#readingprocess

BOOK TITLE: JO-JO by Ella Anderson

SUMMARY:

            The three friends, Audrey, Esther and Paula, are full of excitement for they have been invited to spend their vacation on the Little Creek Ranch, at San Paloma, in California. To them, the very name spells adventure. At the ranch they meet Monica Evans and her Palomino horse Jo-jo. A rodeo thrills them, especially as Monica showed tricks riding with Jo-jo. Horse thieves enter the picture. And for a time the four chums are in great danger before help comes. But with unity of the four and with help from the authority, everything became fine. Living the Little Creek Ranch, the girls wish they could spend their vacation there again.

LITERARY CIRCLE ROLES:

This activity called “The Literary Circle” in our Intensive Reading subject has become an instrument for more intensive discussion and comprehension of reading materials that more often than not; students (like me) tend to take for granted.

So, last June 28, 2013 at our group mate’s house, Eddielou, in Polomolok, we discussed about the book we have chosen, Jo-Jo by Ella Anderson. Honestly at first, I wasn’t that excited to read the novel because the cover of the book didn’t excite me. I really thought it was a children’s book. But upon reading it intensively and comprehensively, I realized that the novel can also be compared to the other good contemporary novels I have already read. All of us in the group are not familiar with the book and also with the author, Ella Anderson. That’s one of the reasons why we still pursued in reading this novel so that it would be fair for all of us in the group that none of us is familiar with it. With that, the amount of knowledge is equal.

The DISCUSSION DIRECTOR of the group, Jay Lloyd Ca-as, started the discussion by asking all of us to formulate some questions regarding the book. After brainstorming and merging of ideas, Jay Lloyd ended up with five thought-provoking questions about the novel. The questions and the answers we have formulated are as follow:

What is the main problem and conflict of the story?

Basically, the story revolved around one main problem and that is Jo-jo’s loss. The conflict is Man Vs. Man because the girls used physical strength against the thieves to retrieve the stolen horses and restore the harmony in Little Creek Ranch.

What is the purpose of the story?

We believe that the main purpose of the story is to know the relevance of unity in times of circumstances. When Jo-jo was lost, the girls became stronger, more united and closer to each other. Also, the author wants to let us know the importance of any living creature not only human beings but also the animals. Before Jo-jo’s loss, the girls did not give much importance to the animals. But at the end of the book, it shows that the main characters developed interest and care for animals.

How did the characters develop?

At the beginning of the story, the girls acted childishly and were indifferent about the welfare of animals.  But at the end of the story, they became more mature and stronger individuals. They already have a sense of responsibility and care for other living creature, especially the horses.

How were they able to retrieve Jo-jo and the other horses?

At first, the girls struggled at their feet to retrieve the horses but their forces weren’t that enough and so they sought help from the authority or the sheriffs in the town. After seeking help from the authorities, they first secured that the horses are already back to the ranch and made sure the thieves were punished for their deviant actions.

What are the intentions of the thieves in stealing the horses?

The thieves would sell the horses and receive a great deal of money since the horses in Little Creek Ranch are well-bred and well-trained aside from being physically strong. The stallions and mares in the ranch are already an asset for a good living. But beforehand, the girls had already seen the thieves but were not aware about their relation on the later part of the story. It was like a foreshadowing that danger is going to happen but well, they just ignored it. Audrey had the glimpse of one of them. It is evident in page 10 of the book:

“Audrey, who had turned once more to look at the riders, saw they were now alongside the train. She didn’t get much of a glimpse of the first two riders faces, but the third brought a gasps as the  evil leer from the dark eyes, nearly hidden under a huge sombrero, made her shudder with fear. Hurrying through after the others, she felt a strange feeling of hunger steal over her that she couldn’t seem to shake off.”

            So those were the questions we have discussed. After that, the LITERARY LUMINARY/PASSAGE PICKER of the group, Michael John Otanes, read aloud some passages in the book that kind of caught his attention. He then stated the reasons for choosing the passages (but I wasn’t able to jot down his reasons). The passages were:

”You never get to know your heavenly father well if you just take him for granted.”

"We do our best, too, but we have the fun and joy of knowing that our Heavenly Father is rejoicing with us and that we can ask Him or thank Him for things, while you just go drearily on doing your best and letting it go at that.”

”By faith we know that and faith is logical. It is not something you work into or for. It is a gift, and you can thank the same God for it. you use the faith to let God accomplish things in you, for you, and through you.”

"Once the seed is sown, all you can do is to wait and pray hard.”

