First published in 1999, the perks of being a wallflower is a modern classic that captures the aching, confusing, and glorious experience of being a teenagerall through the eyes, ears, and letters of the books narrator, charlie. The perks of being a wallflower is one of our fave ya books here at fya hq, so you can imagine our dreadexcitement when we first heard that the novel was being made into a movie. When we were choosing which perks of being a wallflower quotes to feature in this collection, we had to consider if everyone was familiar with the protagonist charlie, a socially awkward young high school student who finds himself mixed in with a group of equally but different awkward friends. Patrick describes charlies wallflower nature at the end of part 1. Patrick alludes to this commonality of experience in this quote. The perks of being a wallflower by stephen chbosky gives an indepth, authentic view of the adolescent mind through the letters of a young boy, charlie kelmeckis, who is wise beyond his years. Secondly, i greatly enjoyed this book and then the movie too thirdly, answering your question. Essentially, perks is a modern comingofage novel written as a series of firstperson letters. The result is a narrative which is both personal and unashamedly honest. Suicide, molestation, domestic abuse, homosexuality, drug use, mental illness and abortion are parts of real life, and perks has done all. The perks of being a wallflower english literature essay. While weve made a list before of titles similar to perks, it seemed about time to revisit the topic and offer up some more titles, beyond the bestsellers style. Litcharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in the perks of being a wallflower, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
The perks of being a wallflower by stephen chbosky was published in 1999 by mtv books. The perks of being a wallflower the perks of being wallflower film was inspired by the book, written by stephen chbosky. How are the themes of the perks of being a walfower and the poem. The book has a very compelling plot and interesting characters. The book is written in the form of letters written from charlie to an unknown friend.
Even though it addresses a very specific set of issues, this novel is able to strike a chord with a vast group of readers. This validation of charlies behavior is a turning point in the novel. How good is the book the perks of being a wallflower. The perks of being a wallflower might as well come with a question mark at the end. The perks of being a wallflower details the expansive world that adolescents have to deal with in todays world. Charlie starts reading his next book assignment from bill to. At the secret santa party, charlie reads patrick a poem. The perks of being a wallflower is a 1999 book by stephen chbosky. It follows charlie during his freshman year of high school as he makes and loses friends, experiments with drugs. A highly scientific analysis of the perks of being a wallflower there are definitely perks to being a film adaptation of an amazing book. We also had to remember that the dark themes explored in the book may be good for the. The perks of being a wallflower is a frequently banned title. The perks of being a wallflower the suicide poem showing 128. How to interpret the suicide poem from the novel the perks of being.
The perks of being a wallflower by stephen chbosky is the story of charlie, a young teen who is socially immature, inept, and suffers from ongoing emotional issues. Growth and development in stephen chboskys the perks of. The perks of being a wallflower essay elys 9th grade. Many people become nauseated with the protagonists overly sentimental musings, and others simply get angry with the protagonists lack of action these were. Aspiring filmmakerfirstnovelist chbosky adds an upbeat ending to a tale of teenaged angstthe right combination of realism and uplift to allow it on high school reading lists, though some might object to the sexuality, drinking, and dopesmoking. I got the ending i was just slightly unsure about the time when he was little.
Charlies personality changes drastically from the beginning of the book to the end of it. Well all this is true too for the perks of being a wallflower by stephen chbosky, but just wait and you will find so much more. In a letter addressed to an anonymous friend, charlie explains that he is writing to this person because he heard that they listen and understand. Books mentioned in the perks of being a wallflower by stephen chbosky score a books total score is based on multiple factors, including the number of people who have voted for it and how highly those voters ranked the book. Routinely compared to catcher in the rye, the book has as its central theme the struggle to understand the terrible things that inevitably happen to those we love and to ourselves.
Charlies choice to give patrick a poem as his last gift is yet another way that characters in the novel give literature or music to each other as a way. The perks of being a wallflower essay examples 525 words. A statement, made under penalty of perjury, that the above information is accurate, and that you are the owner. It is known as a coming of age teenage film, which follows the life of the protagonist charlie through his letters that he writes in his freshman year. Stephen said that he relates to charlie, but his life in high school was in many ways different. A summary of part 2 in stephen chboskys the perks of being a wallflower. To lessen the fear and anxiety of starting high school alone, charlie starts writing letters to a stranger, someone he heard was nice but has never met in person. The perks of being a wallflower quotes and analysis. Books mentioned in the perks of being a wallflower 15. The perks of being a wallflower by stephen chbosky. In my own group of friends, people liked the movie or thought that it did an adequate job with the book.
The 20 best love quotes from the perks of being a wallflower. The main character is a teenager going through his teenage years in a very turbulant, yet exciting way. He really appreciates and is truly honored to have you read and discuss his book, the perks of being a wallflower. Many controversial issues are dealt with throughout the course of. The perks of being a wallflower study guide contains a biography of stephen chbosky. According to the book, what are the perks of being a. Charlie begins his first year of high school and struggles make friends as he grapples with the past death of his aunt helen and suicide of his friend michael. How to interpret the suicide poem from the novel the perks of being a. Now a major motion picture starring logan lerman and emma watson, the perks of being a wallflower is a funny, touching, and haunting modern classic. However, my answer would undoubtedly be the aforementioned book titled perks of being a wallflower, written by stephen chbosky.
