This essay analyzes Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower. This novel was first published in 1999. J.D. Salinger was an influence on the author. Salinger read The Catcher in the Rye in his teenage days and also liked to read fantasy, horror, and classics. This influenced him in his writing. He gained his agent in 1995, having graduated from the University of Southern California Screenwriting program in 1992. The film “The Four Corners of Nowhere”, which he directed and acted in, was written, directed and produced by him. The Perks of Being a Wallflower focuses both on the emotional and intellectual aspects of a Charlie’s life. Charlie became depressed when he lost both his Aunt Helen (his favorite) and Michael, his best-friend in an accident. Charlie’s depression is overcome by his family, English Teacher Mr. Anderson and two friends named Patrick and Sam. This story will be of interest to students, teens, and the general population as it tackles some issues that are facing the country.

On August 25, 1991, a new school year had begun and the story was written as a letter without mentioning who was the friend that he was talking about. Charlie, who is fifteen years old, feels uncomfortable about socializing with people in his high school first year. He is observant and thoughtful. He has depression because of the events in his past, namely his aunt Helen’s tragic accident and his best friends’ death. Mr. Anderson was aware of his writing potential and encouraged him to read books. He would then write essays on the topics he chose. In certain instances, he was his mentor in both writing and life decisions. Patrick, another classmate, was a repeater in his shop class. Sam is his stepsister and she’s also a senior. They gave him the opportunity to experience music, love and rejection. Alice and Mary Elizabeth were the friends he met after performing The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Patrick and his friends called him “Wallflower”, as he had kept all of the information to himself. He felt the same sadness when both of them had to go away for college. His parents sent him to a mental institution after they found him naked, literally out of it and watching an off-screen TV. His parents sent him to a mental institution after finding him naked and literally out of his mind watching a turned off TV.

Charlie’s room in which he explains why he has written a particular letter. It is about his friendship with Michael, or his honest father. Or his mother, who always cries when watching TV. Charlie became their family every day. The new academic year was starting and he was worried about the future because he had barely any friends. Patrick was a homosexual and Sam, his stepsister had been sexually abused. He was introduced to a world of men and woman who express their freedom in every action. Anderson, his English teacher, became his writing mentor. He said once to him “we accept love that we believe we deserve”. Sam was only a friend to him until he told Sam his sister had been beaten up by his boyfriend. It was during his first year in high school that he built up a great friendship with them. This is what an introvert would want. The reader learns a new lesson in the first few pages of the story.

This book is non-fiction as the stories can be compared to current teenage life. Stephen Chbosky stated in an interview that it is important to show the perspective and characteristics of all characters, not just the protagonists. Readers are greatly impacted when the experience and essence of characters is shown. Charlie’s therapy is writing a book and directing movies. The fact that there are more similarities than differences between people led him to learn that everything is possible. He said in his tale that Charlie and himself had gone through the same things in certain parts, and that Charlie became his closest friend. The wallflower also means that you don’t have to be gay or outcast, just an ordinary person. “So, we’re who we are due to a number of factors. Maybe we won’t know the majority of them. Even if you don’t know where you came from, it doesn’t mean that we can never choose to go somewhere else. You can still get things done. We can still do things.

It was both a lesson and a motivation. Charlie had to rise from his low position when he finally felt and accepted love. It is important that our students read this story. The writing style is unique, but this format has a great impact on me. I feel like it’s my letter and it creates a bond between the author and me. What I found most interesting were the relationships built within the school. Also, music is a mood-setter and it can help a person overcome depression. Students face a variety of problems, including financial, mental, emotional and spiritual issues. I felt like Charlie – the pain of losing someone close to you, the fear of rejection, the need to belong, and the deep sadness. Most importantly, I wanted out of life. The statement “We Accept the Love We Think We Deserve” really hit me. But I think that it should read “We Should Accept the Love He Gives Even if We Think That we Don’t Deserve It.” because His love is truly the most authentic you will ever feel. It was endless.

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