To connect the book and the outside world, our CONNECTOR, Eddielou Asedillo, shared the connections she has found while reading the novel. This is her post:

  “It is usual when we have our pets gone for some other time. When we feel that they enjoyed wandering around, have gone far and seem like they are not coming home anymore, we started to worry. This is not just only for pets but also for those people whom we think has been lost or were lost. I have a cousin who has a chihuahua stolen from the inside of their store. Maybe, too much exposure to the public lead it to its loss. Maybe some of the customers had wanted to have the dog as their own, so they planned to steal it, or by chance, when no one has attended the store to entertain, so maybe they hurriedly captured the dog. This story is not just about those lost pets, but also for the unity of the people. We can also see nowadays that some things are being the reason why other people are united, and sometimes improve their acquaintances.  At the story, we can see that the characters are not that concern to JOJO, they don’t care enough, but as the story progresses, they realized that JOJO has a great importance to thier lives. It is greatly applicable to our lives that, when we see things that are present and tangible, we don’t value or we don’t even notice their presence, but when the moment they turned out of our sight, that’s the time when we hunt for them. it is damn true what others say towards others- "you only notice me when you need me, you only care for me only if you want something for me". There are more situations where we can see the insensitivity of others in terms of  giving sympathy towards their like and thinking only for themselves. Why don’t we give them love too? Why don’t we show them care and concern? We are all created equally.”

            I, Charlene Love Amarata was assigned as the CHARACTER CAPTAIN of the group and so I made a characterization of the main characters based on the author’s description of them in the novel:

AUDREY DEAN - She is the most optimistic gal in the group and enjoys outdoor activities. She also loves new adventures. She’s the one who was invited to go to the ranch and brought along her friends. Along the story, she showed leadership among her peers. She is the one who planned things and actions to retrieve Jo-jo and the other horses. If it weren’t for her bravery, the horses may not be retrieved before things went to late. She made the situation less dire, actually.

 Esther Chapman – She is the silent type of girl and loves to read books. She is intelligent and smart. She is not that fond of outdoor activities and has been referred to as an introvert but is talkative when Audrey and Paula is around. Without her knowledge about horses, they wouldn’t be able to heal the wounds of the horses after retrieving them.

Paula Gray – Paula is more of the happy-go-lucky type of girl. She goes with the flow and is kind of indifferent about a lot of things. But when situated in a big problem or situation, she acts maturely and often times, her instincts are right. Without her instincts, they wouldn’t figure out and retrieve the horses.

 Monica Evans – The girls met her at the ranch. She is the owner of Jo-jo. She is a good horse-rider and knows many tricks. She is friendly and got along with the girls easily. When the horses were stolen, she almost lost hope but the girls were able to help her get back on her knees and find Jo-jo and the other horses in the ranch.

            Our ARTFUL ARTISTS, April Joy Mosquera and Ryan Patrick Elloren, made a  drawing of how we imagined Jo-Jo. (The photo will be uploaded a little later)

            The VOCABULARY ENRICHER of the group, Shiela Mae Estabillo, searched for some unfamiliar and puzzling words most of us found in the book. These words which aren’t that familiar to us are as follows:

 Advent; page 11, Chapter 2 : Little Creek Ranch

“…but a closer look showed that most of them were sightseers who had come in to watch the advent of arrivals.”

Meaning: The coming or arrival, especially of something or someone.

Chum; page 5, Chapter 1 : California, Here we come!

“Esther Crapman, her chum, reminded her with a chuckle, as they sat facing the big windows in the observation car.

Meaning: An intimate friend or companion.

  Lumberjacked; page 5, Chapter 1 : California, Here we come!

“For years the lumberjacked in Canada together…”

Meaning: A gentleman who earns his living by felling trees.

   Shimmering; page 5, Chapter 1: California, Here we come!

“…gazing out of the windows at the heat waves shimmering on the passing orange graves.”

Meaning: To shine with a subdued flickering light.

 Languid ; page 5, chapter 1 : California, Here we come!

“This is so languid that my eyelids weight a ton.”

Meaning: Lazy and peaceful.

REACTION:

     The novel talks about how unity in friendship can destroy the enemies’ bad motives against them. If people stick together instead of leaving one another in times of trouble, things wouldn’t be too hard to handle. I love how the main characters in the book remained positive despite the circumstances. Instead of not caring for the welfare of other creatures, they forgot about their own safety and dared to fight against the people who plotted bad things against them.

