Leading Character’s Personality As Reflected In Stephen Chbosky’s Novel The Perks Of Being A Wallflower
APPENDICES
I. Biography and Works Of Stephen Chbosky
Stephen Chbosky is an American novelist, screenwriter, and director who
was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on January 25, 1970. Chbosky is the son of
Lea (née Meyer), a tax preparer, and Fred G. Chbosky, a steel company executive
and consultant to CFOs. Chbosky has a sister, Stacy, who is married to director John
Erick Dowdle. He was raised as a Catholic. As a teenager, Chbosky was moved by
J.D. Salinger's novel, The Catcher in the Rye. Upon graduation from Upper St. Clair
High School he met Stewart Stern, the screenwriter of Rebel Without a Cause, and
the two became close friends. After writing The Perks of Being a Wallflower,
Chbosky revealed that the character Bill, a literature teacher, was based on Stern and
reflected the positive influence of Stern on his own development.
In 1992, Chbosky graduated from the University of Southern California's
screenwriting program. He wrote, directed, and acted in the 1995 independent film
The Four Corners of Nowhere, which got Chbosky his first agent, was accepted by
the Sundance Film Festival, and became one of the first films shown on the
Sundance Channel. In the late 1990s, Chbosky wrote several unproduced
screenplays, including ones titled Audrey Hepburn's Neck and Schoolhouse Rock.
Following this initial success, Chbosky spent the 1990s writing screenplays that went
unpublished. In 1994, Chbosky was working on a "very different type of book" than
The Perks of Being a Wallflower when he wrote the line, "I guess that's just one of
the perks of being a wallflower." Chbosky recalled that he "wrote that line. And
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stopped. And realized that somewhere in that [sentence] was the kid I was really
trying to find." After several years of gestation, Chbosky began researching and
writing The Perks of Being a Wallflower, an epistolary novel that follows the
intellectual and emotional maturation of a teenager who uses the alias Charlie over
the course of his first year of high school. The book is semi-autobiographical;
Chbosky has said that he "relate[s] to Charlie[...] But my life in high school was in
many ways different."
In a 2001 interview with Ann Beisch of LA Youth, Chbosky described the
initial stages of the project: "I was writing a very different type of book than Perks,
but then I wrote the line, 'I guess that's just one of the perks of being a wallflower.'
And I stopped. I realized that somewhere in that sentence was the boy I was really
trying to find." After five years of research and composition, Chbosky published the
novel in 1999; the book became a bestseller. Chbosky went on to tell Beisch that he
wrote the book "for very personal reasons," and was happy that people had been able
to relate to it in such a positive way.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower was Chbosky's first novel, as well as his
most successful, but Chbosky's talents extend beyond his role as a novelist. The book
was published by MTV Books in 1999, and was an immediate popular success with
teenage readers; by 2000, the novel was MTV Books' best-selling title, and The New
York Times noted in 2007 that it had sold more than 700,000 copies and "is passed
from adolescent to adolescent like a hot potato". As of May 2013, the number of
copies in print reached over two million. Wallflower also stirred up controversy due
to Chbosky's portrayal of teen sexuality and drug use. The book has been removed
from circulation in several schools and appeared on the American Library
Universitas Sumatera Utara
Association's 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009 lists of the 10 most frequently
challenged books. As of July 2013, The Perks of Being a Wallflower has spent over a
year on the New York Times Bestseller list, and is published in 31 languages.
In 2000, Chbosky edited Pieces, an anthology of short stories. The same year,
he worked with director Jon Sherman on a film adaptation of Michael Chabon's
novel The Mysteries of Pittsburgh, though the project fell apart by August 2000.
Chbosky wrote the screenplay for the 2005 film adaptation of the Broadway rock
musical Rent, which received mixed reviews. In late 2005, Chbosky said that he was
writing a film adaptation of The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Chbosky wrote the
screenplay and directed the film The Perks of Being a Wallflower, based on his
novel. Production took place in mid-2011, and the film was released in fall 2012. It
starred Logan Lerman, Ezra Miller, and Emma Watson. Chbosky was nominated in
the Best Adapted Screenplay category for the 2013 Writers Guild Awards, and the
film won the 2013 Independent Spirit Awards for Best First Feature, as well as the
2013 People's Choice Award for Best Dramatic Movie.
In the mid-2000s, Chbosky decided, on the advice of his agent, to begin
looking for work in television in addition to film. Finding he "enjoyed the people [he
met who were working] in television", Chbosky agreed to serve as co-creator,
executive producer, and writer of the CBS serial television drama Jericho, which
premiered in September 2006. The series revolves around the inhabitants of the
fictional small town of Jericho, Kansas in the aftermath of several nuclear attacks.
