Who is the protagonist in The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Charlie. The fifteen-year-old protagonist of the novel. The novel is told through a series of letters that Charlie is writing to an anonymous “friend,” and the whole story is narrated entirely through Charlie’s perspective.

Why is Charlie a wallflower?

At first, Charlie is a wallflower because he has no friends and does not try to connect with people. At dances, he is literally a wallflower because he stands off to the side instead of joining in. … However, as the novel progresses, Charlie learns how to be a wallflower but not a doormat.

Do Charlie and Sam end up together?

Until the very end of the book, Charlie never acts on his love for Sam. … By loving Sam so much, and by starting to act on that love, Charlie is finally able to unlock his most suppressed emotions, and in doing so, eventually mature into the kind of person who can both give and receive love.

Why does Sam kiss Charlie?

She instead kisses him more of a friendly gesture of gratitude, or a gift. She wants to give him his first kiss because she cares about him and wants that experience to be as wonderful for him as possible. This might seem a little heartless, but Sam is trying to protect and watch out for Charlie.

Who is Charlie writing to in Perks of Being a Wallflower movie?

He misses his best friend, who had committed suicide, and he writes letters to an imaginary friend telling his feelings. Further, Charlie has a mental illness problem in his past. Soon Charlie befriends the veterans Patrick, who is gay, and his stepsister Sam and they become best friends.

Are Sam and Patrick related?

Patrick is Sam’s step-brother, a young man coming to terms with his identity and his relations with the people around him. Sam and Patrick seem to have a comfortable step sibling bond, so much so that Charlie initially believes that they are dating.

What did Charlie's Aunt do to him in perks?

What Charlie does not realize until the end of the book is that his Aunt Helen molested him when he was a child. We also find out that Charlie’s Aunt Helen was molested by a family friend a long time ago. Because she never resolved her own abuse, she let that cycle of abuse continue and became an abuser herself.

What does Patrick mean when he call Charlie a wallflower?

This quotation, which occurs just before the end of Part 1, is the first time that Charlie is referred to as a “wallflower” in the novel. Patrick does not use the word as an insult or a derogatory nickname. Instead, he calls Charlie a wallflower as a term of endearment.

What mental illness did Charlie have in The Perks of Being a Wallflower?

After being hospitalized for the summer after his best friend commits suicide, Charlie who suffers from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), is about to embark on his first year of high school. He fears being known as the weird kid who was hospitalized for the summer and not having any friends.

What happens when Patrick dares Charlie to kiss the prettiest girl in the room?

Patrick dares Charlie to “kiss the prettiest girl in the room” (3.11. 23). … This makes Charlie cry. Not because he embarrassed Mary Elizabeth in front of everyone, but because Sam is mad at him.

Article first time published on

Who Molested Sam in The Perks of Being a Wallflower?

After being admitted to a mental hospital, it is revealed that Helen actually sexually abused him when he was young—memories he had unconsciously repressed. This psychological damage explains his flashbacks and derealization phases throughout the book. In two months, Charlie is released, and Sam and Patrick visit him.

What is a wallflower personality?

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. A wallflower is someone with an introverted personality type (or in more extreme cases, social anxiety) who will attend parties and social gatherings, but will usually distance themselves from the crowd and actively avoid being in the limelight.

Was Charlie in Perks of Being a Wallflower molested?

Charlie concludes in his final letters in Perks that he was sexually abused in early childhood by his Aunt Helen, who is now deceased. … And while the majority of these young victims were assaulted by adult men [3], the existence of sexually abusive adult women is receiving increased attention.

Why does Charlie still love Aunt Helen?

Since Charlie represses the memories of his abuse for most of the novel, he generally thinks of Helen as the only person in his otherwise cold family to show Charlie affection, and he also loved that she gave him books to read.

Does Charlie lose his virginity to Sam?

