The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Vedika Jogani

Remedial for exam score

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

This film centers around the life of a high school student, Charlie, played by Logan Lerman. Charlie suffers from clinical depression from childhood and has recently been discharged from a mental health institution. Like every other young adult Charlie is nervous about his freshman year. He hopes to ‘fit in’ and fears getting bullied. From the very first day of high school Charlie counts down the days till the very end. With a keen interest in literature Charlie knows all the answers and submits assignments beforehand. This leads to other students picking on him while he finds a friend in Mr Anderson (his English teacher).

At a football game, Charlie befriends Sam and Patrick who invite him to many social gatherings and parties. In a state of intoxication he tells Sam he lost his best friend last year. Sam and Patrick realize he is lonely and take him into their friend group. Charlie then enters into desultory relationship with Mary Elizabeth but after kissing Sam as part of a game it ends. This causes a rift in the group. Patrick is homosexual and is in love with Brad Hayes, a member of the football team. In high school, the football team is one of the most popular groups who everyone wishes to be friends with. When Brad’s father finds out about them he beats his son up physically. In a fight at school Charlie saves Patrick and is once again friends with the group.

Charlie is in love with Sam. The night before she leaves they kiss.  It was during this time when Sam touches her thigh when he experiences a momentary flashback of his Aunt Helen sexually harassing him. This traumatic event has been ingrained in Charlie’s mind. This leads to repression in the memories and is a possible cause for his introversion and social anxiety. I believe the symptoms shown in the movie of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) hold true although exaggerated for entertainment purposes. Charlie’s development is hindered and we see he is stuck in Erik Erikson’s stage of identity formation. PTSD can have disastrous effects on the individual. Charlie is constantly seeing things. He imagines himself in situations with the people around him, involved most in his life. He blacks out after two major events in the movie and finds that he can’t remember anything. Example-when Sam touches his leg he is immediately reminded of his Aunt touching him. Charlie becomes overwhelmed as all his emotions start to surface due to the feelings of loneliness after his friends leave for college. He becomes more anxious and his anxiety resurfaces. He prevents himself from crying in the hope that all his emotions will go away.

Although Charlie suffers clinical depression as a result of being assaulted at childhood he comes out of it. The movie successfully brings out the effects of PTSD not just on the patient but everybody around them as well. It further, brings out the importance of social support in treating anxiety. Sam and Patrick really help Charlie escape his cycle of depression. This movie further goes on to bring out the effects a childhood experience in one’s development. We take for granted the people around us. While watching this movie I released the impact people can have on someone. Simply being there can save someone from a mental illness. It was when Charlie spent time with them when he realized who he really was and for the first time enjoys being himself. The two friends lovingly accepted Charlie. They support his dreams of becoming a writer and do not judge him for the person he is. PTSD can have very hazardous effects on someone. It is hard to break out of it. Besides his friends, Charlie’s family is always supporting him. They take care of him and do not hesitate to send him to a mental institution which sometimes happens with people suffering from a mental disorder.  Having the right kind of friends and family can change a patient’s life.  We should learn to keep our friends close. Accepting someone for who they are is the most important lesson I took back from this movie. Almost everyone is going through something which we may never know. Just being there for someone can change their life without you realising it.

The movie ends with the three friends in a tunnel listening to their favourite song with the line-‘and in that moment I knew we were infinite.’