The Perks Of Being A Wallflower Essay

The novel The Perks of Being a Wallflower has been challenged or banned in many schools. Parents are cautious for their children to read this novel mainly because of the disputed topics throughout the book. Many parents do not want their children reading about homosexuality, rape, and suicide. However, others argue that within these controversial topics there are many educational keynotes which can be made.

Stephen Chbosky is a graduate from the University of Southern California’s filmic writing program. He later became an award winning author and director. One of the many productions involved the “feature film adaptation” of his novel The Perks of Being a Wallflower. (Chbosky).

Stephen Chbosky creates background information for a reading group guide about the ins and outs of The Perks of Being a Wallflower:

First published

With the intentions of kindling meaningful discussions, Chbosky deliberately asserted many controversial topics into his novel. By fabricating Charlie into a wallflower, Chbosky found a way to show an overview of these issues of high school. Many fell madly in love with Charlie and his story; however, with this praise an ample amount backlash followed. Chbosky targeted this book towards teens, but many adults questioned if The Perks of Being a Wallflower was appropriate for this age group. According to an article on the American Booksellers Association’s website, The Perks of Being a Wallflower has been announced as the “10 Most Frequently Challenged Books” by the American Library Association five times in the past ten years. (Finan). The novel is often challenged or banned in schools. Based off of the Marshall University’s website nine different states ranging from Florida to New York have deemed The Perks of Being a Wallflower too mature or unappropriate for students.