“Welcome to the island of misfit toys,” says Sam, his first friend, and Charlie falls instantly in love. … Under their guidance, Charlie innocently takes his first baby steps into the world of drugs and loses his virginity to an overweight Buddhist vamp who introduces him to Billie Holiday and foreign films.

Is The Perks of Being a Wallflower sad?

In The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Charlie tends to straddle that fine line between sadness and depression. His solution: to totally withdraw himself from all social interaction. Sometimes he even turns to drugs.

Why did Charlie's Aunt molest him?

History. Aunt Helen was sexually abused by her father’s friend when she was young. … She took her sexual abuse out on Charlie, sexually molesting him and touching him while his sister was asleep, and telling him to be quiet was her way of telling him not to tell anybody about her touches.

Is The Perks of Being a Wallflower a true story?

Below, we chat with Chbosky about the book, the characters, and the music behind Perks. How much of Perks was based off of your own personal story? I would say the book and movie are very personal, but they’re not 100-percent autobiographical.

What happened to Charlie when he fell asleep in the snow?

After writing his last letter, Charlie fell asleep outside in the snow where policemen found him and brought him to the hospital. Charlie has a history of wandering off when his mental health declines, and his family worries. The doctor suggests Charlie see a psychiatrist again.

Why did Charlie play Rocky at the picture show?

First of all, Sam plays Janet, Rocky’s love interest, and Craig, Sam’s boyfriend, typically plays Rocky, so this offers Charlie an opportunity to get close to Sam without overstepping any boundaries.

What personality type is Charlie from The Perks of Being a Wallflower?

Charlie is what’s called an INFP. Introvert, iNtuition, Feeling, Perception . It’s how you think, feel, perceive, and interact with the would around you. You could very simply just be the same personality type as him.

What personality type is Patrick from Perks of Being a Wallflower?

Funky MBTI in Fiction — The Perks of Being a Wallflower: Patrick [ENTP]

Why is Perks of Being a Wallflower banned?

Stephen Chbosky’s young adult novel The Perks of Being a Wallflower is once again at the center of a potential censorship controversy. In Dubuque, Iowa, a group of over a dozen parents leveled that the book was “obscene,” objecting to “graphic sex scenes” and its depiction of drug and alcohol use.

What mental disorder does Patrick have?

The characters are based on different mental disorders. SpongeBob has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD); Patrick has eating disorders; Squidward has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD); Sandy is narcissistic; Mr.

What happened to Charlie and his aunt?

Growing up, Aunt Helen was molested by a friend of the family. When she finally told her parents, they didn’t believe her. … And of course, Aunt Helen goes on to molest Charlie. She took advantage of shy, quiet Charlie’s love and trust.

What drug did Charlie take in Perks of Being a Wallflower?

During the course of the novel, Charlie drinks, smokes cigarettes and pot, and does LSD. But the LSD doesn’t quite work for him—it just heightens the activity in his already overactive mind.

Why is Charlie writing a letter to a friend?

Charlie writes every letter, and there’s no back-and-forth correspondence in the book. … Charlie is writing these letter to help himself work through two extremely traumatic events in his childhood: the recent suicide of his best friend, Michael, and the death of his Aunt Helen when he was seven.

What page is the quote he's a wallflower?

The Perks of Being a Wallflower Quotes by Stephen Chbosky(page 14 of 29)

What did Charlie do when he saw Sam and Patrick at the homecoming game?

Charlie hadn’t realized that it was date-rape until just now, when he talked about it with Patrick and Sam. After the homecoming dance the next day, Charlie punctures the offender’s tires, even though it’s several years later.

Why did Charlie's brother break up with his girlfriend?

Charlie reports to his “friend” that Sam and Craig have broken up. Apparently, Craig had been cheating on Sam for a while. … Bill tells Charlie how special he is, and that he considers Charlie to be not just a student but a friend.

What happens to Charlie after he hurts his bully?

When another student tries to bully him, Charlie defends himself as his older brother taught him to do. He ends up severely hurting the bully, but he isn’t suspended because another student explains that Charlie was defending himself.

You Might Also Like