Syracuse, NY — A few weeks ago, I was perusing Carousel Center and found myself at Borders. After picking up a copy of J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan, a display of The Perks of Being a Wallflower caught my eye. I had some time on my hands, so I put on my new reading glasses (med school is complicating my focusing abilities) and read the novel, start to finish.
Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower is told from the perspective of a high school freshman named Charlie, presented through a series of letters addressed to an anonymous friend. I found the book to be a fairly melodramatic outlook on adolescence yet at one instance, Charlie raised an interesting notion:
I love my mom so much. I don’t care if that’s corny to say. I think on my next birthday, I’m going to buy her a present. I think that should be the tradition. The kid gets gifts from everybody, and he buys one present for his mom since she was there, too. I think that would be nice (p. 189).
On a birthday, there is never an uncertainty to whom the gifts should be given. Before reading this book, I had never considered the philosophy behind the birthday. Doesn’t it make sense to give recognition to the individual responsible for the it? It may be a moot point, but next year I plan on thanking my mom with a present on my birthday.
In the spirit of SomeEcards:
- littleladie
eastcoastpaperboy
fourthestateblues
jonboi
couchcast
bgaryg
littleladie
chocolateandfruit
scruff87
felicenavidad99
On a random tangent, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is one of the most banned/challenged books in libraries. I’m glad it keeps drawing readers in, despite the efforts of the small-minded.