Theme response

Many teenagers are self-conscious about how others see them. Sometimes they do things they later regret, not knowing what would happen. Often when we are put in a situation we’ve never been through before, we have trouble fitting in with the crowd. Even though we might all have different conflicts, something we all worry about is feeling like we belong somewhere. In the book “Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky, all the characters try to be someone different than who they are in order to fit in with their surroundings. However, when their real personalities start to show, it’s not always that easy to face the results.

                Charlie (the protagonist), often feels very different from others and has trouble fitting in, even with his friends. A lot of his friends and the people around him are older than he is, which makes things awkward for him sometimes. While they’re off smoking and talking about college, he’s just started high school and isn’t even old enough to smoke. Sometimes when this happens, Charlie ends up trying to act older due to pure pressure. According to the text, even his friends tell him they think he’s different, saying, “He’s something, isn’t he?...He’s a wallflower…You see things. You keep quiet about them. And you understand.” This quote helps show that others think of him as different from everyone else and his personality as quiet and observant. Although he’s physically present during that conversation, he’s not actually taking part in the discussion.
                Another character who often tries to change his personality is one of Charlie’s good friends, Patrick. Unlike a lot of people, Patrick is gay. During the story, Patrick is currently going out with the quarterback of their high school football team. Although Patrick doesn’t mind expressing to others he’s gay, his boyfriend, Brad, does mind. Since Brad doesn’t want others to know he’s gay, both he and Patrick act towards others as if they were straight by “dating” girls for show. Later in the story, Brad breaks up with Patrick, which initially makes him really upset. However, later Patrick starts to realize he feels “free.”  He says, “I’ll tell you something, Charlie. I feel good…Really good. Like I’m free or something. Like I don’t have to pretend anymore. I’m going to college, right? It’ll be different there.”He’s not afraid to be different; he can just be who he really is.

Teenage years are often a time when we learn in life they can just be who they are, and be happy with that. It doesn’t matter how others think of them. They don’t have to try so hard to make others happy, just as long as their happy with themselves. In the end of the book, Charlie’s English teacher tells him he’s special, which no one else has ever told him. This makes him feel more satisfied and confidant with himself, reassuring him he’s “special” in his own way.