developing writers
Anna Smith, educational researcher & teacher educator blogging about composition in the digital age, contexts for learning, theories of development, and global youth.
Charlie, My New Friend
Author: Holly
You can find William’s #teachread work at: hollythewallflower.blogspot.com
Categories: YA Lit, Web 2.0, Perks of Being a Wallflower
Tags: Charlie, YA lit, final thoughts
Charlie, My New Friend
There is nothing shallow about The Perks of Being a Wallflower, although now I do realize the irony behind its title.
Charlie is an intelligent, sensitive young man. I might even call him an old man trapped in a young man’s body because of the way he considers the world he lives in-how he finds beauty in the people he loves and the simpler moments in life others may look past.
Like many teens, Charlie struggles with his identity and experiments to find where he belongs, and who he is. He tries drugs, alcohol and sexual intimacy on his road to self-realization, breaking my heart with his letters and how truthfully he describes his experiences. I began to assume the worst would happen as I neared the end of the novel. It would not have surprised me if Charlie ended up dying at the end of the novel- at times I was sure he would, since he appears to be such a tragic hero. But like many teens who are going through trial after trial, he remained resilient in the face of adversity and the emotions which overwhelmed him, and warranted an extended stay in the hospital.
Charlie’s heart stayed the same, and his friends despite their differences stayed by his side, caring for him just as they had in the very beginning. I sighed with relief in that moment, when I knew that Sam, Patrick and Brad still cared for him. I’ve met so many isolated teens who long for the type of friends Charlie has, and they type of friendship that Charlie gives out no matter what.
Reading this novel and studying its content has been a very special experience. I feel I have a better understanding of the purpose of YA literature in the classroom and intend to use this novel in my own practice. The use of my Web 2.0 platform, blogger lent itself well to this study. Often, I felt connected to Charlie’s letters because I was essentially creating my own and sharing them with whoever I thought would listen.
Overall, I think we all just want to know we’ve been heard, especially teens. This experience has been gratifying for me as an adult, and I believe it would have success in the adolescent ELA classroom.
Until we meet again, friends…
Holly
absolutelyholls.blogspot.com
Check out the book!
Check Out the Book!
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