True Meaning The Meaning of Wallflower
45 Then, I started screaming at the guidance counselor that Michael could
have talked to me. And I started crying even harder. He tried to calm me down by saying that he meant an adult like a teacher or a guidance
counselor p. 4.
Charlie also blames himself for what happen to Michael. He believes that Michael might not commit suicide if he is really there for his best friend.
During his first year of high school, the other kids see him as a freak. They reject to be friends with him and leave Charlie alone.
Some kids look at me strange in the hallways because I dont decorate my locker, and Im the one who beat up Sean and couldnt stop crying after he
did it. I guess Im pretty emotional p. 8.
Charlie realizes that the other kids see him in strange. He also realizes that he has difficulties in controlling his emotion. He could beat a boy and then cry hard after
doing it. His middle school friend, Susan, also does not want to be friend with Charlie even though they go to the same high school.
There is this one girl in my advanced english class named Susan. In middle school, Susan was very fun to be around. She liked movies, and her
brother Frank made her tapes of this great music that she shared with us. But over the summer she had her braces taken off, and she got a little taller
and prettier and grew breasts. Now, she acts a lot dumber in the hallways, especially when boys are around. And I think its sad because Susan
doesnt look as happy. To tell you the truth, she doesnt like to admit shes in the advanced english class, and she doesnt like to say hi to me in the
hall anymore p. 6.
Susan does not want the other kids to know that they used to be friends in middle school. Susan pretends not to know Charlie and stop saying hello to him even
though they are in the same class, a class where first year students don’t usually
take. Charlie’s sister also mentions him as a freak. She gets mad at Charlie when
he tells Bill who later tells their dad that his sister is dating an abusive boyfriend. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
46 Youre a freak, you know that? Youve always been a freak. Everyone
says so. They always have. Im trying not to be.
Then, I turned around and walked to my room and closed my door and put my head under my pillow and let the quiet put things where they are
supposed to be p. 26.
Both the molestation and the death of Charlie’s loved ones have left him a traumatic experience. His past has taken his childhood from him, making him
trapped in his childish state when growing up. He has unstable emotion which is a compensation for his lost innocence of his childhood. People also call him as a
freak. The confusion of understanding himself and the rejection from people around make him to build up a wall. He shuts himself from the society and prefers
to block his past. He prefers to be alone and observe people instead of trying to deal with himself and his past.
According to Maslow’s five stages of needs, the lower is the physiological needs. In Charlie’s case, Charlie’s physiological needs is adequately met.
Physically, Charlie grows up healthily which proves that he has enough food to eat, enough water to drink and enough oxygen to breathe. Charlie does not have
major difficulty in sleeping, eating or breathing. Experiencing no obstruction in his physiological needs,
Charlie’s safety needs become dominant. However, his traumatic past has made the needs in this
stage inadequately met. A lot of people call him a freak. Charlie always worries of fitting with others and prefers to observe them. Even though observing makes him
feel safe, interacting with other people always makes him feel insecure. However, his safety needs is adequately fulfilled after meeting Sam and Patrick. Charlie
feels safe when he is with them. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
47 The next need is Charlie’s love or belongingness needs. The needs in the
previous stage, the safety needs, is not adequately met. Therefore, the love or belongingness needs is also obstructed. Charlie never has a lot of friends and the
people he loves in his past are dead. Charlie never receives enough affection as he wants. However, when he meets Sam and Patrick, Charlie receives affection from
them. Sam looked at me soft. And she hugged me. And I closed my eyes because
I wanted to know nothing but her arms. And she kissed my cheek and whispered so nobody could hear. I love you. I knew that she meant it in a
friend way, but I didnt care because it was the third time since my Aunt Helen died that I heard it from anyone. The other two times were from my
mom p. 69.
Charlie rarely receives the words “I love you”, which for Charlie it means
affection from the people for him. Charlie is very happy when Sam gives him a kiss since after Aunt Helen died no one says it to him other than his mom. Charlie
enjoys spending time with Sam and Patrick very much. He feels that he belongs somewhere when spending time with them.
I remembered this one time that I never told anybody about. The time we were walking. Just the three of us. And I was in the middle. I dont
remember where we were walking to or where we were walking from. I dont even remember the season. I just remember walking between them
and feeling for the first time that I belonged somewhere p. 198.
Charlie is very happy being able to walk with the m that he forgets from and to where they walk. Charlie’s hunger for a need to be a part of a group is fulfilled
when he spends time with Sam and Patrick. He is able to give love to them as well as to receive love from them. Therefore, Charlie’s needs for love or belongingness
is adequately met. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
48 Being able to adequately meet the love or belongingness needs, Charlie’s
esteem needs become dominant. His traumatic past has made Charlie to be confused and unconfident of himself. Therefore, being encouraged to figure
himself out is what he needs. The encouragement from the people around is needed in order for his esteem needs to be fulfilled enough. When he meets Bill,
his English Advance teacher, Charlie receives encouragement and understanding about himself.
