The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Stephen Chbosky, 8/10
‘We accept the love we think we deserve’
‘We accept the love we think we deserve’ – In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a soon-to-be high school freshman – Charlie – finds solace in writing letters, directed to an anonymous recipient – one that Charlie believes will listen without judgement. With his unstable high school life slowly unfolding, we peek glimpses of his past and the effects of his peers on his social and school life.
‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’ directs our empathy toward Charlie, conveying a sense of familiarity through the epistolary format. With a formality within his colloquial tone, Charlie maintains an air of anonymity while also creating a unique intimacy within it. As a reader, I feel a certain proximity in Charlie’s diction, especially his conversational way of writing, which helps reflect his personality and how introverted he is.
Chobsky’s themes of growth, health and trauma resonate with our own experiences, especially with the extent to which Charlie grows both mentally and socially, which is relatable and understandable, further evoking a feeling of closeness between us and Charlie. Chobsky explores these themes primarily through Charlie, but supporting characters such as Bill (Mr Anderson) and Sam also offer interesting quotations, most notably ‘We accept the love we deserve’ by Mr Anderson and ‘You can’t just sit there and put everybody’s lives ahead of yours and think that counts as love’, by Sam. These quotes highlight key turning points in Charlie’s life, and articulates ideas that really connect with Charlie’s experiences and his actions.
I think Chobsky’s expression of growth and mental health through Charlie is well composed, and Chobsky has created a compelling story that resonates with everyone’s general teenage experiences, to the extent that we feel like we are growing with Charlie, a feeling that is not evoked in other stories. Maybe it is the format, or Charlie’s particular and unique diction, that creates a strong base for the story and maintains interest all the way throughout the book.
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