The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky is a beautifully written piece of literature about a young boy’s first year of high school. The main character, Charlie, is a socially awkward teen, just entering high school, who is struggling to cope with past events that have left him a shattered mess of emotions. He is wallflower, watching life unfold before him, although he never actually “participates”. He meets Sam and her stepbrother Patrick, who immediately take him under their wings and walk him through his freshman year, and together they create memories they will never forget. All the while, his English teacher Bill, encourages Charlie to pursue his dreams of becoming a writer and …show more content…
For example, coming-of-age is a major theme expressed in this novel. The teenage years are critical in the whole process of growing up. You hit puberty, you mature, and you get a real sense of what the world is like. For Charlie, an introverted “late blooming” wallflower, he is scared and anxious about high school, and is also struggling with mental issues. Luckily, he meets the charismatic step-siblings Sam and Patrick who are more than willing to give Charlie the best possible high school experience that can. While they introduce him to alcohol and drugs, they also show him the true meaning of friendship and love. "Sam screamed this really fun scream, and there it was. Downtown. Lights on the buildings and everything that makes you wonder. Sam sat down and started laughing. Patrick started laughing. I started laughing. And in that moment, I swear we were infinite"(Chbosky 39) “Infinite” is a repeated word throughout the story. Charlie is constantly warring with himself so in these few precious happy moments with his friends, he can be himself and forget about the world and its expectations for a while and just live in the
The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky is a beautifully written piece of literature about a young boy’s first year of high school. The main character, Charlie, is a socially awkward teen, just entering high school, who is struggling to cope with past events that have left him a shattered mess of emotions. He is wallflower, watching life unfold before him, although he never actually “participates”. He meets Sam and her stepbrother Patrick, who immediately take him under their wings and walk him through his freshman year, and together they create memories they will never forget. All the while, his English teacher Bill, encourages Charlie to pursue his dreams of becoming a writer and …show more content…
For example, coming-of-age is a major theme expressed in this novel. The teenage years are critical in the whole process of growing up. You hit puberty, you mature, and you get a real sense of what the world is like. For Charlie, an introverted “late blooming” wallflower, he is scared and anxious about high school, and is also struggling with mental issues. Luckily, he meets the charismatic step-siblings Sam and Patrick who are more than willing to give Charlie the best possible high school experience that can. While they introduce him to alcohol and drugs, they also show him the true meaning of friendship and love. "Sam screamed this really fun scream, and there it was. Downtown. Lights on the buildings and everything that makes you wonder. Sam sat down and started laughing. Patrick started laughing. I started laughing. And in that moment, I swear we were infinite"(Chbosky 39) “Infinite” is a repeated word throughout the story. Charlie is constantly warring with himself so in these few precious happy moments with his friends, he can be himself and forget about the world and its expectations for a while and just live in the