US Summer Reading 2024

COMING OF AGE

Mr. Bechtler

The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky

ISBN-13: 978-1451696196

First published in 1999, Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower is a coming of age story told from the perspective of Charlie, our 15-year protagonist, and his experience as a freshmen in high school in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The novel is written as a series of letters, but we don’t know to whom he is writing. All of the letters are simply addressed to "Dear Friend" and range from everyday letters talking about mundane events to hilarious and sometimes devastating events. Since we don't know exactly where Charlie lives or to whom he's writing, all we know is the world he shares with us

1. The book is written as a series of letters (which is called an epistolary form). Why do you think Chbosky chose to use letters as his narrative structure? How did this structure affect the book, both in terms of the story and in terms of your reading experience?
2. Who do you think Charlie was writing to? Does it ultimately matter whom, or even if he is, writing to someone? Why or why not? 
3. Why do you think "Charlie" doesn't want the person he is writing to to know his real name?
4. What do you think being a wallflower is? Do you identify as a wallflower?
5. Discuss Charlie’s character. Is he sympathetic? Would you be friends with Charlie? Why or why not?  
6. What do you think kept Charlie from “participating” when he entered high school? What held him back? Have you ever felt this way before?
7. How do you think Charlie has changed since the beginning of the book? Was it for the better or the worse?
8. The novel grapples with a complex, universally difficult stage of life. What reflections did it inspire about your own life? What parts of the story resonated most deeply with you?
9. Music is both an emotional anchor and a catalyst for growth in Charlie's life. What are some art forms that serve a similar purpose in your life, and why/how? (Music, visual art, movies, etc."