The Perks of Being a Wallflower is an
epistolary novelAn epistolary novel is a novel written as a series of documents. The usual form is letters, although diary entries, newspaper clippings and other documents are sometimes used. Recently, electronic "documents" such as recordings and radio, blogs and e-mails have also come into use...
written by American novelist
Stephen ChboskyStephen Chbosky is an American novelist, screenwriter, and film director best known for the coming-of-age novel The Perks of Being a Wallflower...
. It was published on February 1, 1999 by
MTVMTV is a cable television network based in New York City and launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs...
. The story is narrated by a teenager who goes by the alias of "Charlie"; he describes various scenes in his life by writing a series of letters to an anonymous person, whom he does not know personally.
The story explores topics such as introversion, teenage
sexualityHuman sexuality is how people experience the erotic and express themselves as sexual beings. Frequently driven by the desire for sexual pleasure, human sexuality has biological, physical and emotional aspects...
,
abuseAbuse refers to the use or treatment of something that is harmful. It can be classed by the target of abuse or the type of abuse.- Classed by targets of abuse include :...
, and the awkward times of
adolescenceAdolescence Adolescence Adolescence (lat adolescere, (to grow) is a transitional stage of physical and mental human development that occurs between childhood and adulthood. This transition involves biological (i.e. pubertal), social, and psychological changes, though the biological or...
.
I just need to know that someone out there listens and understands and doesn't try to sleep with people even if they could have. I need to know that these people exist.
p.2
So, this is my life. And I want you to know that I am both happy and sad and I'm still trying to figure out how that could be.
p.2
Bridget who is crazy said that sometimes she thought about suicide when commercials come on during TV. She was sincere and this puzzled the guidance counselors.
p.3
Some kids look at me strange in the hallways because I don't decorate my locker, and I'm the one who beat up Sean and couldn't stop crying after he did it. I guess I'm pretty emotional.
p.8
I look at people holdings hands in the hallways, and I try to think how it all works. At the school dances, I sit in the background, and I tap my toe, and I wonder how many couples will dance to ‘their song.’ In the hallways, I see the girls wearing the guys’ jackets, and I think about the idea of property. And I wonder if anyone is really happy. I hope they are. I really hope they are.
p.23-24
"Do you always think this much, Charlie?" "Is that bad?" I just wanted someone to tell me the truth. "Not necessarily. It's just that sometimes people use thought to not participate in life." "Is that bad?" "Yes."
p.24
“Charlie, we accept the love we think we deserve.”
p.24
"I hate you." My sister said it different than she did to my dad. She meant it with me. She really did. "I love you," was all I could say in return. "You're a freak, you know that? You’ve always been a freak. Everyone says so. They always have." "I'm trying not to be." p.26
Then, I turned around and walked to my room and closed my door and put my head under my pillow and let the quiet put things where they are supposed to be.
p.26
“Not everyone has a sob story, Charlie, and even if they do, it's no excuse.”
p.28
The Perks of Being a Wallflower is an
epistolary novelAn epistolary novel is a novel written as a series of documents. The usual form is letters, although diary entries, newspaper clippings and other documents are sometimes used. Recently, electronic "documents" such as recordings and radio, blogs and e-mails have also come into use...
written by American novelist
Stephen ChboskyStephen Chbosky is an American novelist, screenwriter, and film director best known for the coming-of-age novel The Perks of Being a Wallflower...
. It was published on February 1, 1999 by
MTVMTV is a cable television network based in New York City and launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs...
. The story is narrated by a teenager who goes by the alias of "Charlie"; he describes various scenes in his life by writing a series of letters to an anonymous person, whom he does not know personally.
The story explores topics such as introversion, teenage
sexualityHuman sexuality is how people experience the erotic and express themselves as sexual beings. Frequently driven by the desire for sexual pleasure, human sexuality has biological, physical and emotional aspects...
,
abuseAbuse refers to the use or treatment of something that is harmful. It can be classed by the target of abuse or the type of abuse.- Classed by targets of abuse include :...
