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A book review written by Rafi Candera as a final project for his S-1 degree in Literature Studies at Diponegoro University. The review focuses on the novel 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' by Stephen Chbosky, discussing its themes of lonerism, sexuality, and psychological issues, as well as the author's biography. The review also analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of the novel.
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i BOOK REVIEW OF THE PERKS OF BEING A ALLFLOWER WRITTEN BY STEPHEN CHOBOSKY A FINAL PROJECT In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement For S-1 Degree in Literature Studies In English Department, Faculty of Humanities Diponegoro University Submitted by: Rafi Candera 13020110141069 FACULTY OF HUMANITIES DIPONEGORO UNIVERSITY SEMARANG 2017
The writer states truthfully that this project is compiled by himself without taking the results from other research in any university, in S-1, S-2, and S- 3 degree and in diploma. In addition, the writer ascertains that he does not take the material from other publications or someone’s work except for the references mentioned. Semarang, 25 July 2017 Rafi Candera
Approved by Strata 1 Final project Examination committe Faculty of Humanities Diponegoro University On 25 July 2017 Chair Person First Member Dra. Astri Adriani Allien, M. Hum. Dra. Raj. Atrinawati, M. Hum. NIP. 19600622 198903 2 001 NIP. 19610101 199001 2 001 Second Member Third Member
Dr. Ratna Asmarani, M.Ed, M. Hum. Drs. Catur Kepirianto, M. Hum. NIP. 19610226 198703 2 001 NIP. 19650922 199203 1 002 MOTTO AND DEDICATION Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted. (John Lennon) Painting is literature in colors. Literature is painting in language. (Pramoedya Ananta Toer) Being good in business is the most fascinating kind of art. Making money is art and working is art and good business is the best art. (Andy Warhol) Born To Lose Live To Win. (Lemmy Kilmister) When words fail, music speaks.
TITLE................................................................................................................ i PRONOUNCEMENT ........................................................................................ ii APPROVAL ...................................................................................................... iii VALIDATION .................................................................................................. iv MOTTO AND DEDICATION........................................................................... v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................... vi TABLE OF CONTENT ..................................................................................... viii
through some events that ever happened in his past life about sexual abuse and death that will become more interesting to review. Aside from reviewing those issues of the main character experience in the past life, the writer also discusses words and sentences that need more references to comprehend the whole point of the novel. Moreover, the writer also figures out the end of the novel and to relate the value that may contribute to any kidslife in that age. The Perks of Being a Wallflower is one of New York Time Best Seller, it means that the novel must have something that is more than just attractive enough for the readers by reading it. Thus, the writer exploring the strengths and the weakness of Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower by observing specific elements. 1.2. Objective of Study The objective of the study is to give a review of The Perks of Being a Wallflower especially to describe the strenght and the weakness of this novel through the analysis of its intrinsic elements such as the tittle, characterization, theme, and plot. 1.3. Biography of Stephen Chbosky Stephen Chbosky is and American author of young adult contemporary novels. He is such a multitalent who is best known as a novelist, screenwriter, and also a director. He was born on 25 January 1970 in Pennsylvania.. He lived with
his Catholic family, who are his mother, father, and younger sisteryoung Chbosky was attached by J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye. Chbosky attend the University of Southern California’s Film Writing Program. That was when he started to make his very first film called The Four Courners of Nowhere, that later became premiered on Sundance Film Festival. For the following years, he spent his 1990s by writing a lot of screenplays that are unpublished. In the begining of 1994, he began to write his first novel is The Perks of Being a Wallflower , published in 1999. Due to hissuccess after publishing the novel, he got a chance to write the screenplay for his next The Perks of Being a Wallflower film project.After five years of research and composition, the novel was published, and it became one of the best selling novels in
2. SUMMARY The story begins by the main character Charlie, is writing a letter to an annonym pen-pal, someone he is once suggested by his psychiatric that is really nice and humble and would be able to understand anything about Charlie’s life.However, he never meets him, not even once. He starts writing about anything that happens in him recently, or his preception of things, or even his memory in the past life. Charlie endures a post traumatic events caused by several events that happens to him on his childhood such as death of the two of his closest figure in his life, and also sex abusing that he had gone through.