REFLECTION:

            During my High School days, I encountered almost similar fate with the girls in the novel when I and my own peer group had conflicts. Instead of fighting each other back and leaving one another behind, we chose to understand each and everyone’s situation and resolved our problems which caused us to become more bonded and more united. Our friendship is going strong despite all the adversities we have undergone.

EVALUATION:

SUMMARY:

     Miles Halter, a sixteen-year-old with a fascination for last words, begins his scholastic adventure at Culver Creek boarding school in Alabama with an introduction to his roommate Chip "Colonel" Martin, a trailer-bred genius. Chip nicknames the skinny Miles "Pudge" and introduces him to Alaska Young, a beautiful, literate and intellectually gifted teenager with a head full of elaborate pranks. Under the tutelage of his new (and real) friends, Miles learns to drink, smoke, escape punishment, and understand people. A few days following a major, adrenaline-pumping prank, Alaska drives insanely drunk, crashes her car and dies instantly.       Miles and Chip, both grieving for their lost friend, wondering if she committed suicide or was killed accidentally, search for evidence of the reasons behind her death. They also feel guilty because they were the last people to see her alive and did not stop her from driving drunk. From his experiences with this loss, Miles learns valuable lessons about loyalty, friendship, and life.  The novel is divided into two sections: "before" and "after". Miles' school year is comprised of exactly 136 days before and after Alaska's death. 

PART 1:

So many times throughout the novel, Miles is distracted by the calculation of how many layers were between his flesh and Alaska’s; skin, corduroy, blanket, jeans, skin.  Five mere layers.  The layers between he and Alaska, though seemingly a sexualized concept is more intimate upon further reflection.  While some may be more enticed by the direct description of adult-type novels, this awareness runs far deeper than what is on the surface.  A few millimeters of fabric may keep Miles and Alaska separated, but appropriate named, he is further away than he might be aware.  What keeps the distance between the layers  that Alaska creates to keep people at bay is unfolded for the reader, and it is only too late for Miles.

The abstract of Looking for Alaska provides an insight to the ending of the novel before the first page is read: Alaska does not survive the tale of Miles’ first year at Culver Creek.  The tension is immediately created by Green’s decision to break the novel into two parts, “Before” and “After,” but even more so as the chapter titles are named after the number of days preceding and proceeding the event that takes Alaska’s life.  The reader begins to piece together possible causes behind the death of Alaska.  This is entirely seductive for the reader in that the last night of Alaska’s life, her puzzling affectionate behavior towards Miles and subsequent reckless response to an unnamed phone call throw off all surmised reasoning for the climax of the novel.

The second half of the novel leaves an obsessed Colonel and Miles to find some reasoning, some meaning behind the death of their friend.  The night of the car crash that took Alaska’s life, the whirlwind that was Alaska left little for the boys to go on, and the idea that perhaps her death was not accident.  The Colonel is obsessed with determining the why of her death, and Miles totally consumed with answering the questions that she left him with.

Reflecting back to my first sense of loss, the first time my heart had been broken and let down, so much anger was directed toward the one who built me up to believe that I was special and when that was taken away, I was angry and felt betrayed.  Conclusion: it was all nonsense.  You. Lied.  I believe that Miles was caught in this same trap of self doubt now that Alaska was gone.  What Alaska left Miles with was a questioning.  This uncertainty is best described in Miles’ reflection, “She had proved to me that it was worth it to leave behind my minor life for grander maybes, and now she was gone and with her my faith in perhaps…you {Alaska} left me Perhapsless.”

I feel that John Green was able to capture the emotions, uncertainties, and fumbling relationships that young people go through during this foundational period in their lives with authentic accuracy.  The Colonel turns out to be my favorite character in this novel, and the development of all layers of his personality make him come to life.  We’ve all known people like him, charismatic enough. I believe that it’s his friendship to Miles that makes the greatest impact, not the infatuation with Alaska.  While Miles becomes obsessed with the What and Why of her death, it is still self-serving: how does it impact him?  The Colonel is able to demonstrate to Miles what it means to be a true friend, to be there, and make amends for the times you simply mess everything up.

Looking for Alaska is aptly named, but it is in the journey of  discovery of who she is that Miles is able to finally find a place where he can define himself.  Alaska, a rugged and expansive test of oneself that leaves you never the same.  Both Miles and I can say that once experiencing such an escapade, we shall never view the mundane in the same way again; we are forever changed in our exploration of Perhaps.

PART 2:

8. Questions about things that confuse or things that I wonder about.

“What is the best way to go about being a person?…What are the rules of this game, and how might we best play it?”

This is the central question that Alaska Young and Miles Halter struggle with throughout the novel . What is the answer to this question? What do Alaska and Miles conclude?

