In Stephen Chobosky's The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Chbosky wrote a coming of age story; about a fifteen year old boy named “Charlie,” and his strife to find his place in high school, and all the while trying to handle the suicide of his best friend. While learning many important lessons of life, and of its important relationships. Stephen Chbosky's purpose is to share with us, these common themes of isolationism, harsh society, participating, conflicting with emotions, and finally people treat themselves as they think they need be treated.
The first theme that “Charlie” faces is isolation, for his one true friend “Michael” committed suicide, and the rest of his middle school acquaintances either moved away, or decided just not to hang around with him, but this lack of peer communication is unbearable for “Charlie,” so one night during the high school football game; he attempts to befriend “Patrick” a funny senior from his shop class, alongside his step sister “Sam.” After the football game “Charlie” is invited to join them at a diner, where they converse and learn more of each other, and when he got home with high hopes of making friends, “Charlie” writes “It would be very nice to have a friend again.”(Chobosky, 21) Fortunately he does make these friends, and begins to tear down this barrier of confinement.
One versus society is a reoccurring theme that surfaces for “Charlie,” there are multiple incidents in which “Charlie” must protect himself, and people he cares about; meanwhile members of his family make impolite comments towards him. The first time “Charlie” is forced to defend himself, when a student speaks badly to “Charlie,” and proceeds to physically harm him. So “Charlie” hurts this kid badly, and feels really bad...
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...ally the themes that “Charlie” faces that help him develop along the way. First the misery of isolation and how terrible it is, for one to undergo without a group of common peers; secondly, that society is not always a kind place, and sometimes people will attack innocent people out of spite, and that participating is more than just being somewhere, it is to engage in the actions as well; also that sometimes people’s emotions are not always one sided, but they can be blurred and mixed. Finally that people treat themselves the way they wish to be treated, for they make the decisions in their lives, and they decide what they think they need.
Works Cited
Chbosky, Stephen. The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Ney York: MTV Books, 1999. eBook.
Ebert, Roger. "The Perks of Being a Wallflower Movie Review." Roger Ebert.com. Ebert Digital LLC, 26 Sep 2012. Web. 11 Nov 2013.
Character- The main character Charlie is developed in many ways throughout the story. His whole demeanor changed from page one. He actually started smoking in the middle of the book. “When I light it, I didn’t cough. It actually felt soothing. I know that’s bad in a health class kind of way, but it was true.”-pg 102 His personality was different after that. He always tried to be friendly to anyone he met but if you weren’t nice to his friends he didn’t really respect them after that. His dialogue is very similar throughout the whole book. He is very friendly when he talks and tries to be polite. Charlie is trying to make friends and keep them. He succeeds with some coaching from his english teacher who Charlie calls Bill. Bill gave him books to read and graded Charlie’s reports. “He says that I have a great skill at reading and understanding language.”- pg 9-10. A’s showed on Charlie’s report card but Bill gave Charlie different grades. The books Bill gave Charlie changed his mind about a lot of things. Bill developed Charlie through the whole book.
Charlie knows Jasper’s reputation but still manages to find a friend through the rumours. Racism and segregation has set in societal rules that Charlie overlooks through Silvey’s writing to send a message to us that everyone has a different side to them and that wrong assumptions and ignorance can influence racism.
The Perks of a Wallflower, written by Stephen Chbosky, is a captivating novel that follows the transformation of a boy referred to as Charlie throughout his freshman year of high school. During the course of the book Charlie, his sister, and friends fall in and out of relationships. Each one of them is seeking the love and attention of another person, even without directly expressing their emotions. Love is a recurring theme in this book, even though it is shown in different ways.
Towards the end of the first paragraph we begin to get more of an insight into what Charlie’s father is really like. The first example of this is “I’d like to take you up to my club, but it’s in the Sixties, and if you have to catch an early train I guess we’d better get something around here”.
