Meet Charlie: A Human Wallflower

 

Woohoo, my first blog post! I’ve never written or had a blog before, so I’m excited to start sharing my thoughts on the wonderful book, the perks of being a wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. I’ve only started reading this book, but I’m already halfway through it. It rarely happens, but when I really enjoy a book, I don’t put it down and read as much as I can in one sitting. The writing in this novel is all sorts of amazing, and I’d love to tell you all why. Look, even the cover is intriguing.

Let’s start with the main character: Charlie Kelmeckis. A freshman in high school who, as the name of the book suggests, is a wallflower. What is a wallflower you may ask? Well, there are two definitions, but only one of them apply in this context. The first definition of a wallflower is a southern European plant with fragrant yellow, orange, or red flowers. It sounds beautiful, but that’s not the definition we’re looking for. What we want is a human wallflower; in simple terms, this is a person who may not talk or be talkative, but instead observes others closely and sees the world around them in a drastically different light than most people.

A literal wallflower. Different from a human wallflower, but both are still beautiful.

Since Charlie is a wallflower, he doesn’t have much social dialogue but instead expresses his thoughts through writing, which is one of the reasons I’m quickly falling in love with this book. The entire book is written through letters that Charlie writes, which lets the readers see Charlie’s inner thoughts on his world around him, which I think is spectacular. Another thing I like about this book is that although it’s a young adult book, the typical teenage cliches are balanced with real issues the characters face, and this book does a fantastic job of confronting issues, especially social ones. I don’t want to spoil anything but because of Charlie’s unique ability to see the inner conflict in others, many characters are given complex back stories or flaws, which only makes the reader more invested in Charlie and his friends. The book, the perks of being a wallflower, does not hesitate to show readers how ugly and cruel the real world can be, but this is not the dictating theme of the book as readers also experience Charlie being happy and in the moment. I think that’s one of the main messages or morals Stephen Chbosky demonstrates: no matter how difficult life is, there’s always little moments here and there that remind you that it’s all worth it.

I don’t know how to describe the main conflict of this book. The readers are given an inside look into Charlie’s chaotic life, and he experiences some sort of inner conflict every day. He experiences bullying from other kids because of his passion for literature and desire to succeed in school. He gets into trouble multiple times at school for simply defending his friends. I haven’t finished the book so I can’t say whether there is a climax or main conflict of this book just yet. What I do know is that through his trials of trying to survive high school, the readers see Charlie slowly starting to come out of his protective shell. He gains understanding friends (Patrick and Sam), and they really show him how to live life to the fullest. Charlie is like a caterpillar turned into a spectacular butterfly, and it’s just amazing to watch a troubled kid finally find a place where he feels like he belongs. There are certain scenes like driving under the famous Fort Pitt tunnel where Charlie showcases his character growth, but I don’t want to say too much. When I look at all that Charlie has to had to deal with (trust me, it’s a lot), I feel inspired because he doesn’t let negative things in his past affect his present, which I think is a good lesson. Of course Charlie isn’t like this from the bat, but he eventually learns this and learns to accept himself, and that is the most satisfying thing to read about.

The Fort Pitt Tunnel in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. The same tunnel Charlie and his friends go through.

To finish off this post, I’d like to say that I can’t wait to finish this book but I’m also sad to finish it because it is so enjoyable. When reading this book I feel all sorts of emotions ranging from sad and in tears to smiling and laughing at Charlie’s comments. the perks of being a wallflower feels very real and not at all like fiction since the characters are portrayed as real people with substance, which is why I keep being sucked into this book. I’m excited to read what Charlie goes through next and how he handles it. Till the next blog post, thanks for reading and I’ll see you all later!

Yours truly,

Shruthi

One thought on “Meet Charlie: A Human Wallflower

  1. This was a really thoughtful and insightful post! I really liked the way you introduced the book and added both definitions of wallflower. I think that this made your post especially unique and added to the conversational, yet professional, tone that you establish throughout your writing. In addition, the analysis of the plot and challenges that Charlie faces throughout the book are intriguing and clear but don’t give too much away. I haven’t read The Perks of Being a Wallflower yet, but your descriptions of the book make me want to pick it up right away. 😄

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