What is the "Labyrinth" and how does it relate to the central question?

What is a Labyrinth? It is a maze or a complex system of paths or tunnels in which it is easy to get lost.

The first time I read about the labyrinth is when Alaska is quoting for Miles her favorite last words said by Simon Bolivar:

“He was shaken by the overwhelming revelation that the headlong race between his misfortunes and his dreams was at that moment reaching the finish line. The rest was darkness. “Damn it,” he sighed. “How will I ever get out of this labyrinth!”

How does this quote explain what the Labyrinth is? Even Alaska teased Miles into thinking about it; “That’s the mystery, isn’t it? Is the labyrinth living or dying? Which is he trying to escape–the world or the end of it?…You figure out what the labyrinth is and how to get out of it.”

Even though Alaska challenges Miles to figure out what the labyrinth is, she eventually gives Miles the answer. She explains, “It’s not life or death, the labyrinth”…”So what is it?”…”Suffering…doing wrong and having wrong things happen to you. That’s the problem. Bolivar was talking about pain.”

So the labyrinth = suffering + doing wrong and having wrong things happen to you + pain

I also want to add that in Looking for Alaska, the labyrinth has a double meaning. The labyrinth refers to the above and Alaska herself is also a metaphor for the labyrinth.

Let’s have a look at this quote:  “I realized the importance of curves, of the thousand places where girls’ bodies ease from one place to another, from arc of the foot to ankle to calf, from calf to hip to waist to breast to neck to ski-slope nose to forhead to shoulder to the concave arch of the back to the butt to the etc. I’d noticed curves before, of course, but I had never quite apprehended their significance.” The different curves of Alaska’s body are like the different curves or angles you experience when walking through a labyrinth or maze.

It is through exploring the Labyrinth of Alaska that Miles eventually figures out how to escape the Labyrinth of suffering and pain leading him to answer the central question: “What is the best way to go about being a person?…What are the rules of this game, and how might we best play it?”

How do Miles and Alaska escape the labyrinth of suffering? According to them what is the best way to go about being a person? What rules do they abide by and how do they best play the game of life?

10. My Favorite Part

My favorite part of this novel is really a sad part. It is when Alaska dies. She’s on the way to put flowers on her mother’s grave when a truck jackknifed. A police car had just gotten to the scene when Alaska hit the police car without even swerving. The cop tried  to blame it on intoxication because he smelled alcohol on Alaska’s breath.

Although it is the saddest part of the book, it is still my favorite. It really tells how Alaska died and probably why. They never really found out why. I guess it is left hanging for the readers to decide. 

SUMMARY:

Hazel Grace  is an average teenager except for the little fact that she's got all sorts of cancer inside her body and her lungs aren't working very well.

Hazel is in Support Group one day when a new boy catches her eye. Well, to be accurate, they catch one another's eyes. Soon enough, she and Augustus (aforementioned hot boy) are flirtatious friends and talk to each other about everything. Hazel shares her favorite book, An Imperial Affliction, with Augustus, and together they obsess about the unsolved ending. Augustus manages to somehow get through to the author and when Hazel emails him, he invites her to come to Amsterdam to discuss the ending of the book. A fan's dream come true.

In the meantime, Augustus and Hazel's good friend Isaac is losing his eye (the only one he has left) so that he can be cancer-free at long last. In the process though, he also loses his girlfriend Monica, who can't "deal" with having a blind boyfriend. Yeah, we think she's a little superficial too, but whatever.

So Augustus surprises Hazel by telling her that he still has his wish (the "Wish" that they grant to dying children) from when he had cancer and lost his leg, and he'd happily use it to take her to Amsterdam to meet Peter Van Houten, reclusive author of An Imperial Affliction. Ah, true romance. Hazel of course, is over the moon about the whole idea, but first she has to convince her hovering, worried parents and her skeptical doctors.

Eventually, they manage to get their trip in order and take off into the great unknown with Hazel's mother in tow. They go to Amsterdam and have beautiful and romantic times, but when they meet Peter Van Houten, it doesn't exactly go as planned. First of all, he's a mean drunk. Second of all... well actually, no, that's totally it. He's just a mean drunk and doesn't answer any of Hazel's questions. Hazel is angry and upset, but Van Houten's assistant Lidewij takes her and Augustus out to explore Amsterdam. They see Anne Frank's house, where things are kind of redeemed because she and Augustus finally kiss. Ooh la la. They go back to the hotel room and even steamier things happen. Yowza.

