I've written, never meaning to send. Beauty I'd always missed with these eyes before. Just what the truth is, I can't say anymore." This shows Charlie's confusion with life; he doesn't know what is real and what isn't anymore - he can't seem to differentiate between the two. He has locked away feelings that are trying to bubble up, but he still won't let out. "Gazing at people, some hand in hand. Just what I'm going through they can't understand. Some try to tell me, thoughts they cannot defend. Just what you want to be, you will be in the end." This is the most important part of the song. This is a cry for help, on Charlie's behalf. Nobody understands him, or what he is dealing with. He needs to believe that where he goes and who he becomes is his own decision to make.

More Perks of Being a Wallflower

I feel that the entire meaning of the book is finding yourself - discovering who you are, where you're going, what you want to be, and coping with life. I think that that is what it's all about. The characters are struggling to do this. They're learning. They're accepting themselves and their lives and going on with it, toward who and what they want to be.

I think the movie both emphasizes this and shifts the meaning a little bit, at the same time. It highlights very well the fact that the characters are finding themselves and learning to live. It emphasizes that aspect extremely well. The movie also hits upon life as a whole and how much it can suck and how much it can hurt. It pretty much shows the ups and downs, and that life can be horrible and awful, and that it can be wonderful.

Letter Response - (Part 4  April 29, 1992)

 Dear Charlie,

I understand what you're going through. I really understand, even if the thought of someone being able to understand seems appalling to you. I've been where you are; I know what it's like when it feels like nothing is the same, or nothing will ever be the same again. It hurts.

Avoiding life is not the answer, Charlie. I wish I could tell you that shoving it all away would fix things, but distance always seems to make everything worse. I know that from personal experience. You can only hide from your problems for so long...

People are a mystery, Charlie. Most of them you will never understand. In very rare cases, some of them will let you in just enough to really know them, to really see how they think and feel about their lives. Everyone feels pain, too. It's unavoidable. There's so much of it, but most of us just don't see it all the time like you do. Sometimes I feel like my life is horrible, but if it wasn't the way it is, I wouldn't know my friends. I wouldn't know these wonderful people, and I wouldn't have some of the good experiences that I have. It's bittersweet. You have to put up with the pain to get the little bits of good that are hidden in life.

You are a wallflower, Charlie. You're watching and noticing everything, even the tiny little details that other people seem to miss, and it's hitting you hard. You're too observant for your own good, but there's nothing you can do to change that. Life... is life. Bad things happen to good people, and those who deserve the good rarely ever get it. It's twisted and scary to think about, but it's the truth. It rains most on the people who deserve to see the sun. It's raining on you, Charlie, but your sun is right around the corner, I promise.

I wish I could tell you that everyone is good deep down, or that everyone is capable of being your friend, but I would be lying if I told you that. In all honesty, people can really suck sometimes, especially the ones you seem to keep meeting. They judge what they don't understand, and you're something they don't understand. They bully you. They harass you. But you're not alone; I've been there, too. I wish I could tell you that it gets better overnight, but that's a lie, too. It takes a lot of time and patience and acceptance, but better times do come. Just hang in there.

I guess what I'm trying to tell you is that pain is everywhere. Everyone feels it, and everyone feels it differently. You notice more of it than others do, and it's getting to you, Charlie. It's eating away at you, but it shouldn't. I believe you're avoiding your own life and focusing on the bad things in others' lives. That's no way to live - believe me, I've tried. I've tried so hard.

Stop letting them walk all over you. Stop letting their judgements rule you. They are not you. They don't know you. They don't know your story, or what you've went through, or the hell you deal with inside your own head. They. Don't. Know. They. Are. Wrong. Believe me. It took me forever to understand that (honestly, I still can't process it completely...), but it's the truth, Charlie. It's going to take time, but you will learn eventually. It might be bad now, things might be getting bad again, but they eventually have to get better, don't they? Things can't stay bad forever, can they? I think I'm trying to assure myself of this as much as I'm trying to assure you of it. I think we both need to know this, really know it. Maybe then we'll be okay.

I just want you to know that I care, Charlie. And your friends care. And even though they don't show it, your family cares, too. You are not alone. You are not a lost cause. You will be okay. Promise.

Love,
Your Friend

One Song

If I could give one song to any one person - or in my case, two people - I would choose Perfect by Pink. I would give this song to my two best friends, McKayla and Elizabeth. "Pretty pretty please, don't you ever ever feel like you're less than, less than perfect. Pretty pretty please, if you ever ever feel like you're nothing, you are perfect to me." I just want them both to know that they are perfect and they are wonderful and that I love them immensely, with every fiber of my being. ❤

Perks of Being a Wallflower End

 Characterization - Sam
When first introduced to Sam in The Perks of Being a Wallflower, the reader can already tell that there is more to her than what is seen at first glance. Sam is a dynamic character throughout the entirety of the story. She changes so much from the beginning of the story to the end; she grows, she learns, and she lives.

