Someone who is on the side. They aren't involved, they simply watch from the sidelines and fill space, like a wallflower.
Characterization
Who is the protagonist? How would you characterize him?
The protagonist is Charlie, the boy whom is writing to his 'friend'. He appears to be a round character, even though he's hiding it. There's something more about him that has yet to be explained.
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, stock 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 seem to be a mixture. They are not there for him right now, or whenever he needs him, and his father is abusive towards him as he has a set image for him to be that he isn't. They are putting a lot of pressure on him as the younger child. When Charlie cries as a child, his father hits him for it, and nobody did anything about it. Parents should not hit kids over grieving, especially when they're as young as he was.
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 being told from Charlie's point of view, with all his thoughts and feelings in clear text. This connects the reader personally to Charlie as if they themselves are Charlie.
Plot
- What conflicts exist in this novel so far?
So far, the conflicts consist of Charlie's inability to participate or have friends after the suicide of his friend Michael, and his sister's abusive relationship with her boyfriend. There are a few minor conflicts, but none too plot changing.
- What do you notice about the exposition of this story? Does it grab your attention? How?
It's a very slow start; however, it is still effective. Charlie's problems and his position of starting high school with no place to fit in is relatable with how students felt their freshman year. Of course, his situation is a lot more dire and lonely than the average freshman, but it is still pretty similar.
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."
People's actions are made because they decided to make them. They are the ones at fault, and they cannot and should not use some story about their past to justify them.
"Charlie, we accept the love we think we deserve."
When a person's self esteem is low enough that they think they cannot get anyone better than the person they have, they will not try for something they actually deserve because they feel that because they are "awful" people, they think they deserve assholes.
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. He doesn't know who he is. He has mixed feelings about each aspect of his life that make him both happy and sad at the same time, and he doesn't know why. It's normal for a person to feel that way, but because kids are usually a single embodiment of an emotion, having more than one feeling about something is confusing and frustrating and takes time to adjust and realize that it is how things should be.
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