The Meaning of Charlie's Letters in The Perks of Being a Wallflower

The Perks of Being a Wallflower book cover

I recently read The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, and it is now one of my favorites. The young adult novel follows protagonist Charlie through his freshman year and completely new experiences. It deals with themes of trauma, mental health, abuse, self-discovery, and transformation. Chbosky writes in a way that allows readers to identify and feel empathy for characters quickly. I’m not an avid reader, but this novel intrigued me with its plot twists and complex characters. 

One of the main reasons why I could not put the book down was its simple yet enticing structure. Readers follow the story through a series of letters written by Charlie as his freshman year passes by. His letters give him an outlet to write exactly what he is thinking. “So, this is my life. And I want you to know that I am both happy and sad and I’m still trying to figure out how that could be,” he writes in his first letter (Chbosky 2). Charlie confides in the reader. He shares his life with them assuming they will not judge his thoughts and simply be there to listen. While reading, I felt as though I was a part of Charlie’s life and had a responsibility to listen to his struggles.

While Charlie is fairly young, he is constantly in search for a deeper understanding of his family members, friends, and society. Instead of writing about himself in letters, he often writes about the people in his life, helping readers understand other characters better. He is deeply affected by the hardships of the people important to him. When one of his best friends, Patrick, is struggling, Charlie is one of his only supporters. He describes, “Patrick had this smile all over his face. It was a sick smile. Glazey and numb. He just turned up the volume. And drove faster” (Chbosy 156). Most would not notice that something was wrong with Patrick, but Charlie can sense a change simply based on his smile.

Charlie’s empathy and care for others makes you only want the best for him. I related to him more as the story developed and was eager to see how the plot unfolded. I strongly recommend The Perks of Being a Wallflower to any teenager, especially those who are struggling to find their identity. Charlie deals with love, pain, happiness, and grief, but through his letters to the reader, navigates his issues and finds confidence. I am still touched by the themes of this book, and recommend it to anyone wanting a quick but meaningful read.

Sounder: a boy's best friend

Sounder is a very heartfelt story based on the author's own experiences about a family living in the American South in the early 19th century. The father is a sharecropper and because of this they live in an isolated cabin near the fields. Their location and their circumstances on top of the family being African American leads to many problems for them and forces them to have to make many tough decisions. This book is a very well-told story that consistently touches on controversial yet very real topics.

Stuck at home in the winter, the family has little to eat and the father is forced to steal food from a nearby farm. The boy does not think much of his family's sudden supply of food, until three men show up at their doorstep to take his father away. The family knows not to struggle or defend their father to avoid further problems as the sharecropper owner heavily controls the lives of the family. Its the hard decisions like not resisting and stealing to feed the family that the they have to make in order to survive the many problems caused by the unforgiving environment and the racism of the sharecropping owners and authorities. The story shows us the lives of this family from an informative point of view that reflects the hard life of African Americans in the early 19th century.

One of my favorite elements of this book is the complexity of the main character who is the eldest son in the story. As the oldest child he feels a need to make responsible decisions and to use his privilege wisely. The boy is very thoughtful and attentive of how his family is feeling and although he feels the need to be responsible, he looks up to and admires his dog Sounder and his father. The boy's life outside of home is difficult because although he enjoys going to school and wants to be able to read unlike the rest of his family, his cabin is so remote that it takes the boy hours to get to school, especially since he travels on foot. Even when the boy makes it to school he is teased for being late and for his clothes. Because of his difficulty, the boy decides to stop going to school until he grows and can get to school faster. Back at home, after his father is taken away and he is left with Sounder, his mother, and his young siblings, it leaves a lot of pressure and responsibility on the boy. The complexity of the boy's at home and away from home life continually makes him an interesting character to follow.

The title of the book, Sounder, comes from the well loved dog belonging to the family. In particular, the boy has a special bond and admiration for Sounder. '"There ain't no dog like Sounder,' said the boy." "What the boy saw in Sounder would have been totally missed by an outsider." These passages show the boy's bond with Sounder, which becomes even more important after the his father is taken away. Throughout the story the importance of Sounder, especially to the boy, becomes more and more significant and it is clear why the dog's name was chosen as the title. The dog's significance even reaches beyond the story to when the author was younger and was told a tale about a dog named Sounder: "He had come to our community from farther south, already old when he came. He talked little, or not at all about his past. But one night at the great center table after he had told the story of Argus, the faithful dog of Odysseus, he told the story of Sounder, a coon dog." The author's inspiration for the book makes the reader wonder what makes Sounder so remarkable, and encourages them to keep reading.

Sounder's intriguing character-driven plot, origin, and moving and accurate description of early 19th century life makes it an excellent reading, that I would highly recommend.

 - Kelby