It seems that many kids these days think it's okay to drown their blood in alcohol and mess up their mentality with drugs. In the book, "The Perks Of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky, it has many questionable themes and content that some adults may think is harmful to children and young adults such as drugs and alcohol abuse and rape. I disagree. I think that it is important for kids our age to be well educated on this topic so that they are aware of the dangers in the world and are "prepared" when the issue comes into play.
One of the main themes in the book is the issue of drug abuse. In the book, charlie is a teenager who is excluded from society and because of his social status, he feels like there is nothing that could ruin his life at that point, so he does drugs. For example, on page 101 of the book, Charlie takes LSD which is a hallucinogenic drug that is very dangerous to the mind. "And my mind played hopscotch… my brother… football…Brad… Dave and his girlfriend in my room… the coats…the cold…the winter… 'Autumn Leaves'…don't tell anyone you pervert…Sam and Craig…Sam…Christmas…typewriter…gift…Aunt Helen… and the trees kept moving…they just wouldn't stop moving… so I laid down and made a snow angel. The policeman found me pale blue and asleep." This quote shows how Charlie is having hallucinations and they have taken over his mind. He wasn't in complete control of his body so he laid down in the snow and almost freezes to death. Another part is on page 34 and charlie takes a pot brownie.
"Are you seeing anything Charlie?"
"Light"
"Does it feel good?"
"Uh-huh"
"Are you thirsty?"
"Uh-huh
"He's stoned"
This quote from the book shows how Charlie is high and he can't correctly use his mind. These parts of the book teach the danger of drugs to kids and teenagers, which is a reason why this book should not be banned.
Another main theme in the book is alcohol abuse with friends and at parties. On page 158, Charlie gets drunk with Patrick. "We were getting pretty drunk.
'So Parker and Lily come up here one night. And they are so in love! He even gave her is thespian pin… or something'
" At this point, we were spitting out wine between sentences"
This quote shows how Charlie and Patrick get so drunk that the start to talk nonsense to each other. Another part in the book where Charlie has a hangover
"It seems like every morning since that first night I wake up dull and my head hurts and I can't breathe. Patrick and I have been spending a lot of time together, and we drink a lot."
This quote clearly shows how often Patrick and Charlie get drunk when they are together. This book should not be banned because it teaches kids the medical and physical danger alcohol abuse can be.
One other theme in the book is rape and molesting. On pages 30-31 of the book 12 year old charlie innocently watches a a girl is raped in his bedroom. "He kept on touching her, and the girl says no. The more she says no, the more clothes come off her body." This quote clearly shows that the boy is doing something against the girl's will, which is rape. This scene in the book haunts Charlie throughout the course of the story. Another example is on page 204 when Charlie is lead to believe that his aunt had been molesting him when he was a young child. This terrible memory comes back to him when he was about to have sex with Sam, but then felt sick because the memory came back to him. "My brother and sister and I were watching television with my Aunt Helen. Everything was in slow motion- the sound was thick… and she was doing what Sam was doing to me." (Page 205) "I'm starting to believe that what I thought Aunt Helen was doing to me was true." These quotes show how Charlie's Aunt was taking advantage of him at a young age but he chose to block the thought out of his mind. I think that this teaches young readers to be aware of serious issues in the world.
This book should not be banned because it educates and makes young audiences become aware of the issues of drugs, alcohol, and rape. Some parents may think that it influences young readers to go out and do drugs, for example, but they are 100% wrong. Banned books such as "The Perks Of Being A Wallflower" By Stephen Chobosky makes kids not want to misuse drugs and alcohol because of the terrible outcome as shown in the book.
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