Perks of Being a Wallflower: Charlie

By mchampagneJVS

  • Charlie is born

  • Period: to

    Charlie: Perks of Being a Wallflower

  • Aunt Helen dies

    Aunt Helen dies in a car accident on her way to get Charlie's birthday gift. Charlie grows up feeling that her death is in some way his fault. He believes that his aunt understood him in a way others didn't. Aunt Helen struggled with mental illness, something that Charlie identifies with as well.

  • Michael commits suicide

    Charlie's middle school friend Michael committs suicide. This affects Charlie greatly because he feels abandoned. We get the sense that Michael struggled with a number of things he couldn't talk about. Charlie is hugly sympathetic toward others who stuggle with personal problems. We get the sense that suicide is aometimes an attractive option to charlie.

  • Charlie's first day of high school

    Charlie is starting high school incredibly alone. We see that he really has no social network. He likes to read and learn, but is afraid to participate. He is very introverted.

  • Charlie meets Sam and Patrick

    Charlie meets Sam and Patrick at a high school football game. He takes the initiative to establish a relationship, which signifies personal growth. Sam and Patrick both stand out for their inability to fit in. We see that Charlie is very nonjudgemntal and is interested in people for who they are.

  • Charlie goes to his first high school party

    Charlie goes to a high school party and experiments with drugs and alcohol in a very incidental way for the first time. We see him growing as an independent person here too. He tells his friends about his experiences with Michael. We see him beginning to fit in as a member of a social group, which is a first for Charlie.

  • Charlie and Mary Elizabeth start dating

    Charlie begins dating Mary Elizabeth even though he is in love with Sam. He dates her mostly because he does not know how not to. We see that he is still very immature. He doesn't value himself enough to know that he must have an emotional investment in a relationship.

  • Charlie and Mary Elizabeth break up

    Charlie breaks up with Mary Elizabeth in a completely inappropriate way. He makes it clear that he likes Sam but appears surprised when his relationships with the group fall apart. We see that he doesn't quite undertand the complexities of these relationships. We also get a sense to his approaching depression.

  • Patrick and Brad break up

    Patrick and Brad break up because Brad's dad has found them together. Brad's friend beat up Patrick in the cafeteria and Brad refuses to acknowledge him or their relationship. Charlie steps in to save Patrick. He beats up the friends and blacks out. We see that he understands how to be a good friend and protects those who he loves. We also get the sense that he is nervous about his mental health. HE feels like his connection to reality can snap.

  • Sam, Patrick, and friends graduate from high school

    As his friends graduate, Charlie feels incredibly alone again.

  • Sam leaves for college

    The night before Sam leaves for summer session, she and Charlie discuss their feels and begin kissing. Charlie freezes. He flashbacks to his childhood and the death of his Aunt Helen. He leaves. As he arrives home, his flashbacks become more intense. He calls his sister, who alerts the authorities. At this point in the text, Charlie is skating on the endge. He could very easily kill himself.

  • Charlie is relesed from the hospital

    Charlie has been hospitalized for two months. He has discovered that he had been molested by his Aunt Helen as a young boy. Many of his mentla health issues stem from this and PTSD. He is on the road to recovery and feels hopeful. He has decided to partipate in life. As readers, we feel that there is real resolution in this epilogue.