The Perks of Being a Wallflower: Imaginative Response

Summary

“I guess we are who we are for a lot of reasons. And maybe we’ll never know most of them. But even if we don’t have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there.” (Chbosky, 2012, p. 164).

Reflections at Dawn

In the morning, Mohammed woke up to a long, sharp sound coming from outside the detention center room in which he was resting. It was already getting light, and the dawn was barely noticeable outside the windows. At first glance, it seemed that nothing portended trouble, and at least Mohammed wanted to believe it. Mohammed’s best friend Ali did not hear anything and continued to sleep peacefully on the next bed.

At this moment, a lot of ideas, as if in a stormy dance, swirled in Mohammed’s head, giving him no rest. Thus, despite the circumstances, he still remains alive and well, primarily thanks to God’s grace. He thought to himself: “Fate presented me with a challenging life test, but it did not cripple my soul but only directed me to the path of knowing myself, reality, and the world around me. It is a unique chance to discover my internal resources, talents, and aptitudes.” Perhaps, faith is one of the most wonderful words and sometimes the most necessary and effective measure of help to our hero in even such a confusing and challenging moment. Even Hussein lost his independence but thereby gained freedom in his soul, which infused him with inner light, like a breath filling humans’ lungs with oxygen. Subsequently, faith helped Mohammed be motivated to go on, not give up, believe in success, and work for the better good.

In the Lunchroom

After a while, Mohammed went to the local cafeteria for breakfast with Ali. It was pretty noisy here; people willingly exchanged information with each other, and voices did not cease to be silent for a second. Mohammed was depressed, discouraged, and confused, mainly because of the morning discussions about his destiny, life’s meaning, and higher powers. He suddenly remembered another reliable and loyal “friend” with him – the worn-out Arabic to English-translation book – a genuine storehouse of knowledge, an accessible source of inspiration, wisdom, and authenticity. Now, having such a valuable object, he has the opportunity to find answers about truth and life. Ali was already able to note some “detachment” and “detachment” of his comrade from worldly affairs. Nevertheless, the man did not make his assumptions public, only sighed softly and continued to take his breakfast.

After a while, almost everyone present switched to the news on TV. Each of these people looked at a small screen and listened to the events of September 11. Mohammed suddenly felt awkward, stiff, noticing the gazes of curious onlookers on him. He tried not to succumb to this kind of “manipulation,” and only when Ali finished his meal did they begin to return to their new room.

An Experience with the Guard

Sometimes misfortune comes when you least expect it and when you hope for the best, but you get only the bad in return. A similar case happened with our heroes on the way back to the previous place in the detention center. A passing guard casually, barely audibly uttered terrible things about Mohammed, practically “trampling his opponent into the mud.” Mohammed heard this speech, but the words did not frighten or offend him in any way. On the contrary, he felt a certain “lightness,” “serenity,” and peace of mind. He did not attach importance to such minor troubles but only tremulously believed in himself and a better future. Anyway, no matter how many such judgments Mohammed makes, he cannot hide his essence. No one can be perfect, and everyone has their pros and cons. No one can be liked by every person; if everyone were “good,” life would be uninteresting. Consequently, Mohammed Hussein believed only in the good and fought against the bad, although sometimes he could commit evil deeds. He will strive to get better, look for better, and do better.

Reference List

Chbosky, S. (2012) The perks of being a wallflower. New York: MTV Books.