Augustus then drops a bomb: his cancer has returned. This is very, very bad. When they return to Indianapolis, it's clear that Augustus's health is deteriorating and he might not have much time left. In a heartbreaking scene, Hazel and Isaac even share the eulogies that they wrote for him. Throughout it all, Hazel is there with Augustus, until the very end.

When he dies, Hazel is shocked and filled with grief. At his funeral, though, she gives a different eulogy than the one she had written him. Why? Well, she realizes that she needs to deliver something that's tailored to his parents, who are the ones suffering now (not him).

At the funeral, she's shocked to see that Peter Van Houten is there. She talks to him and realizes that he wrote An Imperial Affliction because he had a daughter who died of cancer. She's no closer to liking Van Houten as a person, but she understands a little more why he's so tortured and crotchety. She also learns from Isaac that Augustus was writing something for her before he died. She proceeds to go on a kind of crazy search for what he's written, which she thinks might be the alternate ending to An Imperial Affliction that she wanted so badly. She also learns that her mother is taking classes to become a Support Group leader, and is relieved that there will be life for her parents after she dies.

At the very end, she learns from Lidewij that Augustus wrote her a eulogy that he sent to Van Houten. The book ends with her reading the eulogy, which states that he hopes that she's happy with the choices she made.

Hazel says that yes, she is happy.

PART 1:

To be honest, I am totally at a loss to describe this book with any coherence at all. This is a book that John Green had written, about a girl dying of lung cancer and a snapshot of her perspective of life, love and death. It was moving people to throw a party to celebrate it. I wanted to know why. The books reflections on the simple loves in life and of the profound sense of loss and losing those things you care about hits the reader hard. You don’t have to have cancer or know anyone who does to understand the crushing sense of loss when you imagine what it’s like to lose someone you love, to not be able to play, to suffer pain all the time. And similarly, you can understand the things that are so wonderful about life that we take for granted; a good meal, great books, the sound of someone you love breathing steadily, the first time you see a new town, the memories of playing on an old swing set.

Throughout the book, on their journey together, falling in love, learning about life and limitations, about the importance of friendship, Augustus and Hazel teach us, make us reflect on what death means to us and to the people we care about, what life means, what we do with the time we have. They often reflect that life is not a wish granting factory. Life is unfair. A sad fact, really.

This story made me think about my own life, made me heartbroken for the characters and their families, made me think about the people in my life who had lost someone, who I had lost. This story brings people around the world together, it gives its readers pause for self reflection, and maybe it just entertains them. It’s still important. And just because the story is made up doesn’t make it insignificant. 

While reading the book, I encountered some situations in the story that made me confused and even wondered how the story will end and what could happen to the characters in the story. At first when I read the first page, at one point, Hazel says, "Cancer books suck." Is this a book about cancer? What’s up with the title? Will Hazel Grace or Augustus die in the end? These are some of the questions that kept me going.

PART 2:

13. A letter to the author.

Dear John Green, This is a letter to thank you for writing one of the most brilliant books to ever grace the literary world. I spent two days reading The Fault in Our Stars. So when I started to read the first pages of Hazel and Augustus's story on Friday evening, I wanted to stay up all night: I was that sucked into their world. But alas, my body does not allow me to stay up all night anymore, so upon awakening Saturday morning, I continued with their story. I did not move from my chair until I finished. 

I don't even know how to express my feelings in words. Hazel and Augustus were real people to me. They were two of the most wonderful teenagers ever to have graced this planet, even if only in the pages of a book. So as their tragic story unfolded, I grieved for them, as I'm sure you did as you wrote their story. As I sat in my bed, reading, a pile of sodden tissues in my lap, my thoughts are ping-ponged between sadness and joy. Conversations that were supposed to be tragic ended up making me laugh out loud at their light-heartedness and humor. Scenes that would have been cliché and caused me to roll my eyes in any other book made me weep at their tenderness and romanticism.  I planned to write a review for this book. I marked pages. I wrote notes. But the closer to end I crept, the more I realized that this book can't be reviewed. It can't be intellectualized. It must merely be felt. Don't get me wrong, there are so many great moments worthy of discussion in any book club or literature class, but to sit here, only 24 hours after turning the final page? All I can do is marvel.  In my 18 years on this earth, I have yet to declare one favorite book. When people ask, my friends especially, what my favorite book is, I always tell them, "I have lots of favorites. I can't choose just one." Today and from here on out, whenever anyone asks me what my favorite book is, I can tell them, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that it is The Fault in Our Stars. So thank you John Green. Thank you for Hazel and Augustus and Isaac and for all of the other amazing characters to grace this brilliant story. When I turned the last page, I grieved. Not just for the characters and for the end of the book, but also for the fact that I don't know if any book I read from here on out will ever live up to this one. You have made my reading life from this day forward a much more challenging endeavor. So thank you for that.

