Why Perks Should Be Banned

Another concerned parent, Jean-Pierre Bolat in Wallingford, Connecticut, stated that Perks should be banned because it is a “glorification of alcohol use and drugs. I don’t believe in censorship, but believe in appropriateness.” This raises another issue: who determines what age is appropriate content for this area. Of course the parents believe that they are first and foremost indicator on what educators should teach their children. In comparison, Julia Tomiak--a mother, blogger, and young adult fiction writer, takes this novel as a starting point for her children to create a discourse between her and her children. “I’m willing to put up with the edgy content because most of the characters are compelling and real, and the book honestly addresses difficult issues. When my …show more content…
However, according to Chbosky, the “bad” outweighs the “good” and wants to make intense topics deemed “dirty little secrets” to become discussed. Chbosky is trying to create a safe environment in order for teenagers who have had issues with the topics discussed in his book. Thus enabling the students to have an opportunity to create discourse in a safe environment such as the school room—at least that is his goal. In Truman State University in Missouri used the film during Mental Health Awareness week. Since the “book [serves] as an unparalleled aid for students dealing with depression, mental illness, or suicidal thoughts” (Reed “Consider Reinstating Perks of Being a Wallflower”), it is perfect to discuss in a high school because these are issues teenagers encounter. In the article, Reed, a concerned student and journalist, even explains about how two teenagers, one 14 and the other 17, had considered committing suicide before reading this novel. However, when they found a text they were able to relate to, they had reconsidered because it had changed their outlook on their current situation (Reed