Controversy Equals Caution
Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a controversial novel that attacks the issues of high school head on. Through the epistolary writing structure, the book follows “Charlie”, through his 9th grade year. He is writing letters to a person unknown to the reader, but through his third-person point of view, one is able to perceive the life of an introverted teenage boy as he figures out how to navigate his way through the terrifying pathway of growing up. Chbosky is deliberate in his writing and depicts high school just as it is. This is a novel that boldly introduces some of the most argument provoking elements that are present throughout a young adult’s life. But how the characters in the novel are affected by these elements is truly what makes this a cautionary tale. The Perks of Being a Wallflower discusses the many dangers kids encounter while growing up, including drugs, abuse, and suicide, which inevitably impact the characters in the novel and therefore warns the reader to proceed with caution throughout their adulthood.
Drugs are a prominent element in the novel that provide a constant and indirect message to the reader to be aware of the affects that substances such as LSD, cigarettes, and alcohol can have on a person. Brad, the high school’s quarterback and secret homosexual, is talked about having to have “pretended to be a lot drunker than he really was” (p.43), while at a party. Patrick mentions numerous times how Brad, his boyfriend, is having trouble coming to terms with his sexuality. It then becomes evident to the reader how drugs and alcohol are often a way for teenagers to temporarily forget about their struggles. But how Patrick is affected by Brad’s choices is what truly cautions the reader. Patrick eventually becomes immensely distraught, as Brad would enter school the following Monday with apparently no recollection of what had happened over the weekend. This, over time, completely tears Patrick apart. He begins drinking too much himself, and has a very difficult time piecing himself back together because of Brad’s substance abuse problems. Drugs inevitably impact Charlie as well due to his close relationships with the upperclassmen. Soon after, his developing relationship with Patrick and Sam, Charlie is introduced to cigarettes. On multiple occasions when Charlie is faced with a challenge, he decides to calm down through smoking eventually “up to about ten cigarettes a day” (p.103). But as matters take a turn for the worse, Charlie turns to harsher drugs such as LSD and marijuana. After a New Year’s Eve party, Charlie claims to have heard his crush, Sam, and her boyfriend, Craig, having sex, and he begins to hallucinate. He “was looking at this tree” (p.95) but then as it soon became a dragon, he decided to shovel the host’s driveway in the snow. The next day, while still under the influence of LSD, Charlie is found by the police, lying in the snow, asleep. He is rushed to the emergency room where he remembers how, as a kid, he used to “just wander off and fall asleep somewhere” (p.99). His family is brought to the hospital where they immediately grow extremely worried remembering just what Charlie recalls. The doctor suggests that Charlie start seeing a psychiatrist. This serves as a prime example of just how careful one should be throughout their teenage years. The potential dangers involving loved ones, the police, or even a psychiatrist to fix a bad decision surely cautions the reader to refrain from using drugs and alcohol illegally. Therefore, The Perks of Being a Wallflower’s motif of different drugs, warns the reader to avoid dangerous substances because of how the characters are affected by them.
Abuse is a theme that has a great impact on the main character in the novel. Until the end of the novel, the reader is unknowingly told of Charlie’s trauma following his molestation from his Aunt Helen. And although Charlie makes every attempt to suppress this memory, that moment is unveiled in one of Charlie’s dreams where he was “watching television with [his] Aunt Helen. [And] everything was in slow motion. The sound was thick. And she was doing what Sam was doing” (p.204). The end of that quote refers to the intimate experience that Sam and Charlie begin the night prior to his dream. Domestic abuse is a reoccurring element that impacts Aunt Helen as well. She was allegedly “molested…by a friend of the family” (p.90) and consequently “drank a lot…took drugs a lot…[and] had many problems with men and boys” (p.90). Charlie and Aunt Helen’s experiences with sexual abuse, are part of many examples that demonstrate how this type of violence, can impact one’s actions and emotions. Charlie’s Aunt becomes a pursuer of her own problem, and therefore creates a huge imprint on Charlie’s life. Because of his molestation, Charlie has an extreme mental breakdown where his parents find him “sitting on the couch in the family room. [He] was completely naked, just watching the television, which wasn’t on” (p.208). His parents rush him to the hospital after finding him unresponsive. This breakdown is incredibly because it is in the hospital, where Charlie verifies that what he dreamt of Aunt Helen doing was not only true, but also used to happen every Saturday. Abuse is a terrifying element that Stephen Chbosky implements to warn the reader of the true dangers in life. And sadly, Charlie and Aunt Helen are not the only example. Early in the novel, Charlie finds his sister being abused by her boyfriend. The three of them are watching a movie together, but her boyfriend becomes quickly enraged, as Charlie’s sister always picks on him for not standing up for what he believes in. He “got really red-faced. And he looked at me. Then, he looked at her. And he wound up and hit her hard across the face” (p.11). This intense moment is just the beginning of Charlie’s connection with his sister’s relationship. The couple goes on a rollercoaster ride of disobeying their parents in order to remain in contact, which puts the weight of the world on Charlie’s shoulders. He knows that he is the reason for his sister’s great effort to hide their relationship from their parents. Charlie’s witnessing of his sister’s abusive relationship as well as his own abuse creates a constant reminder as to why we, as humans, “accept the love we think we deserve” (p.24). Therefore, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a cautionary tale due to the element of abuse that so greatly impacts and influences the characters in the novel.
