Why we feel bad for Charlotte

As I finished up the book, I couldn't help but think about our discussion on who should be to blame throughout the book. Though I do not wish to put blame on any of the characters in this post, I still feel that it is interesting to see how much blame is put on Charlotte. While reading, Charlotte kept reminding me of the horses from "All Quiet on the Western Front." When we read this book in high school, we had a discussion on how we didn't necessarily feel as bad for the soldiers as we did for the horses. The horses in the book were naive, innocent, and had no consent as to being in the war. In terms of Charlotte, though she did want to run off with Montraville, I feel bad for her. She was so innocent and had no idea what she was getting herself into. She had no idea of any of the evils of the world because she had been sheltered for too long. I'm not saying that Charlotte should not receive any blame, because she most definitely does. All that I'm saying is that I just feel so bad for her; like I felt bad for the horses. Charlotte's life just keeps spiraling downwards and there is no one there to help her, only people who want to bring her down. Even when she did have one friend, she was abandoned by her. Also, with the time period that this was set in, being a female wasn't exactly in her favor. I definitely thought that the most interesting idea in the book was how Rowson made everyone sympathise with Charlotte.

Essay

Though I'm not entirely sure what I would like to write my essay on, I do know that I want it to pertain to my individual presentation book, "The Perks of Being a Wall Flower." I feel that this would be the best book to write my essay on because out of the books provided, it is the one I can relate to best. I fell that this is very important for this essay. I have been thinking about the things I could write about, and they range from the impact parents can have on teens to how much peers influence others. Throughout my brainstorming, I have narrowed it down to a few in particular.

One of my ideas are to write about the effect of friends have on teens. I feel this would be interesting because, as we all know, people can make huge impacts on an individuals life, especially a teen. In the book, the main character tries drugs, experiments with sex and relationships, and does certain things to try to please his friends. I feel like I could get a good, concrete essay out of this topic.

Another topic I am thinking about for my essay is music in the youth culture. In the book, music is as big a factor to the main character as his friends. I feel that even in my youth, I have used music to express myself as well as to vent. The character in the book realizes the impact that music has on situations and I believe it will make for an interesting paper.

Of the two topics I have narrowed it down to, however, I feel that the stronger essay would come from the topic of friendship. Though I believe that I could write an interesting paper on the effect of music on teens, I don't think it would be as stable as I would like it to be. Though I still have a decision to make, I still believe that these are two very good topics and that I would be able to confidently write my essay on either of the two.

Chapter 1: The Teenage Mystique

While reading Hine's book, I keep seeing connections to the first chapter entitled "The Teenage Mystique." I find this chapter to be the most interesting part of the book. From the assumptions that people have about both past and today's teens to the standards to which they are held.

In the beginning of the chapter, some of the contradictions of the teenage stage are expressed. I find it interesting that adults do indeed find teenagers to be the root of many of today's problems and fear them to great extents, but at the same time, hold them to considerably high standards and say that they are the greatest hopes for the future (pg 11). The fact that the "teenager" was created to more easily group individuals is also interesting. By doing this and then making the assumptions that many adults do, feels almost like discrimination if one were to really think about it. Also by reading this chapter I feel that part of the reason that teenagers are seen as such horrible "creatures", if you will, is because of envy and intimidation. It was said that adults often see teenagers as the "[awareness] of [adults] own mortality" (pg 11), and also that "[adults] respond with wonder, envy- and alarm." (pg 11). I find this to be one of the greatest problems in society. To me, this envy, intimidation and discrimination is what drives some teenagers to be as rebellious as they are. It was stated that since adults feel this way they don't know how to, and don't bother to, handle situations and tend to neglect or ignore teenagers because it is believed to be easier. Just like any problem, it can't be solved by sweeping it under the rug.

Another interesting point is concerning only a portion of the teenage population. When one sees headlines in the newspaper or hear a story concerning a tragedy involving a teenager, it is believed that most teenagers act or think in the same way. I find it to be disgusting that because some teenage girls get pregnant, it is assumed that all teenage girls in that age group and from the same demographic region will more than likely get pregnant as well. I feel that these assumptions also contribute to rebellion. Think of it as a form of a self-fulfilling prophecy. This is something I have noticed in my own life. Though I have never been in trouble or done anything reckless or harmful to other people, I have often been approached with caution and not trusted by members of the adult society solely because I am young. Despite that, I have still been expected to act maturely and like an adult. This is just one example of some of the contradictions pertaining to the teenage mystique.