Thursday, November 13, 2014
Influence of People Around You
In Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky, the main character Charlie's life was turned around simply by the people he surrounded himself with. Not only is this something that happens to us in life everyday, but also is often overlooked. Charlie, entering high school, was lonely, depressed, innocent, and overall emotionally unstable. He found that the people he used to call his friends had changed dramatically, leaving him, alone, with seemingly no one there for him. When he met two seniors Sam and Patrick, he instantly became attached. For so long there was little joy in Charlie's life, but with Sam and Patrick he could finally feel accepted and loved. Not to mention he could make some of the best memories of his life. "Sam sat down and started laughing. Patrick started laughing. I started laughing. And in that moment I swear we were infinite" (39). When Charlie is around Sam, a girl who he thinks could not be more amazing, and Patrick, a guy who acts like he has not a care in the world, he can escape to another world and forget about all the worries that surround him.
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When I read your post, the first sentence immediately made me think of my book, The Fight Club, by Chuck Palahniuk. The narrator surrounds himself with people that make him feel better. He locates on people in support groups for various diseases until he is satisfied with himself. Later, he changes his focus to his fighting. He satisfies himself with this new "escape" from reality that helps him deal with his loneliness.
ReplyDelete'The Privileges' by Jonathan Dee takes this concept in a different direction. The story surrounds a young, wealthy family in New York. The first chapter described the marriage Cynthia and Adam. They were depicted as carefree, in love 22 year olds, surrounded by equally cynical and sarcastic friends. However, their life quickly progress and within a year they have their first child. They transformed from those carefree 22 year olds into loving, hardworking parents in a matter of pages. They've been left behind by their single friends and ostracized by the older adults with children the same age as theirs. Because they were surrounded by a different group of people, different influences, they changed. In your book, it appears Charlie's new influences impacted him positively and he gained friends, whereas in 'The Privileges', Cynthia and Adam lost friends.
ReplyDeleteIn "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" by Jonathan Foer, the main character Oskar is affected by the people around him, especially his father. His father helped spark his curiosity and inquisitive nature. Oskar is always looking for an answer, even when no clear answer exists. This trait that Oskar received from his father has also affected the way that other people affect him. He has received level of empathy toward people he barely knows from his father that is unusual for a boy his age. This is really interesting to witness when mixed with the innocence and trust of a child. He learns the name of the homeless man begging for change by their house, and the mail woman, and the pizza delivery guy. He also made copies of his house key for many of these people. This mixture of maturity and childlike innocence that Oskar displays has been criticized by many for seeming unrealistic. however, I believe that it makes perfect sense when you realize how much Oskar's personality was shaped by his father. I believe that Oskar's personality and distinct mind give the book an incredibly unique and interesting perspective, and I believe I have Oskar's father's influence to thank for that.
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