Chbosky has said the relationship between Jake Green, the main character, and his
mother, reflected "me and my mother in a lot of ways". The first season of Jericho
received lackluster ratings, and CBS canceled the show in May 2007. A grassroots
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campaign to revive the series convinced CBS to renew the series for a second season,
which premiered on February 12, 2008, before being canceled once more in March
2008.
In 2005, Chbosky wrote the screenplay for the film version of the Broadway
hit Rent, though this adaptation was met by mixed reviews from critics. In 2012,
Chbosky went back into the field of film, serving as the screenwriter and director of
the movie version of The Perks of Being a Wallflower. In a 2012 interview after the
film was released, Chbosky revealed that he had always hoped his novel would
become a film, and that he was thrilled to be so heavily involved in the production.
This time, his film efforts were met with great praise: the 2012 film earned $33
million worldwide as well as numerous awards.
In addition to film and literature, Chbosky has worked in television; he wrote
for the TV drama Jericho, which premiered in September of 2006 but was cancelled
in 2008. The series follows the aftermath of a nuclear attack in a small Kansas town;
at present, there are rumors that Netflix is interested in resurrecting the CBS series.
Currently, Chbosky lives in Los Angeles, California, and continues to write, although
little is known about the project he is working on at the moment. He is an active
supporter of gay rights and continues to be employed as a film consultant.
In 2014 it was announced that a live-action reboot of Disney's Beauty and the
Beast was in the works with Stephen Chbosky's name attached as screenwriter.
Chbosky's screenplay is being directed by Bill Condon with a familiar cast, such as
Emma Watson (as Belle) whom Stephen developed a close relationship with during
the production of Perks of Being a Wallflower. This adaptation is claimed to be a
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revision that is faithful to the original 1991 animated film Beauty and the Beast with
all the original musical numbers included. In addition, Condon pitched an idea to the
studio about adding some of the songs from the 1994 Broadway musical. The film
has a current release date of March 17, 2017.
Chbosky currently resides in Los Angeles, California.
II. Summary Of The Novel THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER
The story begins with a quiet, sensitive, 15-year-old boy named Charlie
writing letters about his life to an unknown recipient. Charlie chooses that person
because he said that he heard he was nice and thought that this person would not be
judgmental. He discusses his first year at high school, grappling with two traumatic
experiences from his past: the suicide of his only middle-school friend, Michael, a
year before, and the death of his favorite aunt, Helen, during his early childhood.
His English teacher, Mr. Anderson, notices Charlie's passion for reading and
writing, and acts as a mentor by assigning him extracurricular books and reports.
Although he is a wallflower, Charlie is befriended by two seniors: Patrick and Sam.
Patrick is secretly dating Brad, a closeted football player, and Sam is Patrick's
stepsister. Charlie quickly develops a crush on Sam and subsequently admits his
feelings to her. It is revealed that Sam was sexually abused as a child, and she kisses
Charlie to ensure that his first kiss is from someone who truly loves him.
In parallel, Charlie witnesses his sister's boyfriend hit her across the face, but
she forbids him from telling their parents. He eventually mentions the occurrence to
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Mr. Anderson, who tells Charlie's parents about it. Charlie's relationship with his
sister rapidly deteriorates and she continues to see her boyfriend against her parents'
wishes. Eventually, he discovers that his sister is pregnant and agrees to bring her to
an abortion clinic without telling anyone. His sister breaks up with her boyfriend,
after which her and Charlie's relationship begins to improve significantly.
Charlie is accepted by Sam and Patrick's group of friends and begins
experimenting with tobacco, alcohol and other drugs. As Charlie engages with his
new friends he can control his flashbacks of Aunt Helen, who died in a car crash on
her way to buy him a birthday gift. Eventually, Mary Elizabeth, a member of the
group, invites Charlie to the school's Sadie Hawkins dance and the two enter into a
relationship. During a game of Truth or Dare, when dared to kiss the prettiest girl in
the room he kisses Sam; Mary Elizabeth storms out, the rest of the group shuns him
and Patrick suggests that Charlie stay away from Sam for a while. His flashbacks
return.
