Another literary element both authors use with respect to relationships and love is symbolism. In both of the novels, the main characters each have an object that is often given to the people they hold dearly that symbolizes their love and trust. For instance, in The Spectacular Now, Tharp makes Sutter’s whiskey a symbol of his trust and acceptance. When Aimee and Sutter go out to their first party together, Aimee asks to take a sip of his whiskey. This is obviously an effort to get close to him as she realizes that it is such an integral part of his life considering he is rarely without it. After she takes a sip she erupts into a fit of coughs and Sutter thinks, “Her eyes are watering but she’s smiling and not a sickly little smile like before
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“‘It’s a flask,’ she says… She sets the box down. ‘I love it.’” These interactions characterize Sutter as oblivious as he’s so blinded by his own intentions that he does not understand what Aimee wants. In the first quote it is obvious that Aimee is not enjoying herself because of the party and the alcohol like Sutter thinks, but rather because she is spending time with and getting closer to Sutter. In addition, in the second quote Sutter believes that it is normal to give his girlfriend a flask as a gift on the day of prom, and not something that Aimee would enjoy more such as a book or a corsage. In The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Chbosky uses music and literature to symbolize Charlie’s feelings as they often provide insight into the thoughts that Charlie can’t quite put into words. This is exemplified when Charlie decides to read a poem as his last secret Santa gift to his friend Patrick. Before reading the poem, Charlie writes, “It was a poem that Michael made a copy of for me. And I have read it a thousand times since because I don’t know who wrote it. I don’t know if it was ever in a book or a …show more content…
In both novels, one of the many themes that is explored is what it means to love, and be loved. And although Charlie and Sutter are drastically different characters, they both believe that to love means the same thing- to put someone else above themselves. In The Spectacular Now, after Sutter almost crashes the car by driving while drunk and consequently causes Aimee to get hit by a car he realizes how dangerous he can be and thinks, “She’s drenched and bedraggled, but I’ve never loved anyone as much as I love her right now. That’s how I know I’ll have to give her up.” In another example, once he’s deceived Aimee into going away to St. Louis without him Sutter reflects, “To think about someone else’s feelings instead of my own for once? I wonder what she’d think about that if she could’ve seen me with Aimee tonight. I always had the idea she thought I didn’t know how to love someone. Well, she’d have to admit I sure do now.” In both of these examples, Sutter is characterized as mature. He finally realizes the negative impacts he has had on Aimee’s life and makes the difficult and mature decision to let her go so that she can be happy. Moreover, at one point in The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Charlie reads the quote “I would die for you. But I won’t live for you” in one of his books. In reference to it, he writes: “I think the idea is that every person has to live for his or her own life
“‘It’s a flask,’ she says… She sets the box down. ‘I love it.’” These interactions characterize Sutter as oblivious as he’s so blinded by his own intentions that he does not understand what Aimee wants. In the first quote it is obvious that Aimee is not enjoying herself because of the party and the alcohol like Sutter thinks, but rather because she is spending time with and getting closer to Sutter. In addition, in the second quote Sutter believes that it is normal to give his girlfriend a flask as a gift on the day of prom, and not something that Aimee would enjoy more such as a book or a corsage. In The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Chbosky uses music and literature to symbolize Charlie’s feelings as they often provide insight into the thoughts that Charlie can’t quite put into words. This is exemplified when Charlie decides to read a poem as his last secret Santa gift to his friend Patrick. Before reading the poem, Charlie writes, “It was a poem that Michael made a copy of for me. And I have read it a thousand times since because I don’t know who wrote it. I don’t know if it was ever in a book or a …show more content…
In both novels, one of the many themes that is explored is what it means to love, and be loved. And although Charlie and Sutter are drastically different characters, they both believe that to love means the same thing- to put someone else above themselves. In The Spectacular Now, after Sutter almost crashes the car by driving while drunk and consequently causes Aimee to get hit by a car he realizes how dangerous he can be and thinks, “She’s drenched and bedraggled, but I’ve never loved anyone as much as I love her right now. That’s how I know I’ll have to give her up.” In another example, once he’s deceived Aimee into going away to St. Louis without him Sutter reflects, “To think about someone else’s feelings instead of my own for once? I wonder what she’d think about that if she could’ve seen me with Aimee tonight. I always had the idea she thought I didn’t know how to love someone. Well, she’d have to admit I sure do now.” In both of these examples, Sutter is characterized as mature. He finally realizes the negative impacts he has had on Aimee’s life and makes the difficult and mature decision to let her go so that she can be happy. Moreover, at one point in The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Charlie reads the quote “I would die for you. But I won’t live for you” in one of his books. In reference to it, he writes: “I think the idea is that every person has to live for his or her own life