Perks Of Being A Wallflower: Coming Of Age

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When faced with which direction we should go as a class for our last unit, it is very arguable which book is best suitable to read. Part of this indecision is between “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” (“Perks”) by Stephen Chbosky and “Scythe” by Neal Shusterman. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a “coming of age” novel that explores the reality of mental health, self discovery, and perception. Scythe is a future-based dystopian novel where disease and aging are eliminated and there are “scythes” chosen to kill and control the population. Out of these two options, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower" would be a better read because it allows for personal growth within readers, students can relate to the characters, and it is relevant towards high …show more content…

Reading this allows you to see what life is like for people who struggle with problems that may be different from yours. Seeing life from a different point of view can make you more empathetic and understanding towards people who are different, which is an important life skill to learn. Learning from her issues may allow you to find some insight for yourself on how to handle your struggles, if you are able to relate to her. All of it gives you the opportunity to grow, which is important for the development of your own character. While Scythe does show what life could be like living in a dystopian setting, “Perks” gives the readers more of a chance to personally connect to the story by using a more realistic setting with character conflicts that can be relatable. Another reason “Perks” would be best suitable to read for class is the ability to relate to the characters and themes. Beyond Charlie, the novel explores the challenges of insecurity, bullying, and sexuality– issues that are all deeply embedded in the high school …show more content…

This level of relatability sets itself apart from Scythe. Even though Scythe offers thought-provoking dilemmas, us high school readers may feel disconnected from the text. The characters instead explore the power dynamics of the “scythes” where they have to kill people in order to survive, which is fairly different and unrelatable to the struggles we face as teens. Lastly, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” would be best read as a class for its relevance to us high school students. As young adults it is important to find our way through the complexities that are our youth, making “Perks” a more impactful read than “Scythe”. The story discusses challenges that most of us are facing as we grow up: family dysfunction, mental health problems, and navigating our love life, completely mirroring our teenage experience. Although “Scythe” presents an interesting dystopian premise that explores the themes of mortality and power, it does not resonate as strongly with the real life challenges that us students face on a daily basis. Making “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” a more appropriate read for

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