Patrick and Brad's relationship is discovered by Brad's abusive father, and
Brad disappears from school for a few days. Upon returning, Brad is cold and
incommunicative towards Patrick, while Patrick attempts to reconnect with him.
However, when Brad derogatorily attacks Patrick's sexuality in public, Patrick
physically attacks Brad until other football players join in and gang up on Patrick.
Charlie breaks up the fight, regaining the respect of Sam and her friends. Patrick
begins spending much of his time with Charlie and Patrick kisses Charlie
impulsively and then apologizes, but Charlie understands that he is recovering from
his romance with Brad. Soon Patrick sees Brad engaging with a stranger in the park
and Patrick is able to move on from the relationship.
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As the school year ends, Charlie is anxious about losing his older friends—
especially Sam, who is leaving for a summer college-preparatory program and has
learned that her boyfriend cheated on her. When Charlie helps her pack, they talk
about his feelings for her; she is angry that he never acted on them. They begin to
engage sexually, but Charlie suddenly grows inexplicably uncomfortable and stops
Sam. Charlie begins to realize that his sexual contact with Sam has stirred up
repressed memories of having been molested by his aunt Helen as a child.
In an epilogue, Charlie is discovered by his parents in a catatonic state and
does not show any movement despite being hit reluctantly by his father. After being
admitted to a mental hospital, it emerges that Helen sexually abused him when he
was young, and his love for her (and empathy for her troubled youth) caused him to
repress his traumatic memories. This psychological damage explains his flashbacks
and derealization phases throughout the book. In two months Charlie is released, and
Sam and Patrick visit him. In the epilogue, Sam, Patrick and Charlie go through the
tunnel again and Charlie stands up and exclaims that he felt infinite.
He comes to terms with his past: "Even if we don't have the power to choose
where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there". Charlie decides
to "participate" in life, and his letter-writing ends.
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I. Biography and Works Of Stephen Chbosky
Stephen Chbosky is an American novelist, screenwriter, and director who
was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on January 25, 1970. Chbosky is the son of
Lea (née Meyer), a tax preparer, and Fred G. Chbosky, a steel company executive
and consultant to CFOs. Chbosky has a sister, Stacy, who is married to director John
Erick Dowdle. He was raised as a Catholic. As a teenager, Chbosky was moved by
J.D. Salinger's novel, The Catcher in the Rye. Upon graduation from Upper St. Clair
High School he met Stewart Stern, the screenwriter of Rebel Without a Cause, and
the two became close friends. After writing The Perks of Being a Wallflower,
Chbosky revealed that the character Bill, a literature teacher, was based on Stern and
reflected the positive influence of Stern on his own development.
In 1992, Chbosky graduated from the University of Southern California's
screenwriting program. He wrote, directed, and acted in the 1995 independent film
The Four Corners of Nowhere, which got Chbosky his first agent, was accepted by
the Sundance Film Festival, and became one of the first films shown on the
Sundance Channel. In the late 1990s, Chbosky wrote several unproduced
screenplays, including ones titled Audrey Hepburn's Neck and Schoolhouse Rock.
Following this initial success, Chbosky spent the 1990s writing screenplays that went
unpublished. In 1994, Chbosky was working on a "very different type of book" than
The Perks of Being a Wallflower when he wrote the line, "I guess that's just one of
the perks of being a wallflower." Chbosky recalled that he "wrote that line. And
Universitas Sumatera Utara
stopped. And realized that somewhere in that [sentence] was the kid I was really
trying to find." After several years of gestation, Chbosky began researching and
writing The Perks of Being a Wallflower, an epistolary novel that follows the
intellectual and emotional maturation of a teenager who uses the alias Charlie over
the course of his first year of high school. The book is semi-autobiographical;
Chbosky has said that he "relate[s] to Charlie[...] But my life in high school was in
many ways different."
In a 2001 interview with Ann Beisch of LA Youth, Chbosky described the
initial stages of the project: "I was writing a very different type of book than Perks,
but then I wrote the line, 'I guess that's just one of the perks of being a wallflower.'