Her character is introduced as the fun girl that Charlie has a crush on. She likes to party and likes attention, but in actuality this is a cry for help. Sam is unusual, and it is noted that at one point she was popular, before she got into "good music".

From the beginning it is said that Sam has a troubled past. Charlie's sister mentions names the other students called her, for things she had done with guys. She had a history of getting around, which stems from the later revelation that Sam was molested by a family friend at a young age. This left her traumatized, and the fact that she later gave herself away to feel loved hints that maybe she never felt love before. Not real love. Maybe that's all she wanted the whole time.

Sam grows tremendously throughout the book. In the beginning she's the carefree party girl who seems to keep everything locked up inside. She just wants to have fun, partying, drinking, doing drugs - you name it, she does it. But as the story goes along, she changes. She gets into an actual relationship which opens her eyes later on. Craig tries to control her and she lets him. She lets him tear her down and make her feel like she doesn't matter.

Toward the end of the book, she realizes that, hey, I do matter and nobody should get to walk all over me like that. She realizes that she shouldn't let other peoples' opinions influence her to the point that she can no longer be her own person. She realizes that another person's idea of who she is doesn't matter if they don't know who she is at all. The only relevant opinion of herself is her own. She doesn't let her past and the tragedy that she's encountered define who she is. Only she is able to define herself.

The main thing that Sam highlights, which is a very important part of this book, is that people need to do things. They need to participate in life, no matter what opinions surround them or what views people have. People are going to talk, regardless. People will hold your past and your actions against you, but it's all irrelevant, really.

Sam is dynamic in the realest meaning of the word because of the fact that she really grows and she lives and learns so much more than I could ever begin to explain in one blog post.

Quotes
 "So, this is my life. And I want you to know that I am both happy and sad and I'm still trying to figure out how that could be." -Charlie

This is a very important quote in relation to the meaning of the story as a whole. What this means is that basically, Charlie is feeling mixed emotions about everything in life. He doesn't know why this is, but this is really the entire point of the story. This book is about identity and finding yourself and really coming to terms and understand who you are. This quote highlights that fact - Charlie has no idea what he feels or why he feels it, but he grows. He learns. This is the entire point of the book.

"We accept the love we think we deserve." -Bill 

This quote is very powerful and very important in relation with the meaning of the story. The meaning of this quote is self-explanatory; people will only let people love them if they feel they deserve their love. This is based on the person's perception of who they are, their identity per se. This book is entirely about finding yourself, figuring out who you are and who you will be. This quote ties right into that based on the fact that the love you will accept relies solely on how you feel about yourself and what you think you deserve. Charlie accepts the love of his friends because he thinks he deserves it. His sister accepts the love of the boy who hits her because she thinks she deserves it. It is based solely on your own perception of who you are.

"So, I guess we are who we are for a lot of reasons. And maybe we'll never know most of them. But even if we don't have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there. We can still do things. And we can try to feel okay about them." - Charlie

This may very well be the most important quote from the entire book. In relation with the main theme of finding yourself and figuring out who you really are, this quotes highlights the fact that, yes, people cannot choose where they come from. They don't choose what happens to them or what happened in their past or even in their present. But they have the power to choose where they go from that point. They have the power to choose who they are, who they want to be, and what they're going to do. And they can live, and they can feel, and they can learn, because that's what life is about. That is the main point of the entire story.  

My Mixtape

1. What You Know - Two Door Cinema Club
   I found this song online and I absolutely loved it. To me, it's personal. "I can tell just what you want. You don't want to be alone, you don't want to be alone. And I can't say just what you know, but you've known it the whole time, yes you've known it the whole time." That just sounds like a cry out for someone to help. I don't want to be alone. I feel like this song is about me.

2. River Flows in You - Yiruma 

 I don't remember exactly where I first heard this song, but I know that it stuck with me ever since. It's wordless, obviously, but it gets to me and hits straight in my soul. This is the one song that can calm me down and make me relax, no matter what. This is my go to song on a bad day, or when I'm crying and falling apart, or even when I'm happy. It's soothing. It's perfect for every emotion.

3. Lights - Ellie Goulding

This song is personal for me as well as calming. For some reason, even as sad as the lyrics are, the music just gets to my soul and calms me down instantly. "Voices, I play within my head. Touch my own skin, and hope that I'm still breathing." This part gets to me for personal reasons dealing with my depression, and it hits me hard. Much harder than any lyric has ever hit me before.

4. Asleep - Emily Browning

This is a remake of The Smiths song, Asleep, done by one of my favorite actresses. I've always loved this song. "Don't try to wake me in the morning, 'cause I will be gone. Don't feel for me, I want you to know, deep in the cell of my heart I will feel so glad to go." This part gets to me on a personal level. I've been there. I know what it's like to feel like that and to have it put into lyrics is just.. chilling.