, and the awkward times of
adolescenceAdolescence Adolescence Adolescence (lat adolescere, (to grow) is a transitional stage of physical and mental human development that occurs between childhood and adulthood. This transition involves biological (i.e. pubertal), social, and psychological changes, though the biological or...
. The book also touches strongly on
drug useRecreational drug use is the use of psychoactive drugs for recreational purposes rather than for work, approved medical or spiritual purposes, although the distinction is not always clear ....
and Charlie's experiences with this. As the story progresses, various works of
literatureLiterature is the art of written works. Literally translated, the word means "acquaintance with letters" , and therefore the academic study of literature is known as Letters...
and
filmFilm encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the motion picture industry. Films are produced by recording images from the world with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects....
are referenced and their meanings discussed.
The story takes place in a suburb of Pittsburgh during the 1991-1992 school year, when Charlie is a high school
freshmanA freshman is a first-year student in an educational institution. The term first year can also be used as a noun, to describe the students themselves A freshman (or sometimes fish, freshie, slang plural frosh) is a first-year student in an educational institution. The term first year can also be...
. Charlie is the
wallflowerIn social situations, a wallflower is a slang term used to describe shy or unpopular individuals who do not socialize or participate in activities at social events. It is most often used to describe someone who stays close to a wall and out of the main area of social activity...
of the novel. He is an unconventional thinker, and as the story begins he is shy and unpopular.
Chbosky names
J. D. SalingerJerome David "J. D." Salinger is an American author, best known for his 1951 novel The Catcher in the Rye, as well as his reclusive nature...
's
The Catcher in the RyeThe Catcher in the Rye is a 1951 novel by J. D. Salinger. Originally published for adults, the novel has become a common part of high school and college curricula throughout the English-speaking world; it has also been translated into almost all of the world's major languages.Around 250,000 copies...
as an inspiration, and he pays homage to Salinger's work by naming it as one of the books that Charlie's English teacher, Bill, gives him to read. , Chbosky has been working on a screenplay for the novel.
The book was sixth on the
American Library AssociationThe American Library Association is a non-profit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 65,000 members....
's list of the top ten most frequently challenged books of 2008, for reasons including the book's treatment of drugs, homosexuality, sex, and suicide.
Books
In the novel Charlie's teacher, Bill, assigns him various books to read. Charlie describes them all as his favorites.
- To Kill a Mockingbird
To Kill a Mockingbird is a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Harper Lee published in 1960. It was instantly successful and has become a classic of modern American literature...
by Harper LeeNelle Harper Lee is an American author known for her 1960 novel To Kill a Mockingbird. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom of the United States for her contribution to literature in 2007.-Early life:...
- This Side of Paradise
This Side of Paradise is the debut novel of F. Scott Fitzgerald. Published in 1920, and taking its title from a line of the Rupert Brooke poem Tiare Tahiti, the book examines the lives and morality of post-World War I youth...
by F. Scott FitzgeraldFrancis Scott Key Fitzgerald was an American author of novels and short stories, whose works are evocative of the Jazz Age, a term he coined himself. He is widely regarded as one of the twentieth century's greatest writers. Fitzgerald is considered a member of the "Lost Generation" of the Twenties...
- Peter Pan
Peter Pan is a character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie . A mischievous boy who can fly and magically refuses to grow up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood adventuring on the small island of Neverland as the leader of his gang the Lost Boys, interacting with...
by J.M. Barrie
- The Great Gatsby
The Great Gatsby is a novel by the American author F. Scott Fitzgerald. First published on April 10, 1925, it is set on Long Island's North Shore and in New York City during the summer of 1922 and is a critique of the American Dream....
by F. Scott FitzgeraldFrancis Scott Key Fitzgerald was an American author of novels and short stories, whose works are evocative of the Jazz Age, a term he coined himself. He is widely regarded as one of the twentieth century's greatest writers. Fitzgerald is considered a member of the "Lost Generation" of the Twenties...
