Perks Of Being A Wallflower a summAry
Plot
Charlie is fifteen year old who is coping with the suicide of a not so close friend, Michael. To deal with the upcoming fear and anxiety of starting high school alone, Charlie starts writing letters to a stranger he heard about while listening to a conversation, someone who he believes is nice but he's never met in person.
At school, Charlie befriends his English teacher, Bill, who sees the potential in him. He also overcomes his anxiety and shy demeanor with Patrick (who eventually becomes his best friend) and his step-sister Sam.
During the course of his freshman year, Charlie has his first date, his first kiss, confronts with bullies, experiments with drugs and drinking, and he makes some interesting friends. He then loses them, and gains them back. He creates his own series of Mixtapes to express the feelings he harbors throughout his journey, reads an array of classic books given to him by bill (his favorite being To Kill A Mockingbird) and gets thrown into a production of Rocky Horror Picture show.
Charlie's home life is relatively stable, with supportive but distant parents and an older brother and sister to fall back on. However, Charlie holds a disturbing secret that he has repressed for his entire life, which resurfaces at the end of the school year. His aunt Helen, a woman that he loved and looked up to, had molested him when he was a young child. Charlie has a severe mental breakdown and ends up hospitalized.
After he regains his stability, Charlie sends his final letter right before getting released from the hospital. He explains that he forgives his aunt Helen for what she did to him, he found new friends during sophomore year, and that he will try his best not to be a wallflower. Charlie hopes to separate himself from his head and to start to participate in the real world, being interested in life instead of just watching it fly by.
Themes
There are several themes surrounding this book, but some are more prominent than others. The whole novel exposes the harsh reality of a teenage life, and gives light on how to cope with said problems. What's most important is to not judge people by rumors or appearance. For example, In the beginning of the book, Charlie takes a liking to Sam, Patrick's step sister, but he's hesitant to act based off of what he's heard from other people (and the fact that he doesn't feel worth the love and affection he so desperately needs) This perfectly exemplifies the idea of getting to know people before you make decisions on their character, and later Charlie learns much more about Sam. Her hardships and experiences give Charlie background to why she acts the way she does, and finally lets him understand how he feels about her. This can be applied to all walks of life, and is an important aspect to remember.
Symbols
Again, there are several symbols in Perks Of Being A Wallflower, such as a suit he is gifted from a close friend, the Mixtapes he creates to cope with his feelings, and even the Big Boy -A place where Charlie, Sam, and Patrick like to hang out. The most important symbol here, however, is Charlies typewriter. A gift he was given by Sam. He had explained to her earlier that he had high aspirations to become a writer, further fueled by his English teacher Bill. By giving this gift to Charlie, Sam express that she believes in him. In Charlie AND his dreams. A feeling that no one had given him in a very long time, not since his Aunt Helen. In a world that was crashing down on him, a world where no one believed in him and thought it was better for him to keep his mouth shut, he was given a voice. And a voice is something that not everyone can attain.
Overview
Perks Of Being A Wallflower is thought provoking, and quite honestly, sad book. However, it gritty realism and harsh ideas serve as a wake up call, and a motivator to correct ones life and reflect on self worth. Without books like these, where would we be? And don't forget...