5. Black Balloon - The Kills

I heard this song online for the first time and it sent chills up my spine. It's so raw and emotional. This song is about letting go, something that I really struggle with, so it gets to me on a personal level. "I swear our jet is crashing in my mind. You can hold on but I wouldn't waste your time. Farewell my black balloon." Accepting letting go of something. It's chilling, in all honesty.

 

6. Runaway - Yeah Yeah Yeahs 

This song gets me every time to the point that I tear up each time I hear it. It's extremely personal here so I won't go into detail with my reasoning, but it hits me hard. It's very sentimental and comforting to me, to know that these things happen. I will be okay. "Run, run, run away. Lost, lost, lost my mind. Like you to stay, want you to be my prize." I relate to this. I sometimes feel like I'm breaking and everyone is leaving, and that I want nothing more than one single person to stay with me. 

 

7. Dark Blue - Jack's Mannequin 

One of my close friends showed me this song and it's scary how much I relate to it. "I'll wait, I'll wait, for the ambulance to come, pick us up off the floor. What did you possibly expect under this condition?" This line gets me. This song is about being so broken and bent and learning to live anyway. Dark Blue is a symbol of peace. 

 

8.  Zombie - The Pretty Reckless

This song is extremely personal for me, but I guess I'll explain it anyway. This song is about people pushing you and hurting you and breaking you until there's nothing left for them to kick around anymore. I relate to that so much. "Dear all of you who've wronged me, I am, I am, a zombie. Again, again, you want me to fall on my head. I am, I am, I am, a zombie. How low, how low, how low will you push me?" This explains it all. 

9. Alive - Krewella

"Meet me under shining lights, I've been waiting right here all my life. Feelings, you can't deny that you are living, open up your eyes. And I just want to sink into your crazy laughter. Come on, make me feel until the pain don't matter." This part of the song gets me every time. It's the one line that I really relate to and that makes this song special, to me.

10. Paradise - Coldplay

"Life goes on, it gets so heavy. The wheel breaks the butterfly. Every tear, a waterfall. In the night, the stormy night she closed her eyes. In the night, the stormy night, away she'd fly. And dreamed of paradise." This songs is personal for me. It shows that going on even though life really sucks sometimes is possible and that it's okay to not be okay, and it's okay to escape sometimes.

Perks of Being a Wallflower - Part One

What exactly does it mean to be a "wallflower"?

A wallflower is a person who watches from the sidelines, uninvolved in life, filling space. They observe but they don't participate.

Characterization

Who is the protagonist? How would you characterize him?

The protagonist is Charlie. He appears to be a round character; obviously there is a lot more to his character than is seen in part one of the story.

Which characters are round and flat?

Charlie, Sam, and Patrick are all round characters. Bill, Charlie's parents and siblings, his sister's boyfriend, and the other students are all flat characters.

Examine the family dynamics in "Perks". Would you classify Charlie's parents as good or bad? What textual evidence do you have to support this?

Charlie's parents are indifferent - they are neither good nor bad. They are not there for his soon and his father seems to be a wreck around emotions, like when he hit Charlie for crying. He seems to have an image of what his son should be and he's upholding that image instead of accepting Charlie for who he really is. They put a lot of pressure on him to succeed as well.

Point Of View

• What point of view is used and what style? Why would the author chose this method? How is it effective?

The point of view is first person. It is told from Charlie's point of view with his thoughts and feelings in clear text. This let the reader connect to Charlie and place themselves in his shoes.

Plot

• What conflicts exist in this novel so far?

So far, the conflicts consist of Charlie's inability to participate in life or have friends after the suicide of his friend Michael, and his sister's abusive relationship with her boyfriend.

• What do you notice about the exposition of this story? Does it grab your attention? How?

It's a very slow start but it is still effective. Charlie's problems and his position of starting high school with no place to fit in is relatable with how a lot of students felt their freshman year.

How to Read Literature Like a Professor

Which chapters apply so far?

Chapters 1, 2, 11, and 17.

Quotes

Discuss these quotes in your groups. What do they REALLY mean?

"Not everyone has a sob story, Charlie, and even if they do, it's no excuse."

There are no excuses for peoples' actions. They are at fault for their own decisions and should not try to justify any of them with a story from their past.

"Charlie, we accept the love we think we deserve."

Self-esteem plays a key part in determining who is allowed to love you. When a person has low self-esteem, they think that they can't get anyone better than the usual stereotypical jerks and idiots when they deserve so much more. They don't think they're good enough for something they actually deserve.

So, this is my life. And I want you to know that I am both happy and sad and I'm still trying to figure out how that could be.

Charlie is growing up and has no idea who he is or what to feel about all the different parts of his life. This makes him both happy and sad, and he doesn't know why. It's normal to feel this way, and people feel this way quite a lot, but it's new to Charlie. The fact that he feels so much at once scares him beyond belief, but it's okay to feel everything at once and it's okay to just not be completely okay all the time. Once he adjusts and learns, he will realize that.