The Perks of Being a Wallflower: Charlie's Characterization

   One of my latest reads has been The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. The novel was wonderful. It was very heart-warming and emotional, but fun at the same time. The book is basically about how Charlie, the main character, is growing up, and his adventurous experiences throughout his journey. At the beginning of the novel, he is just beginning high school, and hasn't had many close friends in his entire life.
   Chbosky does an excellent job of developing Charlie's character in the novel. Charlie starts out as a lonely, 15 year old boy who is extremely anxious about starting high school. At the end of the novel, he is a completely transformed young man who has made friends and has had unique experiences.
    Charlie befriends two seniors named Sam and Patrick. He becomes very "tight" with them and their entire group of seniors. The group changes Charlie into a more friendly, cheerful person, but sometimes pressures him into doing not-so-great things. Charlie develops an unforgettable and unchanging bond with Sam and Patrick. He even has first experiences like a first date with a girl from the group and his first party. One of the biggest "firsts" though is falling in love for the first time. Charlie ultimately falls in love with Sam and experiences sorrow and jealousy as Sam already has a boyfriend. Sam eventually does like him back later on but he realizes he's not ready.
   When it comes time that Charlie's friends go to college, of course Charlie becomes upset and doesn't want them to leave, but he realizes that he will get  through and he will be fine, because he feels like he has changed for the better. As a reader, I felt that Charlie became a more complete person at the end of the novel and he was thoroughly developed as the novel progressed.