Suicide is another theme in the novel that makes a great impact on Charlie. The reader learns very quickly that Charlie’s best friend, Michael, has committed suicide the spring before their freshman year of high school. Charlie attended sessions with the school’s guidance counselor hoping to obtain some understanding as to why Michael might have turned to suicide. But the emotions of knowing a person who dies because of suicide becomes too strong for Charlie and he “started screaming at the guidance counselor…and…started crying even harder” (p.4). Later in the novel, around Christmas time, Charlie decides to recite a suicide letter to Patrick. An interesting choice as a gift enough as it is, Charlie seems to be oblivious to exactly what it is. And although the reader never finds out who wrote the poem, Charlie admits that he, for the first time, “understand[s] the end of that poem” (p.96). This is an incredibly powerful end to part two because of the immense shift of how the reader will continue to perceive Charlie. Suicide is an extremely sensitive and emotional subject that Chbosky so nonchalantly introduces. Charlie is obviously impacted by the death of his best friend, and in combination with drugs, and abuse, allow him to feel the emotions of a person experiencing suicidal thoughts. Because of Chbosky’s unconcerned language surrounding the topic of suicide and the impact that it has on Charlie, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is truly a cautionary tale.
In conclusion, Stephen Chbosky’s deliberate writing allows the reader to be introduced to many controversial and real subjects that one may be introduced to as they enter adulthood. I believe that the author decided to highlight and magnify the characters responses to such elements to reveal the highest consequences. Chbosky’s nonchalant language around the topics of drugs, abuse, and suicide, is a reflection of how a typical teenager views some of the most dangerous parts of getting older. The contrasting mix of the language of the novel and the harsh topics themselves, allows the reader to see the results when one underestimates the power of a dangerous element. Therefore, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a cautionary tale because of Stephen Chbosky’s emphasis on the characters’ reactions to the influences of drugs, abuse, and suicide.
Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a controversial novel that attacks the issues of high school head on. Through the epistolary writing structure, the book follows “Charlie”, through his 9th grade year. He is writing letters to a person unknown to the reader, but through his third-person point of view, one is able to perceive the life of an introverted teenage boy as he figures out how to navigate his way through the terrifying pathway of growing up. Chbosky is deliberate in his writing and depicts high school just as it is. This is a novel that boldly introduces some of the most argument provoking elements that are present throughout a young adult’s life. But how the characters in the novel are affected by these elements is truly what makes this a cautionary tale. The Perks of Being a Wallflower discusses the many dangers kids encounter while growing up, including drugs, abuse, and suicide, which inevitably impact the characters in the novel and therefore warns the reader to proceed with caution throughout their adulthood.
Drugs are a prominent element in the novel that provide a constant and indirect message to the reader to be aware of the affects that substances such as LSD, cigarettes, and alcohol can have on a person. Brad, the high school’s quarterback and secret homosexual, is talked about having to have “pretended to be a lot drunker than he really was” (p.43), while at a party. Patrick mentions numerous times how Brad, his boyfriend, is having trouble coming to terms with his sexuality. It then becomes evident to the reader how drugs and alcohol are often a way for teenagers to temporarily forget about their struggles. But how Patrick is affected by Brad’s choices is what truly cautions the reader. Patrick eventually becomes immensely distraught, as Brad would enter school the following Monday with apparently no recollection of what had happened over the weekend. This, over time, completely tears Patrick apart. He begins drinking too much himself, and has a very difficult time piecing himself back together because of Brad’s substance abuse problems. Drugs inevitably impact Charlie as well due to his close relationships with the upperclassmen. Soon after, his developing relationship with Patrick and Sam, Charlie is introduced to cigarettes. On multiple occasions when Charlie is faced with a challenge, he decides to calm down through smoking eventually “up to about ten cigarettes a day” (p.103). But as matters take a turn for the worse, Charlie turns to harsher drugs such as LSD and marijuana. After a New Year’s Eve party, Charlie claims to have heard his crush, Sam, and her boyfriend, Craig, having sex, and he begins to hallucinate. He “was looking at this tree” (p.95) but then as it soon became a dragon, he decided to shovel the host’s driveway in the snow. The next day, while still under the influence of LSD, Charlie is found by the police, lying in the snow, asleep. He is rushed to the emergency room where he remembers how, as a kid, he used to “just wander off and fall asleep somewhere” (p.99). His family is brought to the hospital where they immediately grow extremely worried remembering just what Charlie recalls. The doctor suggests that Charlie start seeing a psychiatrist. This serves as a prime example of just how careful one should be throughout their teenage years. The potential dangers involving loved ones, the police, or even a psychiatrist to fix a bad decision surely cautions the reader to refrain from using drugs and alcohol illegally. Therefore, The Perks of Being a Wallflower’s motif of different drugs, warns the reader to avoid dangerous substances because of how the characters are affected by them.