Bill looked at me looking at people, and after class, he asked me what I was thinking about, and I told him. He listened, and he nodded and made
affirmation sounds. When I had finished, his face changed into a serious talk face.
Do you always think this much, Charlie? Is that bad? I just wanted someone to tell me the truth.
Not necessarily. Its just that sometimes people use thought to not participate in life.
Is that bad? Yes p. 24.
Charlie receives honesty from Bill about his habit of observing people. Observing might not be a bad thing but it might be
Charlie’s excuse not to participate. Charlie starts understanding that it is one of his ways to shut him from interacting.
Even though Bill does not force Charlie to break his habit of observing people, he agrees that not participating is bad. Through having conversation with Bill,
Charlie receives help to understand himself. He is encouraged to participate more. Bill also encourages Charlie by giving more books to read.
Then, Bill took this really long pause, and his voice sounded like my dad when he wants to have a big talk.
Charlie, he said. Do you know why I gave you all that extra work? I shook my head no. That look on his face. It made me quiet.
Charlie, do you know how smart you are? I just shook my head no again. He was talking for real. It was strange.
49 Charlie, youre one of the most gifted people Ive ever known. And I dont
mean in terms of my other students. I mean in terms of anyone Ive ever met. Thats why I gave you the extra work. I was wondering if you were
aware of that? I guess so. I dont know. I felt really strange. I didnt know where this
was coming from. I just wrote some essays p. 181.
Bill encourages Charlie by telling him that he is a gifted person. Bill helps Charlie to understand that his ability in reading and writing is above the average ability of
kids of his age. It makes Charlie have a lot more confidence in him. Being friends with Sam and Patrick also makes Charlie more confident. He
receives more confidence and encouragement throughout their friendship. When Sam packs her belongings to leave for college for the next morning, she has some
conversation with Charlie. Sam tells Charlie that from that moment on she will figure out what she really wants and be her best self.
So, tomorrow, Im leaving. And Im not going to let that happen again with anyone else. Im going to do what I want to do. Im going to be who I
really am. And Im going to figure out what that is. But right now Im here with you. And I want to know where you are, what you need, and what
you want to do” p. 202. Sam encourages Charlie to find out who he really is. Therefore, he can understand
where he really stands and where to go from his position. Charlie is encouraged to understand himself and do what he wants to do, not what people want him to do.
At the end of the novel, Charlie eventually figures out who he really is. He understands that he owns his own self and has the right to do what he really wants
to do. Charlie accepts his past and not even blames them for creating who he is. Im not the way I am because of what I dreamt and remembered about my
aunt Helen. Thats what I figured out when things got quiet. And I think thats very important to know. It made things feel clear and together. Dont
get me wrong. I know what happened was important. And I needed to PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
50 remember it. But its like when my doctor told me the story of these two
brothers whose dad was a bad alcoholic. One brother grew up to be a successful carpenter who never drank. The other brother ended up being a
drinker as bad as his dad was. When they asked the first brother why he didnt drink, he said that after he saw what it did to his father, he could
never bring himself to even try it. When they asked the other brother, he said that he guessed he learned how to drink on his fathers knee. So, I
guess we are who we are for a lot of reasons. And maybe well never know most of them. But even if we dont have the power to choose where we
come from, we can still choose where we go from there. We can still do things. And we can try to feel okay about them p. 211.
But mostly, I was crying because I was suddenly very aware of the fact that it was me standing up in that tunnel with the wind over my face. Not
caring if I saw downtown. Not even thinking about it. Because I was standing in the tunnel. And I was really there. And that was enough to
make me feel infinite. Tomorrow, I start my sophomore year of high school. And believe it or not, Im really not that afraid of going. Im not
sure if I will have the time to write any more letters because I might be too busy trying to participate p. 213.
Charlie is no longer confused about himself. He knows something happens to him in his past and he does not reject that. After the encouragement from the people
around him, he is able to understand where he stands and where to go. He accepts his past and is able to feel that he really owns himself.
Charlie’s need for self- esteem which motivates him to strive for freedom is finally achieved. Charlie has
figured out himself. He is not afraid of starting his sophomore high school since he knows where he stands and where he goes from there. The encouragement
from people around him makes Charlie ’s safety needs adequately met. He feels
infinite and is ready to move to the next stage of needs which is self-actualization where he unleashes his potentials.
The true meaning of wallflower in Charlie is someone who needs encouragement to find his true self. His past has made him into someone who
shuts himself from participating. Charlie needs the help from people around him PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
51 to be able to understand himself. Charlie finds his encouragement from being
friends with Sam and Patrick. Being friends with Sam and Patrick makes Charlie experience the feeling of importance. Charlie also receives encouragement from
Bill. Bill’s appreciation on Charlie’s ability in reading and writing also boost his
esteem needs. It is added wit h the help of Charlie’s psychiatrist in figuring and
accepting his past. PLAGIAT MERUPAKAN TINDAKAN TIDAK TERPUJI
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