The Perks Of Being a Wallflower Synthesis page for Charlie

The Outcast- The outcast in the perks of being a wallflower is Charlie, the main character. In the book, Charlie is excluded by society and cant fit in with his classmates or sometimes even his own family. Charlie is constantly being beat down on whether its his sister screaming "I hate you" and calling him a pervert or his friends calling him a cruel name. Whether it's Charlies own fault that he is getting called these names or not, regardless, he is still being beaten down.

One example from the text is when Charlie kisses Sam because Patrick dared him to kiss the prettiest girl in the room, even though he is already dating Mary Elizabeth and told her she was pretty. "What the f**k is wrong with you?" (Sam) This quote shows that Sam is upset at Charlie for doing something stupid even though it was (in Charlie's mind) an impulsive decision for him to make. Another example of Charlie not being able to fit in is when he is walking down the hallway in his school and some kid exclaims '"God that kid is such a f******g freak" I heard one of the boys whisper as i was halfway down the hallway." The fact that Charlie heard the comment shows that his classmates most likely want him to know that he is a freak and doesn't belong in the school.

However, towards the end of the book he changes a little and people start to recognize Charlie for who he is. One example of this is when Charlie's sister tells him a big secret. "So, I hugged her back. It was weird, too, because I've never hugged my sister. Not when she was forced to anyway... That's when she told me she was pregnant." this part of the book shows how his sister shows Charlie that she loves him for the first time. Another part of the book that shows how people in Charlie's life cahnge is when his mother comes into his room and says to him "I really do love you, Charlie."

The Fellowship Of the Ring

Some characters are born brave, but others have to work to gain it. In the book "The Fellowship Of the Ring" by JRR Tolkein, the main character, Frodo, learns to become a leader, and becomes more brave throughout the course of the story.

In the beginning of the book, Frodo wasn't very brave. His uncle leaves him and he leaves behind his old ring which tempts you to the point where it turns you against your friends. When Gandalf tells Frodo that the ring his uncle had was the ring of power, or the "one ring to rule them all" he becomes very anxious and in denial that he has to deal with it. An example from the book is "I wish it hadn't come to me, I wish it need not happen in my time." This quote from the book shows that Frodo doesn't want to have to be responsible for the ring. This quote also shows that he is in denial of reality when he says that he wishes that the ring didn't exist in his time, even though in reality it does and he has to cope with it. After Frodo says that, Galdalf the wizard tried to give him more courage through wise words."So do I , and so do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us." I think that this quote gives Frodo a little realization that he has to try to be braver. This quote also shows that he is not alone in this case and a lot of people are afraid.

In the middle of the book, when Frodo is on his journey and his friends are nervous about never coming back he says, "'It's a dangerous business going out your door, Frodo' he used to say. ' You step into the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there is no knowing where you might be swept off to.'"
Now, in this case, Frodo is the one who is giving words of wisdom to his friends. This shows that he has learned that he needs to learn to deal with his fears and try to be more brave.

Towards the end of the book, Frodo is leaving his Fellowship (which he is reluctant to do but must do it for the sake of his friends live's) and Sam comes with him. They about to go into Mordor (evil society) and Sam is afraid. "How do you pick up the threads of an old life? How do you go on, when in your heart, you begin to understand, there is no going back? There are some things that time cannot mend. Some things that go too deep… that have taken hold, but my dear Sam, we must be brave." What I get from this quote is that he is telling Sam the many doubts and worries that he had (or still has some) and is saying, in despite of that, they must go on and be brave. This quote overall shows how Frodo has changed from a anxious, naive, hobbit, to a brave, mature, "soldier".

2014 Summer Reading: To Kill A Mocking Bird By Harper E Lee

One book that I read over the summer was To Kill A Mocking Bird by Harper E Lee. To Kill A Mocking Bird  follows a young girl named Scout Finch whose father is a lawyer. Scouts father (Atticus) is assigned to a case that involves a black man that is accused of rape. In the book, people are reluctant to believe this man because the color of his skin.

Scout Finch, who is a very curious girl wonders why people don't believe his case. Scouts father says that some people make quick judgements because of their ethnicity. scout then asked her father if he believed his client and her father said yes.

This book also made me rethink my perspective on society. One reason why this book made me rethink my overall perspective on society has to do with on character whose name is Boo Radley. The story behind this man is that he supposedly killed his family. However, this man is greatly misunderstood. "Jem gave a reasonable description of Boo: Boo was about six-and-a-half feet tall, judging from his tracks; he dined on raw squirrels and any cats he could catch, that's why his hands were bloodstained—if you ate an animal raw, you could never wash the blood off. There was a long jagged scar that ran across his face; what teeth he had were yellow and rotten; his eyes popped, and he drooled most of the time."   

This quote from the book shows that Jem thinks that Boo is a dangerous man. This quote also says that Jem judges Boo by his appearance. Scout and Jem (Scout Finche's brother) are always daring each other to see who can get the closest to his house; which is across the street from them. Scout and Jem think that this man is dangerous, although he ends up saving them in the end when they are attacked. So, overall, the myth about Boo Radley is untrue (in the end of the book Atticus reveals that Boo's real name is Arthur Radley).

This book changed my perspective on society because it taught me that you should never be so quick to judge someone by appearance because they might end you who you would least expect them to be.