And I stopped. I realized that somewhere in that sentence was the boy I was really
trying to find." After five years of research and composition, Chbosky published the
novel in 1999; the book became a bestseller. Chbosky went on to tell Beisch that he
wrote the book "for very personal reasons," and was happy that people had been able
to relate to it in such a positive way.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower was Chbosky's first novel, as well as his
most successful, but Chbosky's talents extend beyond his role as a novelist. The book
was published by MTV Books in 1999, and was an immediate popular success with
teenage readers; by 2000, the novel was MTV Books' best-selling title, and The New
York Times noted in 2007 that it had sold more than 700,000 copies and "is passed
from adolescent to adolescent like a hot potato". As of May 2013, the number of
copies in print reached over two million. Wallflower also stirred up controversy due
to Chbosky's portrayal of teen sexuality and drug use. The book has been removed
from circulation in several schools and appeared on the American Library
Universitas Sumatera Utara
Association's 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009 lists of the 10 most frequently
challenged books. As of July 2013, The Perks of Being a Wallflower has spent over a
year on the New York Times Bestseller list, and is published in 31 languages.
In 2000, Chbosky edited Pieces, an anthology of short stories. The same year,
he worked with director Jon Sherman on a film adaptation of Michael Chabon's
novel The Mysteries of Pittsburgh, though the project fell apart by August 2000.
Chbosky wrote the screenplay for the 2005 film adaptation of the Broadway rock
musical Rent, which received mixed reviews. In late 2005, Chbosky said that he was
writing a film adaptation of The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Chbosky wrote the
screenplay and directed the film The Perks of Being a Wallflower, based on his
novel. Production took place in mid-2011, and the film was released in fall 2012. It
starred Logan Lerman, Ezra Miller, and Emma Watson. Chbosky was nominated in
the Best Adapted Screenplay category for the 2013 Writers Guild Awards, and the
film won the 2013 Independent Spirit Awards for Best First Feature, as well as the
2013 People's Choice Award for Best Dramatic Movie.
In the mid-2000s, Chbosky decided, on the advice of his agent, to begin
looking for work in television in addition to film. Finding he "enjoyed the people [he
met who were working] in television", Chbosky agreed to serve as co-creator,
executive producer, and writer of the CBS serial television drama Jericho, which
premiered in September 2006. The series revolves around the inhabitants of the
fictional small town of Jericho, Kansas in the aftermath of several nuclear attacks.
Chbosky has said the relationship between Jake Green, the main character, and his
mother, reflected "me and my mother in a lot of ways". The first season of Jericho
received lackluster ratings, and CBS canceled the show in May 2007. A grassroots
Universitas Sumatera Utara
campaign to revive the series convinced CBS to renew the series for a second season,
which premiered on February 12, 2008, before being canceled once more in March
2008.
In 2005, Chbosky wrote the screenplay for the film version of the Broadway
hit Rent, though this adaptation was met by mixed reviews from critics. In 2012,
Chbosky went back into the field of film, serving as the screenwriter and director of
the movie version of The Perks of Being a Wallflower. In a 2012 interview after the
film was released, Chbosky revealed that he had always hoped his novel would
become a film, and that he was thrilled to be so heavily involved in the production.
This time, his film efforts were met with great praise: the 2012 film earned $33
million worldwide as well as numerous awards.
In addition to film and literature, Chbosky has worked in television; he wrote
for the TV drama Jericho, which premiered in September of 2006 but was cancelled
in 2008. The series follows the aftermath of a nuclear attack in a small Kansas town;
at present, there are rumors that Netflix is interested in resurrecting the CBS series.
Currently, Chbosky lives in Los Angeles, California, and continues to write, although
little is known about the project he is working on at the moment. He is an active
supporter of gay rights and continues to be employed as a film consultant.
In 2014 it was announced that a live-action reboot of Disney's Beauty and the
Beast was in the works with Stephen Chbosky's name attached as screenwriter.
Chbosky's screenplay is being directed by Bill Condon with a familiar cast, such as
Emma Watson (as Belle) whom Stephen developed a close relationship with during
the production of Perks of Being a Wallflower. This adaptation is claimed to be a
Universitas Sumatera Utara
revision that is faithful to the original 1991 animated film Beauty and the Beast with
all the original musical numbers included. In addition, Condon pitched an idea to the
studio about adding some of the songs from the 1994 Broadway musical. The film
has a current release date of March 17, 2017.