Candy, an aging swamper and former ranch worker, is a character that experiences the heartbreak of becoming lonely. Many can attest to having an extremely good friend that they lose whether it be because of work, personal reasons, and in Candy’s case death. When occurrences like Candy’s incident transpire one can feel as if the world is crumbling all around them. A gaping hole is left in Candy’s heart after his dog was shot, and regret is present because he did not do it himself. Candy loses the only friend he has, and his disability and age hinders his chances of gaining new friends. Loneliness can envelope an individual and make their logic warped and more susceptible to the idea of utopia and serenity. This can be seen in people today especially in teenagers who are willing to please others in exchange for friendship and similar concepts which mostly ends in bullying and broken hearts. In this circumstance Candy is willing to believe i...
“....And in that moment, I swear we were infinite.” (Chbosky) The thoughts of a teenager are odd things, and even more odd are the thoughts of fifteen year old Charlie, the best friend of a boy who committed suicide. Charlie has been through a lot in his life, and during the book he goes through even more.
... reader. Throughout the book, Charlie unfolds secrets and truths about the world and the society that he lives in; secrets and truths that cause him to grow up and transition into adulthood. He also makes a life changing decision and rebelled against was he thought was the right thing. This reflects his maturity and bravery throughout the journey he travels that summer. Charlie eyes suddenly become open to the injustice that the town of Corrigan demonstrates. He also comes to face the issue of racism; not only shown towards his best friend Jeffrey and the Lu family but to Jasper Jones as well. He realises the town of Corrigan is unwilling to accept outsiders. Charlie not only finds out things that summer about the people that surround him, but he also finds out who he is personally.
Theme: Situations and surroundings can shatter the innocence of friendship, but more the identity of the individuals.
Perks of being a wallflower is a unique book as it is written in the first person narrative of the main protagonist, Charlie a high school freshman. The book is structured as a series of letters (more intimate than a dairy) that Charlie writes to an unnamed friend and is signed “Love always, Charlie.” I believe that I am similar to Charlie because when I was suffering with a concussion I became depressed, causing me to feel multiple emotions at once or none at all. I felt everything and nothing at the same time so I can relate to Charlie’s odd behavior and moods. The similarity between Charlie and I is that we are both intelligent individuals who at one point in our lives let emotions control our actions and held onto what our lives were like before it all started. When you’re going through a dark part in your life, it’s
The narrator does not hesitate to show how much Honoria and Charlie care for each other. Though Honoria was just a little girl, growing up without a father is still harsh. Still her love for Charlie is unconditional, and questions about the past are not brought up. Their strong relationship is alm...
All in all, Chris McCandless is a contradictory idealist. He was motivated by his charity but so cruel to his parents and friends. He redefined the implication of life, but ended his life in a lonely bus because of starvation, which he was always fighting against. Nevertheless, Chris and the readers all understand that “happiness only real when shared.” (129; chap.18) Maybe it’s paramount to the people who are now alive.
The role of identity plays an important role in all adolescence which can help shape their future. In psychology, identity is the conception, qualities, beliefs, and expressions that make a person or group. The movie, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower”, illustrates how teens struggle with identity. Charlie is an anti-social freshman who is befriended by a group of high school seniors, who introduces him to the world of drugs, love, sexulatity, friendship, and lies. His friends play a huge role in his development. Throughout the movie, Charlie was able to build upon his character and develop friendships that gave him a new perspective that life needs, to live life rather than watching it.
In considering Charlie Wales plight in Fitzgerald's "Babylon Revisited," I believe Charlie is a victim of his own success. As a successful businessman two times over he has burned many bridges behind him and for his well intentions he is blind to that continued fallacy. He does not seem to realize that the success he enjoys now is the envy that brought about Marion and Lincoln's contempt prior to Helen's death.
The mind of a teenager is a strange commodity, and even more strange is the thought process of a fifteen year old by the name of Charlie. Charlie has been through hell in his life, and throughout the book, The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, he suffers even more. He has grown up relatively normal until the day his Aunt Helen died. His life was no longer the same from then on out. He distanced himself and repeatedly put himself in the hospital.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a coming of age film that chronicles the life of a boy named Charlie. Charlie is 15 years old and has just begun his first year of high school. He will give a detailed account of the joys and pains of his freshman year in high school. He begins by writing letters to an unknown stranger, but then, you realize that stranger is you. Through these Charlie tells his story from his perspective. He will experience many highs and lows related to the adolescence phase. The highlights of the paper will focus on the biological/physical, psychological, social, spiritual, cultural issues, as well as his strengths and challenges.