The Perks Of Being A Wallflower Essay

Stephen Chbosky's "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" is a fictional coming of age novel surrounding fifteen-year-old Charlie's transition into high school following the suicide of his best friend. It's a story that resonates with anyone who's ever felt hopelessly misplaced and is reminiscent of grunge music, flannel, and angst - the early nineties scene. We follow a troubled Charlie through a series of letters directed to an unknown recipient, meeting eccentric characters and unravelling trauma along the way.

Setting is the environment in which a story takes place and may provide placement and timing information. The Perks of Being a Wallflower takes place in Pittsburgh, PA during the coming fall of 1991. These facts are cited on page 2: "August 25 1991" and page 38: ''As they are approaching the Fort Pitt Tunnel, Sam asks Patrick to pull to the side of the road.'' (The Fort Pitt Tunnel is located in Pittsburgh.) The atmosphere is melancholic and morose due to the recent suicide of Charlie's best

Charlie is said to be strong despite his small build, this also being demonstrated early on when he defends himself against a bully on his first day of high school. He's highly emotional, and this comes into play several times. We first see Charlie's sensitive side when he tearfully confesses to Sam that he ''thought of her inappropriately'', utterly wracked with guilt. Charlie's confessing his sex dream to Sam –within a week of meeting her– also serves as a great example of his somewhat unintentionally frank and awkward behavior. Furthermore, earlier on in his letters, Charlie tends to give his classmates inadvertently offensive nicknames, such as ''Crazy Bridget''. Needless to say, this protagonist's a little