- A Separate Peace
A Separate Peace is John Knowles' first published novel, released in 1959. The coming-of-age novel is Knowles' most widely-known work. The title is derived from a quotation in Hemingway's novel, A Farewell to Arms, in which Lt...
by John KnowlesJohn Knowles was an American novelist, best known for his novel A Separate Peace.-Early Life:He married Beth Anne Dyment Hughes at 19...
- The Catcher in the Rye
The Catcher in the Rye is a 1951 novel by J. D. Salinger. Originally published for adults, the novel has become a common part of high school and college curricula throughout the English-speaking world; it has also been translated into almost all of the world's major languages.Around 250,000 copies...
by J. D. SalingerJerome David "J. D." Salinger is an American author, best known for his 1951 novel The Catcher in the Rye, as well as his reclusive nature...
- On the Road
On the Road is a novel by American writer Jack Kerouac, written in April 1951, and published by Viking Press in 1957. It is a largely autobiographical work that was based on the spontaneous road trips of Kerouac and his friends across mid-century America. It is often considered a defining work of...
by Jack KerouacJack Kerouac was an American author, poet and painter. Alongside William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, he is considered a pioneer of the Beat Generation....
- Naked Lunch
Naked Lunch is a novel by William S. Burroughs originally published in 1959.The book was originally published with the title The Naked Lunch in Paris in July, 1959 by Olympia Press. Because of US obscenity laws, a complete American edition did not follow until 1962...
by William S. BurroughsWilliam Seward Burroughs II was an American novelist, essayist, social critic, painter and spoken word performer.Much of Burroughs's work is semi-autobiographical, drawn from his experiences as an opiate addict, a condition that marked the last fifty years of his life...
- Walden
Walden by Henry David Thoreau is an American classic. The work is part personal declaration of independence, social experiment, voyage of spiritual discovery, and manual for self reliance....
by Henry David ThoreauHenry David Thoreau was an American author, poet, naturalist, tax resister, development critic, surveyor, historian, philosopher, and leading transcendentalist...
- Hamlet
The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, or more simply Hamlet, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1599 and 1601. The play, set in Denmark, recounts how Prince Hamlet exacts revenge on his uncle Claudius, who has murdered Hamlet's father, the King, and then...
by William ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's preeminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
- The Stranger
The Stranger or The Outsider, is a novel by Albert Camus, published in 1942. Camus' first novel, it is perhaps his best-known work, and a key text of twentieth-century philosophy...
by Albert CamusAlbert Camus was a French author, philosopher, and journalist who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1957. He is often cited as a proponent of existentialism , but Camus himself refused this particular label...
- The Fountainhead
The Fountainhead is a 1943 novel by Ayn Rand. It was Rand's first major literary success and its royalties and movie rights brought her fame and financial security....
by Ayn RandAyn Rand , was a Russian-American novelist, philosopher, playwright, and screenwriter. She is known for her best-selling novels and for developing a philosophical system she called Objectivism....
The book also references a book of poems by
e. e. cummingsEdward Estlin Cummings , popularly known as E. E. Cummings, with the abbreviated form of his name often written by others in lowercase letters as e. e. cummings , was an American poet, painter, essayist, author, and playwright...
,
The Mayor of Castro StreetThe Mayor of Castro Street is a book written by Randy Shilts telling the story of Harvey Milk. It was published by Stonewall Inn Editions.- Adaptations :...
by
Randy ShiltsRandy Shilts was a pioneering gay American journalist and author. He worked as a freelance reporter for both The Advocate and the San Francisco Chronicle, as well as for San Francisco Bay Area television stations....
, and it contains a poem by Earl Reum entitled "Person/A Paper/A Promise". The poem is also credited to Patrick Comeaux under the title "A Person/A Paper/A Promise Remembered".
