"The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky

Instead of the traditional one long paragraph format I’m accustomed to, I’m going to answer questions straight out of the back of this book as clearly and as effectively as I can. Starting with…

Q: Why do you think Chbosky chose to use letters as his narrative structure?

A: Writing a letter is much different from writing a chapter in a traditional novel. Letters don’t require gory details and make for a quicker reading pace, which is what every young adult reader secretly loves.

Q: How did this structure affect the book, both in terms of the story and in terms of your reading experience?

A: In terms of story, it lets us know that Charlie is still alive by the story’s end (otherwise he wouldn’t be writing letters) and that he didn’t resort to suicide in order to cope with the losses in his life. In terms of reading experience, it made it possible for me to blaze through reading this book without tiring my eyes as quickly as I do.

Q: How would the book have been different if Chbosky had written it in first-person or third-person narrative? Without the letter format, we wouldn’t be firmly in the head of Charlie, which is a beautiful place to be as evidenced by the way he writes.

Q: Who do you think Charlie was writing to?

A: Anybody who would listen. I’m even inclined to say that these letters went to a complete stranger since they’re all addressed to someone who went nameless throughout the entire story.

Q: Does it ultimately matter whom, or even if he is, writing to someone? Why or why not?

A: I think that if he wrote the letters to actual characters in this story, it would help him “participate” in life as opposed to watching on the sidelines. He would be open and honest with whoever he was writing to and that person would be closer to him because of it.

Q: Who do you identify with the most? Did you see parts of yourself in any one specific character?

A: To be honest, I didn’t identify with anybody in this book (which doesn’t mean I couldn’t relate to the story as a whole, don’t get me wrong). Despite the many obstacles these characters go through, they had a pretty magical adolescence full of socialization and wonder. I had no such childhood. Mine was full of blunt affects and social barricades. In a way, I’m a tiny bit jealous of the adventures these kids go through.

Q: What do you think kept Charlie from “participating” when he entered high school? What held him back? Have you ever felt this way before?

A: In the beginning, Charlie suffered from something that I’m currently suffering now as an adult: social awkwardness. He wouldn’t participate because initially nobody would let him. I feel this way every single day of my life.

Q: Who is Charlie’s greatest ally? Who is his worst influence?

A: His greatest ally is Sam, because she was the first to let him know what true love really feels like. She made him feel like he could have a social life when he grew up instead of being confined to his family all the time. Charlie’s worst influence is Mary Elizabeth, because she tried to dominate his life by smothering him. Charlie is in many ways an introverted character and to have that lack of control over his own life hurt him badly.

Q: From Naked Lunch by William B. Burroughs to Harold and Maude to the Beatles’ song “Dear Prudence”, Charlie references numerous pieces of literature, film, and music. How did these references shape your reading? Why are they so important to Charlie?

A: While I was only familiar with one reference throughout the entire book (Pink Floyd singing Another Brick in the Wall, Pt. 2), the multitude of references led me to believe that Charlie was soaking in as many influences as he possibly could so that they could shape him into a wonderful human being. Having influences is ultimately what drives a person to pursue his dreams.

Q: When Bill invites Charlie over for lunch Charlie observes, “He was talking for real. It was strange.” What do you think Charlie means by “real”? How does he discern between what is real and what is not real?

A: When he says real, he means that Bill was being honest about his thoughts and emotions with no filter of any kind. Anybody who squanders opportunities to speak their mind and be open with their fellow humans is not real in Charlie’s mind.

Q: Sam confronts Charlie before she leaves for college, pleading: “You can’t just sit there and put everybody’s lives ahead of yours and think that counts as love. You just can’t. You have to do things.” Do you agree with Sam? How does this exchange relate to their relationship on a grander scale?

A: I agree with Sam because relationships are two way streets. If one person isn’t happy, neither is the other person, which is why the relationship between Charlie and Mary Elizabeth fell apart so easily. Sam felt like Charlie had a filter between his mind and mouth and wasn’t always honest about what he felt about her.

Q: Discuss Aunt Helen’s character and presence in the novel. Were you surprised when the truth about her relationship with Charlie was revealed? In what other ways did seemingly positive aspects of Charlie’s life turn out to be negative?

A: Everybody has demons in their lives in one way or another. The fact that Aunt Helen’s demons of being molested were revealed doesn’t shock or surprise me, because I’ve seen a lot of horrible things in my life and I’m numb to everything. Another positive that turned into a negative was Charlie discovering that his relationship with Sam wasn’t unbreakable. She was hurt badly when Charlie betrayed Mary Elizabeth and wasn’t inclined to forget about it for a long time.

Q: After watching the art film with Mary Elizabeth, Charlie says: “The movie itself was very interesting, but I didn’t think it was very good because I didn’t really feel different when it was over.” Do you agree with Charlie that in order to be “good”, creative works must make you feel differently? Who did you feel after reading The Perks of Being a Wallflower?

A: Even in minor ways, yes, creative works have to make you feel differently. If you’re watching an action movie, you should be excited. If you’re watching a romantic movie, you should learn to believe in love again. In terms of this book, I did feel differently. I felt jealous that I couldn’t have the same romantic relationships as Charlie had when I was a teenager. It inspired me to write a heavy metal song called “The Language of Fire”, which doesn’t need much explaining as to what it’s about.

Q: Discuss the following passage: “Maybe it’s good to put things in perspective. Sometimes I think that the only perspective is to really be there.” How has Charlie’s outlook shifted from the beginning of the story?

A: In the beginning, he allowed his parents to tell him that his problems weren’t comparable to a starving child in China. By the end of the story, he realized that despite other people having it worse, the problems still remain and still need attention.

Q: The Perks of Being a Wallflower grapples with a complex, universally difficult stage in life. What reflections did it inspire about your own life? What parts of the story resonated most deeply with you?

A: Considering that most of my childhood was riddled with bullying, the part of the story that hit me the hardest was the cafeteria fight scene where Patrick had to be rescued from the homophobic football players. The ratio of my childhood of bullying to friendship weighed heavily in favor of the former, so anytime Charlie discussed how great his friendships were, I got jealous.

And there you have it! Ballgame!

　

***PARODY DIALOGUE OF THE DAY***

FLOYDIAN TEACHER: Poems, everybody! The laddie reckons himself a poet!

ME: You’re damn right I do!

-Pink Floyd the Wall-

No, I wasn’t actually in that movie (it came out before I was born), but that would have been me if the teacher accosted me the way he accosted Pink.