Sincerely yours,

Charlene Love C. Amarata

18. A Poem for Augustus Waters

It’s been a while since I’ve last seen your face.

A while, since I’ve last had the chance to hear you speak.

-

See, Augustus, you’ve always talked about

How much you wanted to leave a mark in this world.

You wanted to be a hero, Gus

And in many ways, you were.

-

You were, are, and will always be

a hero to me.

-

We lived from zero to one

And every fraction in between.

It was so little, our infinity.

It ended way too soon,

When in reality I’d wished it was as large

as the universe we live in.

I wanted it to start from

infinity. And go on into,

infinity.

-

I never wanted to be attached,

not for my sake, but for yours.

I never wanted you to mourn

the loss of yet another love.

Little did I know, Augustus,

that I’ll be the one mourning you.

SUMMARY:

Fifteen-year-old Charlie is coping with the suicide of his friend, Michael. To lessen the fear and anxiety of starting high school alone, Charlie starts writing letters to a stranger, someone he heard was nice but has never met in person.

At school, Charlie finds a friend and mentor in his English teacher, Bill. He also overcomes his chronic shyness and approaches a classmate, Patrick, who, along with his step-sister Sam, become two of Charlie's BFFs.

During the course of the school year, Charlie has his first date and his first kiss, he deals with bullies, he experiments with drugs and drinking, and he makes friends, loses them, and gains them back. He creates his own soundtrack through a series of mix tapes full of iconic songs, reads a huge stack of classic books, and gets involved in the Rocky Horror Picture Show audience-participation culture.

Charlie has a relatively stable home life, though, with supportive, if distant, parents to fall back on. Unfortunately, a disturbing family secret that Charlie has repressed for his entire life surfaces at the end of the school year. Charlie has a severe mental breakdown and ends up hospitalized.

Charlie's final letter closes with feelings of hope: getting released from the hospital, forgiving his aunt Helen for what she did to him, finding new friends during sophomore year, and trying his best not to be a wallflower. Charlie hopes to get out of his head and into the real world, participating in life instead of just watching it fly by. 

PART 1:

Charlie's experiences taught me that growing up needs a lot of adjustments. Most of the time, we already love what we are doing that we don't want any of it to change. But reality hits us and makes us realize that in this world, lives change, friends leave, but life doesn't stop for anybody else.

In some ways, I can relate with Charlie (the protagonist). I am also a socially awkward teenager and consider myself a wallflower ─ I see things. I keep quiet about them. And I understand. When I was in my junior year in High School, the idea of going to the Promenade annoyed me. I am much of a party-pooper and would rather stay at home and read a book, watch flicks or listen to my favorite music. But of course, no one can escape from going so ALL of us needs to attend. During the party, I just sat there and observed the others dancing on the dance floor and mingle with peers. I just sat there on one corner thinking, "When will this party ever end?" Though somehow, at the end of the night, I found myself dancing in the middle of the dance floor with the crowd. Because really, I need to get out of my comfort zone and explore this thing called "growing up" just like what Charlie did in the book.

While reading the book, I’m just wondering why Charlie tend to be so different compared to other teenagers his age. He seemed kind of normal though at times, he reacts in this way or that way (which seems over the top) in some situations. Why are his thoughts bothering him? What makes him so sad? What really happened to his Aunt Helen? And why are those events still haunts him up to the present?

I’m just glad that all of my questions were answered (though some weren't so clearly stated) on the last pages of the book. Charlie is suffering from a mental disorder due to what had happened to his Aunt Helen (which was vague). He was traumatized by that event that’s why he overreacts sometimes, starts to cry hard, breaths fast and ignores the world.

At some points in the book, I even predicted that maybe Charlie would commit suicide at the end but I’m relieved because he didn't. Phew!

  PART 2:

1. CHARACTER REPORTS

Charlie - Charlie is the protagonist. Charlie exposes his story through letters sent to an unknown "friend." He explains his fears, problems, secrets and joys to this stranger. Charlie is a high school freshman from Western Pennsylvania that is suffering through the aftermath of his best friend’s suicide, the death of his favourtie Aunt, Helen, all aside from being a "wallflower". Struggling with friendship and family insecurities, a group of high school seniors, Sam, Patrick, Brad and Mary Elizabeth, befriends him. His new friends expose him to a new world of drugs, sexuality, love, parties, relationships, death, friendship, lies and culpability. Throughout the novel, Charlie develops from an innocent ‘wallflower’ that lived in books to an adventurous, befriended high school freshman that learns that life needs to be lived not watched. Sam and Patrick show Charlie the perks of being a wallflower.