Films
The novel references these films and television shows:
- Rocky Horror Picture Show
- The Graduate
The Graduate is a American comedy-drama film directed by Mike Nichols, based on the 1963 novel The Graduate by Charles Webb, who wrote it shortly after graduating from Williams College. The screenplay is by Calder Willingham and Buck Henry, who makes a cameo appearance as the hotel clerk...
- Harold and Maude
Harold and Maude is a 1971 film directed by Hal Ashby. The film, featuring slapstick, dark humor, and existentialist drama, revolves around the exploits of a morbid young man, Harold , who drifts away from the life that his detached mother prescribes for him, as he develops a relationship with...
- My Life as a Dog
My Life as a Dog is a Swedish drama film based on a novel by Reidar Jönsson. It tells the story of Ingemar, a young boy sent to live with relatives...
- Dead Poets Society
Dead Poets Society is a 1989 film starring Robin Williams and directed by Peter Weir. Set in 1959 at a conservative and aristocratic boys prep school, it tells the story of an English teacher who inspires his students to change their lives of conformity through his teaching of poetry and literature...
- The Unbelievable Truth
The Unbelievable Truth is a 1989 indie comedy-drama film written and directed by Hal Hartley.-History:Starring Adrienne Shelly and Robert John Burke. It was nominated for a Grand Jury Prize in 1990 at the Sundance Film Festival...
- A Perfect Paradise
- It's a Wonderful Life
It's a Wonderful Life is an American drama film produced and directed by Frank Capra and loosely based on the short story "The Greatest Gift" written by Philip Van Doren Stern....
- Reds
- The Producers
The Producers is a comedy film written and directed by Mel Brooks, which tells the story of a theatrical producer and an accountant who attempt to cheat their investors by deliberately producing a flop show on Broadway...
- Hannah and Her Sisters
Hannah and Her Sisters is a 1986 comedy-drama film which tells the intertwined stories of an extended family, told over two years that begin and end with a family Thanksgiving dinner...
- M*A*S*H
- Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a weekly late-night sketch comedy and variety show filmed in New York City. It made its debut on October 11, 1975, under a slightly different title. The show features a regular cast of comedy actors, joined by a guest host and musical act...
Songs
The novel references these songs:
- "Asleep" by The Smiths
The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the songwriting partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce...
- "Vapour Trail" by Ride
Ride were a British alternative rock band that band formed in 1988 in Oxford, England, consisting of Andy Bell, Mark Gardener, Laurence Colbert, and Steve Queralt. The band were initially part of the "shoegazing" scene. Following the break-up of the band in 1996, members moved on to various other...
- "Scarborough Fair
"Scarborough Fair" was a traditional English fair, and is a traditional English ballad.-The fair:During the late Middle Ages the seaside town of Scarborough was an important venue for tradesmen from all over England. It was host to a huge 45-day trading event, starting August 15, which was...
", a traditional folk song popularized by Simon and GarfunkelSimon & Garfunkel is an American singer-songwriter duo consisting of Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel. They formed the group "Tom and Jerry" in 1957, and had their first taste of success with the minor hit "Hey, Schoolgirl". As Simon and Garfunkel, the duo rose to fame in 1965, backed by the hit single...
- "A Whiter Shade of Pale
"A Whiter Shade of Pale" is the debut song by the British band Procol Harum, released 12 May 1967. The single reached number one in the UK Singles Chart on 8 June 1967, and stayed there for six weeks.-Song profile:...
" by Procol HarumProcol Harum are a British rock band, formed in the 1960s, who contributed to the development of progressive rock, and by extension, symphonic rock...
- "Time of No Reply" by Nick Drake
Nicholas Rodney "Nick" Drake was an English singer-songwriter and musician best known for his haunting, acoustic, autumnal songs. His primary instrument was the guitar, although he was also proficient at piano, clarinet and saxophone...
- "Dear Prudence
"Dear Prudence" is a song written by John Lennon, and credited to Lennon/McCartney. It was initially performed by The Beatles and is the second track on the 1968 double-disc album The Beatles ....
