The Perks Of Being A Wallflower Essay

Everything in the past affects the future, in ways that everyone can see and in millions of ways that we can't. The Perks Of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky is a book that guides you through Charlie's life and teaches the readers how his experiences in his past made him who he is in the present. Understanding this text allows the reader to better comprehend how Charlie’s PTSD from being sexually assaulted by his role model, his aunt Helen, caused him to become distant from the outside world, unable to have a healthy relationship, and unable to react properly to situations where sexual abuse was involved. Your environment influences introversion at a young age. Charlie is a very introverted person. He's very opinionated, but

Since she died, his happiness was now dependent on love from his friends, even if it was unhealthy love. Charlie took in Mary Elizabeth's attention after he felt that he couldn't get it from Sam. “We accept the love we think we deserve.” (Bill 24) Aunt Helen died in a car accident on Charlie's birthday while driving to buy him a present. He blamed himself for her death. This made it easier for Charlie to gaslight himself that she never did anything wrong, into believing that he was the one who made a mistake, not here. He just wanted to have someone that loved him. He accepted the love from aunt Helen because it was the only source of love that he knew growing up. He accepted any love because, to him, love from anyone is just love. Not only did Charlie rely on love from Sam, but when he couldn't have Sam, he tried to put his focus on a different girl to make himself feel better, Mary Elizabeth. Charlie cared about every person that came in and out of his life, even when they hurt him. He chose to see the good in their perspective and continuously proved his loyalty. “I love Sam. It's not a movie kind of love either. I just look at her sometimes, and I think she is the prettiest and nicest person in the world.” “I am really in love with Sam, and it hurts very much.” Charlie fell in love with Sam the day that he met her and was willing to do absolutely anything to keep her

Charlie's trauma changed how he acts around others. He became much more introverted and focus more on listening to his friend's problems in an attempt to ignore his own. Charlie relied on love from others such as Sam because he didn't know how to love himself without the validation of feeling loved. He avoided anything sexual and didn't help others when they were being sexually abused to avoid getting flashbacks of his aunt sexually assaulting him so that he could continue to believe that his aunt was a good person. Childhood trauma can lead to an adulthood spent in survival mode, afraid to plant roots, to plan for the future, to trust, and to let joy in. Charlie survived, and for that he is