  Sam - Sam is a high school Senior who befriends Charlie at their school’s football game. She is Patrick’s stepsister and is one of the main influences on Charlie’s life. She grew up with an abusive relative who raped her. From then on, she gained more and more respect for herself and learned the true meaning of deception and taking-advantage-of. She says at the end of the novel, “I’m going to do what I want to do. I’m going to be who I really am. I’m going to figure out what that is.” 

Sam is a very intelligent, affable, motivated, emotional, strong-minded girl who knows what she wants and what is right, most of the time. When Charlie admits to having a ‘Charlie-esque” crush on her, she sets him straight by letting him know that they will not end up together. She gets involved in her fair share of relationships throughout the story, and ultimately teaches Charlie the true meaning of love. With the help of her friends, she introduces smoking, parties, drugs, sexuality, kisses, friendships and relationships to Charlie. Sam is one of the characters that provide Charlie with the knowledge that made him loose his innocence. 

Sam helps Charlie realize that his Aunt Helen molested him before she died. Through Charlie's relationship with Sam, he was subconsciously realizing and remembering what his Aunt did to him. As a result, Charlie becomes mentally unstable at the end of the novel, and is rushed into a hospital.

Patrick -   Patrick, also known as Pat, also known as Nothing, is Sam’s stepbrother. Patrick is openly gay, and is in a secret relationship with Brad, the high school’s football quarterback. Like Sam, Patrick is also a senior in high school. Patrick experiences the constant ridicule at school about being gay, but due to his mature, carefree personality, he does not take it personally; especially when Brad is the one insulting him. Patrick is a very artistic person as well. Aside from exposing Charlie to a new way of life, he exposed him to new music. 

Bob - Bob did not have a huge role in the novel. He was the one who was hosting Charlie’s first party. He also gave Charlie a hash brownie which was Charlie’s first encounter with drugs. Bob is older than Sam and Patrick. He graduated high school a few years before they did. Bob was the host of some of the parties that Charlie, Sam and Patrick attended. 

Mary Elizabeth - Mary Elizabeth is also another high school senior. She is very strong-willed, yet insecure. She became Charlie’s first girlfriend, and through the course of their relationship, she needed constant reminder that she was pretty or else she didn’t believe it. When Charlie did not kiss Mary Elizabeth during their game of Truth or Dare when Patrick dared Charlie to kiss the prettiest girl in the room, Mary Elizabeth was both offended because she was dating Charlie at the time, and because she did not believe she was really pretty. Mary Elizabeth ran the Rocky Horror Picture Show that the entire group of friends (Patrick, Sam, Charlie, etc) participated in. She is very outspoken and determined and does not like her parents. She is a kind of rebellious girl, who has tattoos and piercings. 

Brad - Brad is the high school's senior star football quarter back. He is the typical high school football star with many friends and the authority to mock those 'beneath' him on the social standings. In school he is surrounded by cheerleaders and the football team friends, and helps mock Patrick for being openly gay. The twist is, Brad is also gay. He secretly goes to parties with Sam, Patrick, Mary Elizabeth; the group that he insults publicly. He is even dating Patrick. Charlie walks in on Brad and Patrick kissing one night at a party, which is where he learns that Patrick is gay, Brad is secretly gay, and really what homosexuality is. 

Brad is the example of the popular high-school student with a double life. He is ashamed to reveal who he truly is and what he truly wants.  Sam, Patrick and Brad have a significant role in Charlie’s development. Without their friendship, Charlie would not have been influenced to explore a new side of life.

16. An INTERVIEW with Charlie

ME: So, I have some questions for you. Well first off, what do you think the ‘theme’ is of this book?

Charlie: There are two themes to this novel, in my opinion: coming of age and loss of innocence. I think that this book is a really good interpretation of coming of age and loss of innocence because this novel focuses on the changes in my (Charlie) life when I met new people and experienced new things. Coming of age and loss of innocence go hand in hand. Through coming of age, one learns more and more and gains more understanding, ultimately resulting in loss of their ignorance connecting to loss of their innocence. The Perks of Being a Wallflower has a straightforward path from innocence to loss of innocence. I am a perfect example of one who loses their innocence because of knowledge. For as long as I knew Sam, I loved her. Throughout the novel, I learn about sexuality, through my friend Patrick, relationships, through my entire group of new-found friends, and about love, through pain and hardships I had experienced.  ME: Tell me a little bit about you and how your character explores the themes coming of age and loss of innocence.