Chbosky currently resides in Los Angeles, California.
II. Summary Of The Novel THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER
The story begins with a quiet, sensitive, 15-year-old boy named Charlie
writing letters about his life to an unknown recipient. Charlie chooses that person
because he said that he heard he was nice and thought that this person would not be
judgmental. He discusses his first year at high school, grappling with two traumatic
experiences from his past: the suicide of his only middle-school friend, Michael, a
year before, and the death of his favorite aunt, Helen, during his early childhood.
His English teacher, Mr. Anderson, notices Charlie's passion for reading and
writing, and acts as a mentor by assigning him extracurricular books and reports.
Although he is a wallflower, Charlie is befriended by two seniors: Patrick and Sam.
Patrick is secretly dating Brad, a closeted football player, and Sam is Patrick's
stepsister. Charlie quickly develops a crush on Sam and subsequently admits his
feelings to her. It is revealed that Sam was sexually abused as a child, and she kisses
Charlie to ensure that his first kiss is from someone who truly loves him.
In parallel, Charlie witnesses his sister's boyfriend hit her across the face, but
she forbids him from telling their parents. He eventually mentions the occurrence to
Universitas Sumatera Utara
Mr. Anderson, who tells Charlie's parents about it. Charlie's relationship with his
sister rapidly deteriorates and she continues to see her boyfriend against her parents'
wishes. Eventually, he discovers that his sister is pregnant and agrees to bring her to
an abortion clinic without telling anyone. His sister breaks up with her boyfriend,
after which her and Charlie's relationship begins to improve significantly.
Charlie is accepted by Sam and Patrick's group of friends and begins
experimenting with tobacco, alcohol and other drugs. As Charlie engages with his
new friends he can control his flashbacks of Aunt Helen, who died in a car crash on
her way to buy him a birthday gift. Eventually, Mary Elizabeth, a member of the
group, invites Charlie to the school's Sadie Hawkins dance and the two enter into a
relationship. During a game of Truth or Dare, when dared to kiss the prettiest girl in
the room he kisses Sam; Mary Elizabeth storms out, the rest of the group shuns him
and Patrick suggests that Charlie stay away from Sam for a while. His flashbacks
return.
Patrick and Brad's relationship is discovered by Brad's abusive father, and
Brad disappears from school for a few days. Upon returning, Brad is cold and
incommunicative towards Patrick, while Patrick attempts to reconnect with him.
However, when Brad derogatorily attacks Patrick's sexuality in public, Patrick
physically attacks Brad until other football players join in and gang up on Patrick.
Charlie breaks up the fight, regaining the respect of Sam and her friends. Patrick
begins spending much of his time with Charlie and Patrick kisses Charlie
impulsively and then apologizes, but Charlie understands that he is recovering from
his romance with Brad. Soon Patrick sees Brad engaging with a stranger in the park
and Patrick is able to move on from the relationship.
Universitas Sumatera Utara
As the school year ends, Charlie is anxious about losing his older friends—
especially Sam, who is leaving for a summer college-preparatory program and has
learned that her boyfriend cheated on her. When Charlie helps her pack, they talk
about his feelings for her; she is angry that he never acted on them. They begin to
engage sexually, but Charlie suddenly grows inexplicably uncomfortable and stops
Sam. Charlie begins to realize that his sexual contact with Sam has stirred up
repressed memories of having been molested by his aunt Helen as a child.
In an epilogue, Charlie is discovered by his parents in a catatonic state and
does not show any movement despite being hit reluctantly by his father. After being
admitted to a mental hospital, it emerges that Helen sexually abused him when he
was young, and his love for her (and empathy for her troubled youth) caused him to
repress his traumatic memories. This psychological damage explains his flashbacks
and derealization phases throughout the book. In two months Charlie is released, and
Sam and Patrick visit him. In the epilogue, Sam, Patrick and Charlie go through the
tunnel again and Charlie stands up and exclaims that he felt infinite.
He comes to terms with his past: "Even if we don't have the power to choose
where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there". Charlie decides
to "participate" in life, and his letter-writing ends.
Universitas Sumatera Utara