" by The BeatlesThe Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960 who became one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed bands in the history of popular music...
- "Gypsy" by Suzanne Vega
Suzanne Nadine Vega is an American songwriter and singer known for her highly literate lyrics and eclectic folk-inspired music....
- "Nights in White Satin
"Nights in White Satin" is a 1967 single by The Moody Blues, first featured on the album Days of Future Passed."Nights In White Satin" was not a popular song when first released, mainly due to its over seven-minute length. There are two edited versions of the song, both stripped of the orchestra...
" by The Moody BluesThe Moody Blues are an English band originally from Erdington in the city of Birmingham. Founding members Michael Pinder and Ray Thomas performed an initially rhythm and blues-based sound in Birmingham in 1964 along with Graeme Edge and others, and were later joined by John Lodge and Justin...
- "Daydream" by The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins are an American alternative rock band that formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1988. Formed by Billy Corgan and James Iha , the band has included D'arcy Wretzky , Jimmy Chamberlin , and Melissa Auf der Maur among its membership.Disavowing the punk rock roots shared by...
- "Dusk" by Genesis
Genesis are a Grammy Award-winning English rock band formed in 1967, and are among the top 30 highest-selling recording artists of all time with approximately 150 million albums sold worldwide, including 21.5 million albums sold in the United States. In 1988, the band won the Grammy Award for Best...
- "MLK
"MLK" is the tenth and final song from U2's 1984 album, The Unforgettable Fire. A lullaby to honor Martin Luther King, Jr., it is a short, pensive piece with simple lyrics...
" by U2U2 are a rock band that formed in Dublin, Ireland. The band consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr...
- "Blackbird
"Blackbird" is a Beatles song from double-disc album The Beatles . Blackbird was written by Paul McCartney, but credited as usual to Lennon/McCartney...
" by The BeatlesThe Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960 who became one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed bands in the history of popular music...
- "Landslide
"Landslide" is a song written by Stevie Nicks and performed by Fleetwood Mac. It was first featured on the band's 1975 album Fleetwood Mac. Nicks was 26-years old when she wrote the song.-Song creation:...
" by Fleetwood MacFleetwood Mac are a British/American rock band formed in 1967 in London, England.The only member present in the band from the very beginning is its namesake drummer Mick Fleetwood...
- "Smells Like Teen Spirit
"Smells Like Teen Spirit" is a song by the American rock band Nirvana. It is the opening track and lead single from the band's 1991 breakthrough album Nevermind...
" by NirvanaNirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
- "Another Brick in the Wall Pt. II" by Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band who, in the late 1960s, earned recognition for their psychedelic and space rock music, and in the 1970s, as they evolved, for their progressive rock music. Pink Floyd's work is marked by philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album cover art,...
- "Something
"Something" is a song released by The Beatles in 1969. It was featured on the album Abbey Road, and was also the first song written by George Harrison to appear on the A-side of a Beatles single. It was one of the first Beatles singles to contain tracks already available on a long playing album,...
" by The BeatlesThe Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960 who became one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed bands in the history of popular music...
- "School's Out
"School's Out" is a 1972 title track single released on Alice Cooper's fifth album.Cooper has said he was inspired to write the song when answering the question, "What's the greatest three minutes of your life?". Cooper said: "There's two times during the year. One is Christmas morning, when...
" by Alice CooperAlice Cooper is an American rock singer, songwriter and musician whose career spans more than four decades...
- "Broken Wings
"Broken Wings" is a #1 hit song released as a 1985 single by the band Mr. Mister.The band's first single from their 1985 Welcome to the Real World album, "Broken Wings" reached the number one position on the U.S. charts in December 1985, where it remained for two weeks. It was released as the band...
" by Mr. MisterMr. Mister was an American pop rock band of the 1980s. The band's name came from an inside joke about a Weather Report record called Mr. Gone where they referred to each other as "Mister This" or "Mister That", and eventually selected "Mr. Mister." Mr. Mister may be considered as representative of...