Charlie: The novel begins with me, beginning high school and not having any friends. As the year starts, the only ‘friend’ I meet is my AP English teacher, Bill. Once Bill explains to me that I need to ‘participate’ in life more. I befriend step-siblings Sam and Patrick. Sam and Patrick then introduced me to their group of friends, and in no time at all, I am welcomed into the group like the others. As the year continues, I have new experiences and gains new knowledge about life. I was exposed to many social issues such as, sexual discrimination, violence, rape and communal drug use. I realized that there is a fine line between selfish and selfless. Aside from maturing in all aspects, I ultimately learned to live life for myself, not for others. ME: Do you think that you had an average ‘coming-of-age’ experience?

Charlie: Well, really, everyone’s life is different. Everyone has different experiences growing up. In the end, most people end up gaining most of the same knowledge. Everyone has their own confrontations with the good and bad of coming of age, just in their own way. In my opinion, high school is the main point in life where you ‘lose your innocence’. Being surrounded by friends that can be good or bad influences really affects your innocence. Not saying that you become a bad person, you just change and have a greater understanding of childhood mysteries.  In my case, for instance, I began grade 9 innocent, alone and lived in books. I got my first life-changing experience when I realized that one of my friends committed suicide. That was the beginning of my own ‘loss of innocence’. From that point on, I witnessed or ‘participated’ in new experiences, both good and bad that taught me. Throughout the story, I learned about drugs, sex, friendship, homosexuality, dating, alcohol and personal identity. All of this relates to ‘loss of innocence’ because after I experienced everything in the story, I was a new person. I had gained new knowledge about life and coming of age, and I was no longer that little boy who drowned himself in books and had no true friends.  ME: What do you think was the turning point in your life? When did you begin to gain this ‘life-changing” knowledge? 

Charlie: There are many remote instances that don’t have a great connection to the main plot, but all show that knowledge really is the catalyst for ‘loss of innocence’. The first obvious display of coming of age and loss of innocence is when I used my knowledge of self-defense to retaliate at another student who starts a fight with me. In the novel, I said: “I keep quiet most of the time, and only one kid named Sean really seemed to notice me. He seemed pretty unhappy as well, and I told him so. Then he got mad and started hitting me, and I just did the things my brother taught me to do. “Go for the knees, throat and eyes.”And I did. And I really hurt Sean.” Knowledge is the catalyst of loss of innocence. I learned how to fight from my brother, and because of what I knew, I really hurt someone; another first for me.  But my life really started developing once I met step-siblings, Sam and Patrick. They exposed me to a different world; one that didn’t involve reading, loneliness and innocence. They taught me so much about the side of life I had no knowledge about. I was introduced to new things and experienced many ‘firsts’. Such as, my first cigarette, my first party, my first crush, my first girlfriend, my first kiss, my first encounter with drugs, my first sip of alcohol, and mainly, my first real friends.  ME: Do you think your life changed for better or for worse?

Charlie: I think that my life did change for the better. I was a ‘bookworm’ whose only ‘friend’ was my AP English teacher. Even though meeting Sam and Patrick exposed me to drugs, smoking and alcohol, I got to experience the worst in everything so I know what not to do. ‘Cause you know, if you have a bad experience with something, you won’t do it again, right? So since I experienced the worst, I know the good. I was an innocent high school freshman who met friends who showed me the world. Before my friendship with Sam and Patrick, I would just stare at surprising situations since I didn’t know what to think of them and I didn’t fully understand. Then, through my new experiences and knowledge in my ‘new life’, I knew more, understood more, experienced more so I knew how to deal with more situations based on my history, logic and understanding. I learned when to be selfless opposed to selfish, and to live life for myself, not for others.  ME: In general, what is the main cause of loss of innocence?

Charlie: Knowledge. Knowledge is the catalyst of loss of innocence. One may ‘lose their innocence’ depending on what they do with their new found knowledge. Coming of age connects to loss of innocence. When we were children, we did things that we now would consider ignorant and we didn’t have half the knowledge we have now. Our minds were open to all possibilities, we had such an imagination. As we grow up, we gain have experience and gain knowledge, both good and bad. Once we learn more and more, we are no longer innocent. Through meeting new friends, getting caught up in bad experiences and being exposed to a new side of life, we all learn about life, all at different paces.