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The Perks Of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky Stephen Chbosky was born in 1970. He wrote the screenplay for the film Rent. As a teenager Stephen loved reading classics such as “The Catcher in the Rye” and other books of the horror & fantasy blend. Tennessee Williams was his favorite author. In 1992 he graduated from the University of Southern California’s screenwriting program. Stephen currently lives in California & is an active gay rights supporter. This teenage boy who calls himself Charlie, writes an anonymous person about his life and what is going on with it, sort of like a journal.
Charlie is starting high school, and realizing all of the new pressures that come with being a teenager. Charlie goes through many topics found with being a teenager, such as sexuality, masturbation, drugs, alcohol, friends, introversion and more. Charlie’s best friend, Michael, died before his high school year started, so in the beginning he doesn’t fit in as well because he doesn’t feel as comfortable as he would have. Charlie meets two people named Patrick and Sam. Patrick and Sam introduce Charlie to dating, love, his first marijuana, alcohol and L. S. D experience.
Charlie then gets his first girlfriend, Mary Elizabeth. His relationship with her turns into him not having the same feelings for her, and a breakup . As the story continues, he realizes why he is different than many other people, and why he cannot function as normally. He was sexually abused as a child, and blocked out all of the memories. Charlie never knows if the address is in use, or if anyone ever read the letters. Charlie: Insecure, Imaginative, Curious, Unique Patrick: Sensitive, Artistic, Mature, Carefree Sam: Intelligent, Ambitious, Friendly, Emotional
Mary Elizabeth: Outspoken, Determined, Insecure “The world of first dates and mix tapes, family dramas and new friends. The world of sex, drugs and the Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to make you feel infinite…: – Charlie This quote summarizes the entire book, and still gives me butterflies. It really captures how the teenage life is felt, and how spontaneous and beautiful life can be in any time. As Charlie says “feel infinite”, he means that you feel as if everything is perfect, everything is right, and you are living in the present.
As the author tried to capture many themes of growing up and the teenager’s problems that they go through, the author really did a great job, and in this quote, it captures what high school is like, and how it seems as if everything matters, but really it is saying that friends, family dramas, first dates, sex, and drugs are really at its peak during high school, and life gets simpler. “I don’t want to start thinking again. Not like I have this last week. I can’t think again. Not ever again. I don’t know if you’ve ever felt like that.
That you wanted to sleep for a thousand years. Or just not exist. Or just not want to be aware that you do exist. Or something like that. I think wanting that is very morbid, but I want it when I get like this. That’s why I’m trying not to think. I just want it all to stop spinning. ” – Charlie I feel that this quote brings out how crazy school, parents, peer pressure, etc. can really get to a kid. For example I know some of my friends have passed out, or had to go to the hospital because of stress due to finals at the end of every semester.
When you make the mistake of not realizing how much you have to study, then have a book report, a presentation on South Africa, 3 assignments due the next day you get back, and then to top it all off you have to study vocab, Spanish vocab, Spanish translations, genetics with polygenic traits, the Harvey Weinberg equilibrium, study up on debits/credits for accounting, and then try your best to work on your oral book report presentation… I think there is a little bit of stress all residing on one weekend. I feel this quote brings out the best on how teens get stressed and how they can go crazy so easily.