Evaluating Relationships
Because it is Valentine’s Day this week, I am going to take a special look at one of the most prevalent themes in The Perks of Being a Wallflower; love and relationships. Now although there is romantic love there is also a big focus on love between Charlie’s family and friends, arguably just as important if not more than romanticism. Charlie is truly and utterly amazed at what these relationships came to mean to him and how each person differently influences his life, especially this newfound caring for friends. Using the quote above I will say how this relates to every character Charlie interacts with, as it really is a quote that I find most useful when reflecting on the journey we were taken on with the protagonist. I found the above quote on the internet about relationships and it does not have any direct linking to the book besides the ones I will make below.
Sam- (best friend/crush)
Charlie is inevitably in love with Sam, describing her in such a way that shows that he really feels for her and ultimately wants what's best for her in life. He never has a hard time accepting that he couldn't be with her because from the beginning she told him “I don’t want you wasting your time thinking about me in that way” so he followed this to a "T", knowing that their relationship would never be more than friends. This was the case until eventually, he made a huge mistake and truly let everyone know how he felt. The next month of his life after admitting his feelings about Sam was difficult, and he was left virtually friendless. Although Sam couldn't be with him during this period as soon as it washed over they apologized, and their relationship thereafter became more serious. This goes to show that after their friendship went through a rough patch the were fully able to achieve, and accept the love they shared. This moment in the book is personally very beautiful, and a moment of supreme triumph for the characters, as well as the reader. In my mind, I thought "Finally!".
Candace- (sister)
Their relationship at first seems to be one of a typical brother and sister. Candace is constantly annoyed at her younger brother, but Charlie always tries to counteract her annoyance. He truly loves his sister and only wants what is best for her. When Charlie witnesses abuse from multiple of Candace boyfriends he is immediately worried and goes against his sisters wishes not to tell anyone. He discusses the event with his teacher, he then replied with one of the most famous quotes in the entire book, "Charlie, we accept the love we think we deserve" he then notifies their parents. Candace was infuriated at her brother saying "I hate you", which he could only reply with"I love you" and she said, "You're a freak you know that right?". The next months' nothing really bad happens and she seems to forgive him, that is until Charlie yet again witnesses his sister hurt. He explained seeing her crying, and then her suddenly hugging him. She then explained that she was pregnant but she did not a baby and asked if he would drive her to get an abortion. Now, this is a true example of a relationship that had to go through an awful time to receive a renewed relationship. After this event, Charlie and Candace were closer than ever, and Charlie always sought to protect her in the best way he could. I think this was my favorite relationship transformation in any characters.
Patrick- (Best Friend)
Patrick is Charlies best friend, and ultimately one of the most important characters in the book, teaching Charlie how to really enjoy his life and "participate". Patrick is Charlie's first real friend in high school and accepted him to join his friend group willingly, and happily. Although the two seem to be complete polar opposites they seem to balance each other out and in my opinion, I think they suit each other quite nicely. Patrick is free spirited, crazy, and loud while Charlie is quiet, laid back and shy, but by the end of the book, we see each of them rubbed off on each other piece by piece. Without Patrick, we would not have seen such a change in Charlie, and the story would have been completely useless without him. Although their relationship never had its own problem in itself they still had to pause it on account of Patrick being Sams brother. As mentioned above, the reason they had to stop being friends was based solely on the doings of others. After they were able to rekindle their friendship they grew even closer, and we begin to see Patrick act like an older brother to his younger counterpart. This once again shows how a relationship that is still able to better itself after hard times is a true, lasting relationship. In some parts, we see a sad repeating trait where Sam always sticks up for and is there for his best friend, and he might not return the favor. This is often difficult for Charlie even saying "Maybe since he isn't sad, he won't want to spend time with me", depicting how he feels at some points like he isn't that useful after all. We soon see this one-sidedness of their friendship eventually will wear off and things go back to normal.
Mary Elizabeth- (Girl Friend)
By now you may be a bit confused. Above I mentioned how Charle was truly, madly, and deeply in love with Sam, but now he has a girlfriend? Well yes, it is all a bit confusing, and somewhat disappointing for the fun - loving Mary Elizabeth. His yearn for Sam turned into a need for attention, and he found that in Mary. He never did seem to like her and from the beginning even quoting " ", as well as mentioning that their relationship was "one-sided". Although their relationship romantically was affected by Charlie's deep love for sam, and obvious differences in personalities they were able to mend their friendship. Once both characters were able to forgive and forget they restarted their friendship almost immediately on a fresh page. This goes to show that because they went through a very hard time in a situation that was less than ideal it then allowed for a better and happier situation in the ending on both sides. The quote ties in this relationship especially well, describing how change may be the best thing to fix what was broken.
// Link to PowerPoint with song "Asleep" that was mentioned many times throughout. Charlie describes it as "If you listen to the song “Asleep,” and you think about those pretty weather days that make you remember things, and you think about the prettiest eyes you’ve known, and you cry, and the person holds you back, then I think you will see the photograph". I like his opinion here best as it summarizes the way ho constantly talks about this song, and how it makes him feel. //
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| Yet Another; I thought this was a nice quote that shows what Charlies freshman year allowed him to experience. I believe he found many beautiful things in life because of the relationships he developed and strengthened through the journey of the past year that the readers were taken on. |
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