3.2 Theme Each novel has some strength elements thatis interesting to be discussed. The strenghts of the novel The Perks of Being a Wallflower is about the themes that are brought up by the author to make the novel very attractive. Theme is an important element to show the main idea of the novel. A novel is variated by the different themes. The major theme of The Perks of Being a Wallflower is about the word Wallflower itself, and the minor theme is about love and friendship. 3.2.1 Wallflower The strength of The Perks of Being a Wallflower is the title that is related to its major theme and the main character. The word Wallflower , according to urban dictionary, refers to a typical loner guy that is not so popular, even almost no one notice about him.However, they can be very attractive if someone really talks to them. In other words, it can be said that The Perks of Being a Wallflower celebrates beetwen inclusiveness and acceptance by showing both how certain person can blossom when they feel accepted for who they are. The title here, which is related to the major theme, can be an interesting part of the novel that its title brings up a story about a teenage school life in United States around 90’s. The title, Wallflower , is also the representation of the main character of the novel, Charlie, that is very shy toward his school friend, but step by step he can manage himself to befriend with the seniors. That is when he feels comfortable because he can fit in there because his friends can accept him as who he is. As it is stated in the novel, Patrick once said:
“He’s something, isn’t it?” “He’s a wallflower.” (Chbosky, 1999:40) Therefore, the word Wallflower becomes ambiguous since it combines with the word Perks. The reader will make an expectation about what kind of perks should they use to helps a person out by being a wallflower. The readers are increasingly interested and curious to read more. 3.2.2 Love and Friendship This novel also represents the other themes such as love and friendship in most of teenage life in United State. Along with the psychological problem of the main character, Charlie, the benefit of having friends in school term can be really helpful for Charlie. However, it is the begining of him encountering the free sex and drug use. Those things helps Charlie to maintain his psychological issue that happens to him anytime. At the end of the novel, Charlie feels free. That is when he feels relief because of he finally is able to find some friends that can accept him for who he is. That can be concluded that to have friends is necessary. It can helps people progressing their state of mind, and become a better person. The novel also tells about how Charlie begins to fall in love for the first time with a senior student, Sam. Being in love can be a trigger to someone to do a better things. As can be seen that at first, Charlie is a totally an awkward and shy teen. After falling in love with Sam, he starts making a courage to ask her to the dance floor, which never he did before. He also makes multiple mixtapes
school life, but after having friends, he can manage himself to fit in with the other kid. 3.3.2 Sam Sam is described as a very pretty girl along with her brown hair and green eyes, “The kind of green that doesn’t make a big deal about itself. I would have told you that sooner, but under the stadium lights, everything looked kind of washed out” (Chbosky, 1999:20). She is kind of popular kid at the school. She is the one of Charlie’s attention eventhough they are just friends. Sam also has a really bad experience when she was in the primary school that her father’s boss sex abused her. Sam is not that smart, thats why Charlie tries to get her attention by always helps her on almost every schoolwork. 3.3.3 Patrick Patrick is Sam’s step brother and also Charlie’s bestfriend. He is a very attractive guy. “So, in this shop class Nothing started to do a very funny impersonation of our teacher, Mr. Callaham. I wish you could have been there because it was the hardest I’ve laughed sice my brother left” (Chbosky, 1999:13). That is when Charlie fisrt meets Patrick. Actually, Nothing is his nickname in the shop class, and as Charlie told, he is a very funny guy. However, later it is told on the novel that he is a homosexual and having a serious relationship with one of the school football player. Sometimes Patrick can be so fun but the other time hecan be the saddest guy in the room.
Based on both physical and psychological conditions that are owned by each main characters, it is shown that this novel is very interesting. The novel brings up many unique issues through the characters such as death, anxiety in teenage year, childhood trauma, child abusing, and homosexuality. 3.4 The Weakness of The Perks of Being a Wallflower The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky has a weakness. The weakness is the plot. Plot is the order of a story events. It is the arrangement basis that controls the order of the events. The components of plot are exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution (Meyer, 1990: 43). Plot is devided into several kind of techniques, such as suspense, flashback, forshadowing, and interior monologue. Flashback ishelpful for the writer to complete the earlier event in the story. This method has a complex way for the author to organize the memory of events and figures (Kennedy, 1983:9). In The perks of Being a Wallflower the reader feels confused about he plot of the story because the author uses flash forward flashback plot. As an epistolary novel, the story begin with the introduction of the main character Charlie writing to his anonymous pen-pal. I am writing to you because she said you listen and understand and didn’t try to sleep with that person at the party even though you could have. I just need to know that someone out there listens and understands and doesn’t try to sleep with people even if they could have. I need to know that these people exist (Chbosky, 1999:1)
This novel has some strengths that make it as a good reading. The strength inside the novel are the theme and the characters. However, it also has a weakness that make the reader can be a bit confused to read the novel. Yet, many supporting issues inside the novel build up a good story arrangement. Charlie is character refelcts many of teenagers around that age in the world; young and full of anxiety. The story of the main character gives moral value of how to maintain ourselves as young and brittle indivuduals in these teenage lives. The conflicts of the story that come up in the novel are raising the curiousity towards the reader to continue reading the rest of the story. Chbosky brings up a spesific issues that commonly happens in teenage life. Charlie’s character is presented by the novel title Wallflower , refers to a type of loner, seemingly shy folks who no one really knows, but can be blossom anytime they feel accepted. It has a really interesting point toward the title that the author pick. The novel may get many attention from the reader in any age. Because a lot of people love this novel, Chbosky made The Perks of Being a Wallflower into a movie in 2012. The other elements of the novel such as the conflict and the setting of time, place and the social environment really support the novel to become more enjoyable to read. The novel also has an easy language to understand, yet the story contains many underground issue that commonly happen in the United State.
Chobsky, Stephen. The Perks of Being a Wallflower. United States: Pocket Books, 1999. Kennedy, X.J. literature , an Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. Boston: Little, Brown and Co, 1983. Mayer, Michael. The Bedford Introduction to Literature. Boston: Bedford Martin’s Press, 1990. Sudjiman, Panuti. Kamus Istilah Sastra. Jakarta: Gramedia, 1986.
