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Grand Canyon Becomes a National Park
This relates to the book because this is where Sam and Patrick go for Christmas. -
Society for Human Rights Founded
Source and more
This organization was founded in Chicago by Henry Gerber. It was established for the rights of homosexuals. I included this in the timeline for the homosexuality in the book; I think it provides a good informative background for the characters in the book. The picture is of the Gay Rights Movement protesters in 1924. -
First Vehicular Tunnel was built (Holland Tunnel)
Source of info and moreThis relates to the book in a rather significant way. Due to the tunnel the three friends enjoy passing through while their heads out the window--mainly Sam because she would get in the bed of the truck and stand up. The significance of the tunnnel is also expressed when Charlie writes, "and in that moment we were infinite." This quote is probably the most popular one from this book. The Holland Tunnel was built under the Hudson River conecting Manhattan to Jersey City. It took 7 years to build. -
To Kill a Mockingbird was Published
Online book of 'To Kill a Mockingbird'
This book is one of Charlie's favorites and also the first classic he was assigned in his AP English class. The book was published on this day and written by Harper Lee. The picture is of Harper Lee herself. -
First Compact Cassette Tape.
source
Phillip created the compact cassette and it is very significant to the story because of Charlie's love of making mixtapes and listening to them. The picture is of Charlie's first mixtape. -
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Letters to a Stranger
15-year-old Charlie, main character of Perks of Being a Wallflower, has some mental issues especially after the suicide of his one friend Michael. He attempts to deal with this by writing letters to someone he has never met but he has heard good things about. The entire book is presented in a series of letters written by Charlie which I love. -
The Funeral
Also on this day Charlie attends Michael's funeral. It is unclear why Michael commited suicide but clues are left from this chapter. For example when Charlie writes, "Michael's funeral was strange because his father didn't cry. And three months later he left Michael's mom...Michael never left a note or at least his parents didn't let anyone see it. Maybe it was 'problems at home.'...I wish I knew...It might have made sad sense." -
Period: to
Charlie is enjoying reading the books he is assigned
Charlie loves reading all the classics he is assigned and ones that Bill gives him that Bill thinks Charlie will enjoy throughout the school year. Like 'To Kill a Mockingbird', 'Peter Pan', and 'The Great Gatsby'. -
Exposed
Charlie finds Bill, his english teacher, more of a friend and a mentor to him than anything. They become close and Bill helps him through out the entire book. Charlie also exposes his sister, Candace's, relationship with her boyfriend as abusive. He sees him hit her. The link shows some deleted scenes from the movie that express the siblings relationship and their struggles. -
New Friends
As high school begins for Charlie, it's ending for his new best friends, Sam and Patrick. Sam and Patrick are step siblings. Patrick is gay but Sam appeals to Charlie in so many ways. On this day they go to a football game together, it's Charlie's first football game. -
Secret Santa
The mixtape he gave patrickCharlie and his friends decide to do a Secret Santa for the holidays, he picks Patrick's name out of the hat for this. He makes Patrick a great mixtape and a poem. On this day they all have a holiday party and expose the secret santas. Sam gets Charlie a typewriter and she tells him she loves him to which he replied, using the typewriter, he loves her too. Personally, I loved this part; one of my favorite parts of the book. -
Christmas Cheer
While Sam and Patrick are on their way to the Grand Canyon, Charlie and his family are headed for their Grandmother's house. On the way the siblings fight as expected but Charlie takes it a little far when he says, "Kelly believes in women's rights so much that she would never let a guy hit her. I guess I can't say the same about you." Kelly is Charlie's brother's girlfriend. Also during this trip we find out Charlie's father's father used to abuse him. The picture is of Charlie and his Mother. -
Aunt Hellen
The signifigance of Aunt Hellen will later become more clear but Charlie writes about how special she was to him and how she died in a car accident. She was on her way to get Charlie's birthday present when she died on his seventh birthday. Charlie has always felt like her death was his fault. -
A Not So Happy New Year