The critically acclaimed debut novel from stephen chbosky, perks follows observant wallflower charlie as he charts a course through the strange world between adolescence and adulthood. The perks of being a wallflower by krizia reyes on prezi. The perks of being a wallflower literary analysis essay. Like most books about teenage boys, this book encompasses the theme of independence. It is should be read by older ages because of its explicit content. With the large amount of characters, one is bound to be relatable to you. He isnt sure if he can, until he meets sam and patrick, 2 seniors who are really his gateway into the real world. The movie version of perks, which stephen also wrote, is being released nationwide in the us today, october 12th. The perks of being a wallflower fandom reacted well to the movie. More sophisticated readers might object to the ripoff of salinger, though chbosky pays homage by having his protagonist read catcher in the rye. In 1995, he began writing his epistolary, the perks of being a wallflower book pdf.
One of the more pleasant surprises on book riot readers top 50 favorite novels, at least for me, was the perks of being a wallflower by stephen chbosky. I chose to add it to the list because i saw the movie in theaters when it came out and it looked like something i would. The tunnel which the friends drive through is lit up very bright symbolic of their growth as characters throughout the film, having finally reached the end of their journey. The eponymous wallflower, charlie, is a semireliable narrator who demonstrates some characteristics of aspergers syndrome. The perks of being a wallflower starts as charlie is beginning his freshman year in high school in the year 1991.
One of the most popular requests we see pop up here on book riot is for what books to read if you enjoyed stephen chboskys classic the perks of being a wallflower. Using and dealing with drugs, alcohol, sex are an everyday occurrence for charlie. The story charts charlies life and relationships over the course of one year. Lets talk a little bit first about why the book is so. Take your hr comms to the next level with prezi video. What happens in the ending of the perks of being a wallflower. The perks of being a wallflower is a story told through a series of letters. A highly scientific analysis of the perks of being a. He doesnt have any friends because his best and only friend, michael, committed suicide just the summer before.
A passage from charlie coming out of his shell, or a passage of charlie being alone to having friends. For the uninitiated, stephen chboskys novel the perks of being a wallflower, published by mtv books in 1999, wholeheartedly engages in the teenage impulse towards pretentiousness. The book is presented in an epistolary format, which tells the story in a series of letters from charlie to an anonymous source who is. There werent any huge glaring errors, but its not one of those mustsee movies of the year and there is a general agreement that the movie did not do the book justice.
The perks of being a wallflower focuses on the friendship between charlie, patrick, and sam. He is writing a letter to an anonymous person because he needs to let his thoughts out to someone who appreciates life itself, a good person. I think this poem cant be analysed inside the context of the book, as in real life, there is no connection betwixt this. Deleted scene from the perks of being a wallflower. He is very shy, but that all comes down to a mental issue that occurred because of something that happened when he was younger, which you will get the gist of later on in the book. I had never seen it the way you have, and your analysis makes perfect sense.
The best quotes from the perks of being a wallflower. Pocket books uk, 2009 is a novel set sometime in the 1990s, and focuses on the life of charlie, a troubled fifteen year old boy who is just trying to find his place in the world. At its best, this friendship is a lifeline for charlie, a muchneeded source of emotional support for. The poem was given to him by michael, a friend of his who committed. Its been 15 years since the perks of being a wallflower was first published, but the fact that its still relevant is a testament to how moving, heartwarming, and ultimately lifechanging it can be. The perks of being a wallflower 1568 words 7 pages. Books to read if you love the perks of being a wallflower. A tender novel about charlie, a mixed up teen who writes letters to anonymous person chronicling his first year of high school. The perks of being a wallflower is of course a comingofage novel, once even compared to salingers the catcher in the rye. In whitmans poem, the speaker is immersed in uncertainty. The poem is not an original work of perks of being a wallflower. The perks of being a wallflower is the story of a unique high school student named charlie and his journey of selfdiscovery throughout his freshman year.
This book immediately became a popular success, especially among teenage readers. The perks of being a wallflower is a truly moving story about charlie, a freshman in high school, who is by no means popular. The perks of being a wallflower the film based on stephen chboskys epistolary guidebook to adolescence opens today in wide release. The perks of being a wallflower by lacey k on prezi. The perks of being a wallflower summary fifteenyearold charlie is coping with the suicide of his friend, michael. Just like other favourite books, this book did not fail to stir up controversy. It is because chbosky portrayed teen sexuality and drug. The perks of being a wallflower quotes and analysis gradesaver. Upon reading this description, i was irked, mostly because theres no way holden caulfields stuckup, spoiled and selfcentered view of the world can. Summary the perks of being a wallflower is the story of charlie, a ninth grade boy whos really just trying to fit in at his high school. Charlies life was never really dreadfully boring or fascinating, he was just an average person who didnt do much. The perks of being a wallflower pdf by stephen chbosky. His first book was the perks of being a wallflower, which was set in his very own home state. One of the most beautiful parts of the perks of being a wallflower is that people from very different backgrounds and age groups can relate to its story.