Abuse is a theme that has a great impact on the main character in the novel. Until the end of the novel, the reader is unknowingly told of Charlie’s trauma following his molestation from his Aunt Helen. And although Charlie makes every attempt to suppress this memory, that moment is unveiled in one of Charlie’s dreams where he was “watching television with [his] Aunt Helen. [And] everything was in slow motion. The sound was thick. And she was doing what Sam was doing” (p.204). The end of that quote refers to the intimate experience that Sam and Charlie begin the night prior to his dream. Domestic abuse is a reoccurring element that impacts Aunt Helen as well. She was allegedly “molested…by a friend of the family” (p.90) and consequently “drank a lot…took drugs a lot…[and] had many problems with men and boys” (p.90). Charlie and Aunt Helen’s experiences with sexual abuse, are part of many examples that demonstrate how this type of violence, can impact one’s actions and emotions. Charlie’s Aunt becomes a pursuer of her own problem, and therefore creates a huge imprint on Charlie’s life. Because of his molestation, Charlie has an extreme mental breakdown where his parents find him “sitting on the couch in the family room. [He] was completely naked, just watching the television, which wasn’t on” (p.208). His parents rush him to the hospital after finding him unresponsive. This breakdown is incredibly because it is in the hospital, where Charlie verifies that what he dreamt of Aunt Helen doing was not only true, but also used to happen every Saturday. Abuse is a terrifying element that Stephen Chbosky implements to warn the reader of the true dangers in life. And sadly, Charlie and Aunt Helen are not the only example. Early in the novel, Charlie finds his sister being abused by her boyfriend. The three of them are watching a movie together, but her boyfriend becomes quickly enraged, as Charlie’s sister always picks on him for not standing up for what he believes in. He “got really red-faced. And he looked at me. Then, he looked at her. And he wound up and hit her hard across the face” (p.11). This intense moment is just the beginning of Charlie’s connection with his sister’s relationship. The couple goes on a rollercoaster ride of disobeying their parents in order to remain in contact, which puts the weight of the world on Charlie’s shoulders. He knows that he is the reason for his sister’s great effort to hide their relationship from their parents. Charlie’s witnessing of his sister’s abusive relationship as well as his own abuse creates a constant reminder as to why we, as humans, “accept the love we think we deserve” (p.24). Therefore, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a cautionary tale due to the element of abuse that so greatly impacts and influences the characters in the novel.
Suicide is another theme in the novel that makes a great impact on Charlie. The reader learns very quickly that Charlie’s best friend, Michael, has committed suicide the spring before their freshman year of high school. Charlie attended sessions with the school’s guidance counselor hoping to obtain some understanding as to why Michael might have turned to suicide. But the emotions of knowing a person who dies because of suicide becomes too strong for Charlie and he “started screaming at the guidance counselor…and…started crying even harder” (p.4). Later in the novel, around Christmas time, Charlie decides to recite a suicide letter to Patrick. An interesting choice as a gift enough as it is, Charlie seems to be oblivious to exactly what it is. And although the reader never finds out who wrote the poem, Charlie admits that he, for the first time, “understand[s] the end of that poem” (p.96). This is an incredibly powerful end to part two because of the immense shift of how the reader will continue to perceive Charlie. Suicide is an extremely sensitive and emotional subject that Chbosky so nonchalantly introduces. Charlie is obviously impacted by the death of his best friend, and in combination with drugs, and abuse, allow him to feel the emotions of a person experiencing suicidal thoughts. Because of Chbosky’s unconcerned language surrounding the topic of suicide and the impact that it has on Charlie, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is truly a cautionary tale.
In conclusion, Stephen Chbosky’s deliberate writing allows the reader to be introduced to many controversial and real subjects that one may be introduced to as they enter adulthood. I believe that the author decided to highlight and magnify the characters responses to such elements to reveal the highest consequences. Chbosky’s nonchalant language around the topics of drugs, abuse, and suicide, is a reflection of how a typical teenager views some of the most dangerous parts of getting older. The contrasting mix of the language of the novel and the harsh topics themselves, allows the reader to see the results when one underestimates the power of a dangerous element. Therefore, The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a cautionary tale because of Stephen Chbosky’s emphasis on the characters’ reactions to the influences of drugs, abuse, and suicide.