Charlie is feeling sad because the night before he was at a party and heard Sam and her boyfriend having sex. It made him think of suicide. He had been experimenting with drugs and drinking that night as well and someone gave him LSD as he writes, "I was looking at this tree but it was a dragon and then a tree". At this point in the story it became very clear to me just how much Charlie does struggle with depression. -
Mary Elizabeth
Mary Elizabeth becomes Charlie's first crazy obssesive girlfriend. She asks him to the Sadie Hawkins Dance, gets him into 'Rocky Horror Pictures Show' and just talks Charlie's ear off. He soon realizes she's not the girl for him and still loves Sam. The picture is of Charlie and Mary Elizabeth after the dance. -
Candace
Candace and Charlie's RelationshipToday Charlie took his sister Candace to the health clinic. He took her and not either of their parents because Candace didn't want them to find out why she was their. Also his family finds out he smokes cigarettes this day. At this point in the book I realized how much Charlie cares for his sister and how much he helps her out. I think Candace realized that too. The picture is of Candace in the clinic scene. -
Truth or Dare
Truth or Dare Scene
Charlie is dared by Patrick to kiss the prettiest girl in the room and to everyone's surprise he kissed Sam instead of his girlfriend, Mary Elizabeth. Not to any reader's surprise to readers though considering all the bad talk Charlie has written about Mary Elizabeth already. Like Charlie said, "I knew that if I kissed Mary Elizabeth, I would lying to everyone." The picture is of Patrick in the Truth or Dare scene. -
Alone Again
<a href='http://findthebestrehab.org/drug-rehabilitation/>Drug addiction hotline</a>After the truth or dare incident, all of his freinds are ignoring him. This is when Charlie starts smoking a lot of weed to cope with it, but that obviously isn't the best way. This is the climax and conflict of the book. Charlie looses his friends and smokes weed constantly which is why I put a drug addiction hotline as the link to show how to get help for people like Charlie in this chapter. -
Patrick and Brad
Patrick and popular jock, Brad, are caught making out by Brad's dad. This seems like the end of the world for Brad and he handles it the wrong way. His father beats him up after seeing them two together and weeks after that Brad chooses to bully Patrick every chance he gets. Other then that, the three are friends again and everyone else in the group. -
Stephen Graduated From College
He attended the University of Southern California for their screenwriting program and graduated in this year. -
Looking Forward....Or Looking Back?
Charlie shares that the senior prank this year was putting grape kool-aid in the pool. He also talks about how all of his friends and sister are talking about prom and college, this makes him a little sad thinking of all of his friends leaving, especially Sam. His psychiatrist has been asking a lot about his childhood but he doesn't understand why. When I read that I was starting to think Charlie was repressing some tramatic memories from his childhood which he was. -
The Tunnel
Everyone has graduated and Charlie experienced his last day of freshmen year today. He goes to a dance club with all of his freinds and for the last time road through the tunnel with Sam and Patrick. "In the middle of the tunnel, and everything becomes a calm dream. As the opening gets closer, you just can't get there fast enough. And finally...you see the opening right in front of you. And the radio comes back even louder than you remember it.", Charlie writes about the ride through the tunnel. -
An Intimate End
Charlie shares with the readers that him and Sam get a little intimate and she touches him in his private area. Her touch jolted a scary memory for him, it was of his Aunt Helen touching him the same way Sam just did. Charlie drives himself home and starts to halucinate, he tells us he doesn't want the reader to be worried about him and ends the book. This left me wondering about so many possible endings! What was going to happen next, I wondered. I loved this book though it is definitley a fav! -
Publishing
Trailor of movie and more on Stephen
Stephen published the book on this day and became a major motion film in 2012. The book and movie are one of my all time favorites, I can't express my love for them. -
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Chbosky Interview
full interview-sourceIn this interview the author shares with us his inspiration to 'Perks of Being a Wallflower'. He says, “My inspiration for writing the book – when I was a little younger, I was going through a very tough time and a bad breakup and I was a little messed up. And at that time I needed to find something that was going to give me hope in my life. And Charlie was my hope in the form of a character."
