Charlie

The book Perks of Being a Wallflower is a very relatable book. The main character, Charlie, is a typical teenager, trying to get by high school. But what is high school without drama? He encounters many illegal teenage behaviors like alcohol and drugs. While he goes to many parties, he is good at withstanding peer pressure. Although one time, at a party, he ate a brownie, unaware of the drugs it contained. His friends, Sam and Patrick, teach him many teenage concepts that he doesn't yet understand. Charlie is characterized by his friends as a "wallflower". When I looked up this word, I found it meant: "a person who, because of shyness, unpopularity, or lack of a partner, remains at the side at a party or dance"

 I think that this accurately describes Charlie. He is extremely shy and introverted. He usually doesn't partake in the activities at parties, but instead watches from the side. What he lacks in popularity, he makes up in being honest, observant, and trustworthy. He does what he thinks is best for others involved in a situation. For example, when his sister's boyfriend slapped her, he only chose to tell an adult, not to get his sister in trouble, but so his sister didn't get hurt. Even though this made his sister mad at him and their relationship of brother and sister was ruined, he knew it was worth his sister being safe.

Overall, Charlie is characterized as being thoughtful, introverted, and observant. He is shy but once other characters get to know him, he becomes outgoing and funny. I can definitely relate to Charlie because I am a shy person, but once I get to know people, I feel more comfortable around them and I will talk more.

Being able to relate to Charlie helps me enjoy the book because how Charlie reacts to events is often similar to how I would react and I can picture myself in the story.

 WALLFLOWER DEFINITION

Stephen Chbosky

The book I'm currently reading is The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. Chbosky was born in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania on January 25, 1970. He graduated from the University of Southern California's Filmic Writing Program. Since then, he has written and produced many novels and screenplays including The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Rent, and Jericho. He has received many awards for his work such as Best Narrative Feature honors at the Chicago Underground Film Festival and Abraham Polonsky Screenwriting Award. Currently, he has written three books: The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Pieces, and Sexaholic (which he co-edited). He has directed 6 screenplays and films including Kept and The Four Corners of Nowhere. Chbosky currently lives in Los Angeles, California where he continues to work on novels and films.